The Power of Packaging magazine - Corporate by MCC Label

The Power of Packaging Labels to drive promotion & consumer engagement

Dear reader, It’s a well known fact that a brand has a small timeframe (less than 8 seconds!) to attract a consumer before they focus their attention elsewhere. Packaging, including labels, is often the first interaction a brand has with its consumer. As noted by Packaging of the World, “70% of consumers form their impression of a brand based solely on packaging.” Packaging of the World In a crowded marketplace, enhancing your brand by connecting with the consumer is essential. In this magazine, we take a look at the various ways you can use your label as a promotional vehicle to really excite and engage your audience. Cheers, The MCC Team

In this issue

4-11

Creating Connections through Promotional Labels

22-31

Maximize the Senses

12-21

Driving Consumer Engagement

Want to get more education on promotional labels? Check out our website

“The Power of Packaging: Labels to drive promotion & consumer engagement” is a publication of Multi-Color Corporation. Copyright © by MCC. All rights reserved. The content of this document, including all copy, images, and attachment(s) are property of MCC and should be treated as confidential. It cannot be shared with or forwarded to third parties and cannot be published without MCC’s prior permission. If you have any questions regarding the use of this document, please email marketing@mcclabel.com.

Expert Interview

Creating Consumer Connections

We spoke to Deva Ranhgarajan, Professor of Marketing at IESEG School of Management in Paris, to get an insight into consumer engagement and what it means for packaging. What is customer engagement marketing all about and why is it so important? DR: Marketing is all about creating value for the customer. For the last two decades, you hear consumers saying that they don’t just want to be a passive audience, they want to contribute and have a say in what they are buying. Subsequently, brands have realized that if your consumers want to get involved, it is not a bad thing. The more the consumer gets involved and identifies their own personal values with the brand values, the mose likely they are to engage with the brand. And with the era of social media, having engaged consumers can help attract more new consumers. The more you engage with the consumer the more they will feel that they played a huge role in creating

value for themselves. So essentially, their affection towards the brand is likely to grow, they are more likely to become loyal and feel the brand has done a fantastic job of meeting their expectations so this can translate into long-term loyalty and positive word of mouth. How can consumer engagement solve problems along the buyer journey? (e.g. brand preference/awareness) DR: To answer this I think it is beneficial to look at the four stages a first time buyer usually goes through: 1. Awareness When a buyer is looking for a product for the first time they are not exactly sure which brand they want to work with, then creating awareness of what a brand

“

Marketing is all about creating value for the customer.” Deva Ranhgarajan, Professor of Marketing at IESEG School of Management, Paris

can offer and stands for is critical to get the consumer’s attention. If it is a customer who knows what product they are looking for then the awareness may be about the brand or it could be raising awareness about the category itself. 2. Interest At this stage engaging with the right type of content is critical. When the consumer is looking to solve their needs, you need to raise their interest levels in your brand. 3. Desire You need to convince the consumer that you are the best solution. Here is where you need the correct messaging. You increasingly see customers willing to share their preferences, needs and feedback and making the customer feel like you are listening to them is key. 4. Action Using that information and customizing the messaging so that it resonates with the customer and leads them to the next stage. How do you see the role of packaging in the brand’s overall identity? DR: Anytime that the customer buys something, they will be looking at the visual identity and it plays a very important role. Think about Coca Cola, it is about the brand identity - the colors, the font that raises awareness that this is a brand the consumer is familiar with. It starts with familiarity, security, for example Nutella evokes the feeling of sitting at a table with your parents and warm memories. So, the packaging can help drive the messaging of a brand into the psyche of the customers. Also, consumers increasingly want to have an impact on how they influence social aspects such as sustainability. Brands can use the packaging to communicate their initiatives in relation to this. How can brands use packaging to build on customer relationships and generate more sales? DR: Consumer engagement goes in different ways – some packaging is much more factual, such as ingredients or calories displayed. In that case, providing the information for the consumer is going to be critical for them to form expectations about that brand. Then if you look at packaging that involves raising emotions, such as customization of labels, like Coca-Cola, there you are looking at more of an emotional connection.

