Press release submitted on behalf of Taktiful

Taktiful, the digital embellishment experts, today proudly announces the launch of its latest case study, chronicling its collaboration with The Kennickell Group. This in-depth look provides invaluable insights into the challenges, solutions, and outstanding outcomes achieved through their 8-week training program for digital embellishments.

Key Highlights of the Case Study Include:

• Seismic Shift in Approach: Once considering digital embellishments an afterthought, post-training, The Kennickell Group now champions these offerings as the tip of the spear for capturing new clients. 

• Empowerment of Sales Team: Post-training, The Kennickell Group’s sales team underwent a paradigm shift in their approach, driving home the value and uniqueness of digital embellishments to prospective clients with renewed vigor, armed with statistics that push the ROI for embellishments.
• Improved Pricing Strategy: Delving into pricing challenges, the case study elucidates how Taktiful’s training enabled The Kennickell Group to recalibrate their pricing model, aligning it more closely with market demands and potential.
• Operational Excellence for Production Teams: Operators and production teams at The Kennickell Group benefited immensely, with streamlined processes, optimized machine utilization, and elevated product output quality.
• Enhanced Creativity & Productivity: Through Taktiful’s design guidance, The Kennickell Group uncovered new creative opportunities, maximizing the potential of their JETvarnish machine. The transformation is vividly illustrated in a Lookbook campaign, showcasing the heightened creative potential to clients.
• Brand Differentiation: Post-training, The Kennickell Group has been empowered to alter its selling narrative, positioning digital embellishments as a pivotal brand differentiator, thus marking a shift in the market perception.
• Proactive Adaptation to Market Demands: Learn how the training helped Kennickell preemptively address changing market trends, particularly in the post-pandemic era.

“We’re thrilled to share this success story, spotlighting how our bespoke training solutions can supercharge printing businesses,” said Kevin Abergel, President of Taktiful. “The transformation of The Kennickell Group is testament to the power and potential of understanding and harnessing digital print embellishments.”

Al Kennickell, Owner of The Kennickell Group, reflected, “I was aware that we were underutilizing the machine and I’m always eager to learn. However, I didn’t anticipate the profound impact the consulting would have on us. It gives us such a significant advantage over competitors who haven’t gone through it.””

To view the full case study and watch The Kennickell Group executives talk openly about their experience with Taktiful’s 8-Week Digital Embellishment Training, visit www.taktiful.com/kennickell.

Press release submitted on behalf of BOBST

Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, International PaperBox is a folding carton converter with almost 30 years of experience bringing creative packaging design to life. With a team of packaging professionals numbering more than 60, the business focuses on combining aesthetics and functionality to help brands stand out from the competition.

Whether clients are new to working with the company or have a longstanding relationship, International PaperBox is committed to ensuring the success of every project. From its 70,000ft² facility, the business offers a range of services, providing customers with both quality and value.

International PaperBox operates in a wide range of markets, predominantly serving mid-size clients. The company provides services that include structural design and prepress work, 7-color UV offset, litho-laminating, window patching, folding and gluing, die cutting with inline embossing.

The business has used BOBST equipment in its operations for more than 20 years. As the business looked to enhance its folding, gluing and die-cutting capacity, International PaperBox added a BOBST EXPERTCUT and EXPERTFOLD to its machine park, with a second EXPERTFOLD machine on order.

With the addition of its new equipment, International PaperBox aims to continually improve its quality and productivity.

Wade Holbrook, Owner or International PaperBox, explains: “We have a strong company culture of kindness, respect and continuous improvement. Naturally, the experience of our customers is paramount, and we believe that every aspect of our carton production process can be improved in areas such as quality, delivery and cost.

“When choosing the right machine to supercharge our carton production, we took many different factors into account. These included the ability to deliver consistent production quality, boost run speeds, and provide access to technical support and services. With the needs of our business, BOBST stood out as the clear choice.”

The BOBST EXPERTCUT 106 Autoplaten® is a premium die-cutting machine that offers unrivalled versatility for carton packaging converters. Fast, flexible and high-performance, the machine is easy to operate and offers supreme product quality on designs, no matter how complex.

With EXPERTCUT, cutting, stripping and blanking can be achieved in a single pass at speeds of up to 9,000 sheets per hour, as well as synchronised feeder and register systems, and continuous throughput on runs of any length. These BOBST technologies enable carton converters such as International PaperBox to operate at a higher speed without sacrificing quality or precision.

