“Everyone talks a good game about wanting change, but when it comes to doing it, most pizza companies wait for someone else to do it first,” says Al Tison, Box Designer for Smurfit-Stone Container. “I recall us trying to introduce the flip-vent many years ago (a flip-vent being the steam vent opening with the protruding tab, located along the cover rear edge of most pizza boxes). We couldn't get anyone to try that thing because they said the tab ‘looked weird.’ Finally, we got a single-unit independent to test it. Eventually others followed. Today, nearly every box has it and no one even notices, much less thinks that it looks weird.”

And why are companies slow to test new box designs? First, because most owners and CEOs could care less about a box — after all, “it's just a box.” And when something lacks priority with the chief executive, it lacks priority with everyone. Second, because in spite of customer-is-king rhetoric, most companies don't actually view a pizza box from the buyer's perspective.

Store Testing and Post-purchase Surveying is Key
Of course, a few companies submit new box designs to an executive committee or review board and, occasionally, to focus groups for evaluation. However, this not only fails to provide a buyer's perspective, it can actually lead to erroneous conclusions. In focus groups and committees, participants scrutinize a box, focusing on those details of the design that are new to them. They turn the box on edge and upside down, and examine minutia like tabs, holes, and fold lines. This, unfortunately, is an artificial perspective which doesn't correlate with that of the pizza purchaser. Things that preoccupy focus groups and company executives literally go unnoticed to buyers … and vice versa.

So, to obtain a buyer perspective of a new box design it must be put to a store test with post-purchase surveying. Without that, a box decision-maker lacks a buyer's perspective. In short, focus group research may work for testing things like advertisements and edible products, but it can result in misleading conclusions about pizza boxes. [For more on consumer testing, see the Cheskin research in Hey … it's just a box!]

How difficult is store testing with follow-up surveying? It's the easiest and perhaps cheapest research possible. Just put a new box design into a store for a weekend, then call each customer 15 to 30 minutes after the delivery. It requires only one surveyor conducting 30-second telephone interviews with a one-page questionnaire. Just a hundred completed surveys can tell you how pizza buyers, overall, view a new design. And there's an extra payoff — customers love it. It gives them the impression that the company cares about what they think.

Most companies might take five years to test a half dozen boxes. However, store testing with post-purchase surveying is so simple that a chain could actually evaluate a dozen new designs in one week! — one design in each of a dozen stores. The research would provide information on both buyer perspective and in-store operational performance, enabling a company to rationally evaluate a dozen box options within a month. A business could gain a competitive advantage at that rate.

DREAM BOX CHECKLIST
Some operators would raise the question “Why spend time worrying about a box — after all, a box is just a box.” To them I would explain that most of their customers spend more time interacting with their box than with their staff! And spend more time viewing their box than viewing their advertising! I would go on to point out that their box is part of customers' pizza-eating experience — they handle it before eating the pizza, while eating the pizza, and after eating the pizza. Indeed, the box is part of the product itself. I would continue by explaining that their box and associated packaging method determines, in part, the characteristics of the delivered product. So why spend time thinking about a box? For one final reason, I would add: Because most of your competitors aren't.

What sort of features might constitute a dream pizza box for your company? Here's a potpourri of ideas to select from — all of which, believe it or not, are doable today. Consider this as a checklist of possible attributes for an ideal carton. Unfortunately, no design (yet) can deliver on every one, but it is possible to design a box that would achieve most of a company's priority attributes. So, use this to create a dream box priority wishlist for selecting between prototype designs. It's divided into four parts: operational, product-protection, image and marketing, and customer-convenience.

Operational Attributes

The first concern of most operators is how a box performs in the store. Priorities here are determined by operational objectives and how a box “fits” into the operating system. [For an in-depth look at the relationship between box structure and box performance, see Structural Options — Pros & Cons.

• No pre-folding and storage. Consider the long-standing practice of pre-folding pizza boxes. First we fold the carton into a box filled with air. Then we store boxes of air throughout the pizzeria. Then we unfold the box to insert product. Finally, we fold it up again. In short, we fold it, unfold it, and fold it again — wasting time, space, and money. Pre-folding can be circumvented with a glued-corner box or a plastic clamshell. However, these often come at higher cost, plus require more storage space than blanks. The optimum solution is a no-prefold box, or insta-fold box, that ships in blank form and that can be instantly set up at the cut-table in the time it takes to pull a pre-folded box from a stack and open the cover. Such a box currently exists.

