Introduction: What is visionary packaging : You need the vision ; The dilemma of the "Ps" ; Exploring the package -- Section 1. Packaging: from horseback to hypermarkets. 1. The ubiquitous package : A starring role ; What's in a name? -- 2. The evolution of packaging : Once upon a time ; Ancient trailblazers ; The changing role of packaging ; The first visionary package ; Exploiting the vision ; Glassmaking goes commercial ; And then came paper ; Papermaking gains ground ; The resolute metals ; Napoleon's contribution ; From glass to metal ; Canning matures ; A new boy on the block: aluminum ; The plastics revolution ; Another war-time baby is born ; From peddling to merchandising ; Packaging misused: a cure for every ill ; Gaining confidence in packaging ; Visionary packaging comes to America -- 3. The commercial power of packaging : From soup to art ; Pass the ketchup ; Green and white = no headaches ; "Persil bleibt Persil" ; A changing world ; As lifestyles change ; Mobility and affluence affect how we live ; The meteoric rise of private labels ; Making a point of difference ; Building consumer equity.

Section 2. The consumer mindset. 4. Package design and the consumer : The silent mind bender ; It's really quite amazing ; Forming a personality ; The image-creating package ; The functional package ; The communicative package ; The sensuous package ; The package colors ; The centrol role of package design in a changing world ; You can rationalize anything -- 5. Consumer attitudes and concerns : Health and nutritional issues ; And then there is the 50+ population ; Recognizing elderly consumers as an opportunity ; What's good for the goose is good for the gander ; A few improvements ; And what about the environment? ; The third dimension -- 6. A broader view : Opportunities galore ; Will future packaging be able to meet all these contradictory targets? ; Good intentions: but is it reality? ; Where the rubber meets the road ; The other side of the coin ; Rational shopping ; Visionary packaging: the challenge -- 7. Emotional purchasing : The silent salesman and emotional purchasing ; High-quality emotion ; Changing emotions ; The fun part ; The male emotion -- 8. The lifestyle influence : How do we design for today's lifestyles? ; Lightening the load ; Keeping it simple ; Simplicity in shopping ; Where do we put it? ; Changes in the store ; The visionary commodity ; The visionary snack ; The visionary tea bottle ; The visionary wine ; The visionary bakery ; Lifestyles aren't always global ; A vision of authenticity ; The convenience factor ; The convenient pour ; What makes your life easier?

Section 3. Connecting the package with the consumer. 9. Shaping up : Needs improvement ; The visionary pantyhose ; Hold your breath ; The visionary mouthwash ; The visionary ketchup shape ; The visionary tuna package ; The visionary paint ; Visionary vending ; Adding a handle ; Quality counts -- 10. The package in the retail store : The big change ; Why does private label work ; Where in the world is private label? ; The destination brand ; The private label cookie-cutter ; The premium folly ; The cereal ; It can't look better than it tastes ; Give them what they need ; The efficiency expert ; The visionary shipping cases ; Helping the shopper ; Visionary sophistication ; The shopping experience ; So what's in store? -- 11. Wal-Mart and everyone else : The packaging clout ; The image game ; You can rely on it ; Efficiency is key ; A case for cases ; Moving pallets ; The price/value relationship ; More than a design element -- 12. Packaging as a promotional tool : Absolut, a very visionary package ; The package as an actor ; Hi-tech placement ; Promoting with special effects ; The follow-through ; Customized packaging ; Mass customization ; Use your senses ; The package is the product ; The visionary brewery ; The multi-sensory experience -- 13. The package on the road : From point A to point B ; The all-around business ; Sorting it all out.

Section 4. Trends in visionary packaging. 14. Brand packaging : The emphasis on branding ; A cruel beginning ; A key marketing tool ; Branding the package ; Enter the package designer ; Packaging = branding ; But not everyone was listening ; Undervalued and unappreciated -- 15. The obvious is not always obvious : A stalemate in communication ; The designer's side of the issue ; No organizational support ; The new name ; What's in a name? -- 16. The designer as a business partner : Being a business partner ; Needed: a more holistic approach ; An almost missed opportunity ; Persistence pays off ; Taking the initiative ; Becoming a proactive, visionary partner ; But, it takes two to tango ; Matrix management ; The designer at the strategy table -- 17. Packaging politics : The political change ; Political collaboration ; Digital politics -- 18. Virtual package management : The three systems ; Offshooting the catalog ; Approvals up the line ; Extra offerings ; Offshooting the printer ; The offshoot of the brand consultant ; So how do you benefit from the system? ; Will this make the in-house designer extinct? ; Can you virtually manage advertising? ; Remaining focused ; How can you get out of it? -- 19. All you need to know : The categories blur ; Freedom of speech ; Warning! Dangerous!

Section 5. The future of visionary packaging. 20. Package opportunities and challenges : The food opportunity ; Research brings opportunities ; The fresh meat opportunity ; The natural instinct ; The challenges you face ; The merger mania ; How many brands do we need? ; It's new! It's different! ; Thwarting thieves ; Do older people use more packaging? ; The drug challenge ; Don't imitate ; The consultant opportunity -- 21. What's ahead? : Let the imagination soar ; The social issues of global marketing ; Global environmental concerns ; Dealing with conflicting global demands -- 22. The information bubble : What good is it? ; More free time -- 23. The digital package : Pirating and stealing ; The digital package at home ; Negotiating with the consumer ; What about refills? ; Has it expired? ; The language puzzle ; The digital package in the store ; "Happy birthday, John" ; The digital price strip ; The local store ; Stores and technology ; The privacy puzzle ; Business-to-business ; Will the store change? -- 24. New challenges for marketers and package designers : The package designer's concern ; Package design: who cares? ; Branding online and offline ; But the jury is still out -- 25. On your mark, get ready, get set, GO! : Filling the creative gap ; New faces on the horizon ; It's a different world out there.