Playing it Prudently

The full-body shrink-sleeve label, a technology that could be classified as a hybrid label-flexible package, has found a strong niche on contoured bottles, Goldberg notes. "The shrink-sleeve gives marketers a lot more options than a straight-sided label and significantly enhances package graphics on the shelf," he comments. In addition, aerosol cans and coffee cans formerly composed of offset-printed metal now frequently sport wrap-around plastic sleeves—a development Goldberg believes provides significant cost advantages to companies with varied product lines, and reduces inventory costs.