EXPERTCUT is ideal for converters that look to reach a wider range of market segments, by making customisation, versioning and personalisation simple. The machine comes with BOBST SMART FEEDER 2 technology to unlock continuous production while changing piles, and BOBST POWER REGISTER 3 which reduces feed-related stops and brings each sheet into perfect cut-to-print register.

BOBST EXPERTFOLD is a series of flexible folder-gluers that can produce an impressive number of box styles in a wide range of materials at speeds of up to 450m per minute. Designed with ease of operation in mind, EXPERTFOLD combines exemplary product quality with impressive productivity.

With volume remaining so crucial to competing in today’s carton packaging market, EXPERTFOLD can produce up to 28,000 boxes per hour for 4 and 6-corner boxes, with short makeready and changeover times for maximum uptime.

Ensuring businesses such as International PaperBox can always improve precision, EXPERTFOLD is equipped with ACCUBRAILLE and ACCUCHECK modules to combine quality and conformity in braille and raised characters, and sheet feeding respectively.

Wade Holbrook adds: “We are extremely pleased with the results from our new BOBST machines. We are seeing real-time benefits in shorter makeready times, faster run speeds and ultimately a higher quality product being produced. For instance, we are seeing speed improvements of 50% in our processes, which is an enormous benefit to us. ​

“As we look to enhance our offering and explore new markets, our investment means we can provide better registration, more precise glue application, cleaner folding and fewer rejected cartons, alongside simpler cost control and higher speeds all around. The technology is designed to be intuitive; our operators enjoy using the new machines, which are equipped with many smart features that make their jobs easier. We would not hesitate in recommending BOBST machines to other carton converters looking to drive greater efficiency and accuracy.”

To find out more about the BOBST range for folding carton converters, including EXPERTFOLD and EXPERTCUT, please visit www.Bobst.com.

Press release submitted on behalf of Rollem International

Based in Salem, OR, Select Impressions’ tagline is “Complete Visual Solutions”, with services including, offset and digital printing, mail, and specialty work.

Recognizing the need for updated bindery solutions, Mark DeWilde heard of Rollem’s Insignia sheet-fed rotary die-cutter and reached out to their Southern California facility. “Doug Sherwood, Sales Manager, listened to our needs and presented us with a private demonstration on the Insignia7H.”

Rollem’s Anaheim facility is the testing center for sample processing so we sent a supply of our 6-up carton sheets to be die-cut. “I was very impressed with the cut quality on the carton samples including the automatic waste stripping function of the IS7H”, states Mark DeWilde, Owner of Select Impressions.

“Having previously relied solely on a Heidelberg Windmill Die-Cutter and flatbed cylinder presses, the Insignia sheet-fed rotary Die-Cutter demonstrated to be much more time efficient and ideal for our high volume of assorted applications including a typical job of 6-up cartons, printed on a 19×25” sheet with runs of between 50K and 75K. The die-cut samples ran great, and we added the ‘Stack Master’ delivery section which is ideal for efficient handling of our volume of business cards (see photo)” continued DeWilde.  The Insignia design is flexible and offers a shingle conveyor delivery option for presentation folders and folding carton work.

The dual magnetic cylinders of the Insignia7H offers hybrid die options capable of embossing/debossing, die-cutting, kiss-cutting, scoring, and perforating in a single pass. A dual magnetic “H” model utilizes two flexible dies running as ‘male/female’ paired setup to channel score or emboss substrates, or cut from the underside. A dual magnetic Insignia system can accept a single upper cutting die while utilizing a lower solid “blanket” or “jacket” die on the bottom magnetic cylinder to act as the cutting surface when strictly cutting a substrate. These dies allow for zero make-ready when producing products such as Select Impressions’ folding cartons.

The Insignia Series of Die Cutters include die-cutting, kiss-cutting, embossing, perforating, scoring, creasing, and hole punching as standard with any Insignia model and can run in-line with Rollem’s folding/gluing unit. The Insignia7H model (sheet size 30×24”) cuts up to 24 pt. thickness and utilizes dies that are produced at tolerances of less than 0.001”/0.02mm. Insignia die cutters are proudly made in the U.S.A. They are sold direct from Rollem International and supported regionally by our qualified technicians.