Each one takes its own path towards making sure that the consumer perceives the value of working with the brand. If you are able to engage with your customers meaningfully, they are more likely to stay loyal and create positive word of mouth. One of the new trends in the way brands are using packaging is to create a sense of purpose. Especially now with COVID-19, more and more people are using QR codes. Imagine a packaging with QR codes where people can go and look at the initiatives taken by a brand. That will also fit into the values of the customer and make them feel like they are involved and want to support the brand’s initiatives. QR codes can also engage customers via gamification; all this can make them feel part of a broader collective, which in turn leads to a better experience and more sales. What are the different types of promotion strategies and how does packaging fit in? DR: Promotion strategies are linked to what is the message at different stages of the buyer journey: • Awareness messaging What your product and brand is about, its characteristics. What information is needed for the customer? • Special occasions You could also have promotional strategies for special occasions which will make people feel special and have that feeling of nostalgia for a specific event or time of the year. • Social matters Ethical consumption and sustainability are also points of connections for the modern consumer. Messaging towards recyclability is very important. • Traceability The ability for the customer to know exactly each step of the product journey. This creates the feeling of safety for the consumer. What are the top questions/topics to consider to drive consumer engagement? DR: Each customer has a different set of values and what they look for in a brand/experience and understanding that is the first step. Essentially customers need to be segmented, what are the needs, which ones do I want to engage with and how? What messaging is needed? 5

Promotional Labels

Dove Christmas Cherish Campaign in Malaysia Unilever | MCC Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) Dove has grown from a Beauty Bar into one of the world’s most beloved beauty brands, accomplishing strong brand loyalty. Campaigns such as Real Beauty has reaffirmed its reputation of a brand that cares about women.

Clearly, consumer connection is key for Dove, to take this a step further, their team in Malaysia embarked upon a customized Christmas campaign, following on from a successful Mother’s Day event. Leading relevant campaigns in the digital space According to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a brand that provides personalized experiences. As part of a Christmas campaign, Unilever joined forces with Lazada to launch a personalized shampoo and body wash under Dove Masterbrand in the Malaysia market. Lazada Group is Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce platform, offering a smarter way to shop. Lazada connects consumers to brands, creates customized experiences, and has evolved into a retail destination. The vision: 1st ever limited edition gift bundle in e-commerce The brand’s vision was to combine gifting plus personalization plus season into one campaign. The idea is that the consumer can personalize their own message on the label upon ordering within the Lazada platform, thus resulting in a unique Christmas gift.

Having activated a successful Mother’s Day campaign, the brand team wanted to extend this into the Christmas period. MCC was invited to review the new campaign and immediately stepped-up with a solution using our HP Indigo. A variable solution Our variable digital printing solution allows for complete personalization, whereby each label can hold unique information. When completing the online purchase, consumers could enter their own information such as the recipient and sender’s name along with their personalized messages! With a combination of variable and pre-planned data, every label could be printed with a unique Lazada purchase barcode. Each item ordered was then scanned and processed according to the purchase ID which prevented any sender mix-up. 2019 Malaysia Dove Christmas Cherish Campaign launched across multiple touchpoints including mobile and web platforms, driving above average conversion rates. Fulfilment was completed smoothly, to about 3000 orders in a week! The team at Unilever, Chui Yen, Yee and Evonne Lim were delighted to report that the campaign resulted in 12 times the sales increase vs the non-promotional period.

“

Digital Print was the ultimate solution to help Unilever Malaysia in launching this meaningful campaign successfully. We are sure that many similar campaigns will follow.” Joanne Woo, Country Sales Manager at MCC

Promotional Labels

Extended Content Labels Lead the Way for Valvoline’s Cash Back Promotion Valvoline | MCC Batavia, Ohio (USA)

Valvoline Inc., a leading worldwide supplier of premium branded lubricants, wanted to increase consumer interaction with their brand. A few options were considered, but the final selection was an extended content label to be added to the bottle.

