Greg Hrinya, Associate Editor07.25.16
As part of EskoWorld 2016, Esko conducted an extensive brand track, designed to help brand owners interact with each other and the hosting company. Approximately 60 to 70 brands gathered in Orlando, FL, USA, to collaborate and provide feedback about their experiences with Esko’s software and prepress tools.
John Elworthy, Esko’s global business development and brand management leader, delivered a presentation on the company’s brand strategy and vision for the future. He explored the changing role of labels and packaging in the user experience, and how Esko fits into this dynamic.
Esko has responded with several improvements for 2016. It made WebCenter and MediaBeacon easier for general use and non-tech users. This includes enhanced cloud architecture, whereby users can connect platforms for integrated workflows. Esko recognized the need to work more with system integrators and agency partners. By partnering the prepress ecosystem, the software is more responsive to brand needs.
Consumer behavior at the shelf
One of EskoWorld’s main goals was to explain how the end user is affected from concept to the moment of truth at the retail shelf. During the Welcome Session, Mike Ferrari, president of Ferrari Innovation Solutions, explored how consumer behavior has changed, leading to a new role for packaging. A new world of social media has enabled more C-2-C (consumer-to-consumer) interaction, as opposed to the traditional B-2-B (business-to-business) model.
Esko has strengthened its brand by embracing the changing consumer journey. Brands have not only made requests for changes to Esko’s workflows, they have noticed a shifting landscape with the end user. Elworthy cited research studies that demonstrated a new, connected world. In 2014, studies showed that $1 trillion of in-store sales were influenced by mobile devices, and $1.7 trillion of in-store sales were influenced by digital media.
Contrary to popular belief, online purchases are not limited to large investments. Online research rates among purchasers included 45% for cereal purchases, 55% for soap, and 65% for cosmetics. Consumers will often rely on social media, reviews, website comments, and other forms of digital interaction before making a purchase.
“It’s at this point in time that not only can you digitally print, but you can digitally varnish, digitally foil, digitally emboss and digitally cut,” explained Ferrari. “With all of that, you need connection through things like Esko software to manage that.”
Even in a digital world, though, packaging remains the embodiment of a brand. Regardless of how the end user makes a purchase, he or she will ultimately receive a physical object complete with label and packaging. Part of the challenge involves overcoming a disconnect, both within companies and among generations. A disconnected infrastructure could ultimately impact the consumer experience. New media channels like Twitter, YouTube, eSharing, and others pose challenges that were not present in past decades.
Ferrari emphasized that the days of mass production are over, as brands start to embrace mass customization. Millennials have played a role in this shift. Gen We, as Ferrari referred to it, has grown up with technology and has changed the thoughts on purchasing. The rules are not written and continue to evolve.
Labels are increasingly used to “mark the moment,” said Ferrari. There is constant change own the shelves, as brands promote nostalgia, individuality, and expression with customized packaging.
Brands have the opportunity to reinvent their businesses by reducing complexity, as well as create new value with digital workflows. Brands such as Goldfish, Lindt Chocolates, and Heineken have participated in packaging initiatives in which consumers can create personalized products online. The products are then shipped directly to the customer.
“These are things that weren’t available 12 years ago; they’re available now,” said Ferrari. “They’re happening at such an alarming rate of 60 seconds, millions of YouTube users, etc. The days of mass production and vanilla brands–of sameness–are over, and it’s really the reason why we’re seeing SKU proliferation.”
Creating a virtual reality
Technological advancements have enabled the use of 3D virtual reality to perform eye-tracking tests. In addition, brands have the ability to see what their packaging will look like prior to printing. Natalia Lumby and Amanda Whyte, both of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, delivered a presentation on the “Opportunities and Challenges of using 3D Virtual Mock-Ups.”
According to Esko, the right underlying architecture is necessary for the seamless flow across channels. This, in turn, leads to a unified brand message. As part of EskoWorld 2016, the company sought feedback about usage, as it continues to align its processes to drive consistency among all the assets in its workflows.
