The personal care industry is an important market sector where metallic effects are applied to the packaging. Amsterdam Metallized Products has explored this sector to present their partners in the business with interesting content. This case study by Amsterdam Metallized Products shows how many toothpaste brands utilise a metallic finish to improve their on-shelf consumer appeal and if brand owners will be asking a higher selling price for toothpaste packaging with a metallic appearance.
More than 50% of brand owners use a metallic appearance
In order to explore the toothpaste packaging industry Amsterdam Metallized Products conducted research at three main Dutch drugstores: Etos, Kruidvat and DA. In total, 30 different brands were displayed on their shelves. We noticed that 16 brands (53%) use a metallic appearance (metallised substrate, foiling and metallic inks). The metallic appeal was applied to seven tubes, two plastic surrounding secondary packaging and ten surrounding secondary board packaging. The metallic effects that were used, were: silver, gold, holographic or diffraction patterns, and several metallic colours.
Toothpaste with a metallic appeal is sold at a higher price
Brands that sell both toothpaste with and without packaging that have a metallic finish ask a higher selling price for toothpaste with a metallic appeal applied to the packaging. On average the price was 28% higher. The higher price is applied to toothpaste sold with both secondary surrounding board packaging and stand-alone tubes with a metallic appearance. This indicates that the metallic effect is used to radiate high-quality and therefore brand owners ask a higher selling price.
Toothpaste sold with secondary packaging is 88% more expensive
The price asked for toothpaste is on average 88% higher when it is sold with surrounding secondary packaging compared to toothpaste that is sold without secondary packaging. The comparison was applied to brands that sell both toothpaste with surrounding secondary board packaging and standalone tubes.This can indicate that surrounding secondary board packaging is used for premium quality tooth-paste, therefore a higher price needs to be paid for it.
Secondary board packaging
In 2011 package expert Cathrien Ruoff researched the packaging of toothpaste. She found that aerosols and pumps scored highly. This was the result of a seven-year long lobby of Mrs Meiny Epema-Brugman, a Dutch politician, who tried to eliminate the use of the board packaging surrounding the toothpaste tube. Due to the lobby, the toothpaste brands agreed to get rid of the board packaging.
However after several years almost all of the brand owners reintroduced board packaging, according to the article in Verpakkingsmanagement in March this year. Our research has come to a similar conclusion. Out of the 30 brands, seven used only stand alone tubes, which implies that 77% of the brands displayed their toothpaste with surrounding secondary board or plastic packaging.