• Minimal storage space required. Space is scarce in most pizzerias and warehouses. To conserve space, use E-flute blanks rather than B-flute. For maximum space savings, consider a no-prefold box. The freed-up space can be allocated to new equipment or to expanded production area.

Of course, using an insta-fold carton (described above) can save a lot of space. Another way to save storage space on pre-folded boxes is to use a nestable box, or a box that has slanting side walls and can nest one inside another in par-folded format (like clamshell cartons can).

• Allows in-box pizza cutting without need for product sliding. To cut a pizza in a regular box (i.e., the square pizza box with the double-panel roll-over front wall with connected front corners), the pizza must be positioned rearward of center, cut, and then slid forward with a jerk of the box. Cutting the pizza rearward of center can create a greasy-looking box cover. Of greater concern, however, the sliding action results in separation of pizza slices which results in added sauce and cheese flowing between slices. This creates a messy box bottom and also allows cheese to stick to it, resulting in cheese and toppings sliding off a slice as it's picked up. To avoid this problem, use a traditional folder-style box (e.g., octabox or Chicago folder) or use a box with quick-releasing front corners or front corners that can be interlocked with product in the box — both of which exist today.

• Space for a sauce cup. With the advent of dipping sauce for crust, it's handy to be able to pack a sauce cup in the box. For this, at least one square corner is needed. That requires a square box, a D-shape box, or an octagon box which has a newly-invented “convertible corner” whereby a diagonal wall can be converted into a square corner — all options that currently exist.

• Quick closing. Efficiency at the cut table is vital during rush periods. So, it's handy to have a box that closes quickly. The number of cover flaps and type of closure mechanism effects ease of closing. Some boxes have four flaps, some three, and some two; and some have easy-tuck flaps while others require manipulation.

• Stacks straight. For pizzerias who store pre-folded boxes in tall stacks, it's handy to have a box that stacks straight. Some pizza boxes don't stack straight because of the protruding tabs at the bottom front edge. However, there are a number of designs that don't use walker lock tabs. Of course, an insta-fold box eliminates stacking altogether.

• Can be made at minimal cost. Many pizza companies care little about box performance and customer convenience. For them, cost reduction is the name of the game. [For a close-up look at the cost side of pizza packaging, see Cost Reduction.] In response to rising prices, numerous lower-cost, board-saving box designs have recently been created — in fact, far more than any box manufacturer or pizza company is aware of. So, if a salesperson suggests that he has “the” board-saving box, be advised that he doesn't know what's available. Today, cost-driven buyers can choose from an array of material-saving folder style and connected-corner designs, and from square, D-shape, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon styles. These designs save 10 to 20 percent in material over a walker lock box. When comparing prices, be sure to factor in ancillary items, such as lid support and liner, which some designs require. For ultimate savings, consider one of several “stacking box” options.

Product-protection Attributes

What goes into the box at a pizzeria can be a work of art; but what customers see when they open the box might be anything but.

• Slide-resistant shape or anti-slide cover flaps. During transit of carry-out and delivery product, pizza slices tend to slide toward corners of the box. In 1988 when Domino's Pizza introduced the octabox, I commented to a franchisee about the unusual shape of their new box. He responded, "It may look different but I'll tell you what, with the old square box I regularly got customer complaints about the shape of the pizza when it arrived. Since we introduced the octabox, those calls have stopped altogether." Clearly there's some advantage to containing a pizza on more than four sides. For years the only solution to slice-sliding has been an octagon box. Today there's another fix — anti-slide cover flaps, which can be applied to a cover of a regular square box to contain a pizza on six or eight sides.

• Warp-resistant cover. Corrugated board often warps during manufacture and shipping. Further, when pizza steam contacts the inner liner of the cover, the sides of the cover warp upward and the center downward, resulting in cheese sticking to the cover. Warping is exacerbated when a box is held under a heat lamp. To counteract this problem, pizza companies have adopted either deeper, more costly boxes or plastic lid supports. However, the warping problem can now be eliminated with a recently-invented warp-resistant cover, which is adaptable to any design of box.

• Stacking strength. A box must be capable of stacking multiple pies without the side walls or corners buckling. This is particularly important for thicker pizzas. Boxes vary greatly in stacking strength, with the Chicago folder style box being weakest of all.

