The primary functions of packaging have been to preserve the product for as long and safely as possible and carry the brand message at the lowest possible unit cost. It has been viewed as a capital equipment expense, a purchasing expense, or a commodity cost rather than as a marketing imperative or marketing expense. There have been few metrics for measuring its sales contribution and little recognition of its contribution to brand loyalty.

The world of consumer packaged goods is changing in many ways. Some business thinkers believe that power is shifting from brands and big corporations to retailers and consumers. Traditional brands are losing market share to retail brands. The under-49 power market of healthy, two parent, one-income families is a fraction of its former self. The world of consumers with doctor-diagnosed arthritis is expected to double, from 15.7 million in 2002 to 33.3 million in 2030. Our research with consumers over 50 suggests that close to 30 million have self-diagnosed arthritis today. We don’t know how many little kids are expected to fend for themselves at least part of the time, but our qualitative research suggests that the number is staggering.

While the mass market is harder to reach with advertising, some new ideas are reaching with and without advertising’s help. One of those trend-in-formation ideas is the importance of good design in the scheme of things. Design excellence has entered the lexicon and the mass market. It has become a widely meaningful lifestyle value and a cornerstone of Target Stores’ and Martha Stewart’s success stories. At the same time, our shopper studies show that packaging ease of use is gaining on brand as a reason to purchase among all age groups. Up to now, seniors have tended to complain quietly and blame themselves for their difficulties with packages. Boomers blame marketers, and expect to be satisfied or find an alternative.

Business models based on sustainability are gaining presence and profitability. Old models recognized the importance of 5 P’s of marketing – Product, Place, Price, Promotion, and People. (Note that Packaging is not among the P’s with recognized profit power.) New business models are focusing on the three P’s of sustainability: People, Profits, and the Planet. Packaging isn’t among the three P’s of sustainability either, but accessible and eco-friendly packaging is beginning to be seen as part of the focus on people and responding to their whole life needs. Organic foods and companies like Whole Foods are growing faster and more profitably than Wal-Mart. Michael Graves, architect and designer of household “Works of art that Work” has been paralyzed from the chest down for the last few years, and has turned his creative genius and influence toward the design of medical devices.

As I see it, it’s too early to say that the time of universal design has come, but not too early to say that it is finally more than a dream.