Etto and the World of Packaging

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https://app.redjade.net/surveys/cpslor/ep02
 
Thanks you all for your willingness to participate.
 
As folks around here know Etto is a lot of different things, but in the wider world outside of our Central Coast bubble Etto is a CPG brand. CPG is short for "consumer packaged good" and let me tell you it a jungle out there, in that CPG world. It's a place where the weak can get chewed up and spit out .....and do seemingly daily. We've been navigating the CPG landscape for the past few years and have seen competitors in the "pasta space" come and go with new entrants, mostly from Italy ready to hop in ready give it a go.
 
Those of you who have followed and bought our pasta from the beginning might remember our original package - the cube shaped box (pictured above). I originally wanted to create something unique that would set us apart and be different from the other pasta brands out there. I loved that design, but our retail partners did not since it did not fit on the shelves efficiently and took up too much space (we originally didn't plan to be in grocery stores). After a couple years we decided to make a change to create our new box with a size that matches up with the common brand box sizes, but with a unique two window design featuring California and Italy on opposing sides of the box.
 
This design with the red color seemed to make a splash and we added more retail partners and it also fit nicely on their shelves. The red box seemed very unique at the time, but now there are more and more pasta brands who have seemed to discover the joys of a red box or bag - even the world's biggest pasta brand. Maybe it's just a coincidence hmmmm .......or maybe not.
 
Many years ago, Italy's boutique pasta makers began putting their pasta into paper type bags and I went looking for a way to do this by attending the very large Las Vegas packaging expo show. The cost of cardboard and cartons has increased dramatically over the last few years and the packaging the Italian boutique pasta producers are using is more sustainable as well. At the Las Vegas show only box alternatives were all plastic bags - in an ocean of options it seemed like we only had one alternative.
 
We continued or search and eventually found a package that checked all of our boxes, a bag that would stand up well, be a good size, and offer compostability. This feature is increasingly becoming attractive in the market and we would love to be a leader in this as well.
 
We also need to find a package that would allow us to keep our pricing affordable. We are proud to say that we have not raised our prices once since we started Etto and to be able to keep our pricing the same we packaging costs are a critical component. The reality of the small CPG world is many producers actually spend more money on the packaging than the product within, this isn't the case with us yet, but with the increased costs of boxes it's getting close.
 
Over the last several months we've been working with Cal Poly in their new Sensory Lab to help us understand how a packaging change might affect our brand and even what types of changes might be positive from a consumer perspective. Here are the three phases of the study:
 
1. Evaluation of differences and preferences regarding the impression of physical format of the package (box vs. bag) and perceived compostability/sustainability. This phase also gives us insight into consumer buying habits surrounding premium pasta in general. This phase was in the form of an online survey where subjects were shown various pasta brands and asked about various aspects of the packaging.

2. Evaluation of how consumers use various packaging formats at home and what they like/dislike about them (plastic bag vs. box vs. paper bag). This phase was an "At Home Use Test" where testers were given physical samples to take home and use. They were asked to video themselves using the samples and given a feedback survey to fill out as well.

3. Evaluation of the impression of different design options for the Etto bag (what design elements are preferred, which overall design is most liked, and why). This phase is in the form of an online survey where subjects will be shown various packaging options and asked questions about their preferences of each. 

We are lucky to have this resource in our own backyard as we continue the evolution of Etto pasta. The professor, Dr Amy Lammert, previously worked with Pepsico and Con Agra Foods. Now is the chance for you to weigh in as we enter the third and final phase of the study and have some big decisions to make. As always we value each and every one of your opinions since without you, we couldn't continue to do what we do. I'm also happy to respond to any questions or thoughts about this process if you want to send an email.
 
We will also share the results from this entire study when it's complete.
 
Click Here to Participate or use the button up top.