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Several themes in new packaging, none of them surprising, turned up in our coverage last issue from the Food Marketing Institute show. Consumer goods companies are catering to customers' demands for food that is convenient to use, cook and eat. In our time-starved society, this is understandable. But consumers also want some food to be portable, in single-serving, single-handed portions that can be eaten on-the-go.

"Consumers are looking for convenient ways to eat and live healthier, without giving up great taste," says Bauke Rouwers, Unilever vp/general manager for Lipton Tea North America, as he was describing Iced Tea To Go in individual drink stick-packs, covered in the FMI roundup (www.packagingdigest.com/info/fmi05). Adding to that theme is Pam Becker, a public relations spokesperson at General Mills: "This [Betty Crocker Warm Delights] dessert mix was developed in response to consumers' need for convenience and good taste."

In Design Trends this month (see p. 6) is a portable, retortable bowl with an easy-open lid for meat salads from France's ready-meal producer, William Saurin. The package took the top Diamond Award in the DuPont Awards for its functionality and convenience. "Our customers demand the convenience of easy-open ends," says Laurence Masce, product manager. "The package is lightweight and durable, and can be carried in a handbag, a briefcase or a lunch box without spilling. Consumers can enjoy the salad straight from the [package] bowl."

The convenience and portability factors are not surprising, coming from marketing experts. However, that same theme popped up unexpectedly in a new study from BuzzBack Market Research, Teens Eating Healthy: Oxymoron or Trend? In the survey, 35 percent of teens said the reason for trying a new food product was that the packaging caught their attention, and 60 percent cited "convenient to prepare or eat" as important. A third of the teens reported that they tried the new product because it was healthy.

According to BuzzBack's founder and CEO, Carol Fitzgerald, many food companies and some pharmaceutical firms look at convenience as a strategic platform. "They look at this across multiple brands," she says. Portion size is important—can I eat this with one hand?—and healthy are pluses. "The desire and aspiration may be for healthy options, but the emphasis on convenience is over-riding the health factor," Fitzgerald believes. The differences in package design, she says, are in the dimensions, such as bottle shape and size.

Speaking of great design, Packaging Digest has been honored with a first-place award for best annual directory cover by the American Society of Business Publication Editors. The 2004 Buyers Guide features standout gold foil embossing provided by KURZ Transfer Products (www.kurzusa.com). The cover was designed by our art director, Lora Lee Gelles. Also, Packaging Digest received a second-place award for best redesign, launched with the September 2004 issue (first place went to sister publication and Oak Brook neighbor, Restaurants & Institutions). The redesign is the culmination of six months of reader and advertiser research and resulted in both content and graphic updates. Gelles and creative director Glen Luensman spearheaded the effort.