AS RIVERWOOD INTERNATIONAL CORP., AN ATLANTA-BASED PAPERBOARD, PACKAGING AND PACKAGING MACHINERY COMPANY, HAS EXPANDED INTO MARKETS IN EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA, IT HAS PAID CAREFUL ATTENTION TO LOGISTICAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DESIGN OF ITS PRODUCT.

RIVERWOOD HAS OPERATIONS IN 16 COUNTRIES IN EUROPE, ASIA, AND SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA, AND SIGNED NEW LICENSING AGREEMENTS LAST YEAR WITH COMPANIES IN ESTONIA AND HUNGARY.  ITS CUSTOMERS INCLUDE ANHEUSER-BUSCH, COCA-COLA, PROCTER & GAMBLE, PEPSI-COLA AND HEINEKEN.

PATTI GETTINGER, RIVERWOOD’S GLOBAL MARKETING MANAGER AND A MEMBER OF THE GROUP WOMEN IN PACKAGING, SPOKE ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT PRODUCT PACKAGE DESIGN AT A JOINT MEETING OF ATLANTA WOMEN IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE (AWIT) AND THE ATLANTA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (AHCC) AT SFUZZI RESTAURANT IN BUCKHEAD ON FEB. 29.

SHE WARNED COMPANIES TO BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF LOCAL TABOOS AND CUSTOMS WHEN DESIGNING A PACKAGE BECAUSE SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT CERTAIN NUMBERS OR COLORS CAN DRIVE CONSUMERS AWAY.

IN ASIA, FOR EXAMPLE, SHE SAID, THE NUMBER FOUR MEANS DEATH, AND FOUR-PACKS OF A PRODUCT SHOULD BE AVOIDED.  AWKWARD OR FAULTY TRANSLATIONS CAN ALSO HURT SALES, SHE SAID, AS IN THE CASE OF CHEVROLET’S “NOVA” WHICH MEANS “IT DOESN’T GO” IN SPANISH.  PICTURES OF THE PRODUCT ON THE PACKAGE ARE HELPFUL IN OVERCOMING LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND LOW LITERACY RATES, SHE ADDED.

IN SOME DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SAID MS. GETTINGER, LOGISTICAL CONCERNS INCLUDING POOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE RELATIVE SECURITY OF AN AREA, WHICH CAN AFFECT HOW FREQUENTLY CONSUMERS SHOP, AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF THE PRODUCT ITSELF, SHOULD ALSO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DECIDING ON THE DURABILITY AND SIZE OF A PACKAGE.

RIVERWOOD ANNOUNCED ON OCT. 25 AN AGREEMENT TO SELL THE FIRM TO CDRO ACQUISITION CORP., A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF RIC HOLDING INC. RIC AND CDRO WERE FORMED BY AN INVESTOR GROUP LED BY CLAYTON, DUBILIER & RICE INC.  A SPECIAL MEETING OF RIVERWOOD STOCKHOLDERS TO DISCUSS THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 27.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL RIVERWOOD INTERNATIONAL AT (770) 644-3000.  AWIT MAY BE REACHED AT (770) 621-2519.

BY  BRIANA  PEHLMAN