The range of yogurt drinks has now been launched throughout China.
Largest dairy producer in China
The Yili Group is the largest dairy producer in China and manufactures a range of milk products, including ice cream, powdered milk, sterilized milk and fresh milk.
The new range of yogurt drinks is intended to attract active, health-conscious consumers with growing expendable income.
Techincal support
Sidel said it was contacted by Yili’s liquid milk division to discuss the design of the PET bottle for the new Changyi yogurt drinks.
Sidel put together an initial design proposal in two weeks, producing various conceptual bottles based on different design directions, to differentiate the yoghurt brand from the competition, Steven Xie, packaging design and development manager at Sidel said.
Yili analyzed the designs and returned with a shortlist of four choices; Sidel then fine-tuned the designs based on consumer tests.
These elements included the shape of the bottle’s base, as the customer was searching for longer shelf-life and improved rigidity to avoid deformation during transportation, without compromising on distinctive design.
Tests yield final product
Xie said the company ran multiple tests to assess the performance of the bottle.
Within three months, the bottle design was finalized and new molds manufactured for the two Yili production lines dedicated to the new yogurt range.
Professional approach for product success
Zhang Yibo, Yili’s manager for this project, said the project has strengthened the relationship between Yili and Sidel - and looks set to pave the way for more new projects in the Chinese dairy industry.