In A Nutshell

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In A Nutshell

School:R - I - T
Team:Reilly Clark, Sara Cobb, Erinn Molina, Chris Rosati, Shreen Sachdev

In A Nutshell is a small company doing big things with a passion. The brand name and simplistic graphics play off of the idiom “in a nutshell” which essentially means to express a message concisely and in a simple manner. The target market of this product line is health conscientious consumers. These are the shoppers that gravitate toward natural, organic brands and products. Keeping this in mind, the brand portrays a very natural and raw aesthetic appeal using browns and greens throughout the package graphics and a very simple text logo. The primary focus is to help make a daily serving of nuts convenient and attainable even for the most on-the-go consumers, which is why a pack of 6 pre-portioned individual servings was chosen for the product. A tear-off dispensing feature on the secondary folding carton package makes it easy to grab your daily serving and take it on the go wherever life brings you. The pouches, made from seed infused Kraft paper, lined with sustainably produced and compostable polylactic acid (PLA) film, provide both an aroma and flavor barrier as well as a moisture barrier for the product. The PLA lined, seed infused Kraft pouches are fully compostable and will introduce seeds to the soil as they degrade, having the potential to grow into trees and restore the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the environment. The folding carton is also fully recyclable once all of the pouches have been used. A unique feature in the pouch design is a PLA film “divider” inside which rests flat against the Kraft pouch material during filling and sealing, but can be used as needed by the consumer to separate uneaten nuts from empty shells. The material choice is mindful of the environment while also considering cost efficiency from a business standpoint. Unbleached kraft for the carton may be composed of more than 50% post consumer recycled material before seed infusing is implemented, significantly reducing material costs. PLA film coating on the pouches adds a slightly higher cost compared to a polyester (PET) film, however the cost increase can be then adjusted for by the simple and low cost printing. In general, the trade off here is something that the target market, based on research, is willing to spend more money on, especially to support a company that has the environment’s best interest at heart. The design and material choices strive to achieve the perfect balance between environmental sustainability and healthy business growth opportunities.