FMS001 plastic fine mist sprayer

Research confirms that brand loyalty is affected by packaging performance, and that includes the dispenser. But it's much more than just a simple push or squeeze. Neutrality, ease of use, solid design and ergonomics are all intertwined in the process that brings product to a user's fingertips. There's a lot at stake when a consumer picks up that bottle or tube and begins the activation process.

"Consumers view the full primary package—bottle, formulation and dispenser—as the full responsibility of the brand. They don't see the dispenser as a separate entity, so how it performs is just as integral to the consumer experience as the product itself," says Earl Trout, director of marketing, personal care products, MeadWestvaco Calmar. "If a product cannot be dispensed properly, it can effect overall the performance of the formula and ultimately, brand loyalty."

"There is nothing worse for the consumer than having to unscrew the pump and pour out the product manually day in and day out," adds David Hou, director of marketing with Han Hean USA. "An experience such as that means the consumer will look to other products as replacements."

Luckily for the beauty business, that doesn't happen too often these days. Advances in dispensing technology have meant less problems online and in service, and have allowed personal care, fragrance and beauty companies to bring more efficacious lotions and creams to market and eliminate unsightly mechanical parts in their overall packaging presentation. Today, dispensing is more about getting it properly than simply getting the product out.

Skin care products now deliver a powerful shot of ingredients that promise to even out texture, stop wrinkles in their tracks and revitalize tired eyes almost overnight. And while R&D teams have been able to craft more efficacious formulations that make skin care truly high-tech, keeping those products intact and untainted as they head to the consumer is out of their hands. It all depends on the packaging, with the dispenser playing a critical role in the process.