Packaging Methods just lately sat down with Invoice Kral, Chief Business Officer of Inovar Packaging Group, to debate the benefits of digital printing on the subject of offering flexibility to model managers.
PS: What are some examples of digital printing getting used to draw shoppers?
BK: For those who consider the “Share a Coke” program … a distinct identify on each bottle of Coca-Cola. There’s an instance the place a really massive model used digital printing to personalize their product, and, frankly, appeal to one other demographic again to their product. They have been beginning to lose a number of the youthful technology, and so they pulled it again in through the use of digital printing – however on a really massive scale.
However you’re nonetheless seeing it right now. Easy issues the place manufacturers are personalizing merchandise for a college, or a regional advertising and marketing marketing campaign in a single explicit metropolis.
We’re seeing it an increasing number of, even all the way down to the person. Pet meals, as an illustration. You’re now beginning to see loads of the advertising and marketing on the market for customized pet meals. You’ll be able to go browsing and enter details about your pet, and they’re going to truly create a product that’s distinctive to that. When it exhibits up in your doorstep, it has your pet’s identify on it. It has their image on it. It has details about why that is helpful to your pet.
PS: Why are some model managers reluctant to change from typical printing processes to digital printing?
BK: Spirits, craft beer, dietary supplements and private care … these are examples of product packaging the place you might have heavy elaborations. A lot of foil stamping. A lot of embossing.
They might say, ‘Digital printing is sweet and every thing, however I’m going to decrease my model if I begin to print digitally.’ Nonetheless, in right now’s world, I can provide you every thing that you simply do conventionally in a digital format. So some organizations have jumped into digital printing, however lots are nonetheless sitting on the sidelines.
The people who find themselves leaping in are usually the higher-cost prospects which have a decrease quantity of gross sales. So particularly within the GNC shops, the vitamin retailers … you are already seeing loads of very high-end wanting labels on lower-volume items, whether or not or not it’s whey powders or different varieties of nutraceuticals.
PS: Why is digital printing advantageous on the subject of testing new messaging?
BK: Digital lets you rapidly go and do some take a look at advertising and marketing on a refresh to your model and see the way it pulls, see the way it seems to be … with out incurring a ton of prices. There’s all the time the choice of making an attempt 5 completely different variations and seeing which one pulls higher … or doing a small 10-person or 20-person sampling. You’ll be able to just be sure you’re not pushing aside present shoppers and that you simply’re attracting new shoppers.
Pepsi modified their brand. That entire concept of revamping your brand, your branding on a 12- to 18-month foundation is necessary. Even slight coloration variations could make a distinction.
PS: What are the benefits of digital printing on the subject of shopper engagement and stopping counterfeiting?
BK: Utilizing digital, you can also make each single label completely different if you wish to.
You possibly can put distinctive QR codes on each single product … a singular serial quantity … you’ll be able to put in micro-numbering, issues that may’t be learn simply. That might make it very laborious for counterfeiters.
Additionally, if in case you have a shopper scan your QR code upon buy to confirm that this can be a real product, that QR code will truly carry the buyer to your web site someplace, so now you can begin interacting together with your shopper.
PS: What’s an instance of Inovar serving to a buyer to experiment with its branding utilizing digital printing?
BK: We labored with a high-end water firm that needed their product to have a differentiation on shelf. They compete with the Fiji waters of the world. They needed a really high-end look to their product, however they really needed each product to look completely different.
So that they got here up with 10 completely different variations of their brand, after which 10 completely different variations of a scene that you simply see coming again via the bottle. Then we wrote an algorithm that principally mentioned, ‘We’ll do a random factor between logos and photos.’
So just one in each 500 bottles is similar. You are seeing all of the completely different variations of logos and photos, so that you’re by no means actually holding the identical bottle twice.
It did not change their operations. It did not change their manufacturing. It didn’t change their price to market a complete lot. The entire concept was that they promote single-serve bottles of water for a number of {dollars} a bottle, and so they needed it to look fully completely different on shelf from their rivals on the market.
About Inovar Packaging Group
Inovar Packaging Group is an award-winning converter, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that produces revolutionary prime labels, shrink sleeves and prolonged content material labels for most of the nation’s main manufacturers.
Invoice Kral leads all features of Inovar’s gross sales and advertising and marketing technique targeted on creating worth for his or her prospects and the manufacturers they serve.
