Packaging Innovations London 2017 : Q&A session with Carina Pietzuch, Marketing and Project Manager at Procos

Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London returns to London Olympia, on 13 & 14 September 2017. The exclusive two-day show will bring together senior decision makers and buyers looking to revitalise their packaging, increase brand awareness, and boost sales.

Show organiser, Easyfairs, has already confirmed that over 150 exhibitors have signed up, with some of the biggest names from the packaging and luxury packaging industry quick to show their support. Among them, will be exhibitor Carina Pietzuch, Marketing and Project Manager at Procos, who shares her thoughts on everything from e-commerce and luxury packaging through to sustainability and the future of the packaging market.

E-Commerce

What is your involvement in E-Commerce packaging?

We bring our client’s brand to life by personalising packaging for online shipment boxes. Unwrapping e-commerce goods is a major part of the customer shopping experience, so we help ensure our brands make a good first impression. This is done through our high quality packaging and taking care of all fine details associated with it. This includes material selection for boxes, suitable wrapping, plus add-ons, all of which ensure the product is perfectly packed and protected.

What do you make?

From POS through to retail, we produce the entire packaging portfolio for high-end luxury companies. Not only do we manufacture carrier bags and boxes needed for offline stores, but we also provide online shipment boxes, tissue and gift paper, stickers, ribbons and highly innovative new shapes and materials. Plus, we are specialists in producing eco-friendly packaging that still matches the renowned high quality standards expected from Procos.

How does it fit into the market?

Packaging plays a huge part in a brand’s communication with its customers. It supports its direction and is often the first physical contact the consumer has with the brand itself. This first point of contact will be where the customer forms an initial, and often long-lasting, impression of a brand. This impression is even more important in e-commerce, where the customer does not have the whole in-store shopping experience. This lack of experience needs to be accounted for and that’s where the Procos packaging solutions come in. It is the first tangible connection between the brand and customer. We assure the brands corporate identity (CI) all along the packaging line – even for online purchases.

Often e-commerce boxes are not only used to create a unique brand impression, but also to generate a lasting experience. We find that online shipment boxes that are of a high quality and are visually appealing often do not get disposed of, but are repurposed in the customers home.

What are some of the challenges and opportunities you are currently seeing?

We go on an individual development journey to find the most suitable e-commerce packaging solution for each of our customers. One of the key challenges that we face is not underestimating the total weight of the parcel. The final weight can help to decrease transportation costs, and it is therefore important that we keep this in mind. The combination of producing packaging that is low-weight and yet provides a stable structure and support for shipment and the goods inside, is key. This encourages us to look for new materials, innovative methods in converting and also come up with creative ideas to unite luxury products with e-commerce packaging.

Luxury Packaging

How do you define luxury packaging?

We are experiencing a shift within luxury packaging. As we see it, it is moving away from ‘rich luxury’ towards ‘precious and unique’. Luxury packaging remains glamorous, but is nowadays also simple. You no longer see overloaded branding and packaging is not excessively covered with printing or hot foil stamping. Instead, luxury packaging focuses on the quality of the material and details all the product specifications. We have seen an increased use of sustainable and recyclable materials that are combined with high-end finishes to support an exclusive, clean look of a brand.

How does it differentiate from regular packaging?

In general, luxury packaging demands a higher usage of individual materials. The packaging has a high-quality finish, which is noticeable to customers when they interact with it. The customer will see, touch and feel significant details when holding packaging in his or her hands. Because of this, luxury packaging is more attractive and has a lasting eye-catching effect. For us, dedication to these details make the difference.

Are there challenges that are unique to luxury packaging manufacturing?

Each production for luxury packaging is to be elaborated individually and balanced along all processes. Sometimes printing and embossing techniques have to be combined in order to achieve a unique look. Because brand CI is precise for luxury companies, it is essential to enforce it on the final packaging product. There are cases, where the base material – be it paper or carton – needs to be exchanged to be in line with a brands’ guidelines. Then there are other situations, where a different printing technique is adapted in order to warrant the outcome.

What are some of the latest trends and drivers you are seeing impact the Luxury Market?

Whilst matt and glossy lamination protects packaging products, companies are increasingly aware of the environmental factors associated with it. This leads to more requests for a natural, haptic surface.

Logistics

How important is an optimised supply chain for your business?

For us, a supply chain must perform on all levels. From purchasing materials and production through to transportation and delivery, every step is essential to keep the packaging project running smoothly, and to satisfy our customers. As packaging experts for almost 20 years, we have optimised the supply chain wherever possible. For example, we manufacture tooling, while materials are ordered to initiate production as soon as possible.

What methods do you use to ensure a successful delivery?

For the worldwide delivery and transportation of our ready products, we can rely on the experience of our people working in the local offices. We also have a direct and fast communication flow throughout the organisation to help our teams overcome any unforeseen obstacles. By working together in a seamless and efficient way, our customers can rest assured they are receiving the very best service.

Future

What do you think will be the next big innovation in your field?

We believe the continuous improvement of cost-effective personalisation on packaging will be of growing concern for companies. To foster this trend on carrier bags as well, we have introduced the registered patent “convertible bag” recently.

Can you be a sustainable and responsible luxury goods packaging company? What are some of the challenges and opportunities in becoming so?

We are firm believers that companies should be both sustainable and responsible, not just within the luxury packaging sector, but also on a much wider scale. We all live on this Earth and have to preserve its resources, so being sustainable is vital.

Probably the biggest challenge is to move quick enough – here we decided a few years ago that we can only cope with this challenge when we cooperate very open and transparent throughout the entire chain of production: together with all our partners, suppliers and customers we work on new luxury packaging solutions that correspond to very high ecological standards in a view of its complete lifecycle.