Reporting

Trucking companies think outside the box to build brand recognition

By Shefali Kapadia When Sherri Garner Brumbaugh first looked into a NASCAR sponsorship for her trucking company, she wasn’t sure how to make it work. She wondered how a regional carrier would stack up against big national brands like Menards and Lowe’s. “It seemed like such a reach for a company like mine,” said Brumbaugh,… Read more
Energy drinks buzz with new designs and sustainable packaging

By Shefali Kapadia When energy drink manufacturers work with packaging supplier WestRock on projects such as rethinking their multipacks, they have a few requests. “We see the ongoing ask of us as suppliers to do things better, faster, cheaper, more sustainable,” said John Perkins, vice president of global packaging systems at WestRock. It may seem… Read more
At the Panama Canal: Booking slots open up at a waterway on the mend

By Shefali Kapadia Visitors to the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks would have little indication something is amiss. The sun glistens on the water, which appears plentiful in the locks. Ships, carrying everything from containers to petroleum, await their turn. It’s an elegant dance — gates open, tugs pull the ship, water is pumped out and… Read more
From Coke to Hershey, CPGs search for their sweet spot in pack size

By Shefali Kapadia One pack, two pack, big pack, small pack. While CPG companies’ packaging strategies are far more complex than a Dr. Seuss book, the general principles hold true. As companies adjust or add pack sizes to meet changing consumer preferences, there are new implications from production to recycling. “They’re going to have to make… Read more
What’s old is new: Food and beverage brands put a modern spin on retro packaging

By Shefali Kapadia Tony the Tiger has adorned boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes for decades, and many consumers distinctly remember TV commercials where Tony would proclaim, “They’re gr-r-reat!” For a limited time last spring, Kellogg Canada ran a campaign that tapped into those memories. The food giant released nostalgic versions of cereal brands and their mascots, from… Read more
Why carriers, shippers use drop and hook in good times and bad

By Shefali Kapadia Shipper and carrier needs ebb and flow with the cycles of the market, but one particular service remains in high demand: drop and hook. The practice involves a carrier dropping off one trailer at a dock and attaching another pre-loaded one, rather than live loading. The programs are popular among carriers, drivers,… Read more