About the program The $5 rebate program is only eligible for Valvoline brand 5-quart bottles of their motor oil. Once a consumer has purchased the motor oil, they snap a picture of their receipt, upload it to the designated website and Valvoline will send them $5 cash back via PayPal, Venmo or check! About the label As MCC is a current provider of labels for these bottles, and recognized as a leader in this space, they were consulted on this extended content label. The ECL gives Valvoline the extra billboard space needed on their existing label to include the program information. Consumers can peel back the label and easily see the instructions to participate in the initiative. The ECL is

applied on the MCC supplied in mold label (IML) via MCC’s labeling equipment. MCC support Valvoline utilized MCC’s Equipment Solutions Group (ESG) for this application. They leased MCC’s labeling equipment, with the potential to purchase it, to ensure the ECL would be successfully applied. Members of the ESG visited each of Valvoline’s filling locations to help them setup the machines. Their application and technical support played a large role in the success of this project. In addition, MCC’s experienced design project team helped lead the efficient development and setup of the ECL graphics. They were able to understand their needs and elevate the design of the label.

Promotional Labels

Variable Printing and Innovative Materials A winning combination for Hungry Jack’s promotional game

Hungry Jack’s | MCC Victoria (Australia)

A classic card game and popular restaurant came together for a successful limited promotion that features unique game piece with the potential to win big!

Hungry Jack’s is a popular restaurant in Australia known for their flame-grilled burgers. With more than 480 restaurants and over 50 years of history, this QSR brand knows how to serve their customers right, making it your way since 1971. Looking to increase traffic to their restaurants and to engage with customers, Hungry Jack’s enlisted the help of value-added packaging experts Result Group. The idea was to launch an interactive giveaway for Hungry Jack’s customers. Leveraging the renewed popularity of the classic Mattel card game UNO™, the team started a very challenging campaign and arguably the most complicated instant win promotion done in Australia or even globally.

were complete accountability for game piece codes, food grade labels that could withstand the various conditions and high-quality labels that looked great on the food packaging. Prizes, odds of winning and giveaway values are carefully calculated, and game codes must comply with Contest Rules. The game piece labels would travel to the drink cup and fry scoop manufacturer, be applied to the packaging then travel to each restaurant until it was time to deliver hot fries and cold drinks to the customer. This meant the labels must withstand transportation and the various temperature variations and oils from the food. Finally, the label must attract the attention and present the classic, well-known UNO™ brand.

The complex challenge The stakeholders knew that many aspects of this campaign must be precisely executed for the campaign to be successful. Among those aspects

Secure solution Our team of experts worked with Result Group to select and trial the perfect combination of label materials, variable digital printing and printing techniques to

account for all the challenges this project brought. First, the label consisted of two layers, the first layer was a leave-behind layer that would stay adhered to the food packaging; the second was the game piece that would peel away and reveal the prize. It was important that it was a dry-peel solution that wouldn’t leave any adhesive residue when the game piece was peeled away. The material that was selected also gave the game pieces a similar look and feel to actual UNO® cards and was easy for the consumer to remove and play the instant win game. The Victoria, Australia MCC location was well equipped to print this type of controlled label with the required security features to deter fraud and counterfeiting. Keeping track of millions of codes was done by adding additional quality control features into the print process. This allowed us to track game codes ensuring that pieces aligned as they were switched from one press to the other.

This facility also utilized multiple printing techniques to ensure the final label met all requirements. The game piece labels first went through multiple presses and technologies, including flexo and digital to build the print and overall construction of the finished labels. A collaborative success Games and Promotional experts within our company have decades of experience executing these types of campaigns and used that knowhow to make this a success for Hungry Jack’s. Tens of millions of labels were delivered to the customer and the sweepstake was in market in May 2021 and has been a massive success for Hungry Jack’s. Hungry Jack’s and Result Group are very happy with the appearance of the label and the functional construction of the game piece. Through collaboration and bringing skills together from all businesses, an innovative and unique promotion experience has been brought to life.