Esko’s future strategy includes quality 3D renderings of packaging, a simplified way of managing digital assets, and creating consistency between analog and digital channels. By leveraging technology, brands can see a concept through from concept to a physical product. This software is designed to realistically create a mockup of a product that a consumer can eventually grab and hold.
According to Lumby, the number of products in a retail store doubles every 10 years, and 90% of the products on a store shelf are never seen, therefore not purchased. These statistics emphasize the need for effective specialty finishes and graphics that make an item pop. Atypical packaging will often make an item noticeable.
Conversely, complex packaging is tough to proof. Proofs are typically used to gauge accuracy in terms of color, substrate, and specialty finishes, with color ranking as the most important. Hard-copy proofs are preferred for color, digital proofs for content, and virtual proofs for the presentation.
‘We’re in this place where we’re creating really complicated designs, and when we’re creating complicated packages, they’re really difficult to proof,” said Lumby. “But because they’re complicated, you really need the proof, so there’s this weird paradox. We feel that digital can provide a solution to fulfill that paradox, to fill the gap between that complex package and the need to proof that complex package.”
Brands are dealing with the same constraints as other areas of the supply chain, though. Time pressures, difficulty in tracking changes, and getting the concept to final artwork all remain challenges. The benefits to digital proofs and 3D virtual mockups include time and cost savings, and the ability to track changes from any location.
There are applications available to utilize 3D imaging. Studio Viewer is available on iPads, as tablets can be used to visualize packaging. This app allows for spot color breakdown or separations, the changing of backgrounds and lighting, product rotation, and real-time viewing. X-Rite ColorTRUE can also be used for color calibration on a smart device.
Virtual mockups make for effective presentation materials, often in retail pitches. The omni-channel retail environment, including online shopping, mobile, and social media, provides an advantage to the brand. “We know that more and more, shopping is not just happening at the retail level,” said Lumby. “We’re starting to shop more in new places, and these are digital spaces. The reason why 3D mockups are important in these digital spaces is because I can start selling to those places before the product exists. This is where a big opportunity is.”
For more pictures, click here for a slideshow.
John Elworthy, Esko’s global business development and brand management leader, delivered a presentation on the company’s brand strategy and vision for the future. He explored the changing role of labels and packaging in the user experience, and how Esko fits into this dynamic.
Esko has responded with several improvements for 2016. It made WebCenter and MediaBeacon easier for general use and non-tech users. This includes enhanced cloud architecture, whereby users can connect platforms for integrated workflows. Esko recognized the need to work more with system integrators and agency partners. By partnering the prepress ecosystem, the software is more responsive to brand needs.
Consumer behavior at the shelf
One of EskoWorld’s main goals was to explain how the end user is affected from concept to the moment of truth at the retail shelf. During the Welcome Session, Mike Ferrari, president of Ferrari Innovation Solutions, explored how consumer behavior has changed, leading to a new role for packaging. A new world of social media has enabled more C-2-C (consumer-to-consumer) interaction, as opposed to the traditional B-2-B (business-to-business) model.
Esko has strengthened its brand by embracing the changing consumer journey. Brands have not only made requests for changes to Esko’s workflows, they have noticed a shifting landscape with the end user. Elworthy cited research studies that demonstrated a new, connected world. In 2014, studies showed that $1 trillion of in-store sales were influenced by mobile devices, and $1.7 trillion of in-store sales were influenced by digital media.
Contrary to popular belief, online purchases are not limited to large investments. Online research rates among purchasers included 45% for cereal purchases, 55% for soap, and 65% for cosmetics. Consumers will often rely on social media, reviews, website comments, and other forms of digital interaction before making a purchase.
“It’s at this point in time that not only can you digitally print, but you can digitally varnish, digitally foil, digitally emboss and digitally cut,” explained Ferrari. “With all of that, you need connection through things like Esko software to manage that.”
