Need/Objective
“Who would have thought 10 years ago that some of the most unique development in the gum category would be in the packaging?”
Wrigley’s stick gum product form saw volume and share declines as consumers were faced with a wider range of alternative products. News was required in the form of innovative packaging to help reverse these declines and make these products more relevant to today’s consumers.
Our objective: create new consumer relevant packaging for the line of stick gum products while remaining cost effective.
Challenges
- User desire for discreteness, yet wanting badge value when sharing.
- Constructions that open and reclose without spilling.
- Low-cost solutions that meet consumers’ needs and preferences.
- Maintaining smallest possible dimensions for pocketing.
- 100-year-old stick-wrapping machines that could not be changed.
- Extremely low packaging cost-of-goods parity target.
Strategy
4sight’s approach was to first immerse ourselves in the consumer experience. We conducted nationwide store intercepts and N-Gage™ consumer ideation sessions with consumers ranging from 15 to 35 years old.
The results were surprising. Gum was mostly about image.
Key Learning
People wanted packaging that represented their image:
- Fit comfortably in their pocket or bag when going out
- “Pristine Presentation” that remained neat and unmarred when sharing with others.
- Discreetness: noise-free usage for non-sharing instances and for undisruptive dispensing in social arena.
- Younger users wanted a high Coolness Factor: a premium feel promoting positive emotional responses in others.
People wanted functionality that reinforced that image:
- Extruding a single stick at a time with one-handed action especially during activities.
- Secure product containment for freshness and stick security.
- Tactile or audible cues to reinforce operation.
Users wanted a package that worked like a well-designed product AND made them look good.
Before & After
This learning led to the creation of the new one-handed, hook-locking mechanism. This idea was able to be integrated into a new, slim, cost-effective, paper package that delivered on consumers’ sensitivity to size and bulk. The packaging delivered significant additional consumer value which allowed for a retail price increase AND growth in sales.
Previous Packaging
- User desire for discreteness, yet wanting badge value when sharing.
- Constructions that open and reclose without spilling.
- Low-cost solutions that meet consumers’ needs and preferences.
- Maintaining smallest possible dimensions for pocketing.
- 100-year-old stick-wrapping machines that could not be changed.
- Extremely low packaging cost-of-goods parity target.
New Packaging
- User desire for discreteness, yet wanting badge value when sharing.
- Constructions that open and reclose without spilling.
- Low-cost solutions that meet consumers’ needs and preferences.
- Maintaining smallest possible dimensions for pocketing.
- 100-year-old stick-wrapping machines that could not be changed.
- Extremely low packaging cost-of-goods parity target.
Final Verdict
- $500 million in sales for “5”, five years after launch.
- “5” packaging is redefining the stick gum category.
- Gum itself is no longer boring – now the Wrigley brand is unique and ownable.
- Wrigley can, and does, charge a significant premium based around structural design ($1.30-$2.00 depending on the brand vs. 99¢ previously).
- All major Wrigley brands are adopting the new structure.