Method for varying the packaging on homogenous products and products packaged employing the method

• US 20020046079A1
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Igor Anatolievich Stavrulov
• Original Assignee: Igor Anatolievich Stavrulov
• Inventors: Stavrulov, Igor Anatolievich
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation

Abstract

The invention provides a method for packaging homogenous products and the products packaged thereby. The method varies the images appearing on packages of the products to attract, increase, or retain consumer interest. The method'"'"'s object is to make it statistically likely to a degree acceptable to the user that the images on the product package seen by the consumer are different. The method involves selecting a number of packages the consumer will purchase without seeing the same image repeated. The number can be selected by any appropriate technique. A group of images is selected appropriate to the product involved, and one image is placed on each package. The method can be used simultaneously on the individual packages, the consumer packages, and the cartons of consumer packages. The method further varies the images by periodically changing them based upon the consumer purchasing characteristics and by using statistical and probability tools.

Claims

1. A method for attracting, increasing, or retaining customer interest and loyalty in products of a particular business by varying images appearing on packages of products, said method comprising:

a selecting a size of a group of packages that the consumer will purchase or use without the consumer seeing the same image repeated;

b determining a size of a group of different images to be placed on the group of packages, the size of said group of different images being a function ofthe size of the group of packages;

c selecting different images equal in number to size of the group of different images; and

d preparing the group of packages by placing one image from the group of different images on one package, and continuing by placing another image from the group of different images on another package, and further continuing likewise until every image of the group of different images has been placed on one package, such that each image from the group of different images appears at least once on a package, and no package bears more than one image from the group of different images,

whereby, it is statistically likely to a degree acceptable to the user of the method that the images appearing on each package in the group of packages are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method additionally comprises preparing more than one group of said packages at a time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the images in the group of different images are changed periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method additionally comprises:

a using the method of claim 1 to produce a group of individual packages; and

b assembling a consumer package by placing at least two packages from the group of individual packages into said consumer package,

whereby, each individual package in the consumer package will likely bear different images.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method additionally comprises placing at least three individual packages into said consumer package in a random visual order,

whereby, the individual packages in the consumer package will likely form a random image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method additionally comprises:

a using the method of claim 1 to produce a group of consumer packages; and

b assembling a carton by placing at least two packages from the group of consumer packages into said carton,

whereby, each consumer package in the carton will likely bear different images.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method additionally comprises placing at least three consumer packages into said carton in a random visual order,

whereby, the individual consumer packages in the carton will likely form a random image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of a group of packages that the consumer will see without seeing the same image repeated is determined by

a selecting a period of time as a purchasing or use cycle for which non-repetition is desired;

and

b determining a typical number of packages purchased or used by the consumer over the selected period of time, which becomes size of the group of packages.

18. Packages of products made according the method of claim 1.

9. A method for attracting, increasing, or retaining customer interest and loyalty in products of a particular business by varying images appearing on a packages of products, said method comprising:

a selecting a period of time as a purchasing or use cycle for which it is desired that the consumer not see the same image repeated;

b selecting a size of a group of individual packages of the products to be contained in a consumer package;

c determining a size of a group of consumer packages that the consumer will purchase or use during the period of time;

d determining a size of a group of different images to be placed on the group of individual packages, the size of said group of different images being a function of the size of the group of individual packages;

e selecting different images equal in number to size of the group of different images;

f preparing sufficient groups of individual packages to fill the group of consumer packages, each of said group of individual packages being prepared by placing one image from the group of different images on one individual package, and continuing by placing another image from the group of different images on another individual package, and further continuing likewise until every image of the group of different images has been placed on one individual package, such that each image from the group of different images appears at least once on an individual package, and no individual package bears more than one image from the group of different images; and

g filling the group of consumer packages by placing a quantity of individual packages equal in number to the size of the group of individual packages into one consumer package, and continuing by placing another quantity of individual packages equal in number to the size of the group of individual packages in another consumer package, and further continuing likewise until every consumer package in the group of consumer packages is filled,

whereby, it is statistically likely to a degree acceptable to the user of the method that the images appearing on each individual package contained within a consumer package are different from the images appearing any individual package contained in any other consumer package in the group of consumer packages.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method additionally comprises filling more than one group of consumer packages at a time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the images from the group of different images are changed periodically.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method additionally comprises filling more than one group of consumer packages at a time.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the method additionally comprises assembling a carton by placing at least two packages from the group of consumer packages into said carton, whereby, each consumer package in the carton will likely bear different images.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method additionally comprises placing at least three consumer packages into said carton in a random visual order, whereby the individual consumer packages in the carton will likely form a random image.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the fist group of images is changed periodically.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the second group of images is changed periodically.

19. Packages of products made according the method of claim 9.

12. A method for attracting, increasing, or retaining customer interest and loyalty in products of a particular business by varying images appearing on a packages of products, said method comprising:

a selecting a period of time as a purchasing or use cycle for which it is desired that the consumer not see the same image repeated;

b selecting the size of a group of individual packages of the products to be contained in a consumer package;

c determining the size of a group of consumer packages that the consumer will purchase or use during the period of time;

d determining the size of a first group of different images to be placed on the group of individual packages, the size of said first group of different images being a function of the size of the group of individual packages;

e determining the size of a second group of different images to be placed on the group of consumer packages, the size of said second group of different images being at least equal to the size of the group of consumer packages;

f selecting different images equal in number to size of the first group of different images;

g selecting different images equal in number to size of the second group of different images;

h preparing sufficient groups of individual packages to fill the group of consumer packages, each group of individual packages being prepared by placing one image from the first group of different images on one individual package, and continuing by placing another image from the first group of different images on another individual package, and further continuing likewise until every image of the first group of different images has been placed on one individual package, such that each image from the first group of different images appears at least once on an individual package, and no individual package bears more than one image from the group of first different images;

i preparing the group of consumer packages by placing one image from the second group of different images on one consumer package, and continuing by placing another image from the second group of different images on another consumer package, and further continuing likewise until every image of the second group of different images has been placed on one consumer package, such that each image from the second group of different images appears at least once on a consumer package, and no consumer package bears more than one image from the group of second different images; and

j filling the group of consumer packages by placing a quantity of individual packages equal in number to the size of the group of individual packages into one consumer package, and continuing by placing another quantity of individual packages equal in number to the size of the group of individual packages into another consumer package, and further continuing likewise until every consumer package in the group of consumer packages is filled,

whereby, is statistically likely to a degree acceptable to the user of the method that the images appearing on each consumer package in the group of consumer packages are different, and it is further statistically likely to a degree acceptable to the user of the method that the images appearing on each individual package contained within a consumer package are different from the images appearing any individual package contained in any other consumer package in the group of consumer packages.

20. Packages of products made according the method of claim 12.