The Future of Packaging

This issue of raconteur.net, features Chris Tonge, Ultimate Digital’s director contributing to the discussion about the future of packaging – Making Personalised Packaging Pay by Des King.

Affordable digital printing is bringing brands and consumers closer together with personalised packaging featuring customers’ names, designs and photographs

Making personalised packaging pay

Sporting a designer label was once the height of cool: a visual prompt to an aspirational consumer lifestyle that also provided brands with the bonus of free promotion. However, the established quid pro quo is now shifting into reverse as a growing number of products opt to display the name and often image of the consumer on packaging.

It’s a trend that’s been made viable through the use of digital print technology in place of the longer-established conventional offset litho and flexo processes, unlike which it isn’t dependent upon the preparation of a separate plate for each print run.

Not only can a digital press, many of which are developed by well-known electronics names such as HP, Konica Minolta and Xerox, switch between an infinite number of different impressions without interruption, it will also print precisely the volume of each required. Rapid set-up, minimal waste, reduced inventory, print on demand that’s always topical – what’s not to like?

Within our social media dominated culture, those attributes have transformed what was a no-go area in maintaining brand integrity into fair game for any Tom, Dick or Harriet; also one that can be played by any brand owner irrespective of size. While the likes of Coke, Nutella and Oreos have attracted most of the attention for their recent personalised retail marketing campaigns, niche and startup brands are equally capable of getting upfront and personal without blowing the budget.

Customisation on a budget

For the natural juice brand Firefly, inviting its consumer-base to upload selfies for reproduction on the bottle’s label (#feelingfly) is an extension of an existing tradition, says marketing manager Sarah Brooks. “Innovation is key for driving the soft drinks category forward and consumer engagement is crucial,” she says. “Having received so many images from loyal fans over the years, the next step of brand development was to follow their lead.”

Firefly all-bar-one bottle

Personalised bottles of Firefly available in six different flavours are digitally printed by Berkshire Labels and shipped within two days of being ordered. Meanwhile, there’s been an unanticipated bonus. The quirky image of an All Bar One bartender on one such label has led to the brand now being stocked throughout the chain’s 50 UK outlets, helping to boost annual production to 1.7 million units. Berkshire Labels also regularly print short-run, full-colour personalised sleeves for the brand’s promotional on and off-trade events.

In addition to printing customised packaging on its state-of-the-art HP digital presses, Grimsby-based Ultimate Digital has developed a cloud-based integrated workflow that ensures each personalised pack goes to the correct recipient, says executive director Chris Tonge. “Smartflow interacts equally with both the consumer and the brand owner. It collects data, builds artwork and manages the entire web-to-print process from when the consumer uploads text and images online through to the pack being despatched 48 hours later,” he says.

It’s an invaluable tool that will prove its worth ahead of Christmas as confectionery brand Kinnerton fulfils the delivery of thousands of individually personalised advent calendars. Drawn from a selection of seven differently themed designs featuring topical children’s favourite characters, including the Trolls and PAW Patrol, it’s a first-to-market venture that’s tipped to set an ongoing seasonal trend.

Ultimate Digital is well versed in how to convey personal best wishes for the festive season. The printer was instrumental in delivering last year’s Waitrose #MakesChristmas campaign led via social media, as well as personalising the cool-bags handed out in-store for customers who’d ordered the retailer’s turkey breast – a UK first, according to Waitrose seasonal and specialised poultry buyer Frances Westerman.

Also using digital to make chocolates a more personal proposition is startup brand Print My Smile, which as of next month will be giving visitors to its website a free hand in designing their own presentation box. “‘It’s all about enabling the consumer to be in control,” says co-founder Suzanne Rouart. “While the big confectionery brands may be doing beautiful things with personalisation, we provide the flexibility to create a unique pack that’s exclusive to the recipient.”

The full production and dispatch of individually designed boxes is completed within three days of order by the Alexir Partnership, one of the earliest UK carton suppliers to install a digital press.

“Packaging is media – it’s a billboard. It’s just a matter of rethinking what it can do when you can change it daily and where content can be infinite”

“We foresee massive growth in digital carton production in the next five years as brand owners, retailers and design agencies become more aware of the breadth of potential for customisation, not least in dovetailing the technology’s short-run and personalisation capabilities for test marketing or to pre-launch new products to a targeted demographic of trade buyers,” says Alexir marketing manager Claire Summersby.

personalisation-graph

Standing out

There’s far more to personalisation than the equivalent of a selfie, says Silas Amos of Design Thought, who masterminded last year’s Irn-Bru Fabric of Scotland campaign, which substituted the beverage’s blue and orange brand colours with those selected at random from a range of 57 different clan tartans and as a result lifted sales by 17 per cent between Hogmanay and Burns Night on January 25.

