PACKAGING INNOVATIONS REVIEW
Innovation success Rebecca Hubbard reports from her day at the PACKAGING INNOVATIONS show in Birmingham
When I returned from my jam-packed day at the PACKAGING INNOVATIONS exhibit at the NEC in Birmingham, my head was full of innovative packs, exciting debates, intriguing industry people and, a presentation that involved taped-over mouths and the kicking of a cardboard box. But more on that later.
T
he show, which saw 4,544 visitors, adorned itself over two halls of the
NEC, bringing with it a range of exhibitors who each filled their own little part of the show, be they found in PACKAGING INNOVATIONS (for the latest in packaging), ECOPACK (for environmentally responsible packaging), CONTRACT PACK (for solutions outside of the pack itself), PACKTECH (for specific packaging technology), and the brand new PRINT INNOVATIONS, which was dedicated to end users and buyers of all print products.
BUSY AISLES Whilst walking around the show and stopping to talk to various exhibitors, it was clear that the show was doing a good job connecting the industry with clients both old and new. Most of the people I spoke to,
including Mark Devonald-Smith, head honcho at the STO Glass Group, commented on the high quality of buyers they/he had seen - including some new potential clients who were approaching exhibitors for the first time with seemingly interesting propositions. I also had a quick chat with
Stergios Bititsios of MMR Research, who talked of the diverse range of people he had spoken to and how clear it was that innovation is high up on the packaging agenda for everyone, be they a packaging technologist or head of packaging for a supermarket. He therefore said that shows such as the PACKAGING INNOVATIONS portfolio were integral as they allowed people
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to keep abreast of what is happening in an industry which is a constant state of flux.
INFORMATIVE SEMINARS Throughout my day at the show, I also attended a number of seminars, including Doug James of Honey’s look at ‘How to innovate faster’. Here, he discussed how innovation used to be very slow and nowhere near as frequent as it is now. Large manufacturers especially were once wary of spending money on venturing into new products and new markets. After all, they were in a boom - customers were spending and they were profiting - what needed to change? However, according to Doug,
as we are now living in a time of money woes, job losses and thrifty shoppers, innovation is now needed and is happening at a much faster rate. In order to innovate
successfully, Doug pointed out a number of points, or strategies, that FMCG manufacturers have
to make sure they get right. These include understanding your market as well as your brand, as well as not underestimating your competition. It is also integral, says Doug, that you find a point where market and brand support each other. Whilst all of these points are
integral, he said that, especially with the rise in the power of the supermarket, that a manufacturer has to understand each individual retailer’s strategy. It is not a one-size-fits- all with retailers, and understanding what they require from an innovative product as well as involving them from the start will keep any manufacturer in good stead in making sure their time spent on NPD was worthwhile. Examples of successful fast
innovation were cited, with heritage crisp brand Tyrrell’s, Green & Blacks, Dorset Cereals and Yeo Valley just some of the FMCG brands enjoying growth from successful NPD.
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