Mapping the Organisational Landscape of the UK FMCG Industry: A Review of Packaging Design and Development Professionals

Packaging design can be acknowledged as a significant strategic avenue within New Product Development for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods. Packaging can have direct impact on sales conversions, consumer visual and brand perception. However, packaging design and development (PD&D) remains underutilised in organizations, viewed as a risky activity and unnecessary additional cost. Limited research has been conducted to address how PD&D activities are managed. This study expands our current understanding of the PD&D landscape through content analysis and frequency of occurrence measures, of a sample of LinkedIn profiles (n=200) to begin to identify and categorise professionals involved in PD&D for the FMCG sector through their own perception of self. The contribution of the study is to assist in understanding the synergy of key decision-makers and influencers in the industry landscape, expanding on existing design management literature to provide an expanded comprehension and more strategic outlook of characteristics and capabilities of those involved.