“The novelty of sticking people’s names on packs has been done; we’ll get bored with that pretty soon. It’ll be how and why brands personalise that will start making a difference,” says Mr Amos. “Think of audiences not as demographics, but as individuals. Think about localisation. Think about real-time topicality. Think about the charisma that is within a brand anyway. Then think how the brown box that delivers goods we order online can be brought alive at the door.

“Packaging is media – it’s a billboard. It’s just a matter of rethinking what it can do when you can change it daily and where content can be infinite.”

Corrugated box manufacturers are rapidly becoming alert to the potential of customisation. After four years in development with HP, sector leader DS Smith has invested more than £2 million in the UK’s first corrugator-width digital press with a running speed of 180 metres per minute.

“While personalisation has become commonplace for primary applications, it’s still a pretty new phenomenon in the secondary packaging industry. However, we’re constantly exploring opportunities that digital technology can present us and I expect customisation to really come to the fore in the next 12 months,” says sales and marketing director Mick Thornton.

Meanwhile, with six other suppliers having brought new presses on to the market this year, the standard issue cardboard box with black lettering is clearly ripe for recycling.

Meet the man behind Ultimate Digital

Find out more about Chris Tonge, Director at Ultimate Digital – Chris Tonge in this fantastic article from Digital Labels and Packaging.

 

Digital On Film

Chris Tonge, Managing Director recently participated in a round table discussion on flexible packaging at Parkside Flexibles.

Here’s what he had to say to Paperandprint.com

http://www.paperandprint.com/digital-labels-and-packaging/features/dlp-2016/september-2016/20-09-16-digital-on-film.aspx#.V_YH_JMrKgx

M&S Christmas Sweet Range

ULTIMATE Digital recently delivered a superb range of new digitally printed re-sealable pouches as part of a major retailers sweet range.

 

M&S were the first UK retailer to use digital print to test the market with its range of Flavour of Summer Sweets in 2014 and are doing the same with certain products in their 2016 Xmas Sweet range.

 

The digital print company, based on the east coast in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, has again delivered on a 10 day turnaround project delivering a total of 120,000 pocket size doy packs.

 

Chris Tonge, Executive Director of Ultimate Digital said: “This range consisted of six Xmas Designs but there were five different festive messages on each, so this variable element made it perfect for digital print.

 

“The quality of the images that we printed is superb and M&S are delighted with the finished result. We even made each pack twinkle by using a combination of colour and the metallised film.

 

“Effectively we printed 30 different design variations using only 9600 metres of substrate to produce a triplex of pet/met pet/pe suitable for pouch making.”

 

The Xmas Sweet range is now in store and is sure to fly off the shelf and there are already many other digital projects in the pipeline for M&S within their confectionery range and several other product ranges.

 

Ultimate Packaging is one of the global leading suppliers of suppliers for digital packaging. Ultimate Digital’s presses are leading the way for marketing and new product development.

Shortlisted for Digital Label Award

ULTIMATE Digital is excited at being shortlisted for a prestigious industry award.

 

The digital print company, based in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, has been nominated for an award in the Digital Labels and Packaging category within the 2016 Flexo Tech International Print and Innovation Awards, which take place in London next month.

 

Their entry is for film printed for a new brand Nim’s Fruit Crisps range of five varieties and they are in fact the only flexible packaging nomination.

 

The range was digitally printed on the HP 20000 press, which was commissioned by Ultimate Digital in 2015. The east cost company were one of the first companies in the world to install a wide web digital press to print flexible packaging.

 

Chris Tonge, Executive Director of Ultimate Digital said: “There were only 5000 of each design for Nim’s, only 4600 metres in total on a Matt opp and metallised opp laminated film.

 

“We had a turnaround time of only 10 days from design to supply. It was a colour sensitive range and had to be press approved by the designer.

This range has now been followed by three additional vegetable crisp designs so this new customer is clearly delighted.”

