Changes in consumer behavior spur new approaches to design and production  

The growing adoption of digital printing and the proliferation of brand communication channels are dramatically changing the way packaging can be produced. At the same time, consumers’ relationships with brands—and thus with packaging—have been changing, thanks to drivers such as the increase in single-person households, an aging population, and, at the same time, the rise of the “millennial” generation and their whole-hearted embrace of electronic technologies. As consumer attitudes towards brands and packaging are changing, brand owners are having to adapt accordingly. For help managing these changes, they are relying more and more on their supply chains, which includes packaging printers and converters. 

To help these packaging printers, and print service providers in general, navigate these changes, WhatTheyThink is pleased to offer a new white paper, sponsored by Esko, called The Changing Face of Packaging: Brand Owners—and Printers—Respond to New Consumer Behaviors. This free white paper, written by WhatTheyThink senior analyst Richard Romano, looks at not only the sociological background—those changing consumer dynamics—but also how digital packaging printing allows print service providers to help brand owners take advantage of these trends. What is the real role of customization and personalization in packaging? The “Share a Coke” campaign has received a lot of attention, but is it really personalization? Can printers and brand owners go one better than that, and in what ways is it more likely to be effective? We often hear the phrase “run lengths are declining,” but what does that really mean in the context of packaging? What hardware, software, and educational resources are available for graphic arts companies to explore and exploit these trends? 

“Consumers today are far more ‘on-the-go’ than they were in the past, everyone is time-constrained, and everyone—especially younger people—are glued to their mobile devices,” said Eric Vessels, President of WhatTheyThink. “Brand owners have found that they need to change the time-tested ways that packaging and related graphics appeal to these people. The possibilities that digital printing allow are endless, and this white paper offers more than a little ‘food for thought.’”

As brand owners wrestle with these changes, many are unaware of how digital packaging production can help them cope, which opens up tremendous opportunities for print service providers to serve as partners and consultants to those brand owners. The Changing Face of Packaging gives them a place to start.

The white paper is available for download here. For more information about the products and services offered by Esko, please visit www.esko.com.  

About Esko

Esko is a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging and labels, sign and display, commercial printing and publishing industries. Esko products and services drive profitability in the packaging and printing supply chain by reducing time-to-market and raising productivity. The Esko product portfolio supports and manages the packaging and print processes at brand owners, retailers, designers, packaging manufacturers and print service providers. For 9 out of retail 10 packages, Esko solutions are used in packaging management, asset management, artwork creation, structural design, prepress, 3D visualization, plate making, workflow automation, quality assurance, sample-making, palletization, supply chain collaboration and the production of signage and displays. The Esko solutions consist of an extensive suite of software and two hardware product lines: CDI flexo computer-to-plate imagers and Kongsberg digital cutting systems, complemented with professional services, training and consultancy. Enfocus, with its suite of automation solutions and PDF quality control tools for printers, publishers and graphic designers, and MediaBeacon digital asset management (DAM) solutions, are part of Esko.

About WhatTheyThink

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. WhatTheyThink also hosts webinars and live events as well as providing content through a syndication program, which delivers content directly to related websites. In addition, WhatTheyThink offers a wide range of lead generation and branding programs that help print- and publishing-related businesses achieve business growth.

For more information about this white paper or WhatTheyThink, please contact Eric Vessels at [email protected].