For more information on Insignia Die Cutting products, visit www.rollemusa.com/diecut or call (800) 272-4381.  For information on Select Impressions, contact (503)304-3525 or visit www.selectimpressions.com.

drupa Essentials of Print Article 2

By Montserrat Petit, founder & managing director of the marketing agency MOND

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with all kinds of information in all possible formats, shapes, colors and sounds. Our brains receive thousands of messages every day and are constantly switching from one topic to another. At work, we are handling video conferencing, instant messaging, emails, phone calls and face-to-face meetings while also keeping an eye on our phone in case something urgent comes up and needs an immediate response. In a matter of years, generations have shifted from watching movies to YouTube videos to TikTok clips to Instagram adverts in their leisure time.

In this hectic environment of endless choices, brands aiming to last and be profitable must find ways to stand out from the crowd. Revolutionized by the internet, marketing has become a crucial element of any business plan, with companies dedicating significant resources to it.

However, not all types of marketing can fulfil a company’s objectives. Today, customers are more market-aware, more demanding and less brand-loyal, meaning that companies must be very smart with their marketing approach and design an effective marketing strategy that will truly reflect their values and products, differentiate from competitors and ultimately, and most importantly, drive sales.

By “effective marketing” we don’t mean that we must favor digital (or modern) marketing – quick to implement – and forget about offline (or traditional) marketing. Instead, effective marketing means defining a powerful strategy with original, creative and thoughtful ideas that will make an impact on our target audience, supported by consistent, coherent and clever messages and followed by a well-defined and timely action plan.

Now we know what’s needed to achieve effective marketing, let’s talk about implementing it. Great marketing ideas often die because companies fail to implement them properly. On the other hand, good marketing ideas can become an incredible success when they are flawlessly implemented.

For reasons that vary depending on the company’s type or products, nowadays many brands solely focus on digital marketing. They invest from modest budgets to millions of dollars in Google and YouTube ads, Instagram videos, TikTok clips, web banners, SEO and SEM, hiring influencers to promote their products, etc. To survive, these brands need a constant market presence online, continuously delivering new content and being ever more creative and compelling. If they don’t, it’s just a matter of time before these brands fade and die.

At first, digital marketing may seem fun, modern and less costly than printed marketing. However, there’s a high risk involved in advertising your brand exclusively through digital marketing: due to the huge volume of content available on the Internet and the usually short attention span of online customers, your brand will be competing with millions of other brands and can be quickly forgotten and replaced by one more active, more pervasive, or trendier than yours.

We always tell our customers that online marketing is like a fireplace: the moment you start burning fewer logs than your competitors, your fire will eventually go out. Branding your product online is a constant battle to burn more and more logs!

So, even though online marketing is a must and can bring significant benefits, we must not ignore the enormous influence of offline marketing in helping shape consumer behavior and the amplified benefits of mixing both types of marketing.

Sensory marketing as a means of influencing consumer behavior
While digital marketing reaches the sight and hearing of customers, brands must use a combination of printed, physical and offline marketing to reach all five senses: smell, vision, taste, hearing and touch.

Because of the vast amounts of information we receive every day, our brains can only retain what makes a strong impression on us by creating a memorable experience. Of course, emotions play a very important role in making an experience memorable. The more senses are involved in that experience or event, the more impactful it will be.

Sensory marketing is a form of marketing that targets customers’ senses to create an emotional connection with a product or brand. It utilizes a variety of sensory stimuli to influence consumer behavior. By engaging multiple senses, sensory marketing can help brands create a lasting impression on consumers. Sensory marketing can also be used to influence consumer behavior. For example, research has shown that certain scents can increase sales, while certain colors can influence consumer perceptions of a product’s quality.

Printed marketing materials help achieve sensory marketing
Overall, sensory marketing has become an increasingly important tool for brands looking to create memorable customer experiences and drive sales. On many occasions, sensory marketing can only be achieved with the help of printed materials, such as a magazine advert that includes a sample of a hand lotion or a perfume, or a high-level financial services company that sends its prospect customers a copy of their new corporate brochure printed on a special substrate that reflects wealth and prestige.

