Coca-Cola has launched the Fridge Pack in Singapore, a product which the company believes could revolutionise drinks packaging. The product can stack an 8-pack of soft drink cans into a long, narrow package with an opening that dispenses individual cans.
The Fridge Pack was first market tested in the spring of 2001, and was recently adopted by Coke's largest bottler in the US. The product will soon be available to Singaporeans as well.
The development of the product follows years of research by major beverage suppliers into how better to package soft drinks cans and have them chilled for home consumption. Coke itself had been studying similar ideas at its new product and package innovation division since at least 1994.
In developing the Fridge Pack, researchers used a technique called ethnographic research, which involves watching people's behaviour on a typical day in their typical environment. This allowed researchers to follow people to the grocery store and observe their purchases and how the purchases were stored at home.
The researchers soon realised that the orthodox suitcase package actually hindered the use of cans. People tended to put several cans in the refrigerator, then store the remaining cans in a cabinet or cupboard. When all the refrigerated cans were used, people usually chose another drink from the refrigerator instead of retrieving a can from the package.
The researchers therefore wanted to find a way to get all the cans into the refrigerator at the same time, and out of this idea came the Fridge Pack. Coca-Cola agreed to try it.
"It's clearly the wave of the future," said June Kong, public affairs & communications manager at Coca-Cola Singapore.
"It is smart, space-saving and guarantees a steady supply of ice-cold Coke in a country where 'cocooning' is becoming a trend - people holed up at home with their computers and home entertainment systems on weekends."