 

Ultimate Packaging is one of the leading suppliers of flexible packaging in the UK and with Ultimate Digital the group is leading the way with marketing and new product development projects with brands and retailers of all sizes.

 

The International Flexo Tech Awards is one of the most prestigious events in the industry’s calendar and recognises the very best of flexo tech printing.

 

For more information contact 01472 255410 or visit http://www.ultimate-digital.co.uk/

Ultimate Proud of Grimsby Fish Links

AS the Humber Seafood Summit arrives in Grimsby, Ultimate Digital is proud of its links with the fish manufacturing industry.

 

Ultimate Packaging based in Grimsby has been a major supplier of conventionally printed flexible packaging to Youngs Seafood for many years.

 

Over the last five years with its new company Ultimate Digital already recognised as a world leader in the production of digitally printed flexible packaging, and Youngs Seafood the leading seafood manufacturer in the UK these two Grimsby Greats are now working together on several different digital projects for both Youngs’ own brand and for retailers notably M&S and Waitrose.

 

Youngs Seafood provides a range of chilled and frozen fish dishes for the nation, while Ultimate Digital is able to help brands and retailers react to market demands particularly useful for seasonal and regional products, as well as seeing how a product sells before major launches of new ranges.

 

Chris Tonge, Executive Director of Ultimate Digital said: “Digital print complements the Ultimate flexo business, attracting new, big brand clients who are looking to increase consumer engagement using digitally printed packaging that features customisation, personalisation, one off designs and promotional links.

“The Ultimate business has a broad capability and can offer customers a complete packaging service from design to digital print, flexo print and packaging research and development.”

Ultimate took part in a Dragon’s Den style event at Young’s Grimsby headquarters, Ross House.

Stuart Caborn, Group Purchasing Director at Young’s Seafood Limited, said: “To inspire people to love fish now and for generations to come, we’re constantly developing new ideas and innovation.

 

“We enjoyed a great day with our Dragon’s Den style event; it’s a really creative way to give suppliers the opportunity to showcase their ideas and lead change, which is what our Virtual Integration strategy is all about.”

 

As a business with a turnover of £45 million, the Ultimate group can offer customers a complete packaging service from design to digital print, flexo print and packaging research and development.
For more information on how your business can benefit from digital print visit http://www.ultimate-digital.co.uk/ or call us on 01472 255410.

 

For more on the event, which Ultimate Digital took part in you can read it here –Dragons Den Style

 

 

 

Who are Ultimate Digital?

Ultimate Digital is a world leader in the production of digitally printed flexible packaging.

 

Part of the Ultimate Group, which includes Ultimate Packaging – a major producer of flexo printed film in the UK approved by every food retailer and supplier of many brands and Sharp Iris who specialise in designing and delivering creative digital solutions.

 

It was the first in the UK to offer wide web digital print for flexible packaging, which allows them to offer customers short runs, variable designs and data on pack.

 

Digital print is able to help brands and retailers react to market demands particularly useful for seasonal and regional products, as well as seeing how a product sells before major launches of new ranges.

 

M&S were the first UK retailer to use digital print to test the market with its range of Flavour of Summer Sweets in 2014 and are doing the same with certain products in their 2016 Xmas Sweet range.

 

Waitrose, Tesco and Iceland have all benefited from digital print. For Waitrose it was their Xmas cool bags, which were personalised to individual customers and delivered to 240 stores.

 

The same applies to brands of all sizes including Walkers Crisps, Nestle and Coke.

 

The other great advantage of digital print is the excellent quality you get with fantastic depth of colour, defined small text and exceptional image clarity.

 

Chris Tonge, Executive Director of Ultimate Group said: “We’re developing brand new markets and brand new products, and doing things in with digital, which is why we’ve set up Ultimate Digital as a separate entity.

 

“We’ve thrown away the rule book and are using the digital presses for marketing and new product development for our customers.”

 

Ultimate works with its agency Sharp Iris the creative arm of the group whose design team work with customers to create packaging from concept using photography, food styling and 3D visualisation through to digital mock-ups.

 

What’s the secret to their digital success?

The Ultimate Group has always been forward thinking and invested in new technologies and are highly regarded as an innovative and responsive supplier.

 

As a business with a turnover of £45 million, the Ultimate group can offer customers a complete packaging service from design to digital print, flexo print and packaging research and development.
For more information http://www.ultimate-digital.co.uk/ or call us on 01472 255410

 

 

 

 

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