In years gone by, packaging was mainly viewed in terms of cost and compliance – but times are changing. In 2026, packaging is closely linked to innovation, consumer experience, sustainability, and supply chain issues. In this article Laurel Spencer, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Amcor, explores how packaging became a vital part of business strategy for companies across the world.
A meaningful shift is happening in how packaging is discussed at a senior level inside global brands, and it is more significant than it might first appear. Packaging conversations have widened.
The discussion is no longer confined to specification, cost, and compliance. Increasingly, it reflects a longer-term view, one that connects packaging to innovation pipelines, sustainability commitments, supply chain resilience, and future growth.
Accelerated by regulatory changes, private label competition, and consumer expectations, packaging has moved earlier into the business planning process. While packaging has long played a role in brand positioning, today it is increasingly part of the long-term portfolio strategy, differentiation, and risk management. The shift is creating different levels of readiness, with some companies already building an advantage.
Working across some of the world’s largest consumer goods categories, I see this evolution playing out differently depending on region and where a business sits in its own journey. But the direction of travel is consistent.
From supplier to strategic partner
One of the most noticeable changes is the nature of the conversation between brands and packaging companies. Some years ago, many packaging discussions were largely transactional. Specifications were defined, timelines agreed, and costs negotiated. Packaging companies played an important role, but they were still seen primarily as vendors.
That model is evolving. More brands today are looking for partners who understand their business context, including growth ambitions, regulatory requirements, and changing consumer expectations. This matters because packaging decisions made today often shape outcomes several years ahead. Choices around materials, recyclability pathways, or packaging formats cannot be reversed quickly.
When packaging conversations move beyond short-term cost considerations, they can become part of building long-term competitiveness. That is where deeper collaboration between brands and packaging partners creates the most value.
Premiumization has spread into everyday categories
One of the most notable shifts on the shelf today is how premium execution is extending into categories that were traditionally driven by function and value. In categories such as home care, pet food, and food staples, packaging is playing a broader role, extending beyond function and value to include stronger visual and brand cues.
Shelf impact today directly influences pricing and brand perception. In competitive categories, it can determine whether a product is even noticed by consumers, never mind picked up and examined further.
The psychology of human choice leads the eye straight to the most appealing visual solution, and a failed attempt at winning attention may not be given a second chance. This competitive environment is being taken further with concepts like feel and form, sensory and tactile experience, where consumers can feel the difference between packaging right there in-store.
For example, in home care, a move from rigid to more flexible, ergonomically designed formats has helped reposition everyday products as more convenient and modern, contributing to increased usage and stronger shelf standout.
In coffee, resealable, texture-rich packs reinforce freshness and support premium positioning. In pet care, differentiation is increasingly driven by function rather than appearance alone. Ease of opening and serving, the ability to maintain freshness over time, and reliable resealability are the biggest factors in purchase decisions.
These examples show that packaging is no longer only seen; it is experienced. When done well, it shapes perception instantly and can materially influence growth in highly competitive categories.
This creates new considerations for brand owners. As private label continues to raise its game on shelf execution in everyday categories, packaging differentiation requires greater clarity and intent, making the choices brands make even more critical.
Consumers are making different trade-offs in today’s market. While some will trade down quickly, others are willing to pay more when value is clearly demonstrated. Packaging supports that decision by making product value visible through materials, format, functionality, and design choices that reinforce quality and visible reductions in material use and environmental impact.
What I find notable is how few categories are now exempt from this dynamic. The question is not whether premiumization applies to a given segment. It is how a brand executes it without losing accessibility.
Sustainability: a shared agenda moving into implementation
The sustainability conversation around packaging has evolved a lot in recent years. Early discussions often focused on setting commitments and establishing direction. Today, the focus is increasingly on how those ambitions translate into practical progress.
Across the industry, brands, packaging companies, and regulators share a common goal: lowering environmental impact while maintaining product protection, safety, and performance.
Regulation is helping accelerate that transition. Frameworks such as the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, expanding Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, and packaging-related taxes are shaping how companies approach materials and design. At the same time, consumer expectations have shifted. Recyclability is increasingly viewed as a baseline requirement rather than a differentiating feature.
Moving from ambition to implementation brings technical complexity. Designing packaging that is recyclable within real-world infrastructure while protecting product integrity, meeting food safety standards, and maintaining manufacturing efficiency requires careful engineering and collaboration across the value chain.
