Innovative uses of digital print for packaging were highlighted at the Standout 2016 workshop in Sydney presented by partners HP and Schawk Australia.
“This session highlighted real examples of ground-breaking campaigns using the variability of digital print,” said event organiser Ryan Sharratt, operations manager at Schawk. “Advances in digital print for packaging means it is now an affordable, high fidelity and versatile alternative or complement to static offset and flexo printing.”
Schawk Australia is part of the SGK Brand Solutions Group of Matthews International Corporation, a leading global brand development, activation and deployment provider that drives brand performance.
"From an HP perspective, these client educational events with Schawk can help unlock the creative thinking of brand managers, often constrained by conventional technology,” said HP’s Jason Beckley. “We want to excite those responsible for brand development, to work with leading brand deployment firms like Schawk, to consider innovative ways that brands can stand out through digital print for packaging.”
Paul Randall, special guest from the HP UK office, has worked with numerous global brands to test and roll-out variable digital print campaigns and spoke of the clear value to brands in using digital that includes short run capability, faster and more nimble time to market and the ability to make every pack unique. There is also greater brand impact in personalisation or targeting segments by demographics, regions or other variables.
Randall urged brand owners to see their packaging as an important communications media tool, not only for their corporate message but for cross- or collaborative- promotion. He referred to an example of a Japanese water bottling firm that partnered with a local news agency to print snippets of the daily and local news on the bottle for sale in neighbourhood convenience stores.
Randall and Beckley shared several case studies of highly successful, variable digital print for packaging campaigns. While each campaign involved unique and differing packaging they all had a common theme of standout marketing for maximum cut through to customers. Each campaign delivered improved sales and greater brand awareness.
Aquiles Acevedo, packaging development coordinator at Campbell Arnott's described the workshop as refreshing and enlightening. “It opened the door to a new world of ideas and opportunities of how digital printing can help brands compete better in today’s market. The digital printing technique can help to break through mainstream, step above the norm and stand out from the rest, bringing ideas to life. It’s full of diversity in which your designs have few limitations.”
Bryan McKay, packaging senior manager, Goodman Fielder Limited said, "The workshop collaboration between Schawk and HP is a great example of our suppliers working together to bring even greater value to their customers. Rather than a “sell job”, participants were provided learnings from the experts and applied these learnings to real life” scenarios of how digital printing for packaging can be applied to our brands and our business."
A short video (around 1 minute) on Standout 2016 can be viewed here.
For more information visit: http://www.schawk.com