Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

How digital printing creates value

The days when package manufacturing could be treated as if it were a commodity business are fast disappearing from the Consumer Packaged Goods arena.

To coincide with the release of the feature film Toy Story III, L’Oreal introduced a line of kids shampoo with graphics that are digitally printed.
To coincide with the release of the feature film Toy Story III, L’Oreal introduced a line of kids shampoo with graphics that are digitally printed.

The average U.S. supermarket today contains 48,000 items. It would take shoppers 11 days to get through a supermarket assuming they spent 3 seconds to make a decision on each item.


So how do shoppers behave in the store? How do they cut through the crowded and overwhelming shelves of product they encounter? It’s really quite simple. They’re driven to a grocery store out of need—think milk, eggs, bread. While racing down the aisles they are stopped by a subconscious response to packaging that stands out, packaging that’s distinctive and cuts through the clutter. Shoppers are drawn to such packages and will put them in their baskets even though they didn’t go to the store to get them in the first place.


There are three distinct parts to this process. First is the stopping power of a brand, which is a sensorial response to packaging. A single “black sheep” in a herd of “white sheep” will stand out. Packaging shape and color are the salient features that can accomplish this.


Once a package has the attention of the shopper, it must be relevant to get them to pick it up. In other words, the graphics must connect with their interests and aspirations.


The third part takes place much earlier in the game, far away from the consumer and even the store itself. It’s the part known as the supply chain. Unfortunately, it’s a part that, because it’s dominated by analog printing, is seriously limiting the brand owner of today.


The complexity of managing sku proliferation, equity colors, production art, and inventories causes brands to compromise. Brand owners are held hostage to their current analog supply chains. The result is the full impact of programs desired by marketers can never be realized due to aging and limited supply chains. Consumer Packaged Goods companies (CPGs) have been treating the analog package print industry as a commodity, describing it as nothing more than just putting “ink on substrate.” Purchasing departments go after the lowest-cost printing in such a commodity-driven approach.

2024 PACK EXPO Innovations Reports
Exclusive access: Packaging World editor-curated reports revealing PACK EXPO's most groundbreaking technologies across food, healthcare, and machinery sectors. Each report features truly innovative solutions selected from hundreds of exhibitors by our expert team. Transform your operations with just one click.
Access Now
2024 PACK EXPO Innovations Reports
List: Digitalization Companies From PACK EXPO
Looking for CPG-focused digital transformation solutions? Download our editor-curated list from PACK EXPO featuring top companies offering warehouse management, ERP, digital twin, and MES software with supply chain visibility and analytics capabilities—all tailored specifically for CPG operations.
Download Now
List: Digitalization Companies From PACK EXPO