Can your brand’s consumer packaging design be at the crux
of your brand’s go-to-market strategy?

It’s possible. And I believe it’s timely example. Think about this.

What do your customers do with your retail package, the container itself, after they’ve consumed your brand? Recycle it hopefully, assuming it is recyclable. But wonder if your package container had a post consumer use? Sure, we’ve all used an old spaghetti container as a penny jar or in my case an oversized beer glass. But what if your package became an ingredient that helped save the world, so to speak?

For example, wonder if your package allowed you to grow herbs if you planted it?

Better yet, wonder if you planted it and it grew a tree?

Imagine that, plant-able packaging.

Whereby your package has tree seeds right inside the molded micro fiber of 100% post consumer newspaper itself. Simply bury the 100% recyclable and biodegradable package and 7 days later it sprouts. Think about how many egg cartons would turn into trees? [Never mind how many more eggs your organic egg brand would sell]. Would that help the 900 million trees that are cut down every year for the sole purpose of consumer brand packaging? I think so.

In fact, I’m a brand designer @ MicroArts [http://www.microarts.com/], and I’m going to eat my own dog food, and implement what I recommend to you. In addition to MicroArts Creative Agency, I am launching footwear brand company with my buddy Jarka Duba called Todi [http://www.todiusa.com/] and our shoe box will now grow trees. Our goal is that the Todi brand helps grow 1,000,000 trees in the next 5 years.

My guess Jeanie, Drew and Chris on the MicroArts PR team would get this brand in a few hundred publications globally for this very reason. What’s that worth to our brand strategy? What’s that worth to our company’s valuation?

I’d consider this a fairly sound concept to augment our go-to-market strategy.

Well, I’m pleased to report that this go-to-market strategy is a viable one for your consumer brand too. Recently at a brand packaging design seminar, I met Mr. Onysko, the guy who patented this idea of putting seeds in consumer packaging. He figured out 3 key requirements to making uber-eco packaging a reality. The first requirement is the seeds need to be flat so they don’t crush when the model fiber is pressed into the package itself. The second is that the seeds you select must be able with stand 114 degrees during the molded fiber process. And finally, the plant that grows cannot be invasive growth plant, like baby’s breath for example would do more harm that good to the surrounding plant growth.

Mr. Onysko patented it for the purpose of sharing it, not make money with it. He believes all innovations that promote sustainability are to be shared, and not profited upon. I think he wants to truly save the world. His leadership by example could be contagious amongst the brand giants and new aspiring brands like Todi.

Please consider his Pangea branded products at http://www.pangeaorganics.com/. His products are organic health and beauty products are premium and sold at a premium. But if you think for a second you can’t afford them, think for another second… and then ask yourself if you can afford chemo.

Peter L. Getman, Principal Brand Director
MicroArts Creative Agency

PS: Check out the Pangea’s brand transparency sections of his website. They provide complete accountability and transparency. I can’t wait to do that with our client’s organic brand lines. I love it. Nice job, Mr. Onysko.