‘The consumer is king.’ It’s a good axiom – old, certainly, but as true today as it ever was. No matter how big the corporation or how good the product, the people walking down the aisle with a shopping trolley ultimately make the decision between the success and failure of a brand.

Faced with the myriad possibilities of a well-stocked supermarket, first impressions have never been so important. In the personal care market brand-loyalty can only get you so far: success is based on shelf-appeal, making it necessary to maximize the attraction of products with clear and color-tinted packaging. This conjures up another famous saying: seeing is believing.

Everything from shampoo to shaving gel comes packaged in a translucent PET container. Swaths of greens, violets, oranges and reds make the personal care aisle a riot of color. It looks fantastic, but it isn’t without problems. When products are packaged in clear plastic, exposure to UV can degrade colors and ingredients. Leave a vibrant purple out in the sun and pretty soon it will fade to a washed-out plum. How’s that for shelf-appeal?

Eastman’s Vitiva™ makes the problem vanish. This PET resin combines fantastic clarity with unyielding UV protection. The technology is in the resin itself ­– no requirement to introduce extra manufacturing steps, no need to change molds or facilities. Rather than beginning to degrade after brief exposure to sunlight, products packaged in Vitiva™ are still doing fine after more than 20 hours. “Sensitive products are protected and brand owners are able to use many desirable ingredients they previously avoided,” says Lavonna Buehrig, business manager for Vitiva™.

Leaving aside the science, what Vitiva™ provides is peace of mind. Merchandise that leaves the factory in glorious Technicolor will sit on the shelf in that same condition. Delicate ingredients, such as Vitamin C, will be undamaged and the product as a whole will be presented to shoppers in the best possible light.

The consumer may well be king. But you’re entitled to give them a nudge in the right direction.