In the digital age, packaging is increasingly important; Most people who own a smartphone scan information about the product and even when buying online, the customer wants to see and touch it. These are some of the results of the Pro Carton Congress 2012, held in Düsseldorf, Germany, attended by about 150 visitors from 13 countries. Roland Rex, President of Pro Carton, stated: “Now the question is: Do the packages maintain the classic principle of the four Ps (product, promotion, position and price)? Or do they have a value in themselves, their own role in the marketing strategy?
The round tables and presentations generated great activity and the feedback was very positive. Among the presentations, the following stand out: Harald Winkelhofer (IQ Mobile, Vienna), who spoke about what we should do and what not with QR codes; Salima S.Douven (Henkel, Düsseldorf), who explained the first major European brand campaign with QR codes for Pattex adhesives; and Marco Atzberger (EHI Retail Institute, Cologne), who presented the latest study on mobile commerce carried out by his Institute.
All the presentations aroused great interest, such as that of Georg Stolz and Tim Foley (Point Logic Solutions, Mainz, London), who presented a recent study on the effect of packaging on consumer behavior, the results of which point to a substantial change in the prospects: “Young people, in particular, see the packaging as an indication of quality, for them this is even more decisive than trying the product. It's a fact: two-thirds of online shoppers already want to see the product packaging, too. The packaging serves to boost sales and, therefore, it should be assigned a more active role in any effective communication strategy ”.
15th Pro Carton / ECMA Awards Ceremony. These awards are given to packaging that has already proven itself on the market and, for the first time, the issue of sustainability has had its own category. Three trends stood out among the winners: cardboard as a substitute for other materials, packaging as a product and packaging on the Internet. STI Group presented the most innovative cardboard solution: a waterproof tray designed to prevent glasses, plates and cutlery from slipping. The award for carton of the year went to a container that improves upon the prior art of metal packaging: the ABT Hohlraumschachtel. The Pro Carton President's Special Award was awarded to a car made from cardboard. Pro Carton International Design Award. Approximately 70 participants from eight European countries participated in the call for this biannual competition open to students in which new designs still under development in the cardboard sector are awarded. The winners were two: Pocket Aid, a carton for Band-Aids, and Cupholder, a car cup holder.