Consumer Engagement

Driving Consumer Engagement

Driving Marketing Effectiveness via Packaging A report developed between HP Graphic Arts and WARC looks at the themes that are affecting marketers’ decisions around packaging and how digital printing can drive marketing effectiveness.

Jose ‘Pepe’ Gorbea Global Head of Brands, Agencies and Sustainability Innovation Vertical, HP Graphic Arts talks us through the changing tides. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, society is reevaluating the values that underpin our way of life. We have become even more conscious of the beauty of biodiversity and our impact on these vital and fragile ecosystems. We know that the lives of future generations depend on the actions that we – collectively – take, today. These feelings of ‘solastalgia’ are bubbling to the surface. If brands are looking to reconnect with consumers, they must combat digital fatigue and enhance the human experience in a more personal way. Digitally printed packaging gives you the platform to do that; personalization and sustainability are megatrends driving this change, where we are opening new doors for marketers to reach out and interact with their communities. Through co-creation, brands can authentically integrate the consumer experience into their storytelling. This behaviour is the secret to accelerating a brands’ growth, while improving equity measures and achieving sustainable behaviour

change. With personalized packaging, brands can capture and, more crucially, hold consumer attention, communicating with them in unexpected and creative ways. When used as a communications tool, innovative packaging can boost customer engagement in three key ways: 1. Create a sense of exclusivity Limited edition packaging can drive desirability, as it can become a collectable for customers that they hold on to long after the campaign comes to an end. 2. Personalization and customization Packaging can be used as a vehicle for consumers to express themselves or their preferences, through usergenerated content or variable packaging that allows consumers to select the packaging that speaks to them individually. The value of personalization is growing over time: GWI data shows that globally, more than 30% of consumers want brands to offer personalized / customized products, and separate research has indicated that this proportion rises to more than 50% in Gen Z (Figure 4). This desire is generating additional value: in consumer packaged goods and food, a third of consumers would pay up to 20% more for personalized products.

lnterest in personalization highest in younger consumers

45% 27%

Boomers

53%

32%

Gen Xers

Millennials

Gen Z

Source: Deloitte, sparks & honey and HP Graphic Art, 2019

The rise of “packvertising” “Packvertising” is a term coined by creative director, designer and entrepreneur, Perry Hadyn Tailor. The phrase describes marketers using their brand’s pack as a key medium in the marketing mix to convey brand appeal, making the packaging of their products an integral part of the brand experience. The approach has historically been effective due to a combination of factors: 70% of consumers are impulse buyers and grab the product that appeals to them on the shelf, but packaging also carries a brand’s distinctive assets which, when effective, are encoded into memory and make consumers more likely to select the product from the shelf or website. Packvertising focuses on enhancing the first touchpoint the consumer has with the product, amplifying the impression created through the in-store experience. Since COVID-19, packvertising has become a key opportunity to overcome screen fatigue by replacing this with memorable, personalized physical experiences rather than continual bombardment across digital touchpoints.

Consumer Engagement

3. Reusability Consumers will hold on to unique or personal packaging after they have finished using the product and well past the point-of-purchase. Well-designed packaging can justify a higher price point, and given that packaging stays with the consumer post-purchase, it can influence the decision to repurchase. With sustainability an increasing social concern, packaging that has sustainable credentials in its production, or that can be refilled, is growing in popularity.

share metrics against the average campaign in the WARC case study database, showing the impact of packaging in amplifying other media.

Packaging in the media mix amplifies other channels Figure 6 shows the impact of the use of packaging in the media mix (not as lead media) on hard metrics. Campaigns that use packaging within the media strategy significantly over-index for sales and market

The rise of digital printing technology has enabled flexible retail packaging, turning packaging into a miniature billboard to express multiple brand messages, and catch or divert the attention of consumers. Digital packaging is increasingly being used to complement social media strategies, with campaigns often encouraging participation and usergenerated content via social media channels. These campaigns also typically drive earned media through word of mouth and PR buzz, amplifying the impact of other channels in the mix.

