In the contemplative spirit of the season, we’ve caught up with our resident Doctor of Digital Print – Dr Vlad Sljapic – on the 2016 innovations in digital, brand owner adoption, internet of things, as well as a look at what the future may hold 2017 onward.
What makes Digital Print for Packaging so interesting?
In today’s world, supply chain is under pressure from operations (just in time supply, serialisation and traceability, lean manufacturing, efficiency in logistics) and marketing requirements (“mass marketing” to “my marketing”, increased number of SKU (Stock Keeping Units), reduced run lengths, flexibility of supply of personalised packaging). Digital Print offers opportunity for innovative companies to grow and develop, fulfilling all these requirements of the brands whilst setting new standards of operation for the future.
Identifying the most exciting innovation in the industry
Affordable, mass serialisation of packaging provides a template for interfacing with the coming age of the “Internet of Things” – your fridge will know that the carton of milk is going out of date and will order the fresh one for you. From convenience, via efficiency to sustainability and elimination of waste. This is probably the most exciting development in the industry today.
What is the future for brand owner adoption?
The volume of information that we all have to process is increasing daily and will soon reach the level where individuals will have to find alternative ways of processing this information. Brand owners will find themselves in a position that customer engagement, personal approaches based on differentiated value proposition and brand equity, will become far more valuable than ever before. In order to manage those values, as well as to engage with customers directly (as opposed via outlets, supermarkets), brands are likely to develop packaging into a main vehicle of connectivity with the customers. The only cost effective way to achieve required level of personalisation and differentiation will be via further adoption of digital printing.
Would you like to learn more? Please watch our “Digital Debate” video above, focusing on the label printing industry.
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