For over 90 years, vanilla cake with a creamy filling has been a well-known and favourite snack in the United States. A recent survey conducted by Nielsen company, which specializes in measurement and data analytics, revealed that despite the various reports about Twinkies, this snack cake is among the best-selling ones, recording sales of over $400 million per year. However, the question that arises in a world where the snack market is incredibly full might involve a thought about how the now symbolic Twinkie box can attract attention and succeed in that role, such as before. Here, we expand on conventional packaging and design strategies, which have been taken to the next level, and create a whole new packaging design to appeal to a modern-day consumer base.

Reimagining the Classic:

Retro Revival: Using retro design is like they suggest – tap into the nostalgia. Consider font – that retro look does not strike anyone’s mind in the first place; matching it with the colour palette, which is strongly interconnected with certain decades, and finally, using images connected with the history of the creation of Twinkie. This strategy appeals to the emerging category of consumers – according to a report by McKinsey & Company entitled Reboot: How Young Consumers are Redefining Brands and the Company’s Relationship with Them, 70% of millennials seek to buy things that offer a sense of nostalgia.

Window to Deliciousness: A small opening to the left of the box contained one glimpse of the gold sponge cake filled with a creamy frosting. It makes a sensation to customers and informs them of the food they will consume, thereby causing them to purchase the dessert. Studies conducted by the Packaging Institute of America also show that appealing packaging impacts consumers, and there is evidence showing that a majority of customers will purchase products due to their attractive packaging.

Interactive Packaging: Use animated features that enable the customer to have a forthright interactive session with the products. For instance, design an augmented reality box with figures or a QR course that reveals hidden messages or recipes. Research by the University of Wisconsin Madison has indicated that the engagement level of brand names can rise by 30% with the help of interactive packaging.

Going Green:

Sustainable Materials: When selecting the material to be used for the packaging, choose cardboard, which is more environmentally friendly, especially through being recycled or recyclable. Make sure that this effort to help preserve the environment is promoted by placing this message inside the box. New research from Cone Communications shows that 83% of consumers reported that they were willing to spend money on sustainably manufactured items or services.

Plantable Packaging: South Korean design agency Dragon Seed combines packaging with seeds to offer a more sustainable solution to plastics. The idea of the box is that when you plant it, it decomposes and turns into a flower or herb, which is an appealing sight for the customer. This targets consumers with an environmentally friendly mindset by trying to influence them into choosing products from the company and ensures that customers speak well regarding the products.

Minimalist Design: Choose a simple and concise form as a basis for the further design. Maintain the Twinkie logo’s simplicity coupled with highly styled font to create a look that is subtle, professional, and respectable. Use low intensity color scheme. This approach is in line with what Mintel refers to as increasing consumer curiosity with simplicity and naturalness of products in today’s markets.

Experiential Packaging:

Limited Edition Artist Collaborations: Collaborate with young artists to design and paint limited editions of Twinkie packaging boxes whereby the art work belongs to the artist involved. This adds a certain aspect of collectability and they are special edition. Other brands have also yielded positive results from this kind of advertising, especially the Kraft Heinz Company where artwork collaboration boosted their sales by about 20%.

Sensory Experience: Accommodate sensations that can be felt or experienced in some manner other than physically seeing. Convey a picture that there is a box with texture on its surface that closely resembles that of the Twinkie filling or a box that has a faint smell of vanilla when opened. Cite [invalid URL removed] that has established that multi-sensory packaging has an impact on consumers’ brand experience and also their purchase intentions.

Glow-in-the-Dark Packaging: Get your packaging stand out with the most dull and ever duller innovation yet: the glow in the dark! This lovable figure is beneficial and appealing to children; besides, the heroic style adds to the shelf feel when placed near a blue neon sign that outlines the store corridors.

Engaging with Consumers:

User-Generated Content Contests: It is a great idea to urge consumers to think as creatively as they can regarding the packaging process. Promote specific campaigns, such as photo or video contests, in which people capture Twinkie boxes in rather entertaining environments. This strategy is helpful and follows the use of social media and establishes a relationship with the consumer. As seen from the study conducted by Socialbakers, flow generated by user campaigning can generate up to twenty-five percent of brand traffic.

Hidden Messages: Use cutouts of different symbols on the packaging surface and write messages or riddles referring to the company’s brand. The consumers will have to guess the message to reveal it and they will share it on their social media accounts. This gives a sense of mystery that has consumers as brand advocates. The WordStream study stated that hidden message campaigns help boost brand recall by up to 10%.

Customizable Boxes: Introduce the opportunity to print a message, photo or any special occasion on the box that is too created by Hostess specifically for the Twinkies. This can be attributed to the current world trends and the need for customization of products; people can design personalized gifts or even party souvenirs. According to Statista, the global customization market value is expected to grow to $863 billion by 2027, as the survey shows the growing customer interest in personalized items.

Thinking Outside the Box 

Shaped Packaging: Break free from the Encumbrances of the ‘Box’. Consider evoking the style and contour of the original Twinkie design or a curiosity of fun and imaginative shapes. This strategy can help enhance shelf visibility and catch consumers’ attention apart from other brands. Marketing Insights clearly pointed out that the use of product packaging with a distinct shape can potentially increase purchasing intent by 23%.

Snack-Sized Packs: It might be recommended to create packages that are miniature versions of Twinkie, but slightly different as they follow the same concept of packaging but are for people on the go and only in portion sizes. This partly helps cater to the new emergent culture of people focusing on the quality of the snacks they consume and the increasing number of people with busy schedules or on the go who do not have time to prepare elaborate meals. The statistics from the Technomic study point out that consumers nibble on snacks at least two times a day or more, noting the need for convenience through portable snacks.

Multi-Pack Bundles: Introducing Twinkees with other Hostess brand snack cakes and creating efficient packaging for the Twinkies where consumers get to taste the new products alongside those they always enjoy or opt to buy many at once. This not only helps to increase sales but also aids in raising awareness of the Hostess brand and the various subdivisions of products offered. The Economies of One, an article from Harvard Business Review, shows that bundling of products results in a 10 – 30 % increase in sales.

The Future of Twinkie Packaging

One may even dream about the visualization of Twinkie packaging and how one can be creative. The simple fact of the matter is that Hostess should be using creativity as well as experimenting to make use of the Twinkie for the young people of today and the generations of the future. Consider the idea of smart Twinkie packaging in the future: Some bonus recipe might be revealed when the customer uses a near-field communications (NFC) reader to scan a symbol on the package, or maybe there is a game encoded in the wrapper that can be accessed with a smartphone. It would address the ever-rising and demanding technology-savvy consumers who would be enhanced with the technological touch of the brands’.

Conclusion:

Indeed, seven rice cakes made from different ingredients such as peanuts, corn, sesame seeds, and beans took 240 minutes to cook, implying that the snack needed to stand out from the crowded shelves. With this in mind, Hostess needs to guarantee Twinkie packaging is an issue to talk about, an experience and a memory everyone used to have, and a sign of appeal for people who keep consuming Hostess products. In conclusion, therefore, it is possible to protect Twinkie’s interest by opting for packaging designs that are simultaneously familiar and appealing but are occasionally modified to meet the ever-evolving market tastes and demands. And, of course, by adapting the best traditions of the brand and experimenting with novelties in the shape, content, and idea of the product, Hostess can make Twinkie an endearing loaf of comfort for generations to come.