The earliest form of humans were wanderers. Motivated by the change of seasons, the annual migrations of animal resources, or simply in pursuit of a better quality of life. Our primitive ancestors lived a life on the go. When it came time to relocate, only the most valuable and portable resources were brought with while anything deemed too heavy or unnecessary was left behind.
As populations grew and communities became villages, the developing idea of “home” only enhanced our internal desire to move about. We evolved from wanderers to explorers, and from explorers to conquerors. Driven by a thirst for adventure and a hunger for understanding our world, we crossed endless oceans and traversed summitless mountain ranges. Again, only the most indispensable of possessions made the trek alongside us.
As technological advances continue at an exponential rate, humans still find themselves looking to the unknown frontiers. While private industries turn their attention to recreational space travel and government agencies share images of faraway planets, the slightly less courageous of us still set aside time to hike mountains, explore new landscapes, and occasionally follow the migratory paths of animal resources.
Our idea of “home” has recently evolved again as well, with seemingly infinite tools and resources that allow us to do more from the comfort of our dwelling. We can have groceries delivered, manage our finances, and even interact with friends and family all with a little help from the electronic rectangle in our pocket. We are now a species with arguably no reason to leave home, and yet we repeatedly find ourselves on the go, typically with a few of our most crucial items within reach.
Modern humans have existed for approximately 300,000 years and at a glance, it appears two things are certain: 1) Humans will always crave movement, and 2) we will likely bring the most useful tools or resources with us. The distances traveled and the tools themselves may have changed over time, but our fundamental instincts to move and be prepared remain the same.
While our phone and keys may dominate our mental checklists when venturing beyond the safety of home, another item has suddenly found itself on the list. Flexible packaging and the goods they host are making a name for themselves. Today’s consumers, just like their primitive ancestors, have a desire to bring their most valuable tools with them. For many, that includes convenient nutritional products.
Flexible packaging has been quietly edging out rigid plastic bottles over the last few years, and consumers are not the only ones taking notice. The supply chain advantages of flexible packaging is making it a more prominent consideration for direct-to-consumer businesses as well. After all, a more affordable product for the business means a more affordable product to the end consumer.
So it seems not much has changed for us humans over the last few hundred thousand years. We find a nice home for ourselves, rest up, then set out to see the world. The most significant development likely being our mental checklist as we step out the door. Keys…wallet….phone….Go Mix! Yeah, we think that has a nice ring to it.