Even in a digital world, though, packaging remains the embodiment of a brand. Regardless of how the end user makes a purchase, he or she will ultimately receive a physical object complete with label and packaging. Part of the challenge involves overcoming a disconnect, both within companies and among generations. A disconnected infrastructure could ultimately impact the consumer experience. New media channels like Twitter, YouTube, eSharing, and others pose challenges that were not present in past decades.
Ferrari emphasized that the days of mass production are over, as brands start to embrace mass customization. Millennials have played a role in this shift. Gen We, as Ferrari referred to it, has grown up with technology and has changed the thoughts on purchasing. The rules are not written and continue to evolve.
Labels are increasingly used to “mark the moment,” said Ferrari. There is constant change own the shelves, as brands promote nostalgia, individuality, and expression with customized packaging.
Brands have the opportunity to reinvent their businesses by reducing complexity, as well as create new value with digital workflows. Brands such as Goldfish, Lindt Chocolates, and Heineken have participated in packaging initiatives in which consumers can create personalized products online. The products are then shipped directly to the customer.
“These are things that weren’t available 12 years ago; they’re available now,” said Ferrari. “They’re happening at such an alarming rate of 60 seconds, millions of YouTube users, etc. The days of mass production and vanilla brands–of sameness–are over, and it’s really the reason why we’re seeing SKU proliferation.”
Creating a virtual reality
Technological advancements have enabled the use of 3D virtual reality to perform eye-tracking tests. In addition, brands have the ability to see what their packaging will look like prior to printing. Natalia Lumby and Amanda Whyte, both of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, delivered a presentation on the “Opportunities and Challenges of using 3D Virtual Mock-Ups.”
According to Esko, the right underlying architecture is necessary for the seamless flow across channels. This, in turn, leads to a unified brand message. As part of EskoWorld 2016, the company sought feedback about usage, as it continues to align its processes to drive consistency among all the assets in its workflows.
Esko’s future strategy includes quality 3D renderings of packaging, a simplified way of managing digital assets, and creating consistency between analog and digital channels. By leveraging technology, brands can see a concept through from concept to a physical product. This software is designed to realistically create a mockup of a product that a consumer can eventually grab and hold.
According to Lumby, the number of products in a retail store doubles every 10 years, and 90% of the products on a store shelf are never seen, therefore not purchased. These statistics emphasize the need for effective specialty finishes and graphics that make an item pop. Atypical packaging will often make an item noticeable.
Conversely, complex packaging is tough to proof. Proofs are typically used to gauge accuracy in terms of color, substrate, and specialty finishes, with color ranking as the most important. Hard-copy proofs are preferred for color, digital proofs for content, and virtual proofs for the presentation.
‘We’re in this place where we’re creating really complicated designs, and when we’re creating complicated packages, they’re really difficult to proof,” said Lumby. “But because they’re complicated, you really need the proof, so there’s this weird paradox. We feel that digital can provide a solution to fulfill that paradox, to fill the gap between that complex package and the need to proof that complex package.”
Brands are dealing with the same constraints as other areas of the supply chain, though. Time pressures, difficulty in tracking changes, and getting the concept to final artwork all remain challenges. The benefits to digital proofs and 3D virtual mockups include time and cost savings, and the ability to track changes from any location.
There are applications available to utilize 3D imaging. Studio Viewer is available on iPads, as tablets can be used to visualize packaging. This app allows for spot color breakdown or separations, the changing of backgrounds and lighting, product rotation, and real-time viewing. X-Rite ColorTRUE can also be used for color calibration on a smart device.
Virtual mockups make for effective presentation materials, often in retail pitches. The omni-channel retail environment, including online shopping, mobile, and social media, provides an advantage to the brand. “We know that more and more, shopping is not just happening at the retail level,” said Lumby. “We’re starting to shop more in new places, and these are digital spaces. The reason why 3D mockups are important in these digital spaces is because I can start selling to those places before the product exists. This is where a big opportunity is.”
For more pictures, click here for a slideshow.