The Conversations, Trends, and Projects That Made Our Year
Curious about the biggest trends and moments that shaped 2024? From viral consumer habits to industry innovations, our year-in-review dives into the stories that kept us inspired—and what they mean for the future.
OUR THINKING
The World Through Our Lens
It’s all about perspective. Our team has thoughts on CPG branding, strategy, design, packaging, prototyping, sustainability, design trends, and just about everything else impacting our industry. Want a fresh POV in your inbox? Subscribe for updates (and follow us on social!).
ALDI EARTHLY GRAINS WINS PAC AWARD
Exciting news for ALDI and Kaleidoscope! The winners of the PAC Global Leadership Awards were announced over the weekend, and ALDI Earthly Grains received a Silver Medal in the category "Brand Marketing New Brand, Food &...
BREAKFAST REVOLUTION
Several years ago, I made some predictions about the breakfast revolution. I looked at trends in cold cereals and RTE innovations with an eye on on how breakfast, as an all-day consumable, would impact the marketplace. Before seeing how these predictions held up,...
What Leading Brands Can Teach About Marketing to Millennials
Whether we call them GenY or Millennials, people born between 1980 and 2000 are about 92 million strong in the U.S. alone. By 2017, their spending power will be greater than $200 billion annually. This translates to roughly $10 trillion throughout the lifetime of...
Sustainable Packaging: A Holistic, Collaborative Design Challenge
There are many opportunities for the design industry to play a bigger part in product sustainability. Case in point: Many of the technological advancements in sustainable packaging suffer from issues that could be tackled through partnership with strong design...
Validation Research: Why Courage is Your Best Bet
As a design consultant and inventor, I have always struggled with the mandatory of validation research as part of the stage-gate process. Many large manufacturers, particularly in the CPG industry, require validation research prior to new product launches to assess...
2015 Sweets and Snacks Expo: The 6 things you need to know.
By: Alexandra Goff and Bridget Litzinger From seaweed snacks to beer-flavored jellybeans, the 2015 Sweets and Snacks Expo was a Willy Wonka display of confections and savories; four acres of on-trend delights from the farthest corners of the globe. What were the key...
Sustainable Packaging Design: 3 Things You Need to Know
Our CapabilitiesPrototypingWith some of the most comprehensive capabilities in the country, our prototyping team leads the industry in brand packaging support services. From proof of concept through execution at shelf, we work collaboratively with our clients and each...
Hot Trends and a Celebration at the 2015 Housewares Show
By: Audra Bielskus and Jennifer Bae Grab Your Oven Mitt – Here are the Hot Trends Colors were dazzling and products ran the gamut from fun new twists on traditional kitchenware to DIY kits for wine and beer drinkers. The array was beyond big, but here are some of the...
Top 6 Signs It’s Time to Update Packaging
CPG Trends TOP 6 SIGNS IT'S TIME TO UPDATE YOUR PACKAGING Fred Richards, CMO & PartnerMarch 26, 2019 Packaging, sadly, is one of the last things considered when it comes to the marketing mix. Advertising, PR events, stunts, social media and other “glamorous”...
Top 6 Tips for Private Label: Trends and Consumers
Private Label Trends TOP 6 TIPS FOR PRIVATE LABEL: TRENDS AND CONSUMERS Alexandra Goff, Account Director March 1, 2016 From February 25 – 27, Chicago hosted the 2015 StoreBrands Innovation & Marketing Summit. We boiled it all down to the top six tips for private...
If Packaging Were Your Only Marketing Spend
Imagine launching a new consumer product with no marketing budget—just the product design and packaging as your brand proposition. It’s a compelling hypothetical. And it was part of the discussion at January’s Package Design Matters Conference. Kaleidoscope’s...
The Power of Cross-Industry Innovation in Product Design
Each Kaleidoscope project begins with a client proposal and a promise to deliver innovation. How we achieve the big “Ah Ha” is the nerve-wracking part. But I know from experience, if you’re not nervous; if you don’t have an explorer’s zeal for discovery and a...