Printed materials such as brochures, catalogues and flyers are physical items that remain in potential customers’ hands, making them easier to revisit and recall, read at their leisure and even share with others. For instance, when a company is exhibiting at a tradeshow, distributing printed product brochures or postcards (instead of a PDF or an email) inviting customers to join a company event can make the difference between a potential customer forgetting about the brand or remembering it long after the tradeshow has ended.

Printed marketing materials can be very cost-effective, as they can be produced digitally at an affordable cost and strategically placed in locations where the target audience is most likely to be. A typical example: a real estate company placing flyers about a new housing development in local cafes or grocery stores to reach their target audience.

Printed marketing can also help build brand recognition by using distinctive substrates, designs, fonts, and color schemes that people associate with the company. This strategy can be highly effective in creating a loyal customer base more likely to remember the company, its products and services in the future.

Finally, printed marketing can help a company establish credibility and trust in the eyes of potential customers. Companies that invest in quality printed marketing give the impression that they are serious about their business and are generally seen as more trustworthy than those relying solely on digital marketing. This, in turn, can lead to increased confidence from potential customers and greater brand recognition as well.

In conclusion, despite the rise of digital marketing, offline marketing remains an essential part of any effective marketing strategy as very often it involves “touching” the customers’ five senses. Brands that decide to include printed marketing in their marketing mix to provide a tangible means of accessing information are a step ahead in establishing credibility and trust among their target audience.

The drupa trade fair is the perfect example of a five-sense marketing activity heavily supported by offline marketing. This is the place where new technologies are presented in a way that is impacting the consumer’s five senses creating a memorable and meaningful experience. Only online is not enough!

About the author
Montserrat Petit is the founder and managing director of the Barcelona-based marketing agency MOND Marketing On Demand. She has more than 20 years’ marketing experience working in technology and financial services companies in the USA, Latin America, UK, France, Malta, and Spain. At Adobe and HP, Montserrat led end-user and channel marketing, demand generation, product marketing, and marketing communications at country, regional and worldwide level. Most recently, she was Head of Marketing and Communications at a leading financial services company investing in Africa. In 2021, Montserrat founded her own marketing agency to support companies with customized and effective marketing strategies and activities.

For information about drupa 2024 (May 28 – June 7 in Düsseldorf, Germany), visit www.drupa.com

Press release submitted on behalf of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD), a leading global provider of marketing, packaging, print, and supply chain solutions, highlights the impact of continued eCommerce growth based on its 2023 (Un)Packaging Reality Report. Sixty percent of RRD’s survey respondents reported continued upticks in eCommerce orders through 2022, and of those, 62% said they are working to level-set expectations for inventory due to over-corrections on COVID-19-related shortages. Findings also suggest brands are giving similar attention to packaging design for online and in-person retail.

Who Saw the Rise?
Survey respondents represented packaging and labels decision-makers from a wide range of different product categories. The top categories seeing upticks in eCommerce orders were center aisle food brands (77%), personal care and cosmetics brands (72%) and household products (68%).

Across all categories, 92% of affected respondents reported an increase in packaging needs and 86% saw an increase in labeling needs over the past year. However, respondents from the appliances and durable goods category seemed uniquely impacted. While 64% of packaging and label decision-makers in this category reported a rise in eCommerce orders, 98% reported increased packaging needs tied to eCommerce activity.

“Many Companies found themselves playing catch-up to secure operations support following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lisa Pruett, President of Packaging & Labels Solutions at RRD. “But now, as market conditions are steadying, we’re seeing companies return to more strategic decision making around their packaging and label needs — all in an effort to increase efficiency and agility while trimming unnecessary costs.”

Why the Level-set?
Due to supply chain and other market pressures in the past year, 87% of overall respondents cited changes to how packaging and/or labels were sourced. Among those impacted by rises in eCommerce orders, half increased inventory, 36% increased staff, 34% expanded warehousing, and 39% increased support from external vendors. These investments in packaging and labeling operations may have been made to alleviate the pain points created by global supply and workforce shortages seen over the previous years. However, findings also indicated a dip in reported staffing challenges and fewer demands or strains on capacity compared to the previous year’s survey.

“Coming to terms with these persistent challenges should motivate organizations to place more of an emphasis on forecasting,” said Pruett. “We continue to see our own clients as benefactors of this method as it puts them in a better position to make informed decisions and accommodate evolving market conditions.”