Hard metrics in case studies using packaging in the media mix 2016-2020, % of cases 31%

Sales

46% 22%

Market penetration/customer gain

25% 12%

Market share

21% 8%

ROI

12% 8%

Behavioural change

10% 9%

Revenue

10% 3%

Profit

5% 7%

Efficiency gain

5% 2%

Customer loyalty

3% 3% 3%

Attitude change (non--profit)

1% 2%

Price 0%

10%

20%

Cases using in the media mix by WARC. All studies cases in WARC’s Note: Uses case casepackaging study database, indexed Use variable packaging n=85. all cases n=9.847. Soorce: WARC

30%

All cases Cases using packaging in the media mix 40%

50%

Salty Snacks company would like to come up with a unique way to encourage consumption of their peanut products. To do this, they are opting to implement double-sided printing (sometimes called ‘sandwich printing’) in conjunction with variable data. When the peanut jar is full, you cannot see the image that is printed on the reverse side of the label. You can only see what image lies on the label once the peanuts are eaten. The motivating factor to reveal the image is that if you get a star image, you win a prize! They can then send a picture of their star label into the brand to collect their prize and show proof they have won. This campaign encourages consumers to eat the peanuts at a faster rate to see if they won. Even if they don’t win on their first try, it encourages repeat purchase so they can try their luck again. This adds fun, excitement, and mystery to any brand wanting to increase sales!

Case Study

Hidden Image Giveaway

Win for brand owner: • Influence consumers to buy multiple at a time to increase chance of winning • Encourages repeat purchases, even if they lost • Consumers are likely to consume product faster and buy more • Social media opportunities to post pictures of product winners Win for consumer: • Mystery aspect adds excitement to the consumption experience • Opportunity to win a prize

Discover how digital printing can help build your brand. Request our whitepaper.

Consumer Engagement

Smart. Powerful. Simple. Being digitally connected is slowly instilled in consumers’ daily lives. Traditional routes to Smart labeling opens up the consumer’s experience and connects them more deeply with the product.

Smart labels open up a world of possibilities for a brand/ product whether it is by improving the brand experience, added security layers, traceability throughout the supply chain or all of these together. All this is just a simple scan away, making it convenient, and easy to access for the masses. RFID, NFC, hidden codes, machine-readable and human readable codes power Smart Labels by MCC. All information is stored and managed via a cloud based data management system. As a supplier of a full range of Smart Labels, MCC makes the process much simpler by offering an end-to-end Smart Label solution that is best suited for your specific needs, from technology, conversion, design and of course printing the labels.

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Consumer engagement involves two-way information exchange. The shopper gets much more assurance and information about the product. But the brand owners get a load of metrics about what motivates end consumers to buy their products, including when, where and what keeps shoppers coming back.” Andrew Manly, Communications Director at the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA)

Digitized products drive dynamic & first party data intelligence for brands Visibility across supply chain and operations

Direct connection to consumers Education Information

Inventory management

Counterfeit & diversion detection

Product Cloud

Provenance Authentication eCommerce Reorder

Item level track and trace

Promotion & reward Feedback & incentive

Real-time fulfillment visibility

Compliance and recall execution Active digital identity

Recycling Secondary market

Brand Promotion & Consumer Engagement What can be done? • Targeted marketing • Provide information at point of sale • Dynamic contents • Life style enhancement • Product transparency • Tell brand story • Gaming access • Free downloads • Two way communication (sign up forms, feedback, queries, etc.) • On-line shopping • Cross-selling

• Effective loyalty programs • Real time monitoring of marketing campaigns • Data on consumer behaviour Benefits • Improved brand experience for customers • Add value to your product • Engage more with innovative promotion methods • Increase brand loyalty • Increase success of marketing campaigns • Increase flexibility with late stage differentiation opportunities

Want to promote, protect or track & trace your product? It’s all just a scan away!

