Sweets & Snacks Expo 2015

Superseedz: Start-ups must never underestimate packaging power

20-May-2015 - Last updated on 21-May-2015 at 17:59 GMT

Superseedz marketing head: 'That point of purchase, or the moment of truth as it’s called, is the most important part'

Start-up snack makers must invest in packaging from the get-go because it’s a powerful consumer draw, says Superseedz.

The dry-roasted pumpkin seed specialist recently revamped its packs for a cleaner, more eye-catching look. The white, re-sealable and stand-up pouches are matte white with a large pumpkin image on front and minimal front-of-pack messaging.

Kathie Pelliccio, founder of Superseedz, said packaging was everything and should be a priority for any snack maker looking to start out.

“Take the time and money to develop and work with someone who knows what they’re doing…We thought our old packaging was cute, but you put it up to our new stuff and there’s a huge difference,” she told BakeryandSnacks.com.

A clean catch

Joe Lupica, VP of marketing for Superseedz, said it was about designing packs that garnered interest instantly, particularly in such a competitive market.

“That point of purchase, or the moment of truth as it’s called, is the most important part. You have three seconds where a consumer is choosing and you’ve got to assert. There are so many (companies) that don’t do the job,” he said.

In terms of design, he said the cleaner, the better.

“If you look at it in stages, you have to catch their attention. If you don’t get them close to the bag and have them pick it up, then it doesn’t matter. So, having lots of words and things about benefits and features on pack, it doesn’t matter if they’re not going to pick it up.

“[Cluttered pack messaging] is information overload; the category is already so big and cluttered that you have to find a way to break through,” he said.

Functional for flexibility

Superseedz had also carefully chosen pack functionality, Lupica said - a re-sealable function for product quality and stand-up pouch design for retail flexibility.

“From a merchandizing perspective, our product is very flexible about where you can put it – in produce or in the snack aisle – so you have to be able to pack it and sell,” he explained.

In some US stores, the product featured alongside large, bagged nuts but in other stores it sat in between branded varieties and meat jerky.

Superseedz recently launched 1oz bags across some of its varieties and developed a maple sugar and sea salt variant that scooped ‘innovation of the year’ for the gourmet/premium category at the Sweets & Snacks show.