• Heat retention. Some say that thicker B-flute retains heat better than thinner E-flute; others point to testing that indicates they're the same. Some believe that an octagon box retains heat better than a square box because it has less air space. Further, designers of some new boxes tout their creations as having better heat retention than conventional boxes. Finally, some folks claim that all of that is baloney and that the key to heat retention is a quality delivery bag. These persons point to testing that shows pizza being kept hot in a delivery pouch even when packaged in a paper bag.

• Crust crispiness. For decades, operators have wanted their pizza crust to stay crispy after the pizza is boxed. There are two reasons for crust softening. First, steam emitted by the product creates moisture-laden air that softens the outer surface of the crust. Second, pizza juices flow between slices and run underneath the crust. The first cause has no known cure. To eliminate the second cause, reduce slice sliding by using a non-sliding cutting method and, perhaps, a slide-resistant box, and also use a B-flute single-face corrugated liner underneath the pizza (fluted side up). A final option is a box having a fluted liner on the inside surface, of which several variations exist.

Image & Marketing Attributes

The extent of most operator's concern with box image is: Should I print with one color or two; should I use white board or brown? However, if you're one who likes to push the envelope of innovation, review this list of considerations. [For an even more in-depth look at how to build dramatic competitive advantage with your box, see Creating a Sales-building A-bomb.]

• Desired cover shape. Some owners prefer a square cover because it provides more print area and because they feel it looks bigger. This has caused them to forego testing an octagon box. However, there's now available an octagon box that has the appearance of a square box, including a square cover — in effect, combining the benefits of square and octagon boxes into one unit. [To see an example, click here.]

• Quality feel. Some boxes have a loose, sloppy feel, thereby projecting a low-quality image. Other boxes have tight, rigid construction which connotes a high-quality image. Boxes having a cover interlock engaging with the front wall tend to have the tightest feel.

• Quality look. E-flute board prints better than B-flute. However, pre-print liner, which can be used in making either E-flute or B-flute, yields the best-looking print job of all. Box designs having single-piece covers allow for better print alignment than split-cover designs. Also, some folks feel that thicker B-flute board has a higher quality look than thinner E-flute. Finally, some feel that white boxes have a higher quality image than brown kraft boxes.

• Quality presentation. Currently, all pizza boxes are about equal in product presentation and aesthetic appeal after the cover has been opened—which is to say, they all score in the range of zero to minus one. If you desire to break from the crowd, consider something radical like printing the inner liner of your box in 4-color process covered with a moisture/grease resistant coating. Imagine something like a beautiful Italian vineyard scene on the inside of the cover (which would be positioned above the pizza when the box is open). And imagine the inner liner of the tray portion of the box being printed in gloss black or possibly butcher block or marble print, to frame and present your pizza creation. Of course, this may raise the price of the box by 10 or 15 cents. But, if you happen to believe that you're selling the finest pizza in town, and that your creation is worth the most impressive box on the planet, maybe the added cost would be worth it. Your patrons might be so impressed that you could raise your prices by a quarter — netting an extra dime profit.

Most pizza boxes are printed with postprint printing, or printed just prior to die-cutting the corrugated board into a box blank. However, for greater detail and higher quality, you might consider preprint printing, which involves printing the liner, or outer paper, of the corrugated board prior to forming the paper into a corrugated sheet. Although preprint printing costs more than postprint, it can project a superior image. It does, however, require large-volume production runs.

• Secure-locking cover. Some boxes, such as the traditional walker lock box, have no interlock between cover and front wall. These cartons can sag at a front corner and accidentally open when a loaded large box is held at a rear corner with one hand. This occurs most often when a driver hands a hot, steam-soaked box to a customer.

• Non-smashing cover side flaps. On some boxes, the cover side flaps smash the pizza during cover closing. This problem can be overcome by making the width of the box a half-inch wider than the pizza, or using notched-out cover side flaps, or using a box with external cover side flaps, or using a box without cover side flaps—all of which are in current use.

• Leak-resistant box bottom. As juicier pizzas are being created, occurrences of juice leaking from corners and holes in the box bottom are increasing. To eliminate the chance of juice leaking onto customers' carpet and car seats, adopt a box with tight corners and with a bottom panel free of holes or slots.

• Curbside visibility. On trash day, everyone knows what brand of pizza is most popular in a neighborhood by observing pizza boxes lined up along the curb — known as the "curbside advertising factor." So, if you want to stand out as the most popular pizza brand in town, adopt a box that has a shape, color, and/or graphics design that's most recognizable at curbside.