Consumer Engagement

Reach Out To Your Consumer Using Smart Packaging MCC’s partner, Talkin’Things share their knowledge and insights on Smart Packaging and illustrate how it can improve the buying experience.

Talkin’Things makes products smart, connected, integrated, and unique on the market. We partnered with MCC to deliver technical and tailor-made concepts - both software and hardware solutions, that can be used for communication with consumers as well as for logistics purposes. What we can develop is the digital transformation of brands through physical products toward a complete IoT smart packaging platform. How can smart packaging improve the consumer experience? It is an undeniable fact that the successful consumer brands are no longer bound to their physical products only but have their digital representations - websites, social media activities, apps, or even fully digital products or services. Those two worlds are connected with the brand and communication but smart packaging can give a real and functional bond between those. When you grab a product there is a high chance that on the label you will find the information about the SM channel of the brand. You can grab your smartphone then, open the social media app, type in the channel name, search for it (ah, do not forget to ensure if this a legitimate one, not a fake one), browse the feed to look for the recent activation you have seen in the commercials. But what about just making the first step from this list and instantly getting there? This is how smart packaging works. The intelligent packaging is also about personalization of the experience, or even a superpersonalization, as we not only have the possibility to adjust to the consumer profile but also, like with NFC enabled labels, each single product is recognized as unique. The concept of batch-of-one, long used by the pharmaceutical industry, is now available for other mass produced goods. How does online content drive brand loyalty? The times when a key for building brand loyalty was

“

Successful consumer brands are no longer bound to their physical products but have digital representations...smart packaging can give a real and functional bond between those.” Jakub Załuska, Marketing Director at Talkin’Things

as simple as having some quality digital content are already gone. The Millennials (yes, still outnumbering Gen X) are paying attention to supporting social and environmental issues by the brands. And even more attention to being sincere. Both of these can be perfectly addressed with intelligent packaging. Smart packaging can support the circular economy by proper disposal education but also by facilitated automated waste sorting. The intelligent label is also a perfect medium not only to inform about product content but also to explain how they are sourced or visualizing the lowered environmental impact of the product. Case Study: A Unique Combination of AR and Digimarc Barcode The Happy Cow IML demo pack developed by MCC together with Digimarc and Talkin’ Things demonstrates the possibilities of smart packaging and just how intelligent it can be! The watermark opens doors to engagement with consumers at a level that heightens brand awareness and essence. When consumers scan the label using a smartphone, the cow comes alive telling them how to recycle their packaging. Digimarc Barcode gives an

object or product a digital identity, allowing it to give expanded product information or to tell a story. 2-stage communication Consumer benefits from additional product messages by scanning the watermark, while the brand owner receives consumer information through the unique identifier of the consumer’s phones (rather than by asking for personal information). The app and dashboard Talkin’ Things provides, thus offers a marketing goldmine for brand owners in the form of a huge amount of consumer information. Additionally, barcodes protect against counterfeiting, as well as tracking and authentication of products.

Want to know more about smart labels? Request our Intelligent Food Labeling Whitepaper

Case Study

Hybrid Label Solutions for Loyalty and Brand Protection Shell | MCC Bangkok (Thailand) & MCC Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) To build greater value for their authorized workshops and customers, Shell – the global lubricants market leader for 14 years – developed a B2B2C mobile loyalty application called ShARe (Shell Advantage Rewards).

Unique QR codes ShARe digitizes a customer’s pathway to purchase and was designed to improve the customer experience by allowing workshop owners and mechanics to order products online, grow their business and improve workshop operations and services. A key element of the program was the inclusion of unique QR codes on Shell lubricant bottles that allowed their channel partners to earn points and rewards by scanning the QR code via the mobile application.

camera inspection as the QR code was on the underside of the label. This successful collaboration was the result of strategic design intent, rapid prototyping, swift testing and technical support.

