Paperboard vs. Plastic for Milk Cartons

My recent presentation at the Paperboard Packaging Council's Annual Awards Banquet rekindled memories of a study designed and executed for a paperboard manufacturer. The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of milk customers as they relate to paperboard and plastic containers. As it turns out, there are three customers in the milk carton business: the processor, the retail establishment and the consumer. Each has their own perceptions of the two types of cartons, paperboard and plastic. At the time, processors were moving more and more towards the plastic containers. The paperboard manufacturer was looking for a way to divert the trend to plastic.

Our plan was to explore the perception of each customer segment to determine the level of preference and the basis of the preference.

Our study was designed to explore the perceptions of the processors' customers (the retailers) and also the retailers' customers (the consumers). For the perceptions of the retail business, we interviewed both store and dairy department managers about their preferences and likes and dislikes of both types of cartons.

For the consumer part of the research, we conducted our interviews in stores, in front of the dairy cases. We determined what the consumer was using and their level of experience with both types of cartons. Rather than just preference and their reasons for their preference, we also asked what they liked and disliked for the non-preferred carton. We also asked what, if anything, they disliked about the preferred carton.

The results showed a strong division, especially among the consumers, relating to preference. Each side had specific reasons for their preferences.

According to the client, they constructed a new sales campaign utilizing the results of the study to convince the milk processors to continue use of paperboard containers. The results were also utilized in a program aimed at the retailers showing the strength of the consumers' convictions for the paperboard containers.