'We put gravy in beer cans to boost sales'

Ian Butt co-founded Potts' and has embraced a marketing strategy being referred to as "chaos packaging"

A food manufacturer says putting gravy in beer cans helped them expand from a kitchen to supermarket shelves.

Potts', which has been operating in Swindon, Wiltshire, since 2007, adopted a strategy of packaging their stocks and sauces in beer-style cans in 2019.

Ian Butt, one of Potts' founders, told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme growth had improved significantly since introducing the novel packaging - a phenomenon now being referred to as "chaos packaging".

"We always wanted to increase our recyclability and traditionally, products like ours are sold in plastic pouches or glass jars," he said.

"The supermarkets are delighted. Our buyers want to help push sustainability, so it's been a good opportunity for us to challenge the current format."

Potts' gravies and cooking sauces are now stocked in all major supermarkets.

They sell about 2.5m cans of gravy annually, with canned products on a whole representing about half of their business.

Swindon-based Potts' reached supermarket shelves using "chaos packaging"

Mr Butt said Potts' was inspired by creativity in the craft beer market.

"There was a huge rise of interesting craft beer cans. That product was always stored in brown bottles with labels," he said.

"We thought, because we make liquid products, that there must be a way to make this packaging method work."

The idea did not come without obstacles, though.

Mr Butt said they quickly discovered issues with packaging thicker, liquid food products in cans.

"We had to develop a bespoke method to dispense our stocks and sauces into cans," he said.

"The process is a world-first, as far as we are aware."

Michael Miraflor first coined the term "chaos packaging" on X

The strategy of putting a product in packaging consumers would not typically expect has been labelled "chaos packaging".

The term was coined by California-based marketing consultant Michael Miraflor on X earlier this year, who said the technique spanned a range of industries.

"New brands are disrupting their categories by using unexpected packaging," Mr Miraflor told the BBC.

"Savvy brands and their founders have found ways to leverage interesting and delightful, or sometimes confusing and chaotic packaging that can earn free media in the industry.

"That's, basically, impressions on social media.

"It gives consumers something to talk about and share at a relatively low cost."

Tara Chandra and Susan Allen sell organic tampons in ice cream tubs

London-based Here We Flo also uses this strategy. They sell their organic tampons in biodegradable ice cream tubs.

Co-Founder Tara Chandra told BBC Radio 4 You and Yours that their packaging can cause more chaos than intended because, sometimes, people accidentally put the product in the freezer.

“I, personally, really crave ice cream when I’m on my period and know that a lot of people do," said Ms Chandra.

"We thought it would be funny to package the item like this as a nod to period cravings.”

Around the world, other brands are also selling their products in "chaos packaging".

Moschino sells a perfume in a bottle mimicking a cleaning product, and an American company sells sunscreen in a bottle which looks like a can of whipped cream.

The founders of Swiss coffee company - No Normal Coffee - made the decision to sell their coffee in a tube, after realising that there was a gap in the market.

On their website, the two friends described themselves as keen explorers and said they came up with the idea when they began craving the drink while hiking in the mountains.

They found that typical instant alternatives lacked flavour, while others proved too bulky to carry around.

"Chaos packaging" refers to products packaged in an unexpected way

For Potts', when asked whether the packaging caused confusion among shoppers, Mr Butt said any confusion often worked in their favour by making chaos packaged products stand out from others.

“When shoppers look at it they often do a double-take and wonder if it's beer or a beverage," he said.

"We're really lucky as we've had a few viral posts about the gravy.

"We have this world-first packaging, which helps drive a lot of interest without having to utilise the same size budget as the big boys."

Mr Butt said Potts' now planned to expand their Swindon-based business by pushing into overseas markets.

"We're talking to major retailers in Europe, the US and Australia. There's a big focus on that now."