Package Design | packagedesignmag.com

(December 2011) posted on Tue Dec 13, 2011

By Lynn Dornblaser

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This packaged soup is spicing up a category that many would say is very ho-hum: soup. Heinz Squeeze & Stir, available in the U.K., uses a small plastic pouch to contain a wet-soup concentrate instead of a small envelope with dry mix. The promise is a fresher-tasting soup with quality a consumer can see on shelf.
 

The Perspective
Innovation in the soup packaging category has slowed significantly, and packaged soup sales have flattened out. However, soup in general is becoming more popular, showing up more often on restaurant menus and in new recipes for home cooking.
 

THE MARKET
In the U.S., the time might be ripe for revitalization in this category. According to Mintel’s research, 57% of U.S. consumers say they try to have packaged soup at home as a standby. It’s also growing in appeal as a workplace meal: 37% of U.S. consumers plan to increase their consumption of soup at the office.
These consumer behaviors, combined with a novel format for soup, could have substantial potential in the U.S. market.

The innovations
The package itself is not new—you can find film sachets in most markets. What makes Heinz Squeeze & Stir stand out is how the product and the sachet work together to create a convenient take-along option. The contents are a thick paste-like liquid. Consumers tear open the sachet, squeeze it into a mug, add boiling water, and stir. The wet contents provide a better, fresher taste than a dried soup mix would.
why we love it
We’re always fascinated by good examples of package category migration. Consumers are familiar with this package form and how it functions for applications from Starbucks Via to individual packets of Heinz ketchup. Shelf-stable soup, though, is a somewhat unexpected category for a film sachet. Not only is the package novel, but it also fills a consumer need for a good-tasting and economical meal or snack.
 

Lynn Dornblaser (lynnd@mintel.com) is the director of CPG Trend Insight at Mintel International, working out of the company’s Chicago office.