Often, after we print an article in BRANDPACKAGING, we uncover added information on a trend we’ve identified. Here is more on a recent trend.

Beverage closures are evolving from simple caps to sophisticated marketing tools that support brand communication through decorating techniques and special functional attributes. We reported on this trend in our April 2003 issue.

The use of a transparent vs. an opaque screw-cap closure significantly influences consumer preference for soft drink and bottled water brands, according to a research study commissioned by Milliken & Co.

The study found that consumers prefer tinted, see-through closures to their opaque counterparts. The study involved 400 in-person intercept interviews with shoppers purchasing beverages at retail outlets.

For the study, researchers set up a beverage cooler that contained an equal number of single-serve beverages with translucent closures and with original opaque closures. The researchers asked consumers to select a bottled drink as if they were purchasing it.

Bottles with tinted, clear closures are more likely (62 percent) to be chosen than with an opaque closure.
Younger consumers (72 percent), particularly younger than 18, preferred transparent closures to opaque closures.
71 percent said the see-through closure was more attractive and influenced their selection.
More than two-thirds noticed the clear closure without prompting; a similar percentage said they recognized the closure once asked. BP