This is where partnership becomes particularly important. Brands rely on packaging partners for material science expertise, technical insight, and experience navigating the practical realities of manufacturing and recycling systems.
Across the industry, efforts are increasingly focused on pragmatic improvements such as lightweighting, increasing recycled content, improving recyclability, and simplifying material structures. These steps may not always be highly visible, but they can deliver measurable impact at scale.
Clear communication also matters. Straightforward guidance to consumers about how packaging should be disposed of or recycled helps build trust and ensures sustainability initiatives translate into real outcomes.
Ultimately, sustainability in packaging is a shared journey. Meaningful progress is most likely when brands and packaging partners work together to balance environmental ambition with the practical requirements of product performance, manufacturing, and cost.
Innovation that strengthens brands and can scale
Innovation remains a top priority for global brands, and the drivers behind packaging innovation are becoming clearer. In many cases, the starting point is differentiation. Packaging plays a critical role in helping brands stand apart on the shelf, particularly when competing against lower-cost alternatives or private label products.
Packaging can elevate the brand experience through design, materials, functionality, and format. These elements help reinforce brand identity while creating a stronger connection with consumers.
In more price-sensitive markets, innovation often focuses on format. Smaller pack sizes, flexible packaging solutions, and new product formats can help brands reach specific price points while maintaining brand equity and product quality.
Sustainability is also a major driver of innovation. Many brands are prioritizing practical solutions such as lightweighting, incorporating recycled content, and improving recyclability, approaches that reduce environmental impact while remaining operationally feasible.
For innovation to succeed, however, it must also work at scale. Solutions need to integrate into existing manufacturing systems, run efficiently on current production lines, and support consistent product performance.
This is where the role of packaging partners becomes critical. Our responsibility is to help brands navigate the available options, combining material science expertise, manufacturing experience, and market knowledge to identify solutions that meet both commercial and sustainability objectives. The goal is not simply to innovate, but to innovate in ways that strengthen brands, work operationally, and deliver measurable progress.
Global strategies with room for local relevance
The packaging landscape still varies widely across regions. Europe operates within one of the most structured regulatory environments, where legislation is actively shaping packaging design and material choices. In the United States, packaging regulation continues to develop primarily through state-level initiatives. Across the Asia-Pacific market, conditions differ significantly depending on infrastructure, consumer expectations, and economic growth.
Despite these differences, many of the pressures facing brands are increasingly global, including sustainability expectations, competitive dynamics, and supply chain considerations.
For this reason, many global companies are moving toward more coordinated packaging strategies that create consistency while still allowing room for regional adaptation.
A globally aligned approach helps protect brand equity. When packaging evolves independently across regions, small deviations can accumulate and gradually dilute brand identity.
Shared packaging platforms also bring operational advantages. Harmonized specifications, common materials, and consolidated packaging formats can reduce complexity, improve purchasing efficiency, and limit unnecessary SKU proliferation.
Global frameworks also make it easier to scale innovation. When a successful packaging solution is developed in one market, a shared platform allows it to be transferred more quickly to other regions.
There are sustainability benefits as well. As regulatory expectations become more aligned across borders, a coordinated strategy helps companies manage compliance and track progress more effectively.
At the same time, local flexibility remains essential. Consumer preferences, price sensitivities, retail channels, and regulatory requirements still vary widely from market to market. The advantage comes from balancing global coordination with local adaptation, building shared platforms that unlock scale while still allowing brands to respond to regional needs.
Looking ahead
Across industries, packaging is more recognized as a critical point of connection between product, brand, sustainability, and operational performance. It protects product integrity, communicates brand value, supports regulatory compliance, and increasingly provides a tangible way for companies to demonstrate progress on sustainability.
The brands best positioned for the coming years are those that align intention with action. Regulatory frameworks, competitive pressures, and consumer expectations are advancing in parallel, encouraging earlier and more integrated packaging decisions within business planning.
We see the strongest outcomes when we work alongside our customers as true partners, combining their understanding of brands, consumers, and markets with our material expertise, technical capability, and global footprint.
This shared approach enables platforms that balance global consistency with local relevance and allow innovation to scale. When partnership aligns around this longer-term view, the result is not just readiness for what’s next, but momentum where it matters most: today.
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