#OnShelf: Packaging, partnerships and purpose

by Louise Burgers. Packaging and partnerships highlight brand purpose and quality products in this week’s edition of new products, launches and campaigns.

Pack changes for Rhodes Quality

Canned food brand, Rhodes Quality, has repackaged its range to showcase a new look and feel. The Rhodes Quality ‘Rooted in Goodness’ repackaging is on shelf now, along with the winter campaign competition where consumers can win R150,000 in prizes. “The new packaging updates are aimed at strengthening consumer sentiment towards the brand by addressing their needs for wholesome meal solutions, while maintaining quality and convenience codes, which Rhodes Quality is known for and associated with,” says Maria Soares, head of marketing at RFG. Tamara Patel, brand manager for Rhodes Quality says they wanted the packaging to showcase the fruit and veg products packed into every can. To illustrate this, Patel says that the pack refresh consists of a shift in logo colour towards a more natural and vibrant green, a modernised font and an evolution to a fresh, 3D logo. “The task was vast, but our packaging design agency Startle, worked across the categories that we operate in, from fruit to tomatoes, veg, beans and legumes, jams, juice and salad pickles, and found a solution that would tie our brand together across the range, and create distinction and appetite appeal on shelf.” The brand is owned by RFG which has been producing canned foods for over 125 years for customers throughout South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and in major global markets.

Pura Soda introduces a 400ml PET bottle

South African soft drink brand, PURA Soda, has launched a 400ml PET bottle, making its 100% recyclable packaging more convenient for ‘on-the-go’ consumers. PET bottles are made of one of the few polymers that can be recycled into the same form – a new beverage bottle – again and again. This neatly closes the recycling loop and enables “cradle to cradle” packaging solutions. Prized for its strength, thermo-stability, and transparency, PET is a popular choice for packaging and is inexpensive, lightweight, resealable and shatter-resistant. Says, Greig Jansen, CEO, “From our research, we realised that consumer demand for natural, healthy and convenient on-the-go products has become pervasive. We know that shopping habits have evolved where consumers want to get in and out of stores quickly – which makes convenience so important. More specifically, on-the-go packs need to fit consumers’ individual habits and lifestyles.” The new design will be available as a 400ml PET bottle in six flavours: cranberry, Seville orange, cucumber and lime, lemon and elderflower, pomegranate and ginger and lemon. Pura has 65% less sugar than most other soft drinks, no animal by-products, natural flavours and no colourants. With roots in Cape Town, PURA Soda has cemented its position as a global brand, exporting to 14 different countries including the US, UAE and UK.

Cotton On partners with UNICEF to deliver vaccines

The Cotton On Group has launched a one-year global partnership with UNICEF to help deliver 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable, becoming the first global retailer to support UNICEF in delivering the vaccine. The campaign kicks off in stores and online, with 100% of proceeds from the sale of Cotton On Foundation products to go towards delivering the doses. “This unprecedented time needs to be matched with unprecedented support and action. Thanks to the generous support of the Cotton On Group, we can make a positive impact where it’s needed most -because COVID-19 isn’t over for anyone, until it’s over for everyone,” reiterated Henrietta Fore, executive director of UNICEF. Funds raised will support the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations as part of the COVAX response, and diagnostic tests and treatments. The Cotton On contribution will play an important role in ensuring the vaccine is received by those most in need. Since 2007, in partnership with its team members and customers, the Cotton On Group has raised over R1,3 billion through the Cotton On Foundation, to deliver quality education around the globe. With eight brands, over 1,300 stores operating in 20 countries, and 18,000 team members, they are one of Australia’s largest global fashion brands.

Main image credit: Rhodes Quality.

Louise Burgers is the Publisher and Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has spent over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, marketing, media and advertising industry in South Africa and on the African continent. She has specialised in local and Africa consumer trends and is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise again and that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a global gamechanger in the next decade.

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