Similar Attention Placed on Design for Online vs. In-Person Shoppers
Overall, nearly three quarters (72%) of respondents made changes to existing package designs. Of those who altered packaging design, 23% claimed to have altered design to enhance appearance or functionality for brick-and-mortar retail.

Meanwhile, among those who reported an increase in eCommerce labeling needs, 37% developed an eCommerce specific package design and/or structure. These findings suggest comparable attention is being paid to package design for eCommerce vs. brick-and-mortar retail, underscoring just how critical online retail has become to the overall health of brands.

To read the full report, visit: rrd.com/reality-report-2023.

Press release submitted on behalf of BOBST

Building on the innovative technology of the NOVAFOIL 106, BOBST launches a new version of the hot foil stamper, dedicated to the application of holograms. Featuring a completely redesigned hologram application system, the NOVAFOIL 106 H gives converters maximum flexibility and efficiency for hot stamping transfer with holograms.

Only two years ago, the NOVAFOIL 106 was introduced. It was the first inline hot film stamping machine from BOBST offering an advanced cross-foiling option, increasing its efficiency and versatility. It also offered a new level of embellishment quality with its redesigned platen section – ensuring longer dwell time, stable platen temperature and higher pressure. Reliability, coupled with cost-efficient foil use and great flexibility, is also the basis for the new version of this compact and productive machine.

Being conscious of the particular needs of hologram application, BOBST wanted to provide an option for converters who specialize in this area of hot transfer. The result is a new system with individual hologram modules, which can be mounted on rails on the NOVAFOIL 106. With up to 2 rails and 5 modules each, 10 hologram reels of maximum 100 mm width can now convert jobs which previously required two runs, in one single pass. To guarantee the zero-fault quality customers expect, the NOVAFOIL 106 H has been equipped with a register for every reel to ensure perfect application precision. The film advance is controlled via an electronic system and advance shafts with pressure rollers ensure perfect film tension. The modules can be positioned rapidly, and the hologram reels can be introduced within seconds. What is more, the modules can be directly plugged into one of two connecting boxes on each side of the machine. This “plug and play” system ensures quick and hassle-free changeovers.

To cut down setup times even further, BOBST has also introduced the Digital Makeready Tool (DMT). Inspired by the Digital Inspection Table (DIT) quality control solution, the pdf of any embellishment job can be sent to the DMT, where the digital layout is projected directly onto the honeycomb chase. This projection indicates precisely where the dies have to be positioned, eliminating lengthy setup checks. The DMT shortens setups and increases accuracy to ensure impeccable stamping register quality, which in turn reduces the number of waste sheets.

Everything has been considered to make sure owners of a NOVAFOIL 106 H can expect flexible use, short setups, and maximum precision for premium brand protection with hologram application. At the same time, BOBST pushes digital and connected production efficiency by continually integrating new innovations which path the way to the transformation of the packaging world.

To find out more about BOBST and its products designed for the folding carton sector, please visit www.Bobst.com.

Press release submitted on behalf of American International Machinery

American International Machinery, Inc. (AIM), the exclusive supplier for the Signature brand of converting equipment for the paperboard and corrugated industries, is pleased to announce they have partnered with Tünkers as the authorized distributor in North America for their semi-automatic packaging system, the FAS 480.

The FAS 480 is designed for easy maneuverability and can be used on any folder gluer
machine. It has an independent electric drive allowing operators to control the carton flow speed directly from the packaging machine itself. The FAS 480 turns the carton to the right or left as it exits the gluer for easier packaging by the operator, increasing output by up to 50%.

The FAS 480 supports all standard folding boxes of solid board, E-Flute, and B-Flute including straight line, 4&6 corner, and crash-lock cartons. It can handle boxes with a minimum size of 40mm up to a maximum of 420mm wide by 480mm long.

“We are very pleased to partner with Tünkers, a second generation, family owned company that values innovation and customer needs just as we do,” states Kevin Koplin, managing director for AIM. “The FAS 480 is an efficient and reliable semi automatic packer that will be a fantastic option for many of our customers looking to increase productivity on existing equipment.”

AIM technicians can perform service and maintenance functions on the FAS 480 for customers in North America.

For more information on the Tünkers FAS 480 semi automatic packer, contact AIM at
sales@americanintl.com or 414.764.3223. You can also visit their website at www.aim-inc.net.