Is Digital Printing Right for Your Product Labeling?

One of the biggest packaging trends forecast for 2016 is digital printing. According to Smithers Pira’s The Future of Digital Print for Packaging to 2018 report, cited in a Packaging Digest article, “Estimated to be worth $7.3 billion in 2013, the digital print for packaging market is forecast to hit $15.3 billion by 2018.” Are you prepared to take advantage of this packaging trend for printing and labeling?

What is digital packaging?

Digital printing gives brand owners the ability to quickly and economically produce high-quality packaging and labelling on a variety of formats and materials. The economic and speed-to-market advantages of digital printing are helping companies to create innovative marketing campaigns, build stronger customer relationships, and increase brand loyalty.

The proof is in the package

There’s plenty of proof that digital printing for packaging and labelling is a trend that brands should be paying attention to. Remember the Coca-Cola Co.’s recent “Share a Coke” marketing campaign? The company leveraged digital printing’s quick-to-market and personalization opportunities to capture the attention and loyalty of the millennial group. The campaign personalized bottles of Coke with popular names and encouraged customers to share a Coke with friends and family. Without the benefits of digital printing, the project would not have been possible.

Changing trends, new opportunities

There are a great number of customization opportunities that digital printing offers packagers, including regional, seasonal, and event customizations. These customizations produce stronger consumer engagement and brand loyalty. Also, as more and more consumers are living in smaller households, digital printing allows packagers to economically produce short runs so that they can meet the changing demands of consumers, such as more varieties and a larger range of pack sizes.

Packagers are also improving the performance of their equipment in terms of speed, quality, and reliability, and these improvements are moving the economic breakeven point of digital ever higher against conventional printing.

As digital printing becomes more economical, it will further the packaging shift from mass production to mass customization.

[cta]If you’re ready to add digital printing to your packaging services, contact one of our packaging experts to learn about the many ways digital printing can benefit your business. Contact us online, by email, or by phone at 847-968-4855.[/cta]