VIDEO: Great Packaging Design Ideas Come From Focus Group

Flip Top Caps Add Big Value to Premium Salad Dressing

LiquiFlapperThe best way to gauge a product’s value is to put it in the hands of the consumer. And that’s just what Weatherchem did with its LiquiFlapper® flip top caps. The focus group was organized to assess the needs and preferences of consumers of premium salad dressing.

Prior to testing the product, the panel was asked about the shelf impact of the flip top cap. The majority of the group preferred the flip top cap because of its high-quality appearance and design.

  • When comparing a continuous thread (CT) closure, one person observed, “When I unscrew this, I'm really going to pour too much product on and I'm going to end up wasting the product. Eventually I'm going to save money by using this [flip top] because it's channeled and I have portion control of how much I want to use.”

  • One consumer explained, “I like the portion control. I like the flip top feeling—that the product isn't going to gush out everywhere.”

  • Another panelist stated, “This is a new design concept that somebody thought about. It's updated. It's more modernized, more contemporary."

Once the group got to try dispensing the dressing on a salad, they were asked about the ease of use. The majority of the group thought it was easier to use because of the portion control and the drip-less design. And almost everyone thought it would save them money.

  • "I think it would be better for your fridge. Sometimes your kids put the lid on the salad dressing wrong and it flips over in the door and it goes all over the place. At least this, it's easy to push it down. You can tell if it's up and not closed all the way."

  • When asked about ease of use for aged parents and other seniors, one consumer said, "As they age, it is harder for them to use a twist top. They don't have the strength in their hands to turn the lid. It's easier for them to just push something up."

Flip TopFinally, the panel was asked if they saw these two bottles on the shelf side by side (one with a flip top cap and one with a regular screw cap), how many would choose the one with the flip top cap? The majority chose the LiquiFlapper for its convenient, controlled dispensing. Most of the panelists also said they would consider switching to a different brand if it looked like it had a better cap or seemed easier to dispense. But how much would they be willing to pay? About $0.25 more for salad dressing that incorporated the LiquiFlapper flip top cap. 

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Posted by Amanda Thomas