• Brand-building capability. If you want to blend in with every other pizza company in the world, use a square box. If you want to be different from most, use a non-square box. However, if you want striking brand-building identity, use a “logo cover” box, which is a box with a cover adapted to a portion of the contour of a company logo or some other identifiable element. Yes, this box currently exists, but, infortunately, is adaptable to only select company logos. [For more on this exciting potential, see GSI Photo Collage and GSI: Pizza Chain Brand-builder.]

• Carton elevation means. When a loaded pizza carton is placed on a cold surface such as a tabletop or car seat, the heat from the pizza conducts through the box bottom and into the cold surface below. This speeds a pizza's heat loss. Also, condensation forms on the table top and then absorbs into the box bottom, causing it to turn soggy. To increase pizza heat retention in customers' homes, as well as eliminate soggy box syndrome, use a carton that has patented elevation means, or legs — sometimes called thermal-legs, hot-legs, heat-legs, and pizza-feet — all trademarked. [For more details on the technology and benefits of carton elevation, see PCE: Hot Feature of the Future.]

Customer-convenience Attributes

Customer-convenient packaging is a non-concern to most pizzeria operators. But in case you're one who doesn't run with the crowd, here's three convenience options to consider.

• Reducible-carton for refrigerating leftover pizza. A survey disclosed that leftover pizza occurs in 56 percent of pizza purchases and when people do have leftover pizza 43 percent of them refrigerate it in the pizza box (57 percent take it out of the box and transfer it to a plate or baggie). This suggests that some pizza consumers could find a reducible box to be handy in storing leftover pizza. A couple of patented reducible box concepts currently exist. A key to making these inventions work is to print how-to-use instructions on the carton.

• Easy-to-dispose carton. The above survey also indicated that at least 42 percent of carry-out/delivery pizza buyers have trouble disposing of their pizza box in a kitchen trash can. There are several patented disposable box concepts available, which are adaptable to most current box designs. These concepts involve ways of reducing a pizza box to a more disposable form. (Of course, with an easy-to-dispose box comes the demise of the “curbside advertising factor.”)

• Cover adaptable for use as pizza plates. Lastly, some pizza buyers might enjoy the convenience of having disposable plates (to avoid dirtying dishes or for using when dishes aren't available). There are several patented concepts that allow conversion of a pizza box cover into “pizza plates.”

Annualized Cost
Most of the above convenience features involve patents. That means, if you include one or more of the above features into a box it could raise the price perhaps an entire penny! So, be cautious. To illustrate the gravity of the matter, figure the “annualized cost” by multiplying the number of pizzas you sell per year by a penny. The result is huge, right? Then realize that you could save the same huge amount by either eliminating a slice of pepperoni or reducing cheese portion by a tenth of an ounce on each pizza. In fact, why not go for double-huge savings by subtracting both a slice of pepperoni and 1/10 ounce of cheese? It's so insignificant no one would notice. Even better, why not subtract a pepperoni slice and 1/4 ounce of cheese for triple-huge savings? No one would notice the difference between 1/10 ounce and 1/4 ounce. Of course, there's no end to this process, which is why the application of “annualized cost” to product-related decision-making is harmful and, therefore, ill-advised.

In short, when customers are paying $10.00 or more for a pizza, including at least $1.00 for the convenience of delivery (either charged or included “free” in the price), does it make sense to use a less-than-optimal box in order to save a penny? If a penny per purchase is the make-it-or-break-it factor, wouldn't it be wiser to raise the price of a pizza from, say, $9.95 to $9.96 to subsidize the added cost, and thereby insure that customers have a pizza-eating experience of maximum convenience and enjoyment?

Conclusion
If you're looking to create a dream box, or merely an improvement on your current carton, draw up a wishlist of prioritized attributes. Then ask either a box manufacturer or a box designer to submit eight or ten prototype designs. If you can't get eight or ten prototypes from one designer or manufacturer, then perhaps you need to expand your base. In that case, ask a half dozen manufacturers and designers to each submit one or two new designs. Of the designs that look reasonable, ask the manufacturer to provide 1000 pieces for research. Finally, conduct simultaneous one-week store tests with post-purchase surveying.

Creating your dream pizza box may be easier and quicker than first imagined.

[If you'd like to explore some "Dream Box options" for your company, contact John Correll - 734-455-5830 or email john@correllconcepts.com. We likely can provide you with your Dream Box design at no additional cost to your company ... in other words, free of charge. Please note — Correll Concepts is a packaging design specialist, not a box manufacturer.]