Label requirements Shell required a label that would stay adhered to the bottle until peeled off; yet also tear cleanly along the perforated line for ideal customer experience. Regional differences in printing conventions meant suppliers had to innovate solutions specific to their region. Product authentication We created a unique peel and reveal label design where the label has a variable QR code printed on the adhesive side and then laminated with an OPP strip to ensure the integrity of the code post peeling. The end-user peels the top right portion of the label to reveal the variable QR code for scanning of rewards and purchase authentication. In addition, we built a quality control system by automatic

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Through this collaboration, MCC has proven it has innovative solutions that help provide the ideal customer experience.” Sherman Khoo, Packaging Contract Manager Shell Lubricants Supply Chain, APME

Delicious Dash food spice brand wants to inspire consumers with new recipes to try using their spices. Through digital printing’s variable data, they can put custom QR codes on their labels to educate consumers. If someone wants to see cooking videos with a taco spice vs a chicken recipe spice, they will scan a different code leading to customized videos showing the many ways they can use the spices to enhance their dish. At the end of the learning videos, Delicious Dash promotes the other videos available for its spice range. This campaign gives consumers more inspiration and education, providing ideas they never thought of on how to use the spices. In addition, it allows Delicious Dash to increase sales and cross promote new flavors.

Variable Data

Interactive Educational Label Win for brand owner: • Increased sales due to consumers using the spices more after learning about the new recipes to try • Ability to cross sell and promote new spice flavors Win for consumer: • More education and inspiration on how to use the spices • Customized content that is convenient and easy to access (right on the bottle!)

Sensory Engagement

Maximize the Senses

Packaging can provide a sensory engagement with the consumer via specialized materials and inks. Think on Smucker’s® line of microwavable ice cream toppings. The design brief was to create a badge on the botlle to indicate the optimal temperature for the product to be enjoyed. This is a great example of a sensory element that creates a unique differentiation within the marketplace. Imagine enjoying seeing the lights of a city turn on when a candle is in use, running your finger over a label to smell the fragrance of the product before buying it, or taking your shower soap to the water to find a secret message. We look at inspiring examples of how labels can appeal to all of the senses using unique inks and materials.

J. M. Smuckers Co | MCC Batavia, Ohio (USA)

Sensory Engagement: Case Study

Thermochromic Label Provides a Better Topping Experience Keeping their customers happy Some labels go beyond simply identifying an item; they enhance the enjoyment and functionality of the product within. This is certainly the case for Smucker’s® line of microwavable ice cream toppings. Each label features a temperature sensitive window that indicates when the product has been heated to its optimal temperature and is ready to add to a tasty frozen treat. The J.M. Smucker Company delights consumers with iconic food and beverage brands that help build lasting memories and traditions. Bringing the ice cream parlor experience home, their microwaveable ice cream topping line offers traditional Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel and Hot Dark Chocolate varieties to suit everyone’s craving. 30 Seconds to a better Sundae Each of these flavors are tasty treats directly from the bottle, but warming the toppings to the proper temperature further enhances this indulgent experience. To make the process simple for the consumer, Smucker’s invests in a premium label that uses thermochromic ink that, when heated in the microwave, changes to indicate when the product has reached its perfectly pourable temperature. Customized label for precise indication Thermochromic ink is a specific type of ink manufactured to change color depending on temperature. Thermochromic ink can be applied via flexo, silk screen, and offset printing technologies. The ink can be clear and turn colorful, or start out one color and change to another as the temperature changes. Our team can adjust the temperature activation range according to the customer’s specification. This can be used to visually display the optimal temperature for consumption of the product, or it can be a creative way to surprise and delight the consumer.

If you’d like to know more about Thermochromic label solutions please email your questions to marketing@mcclabel.com

“

The MCC Team enjoyed partnering with Smucker’s to apply this functional addition to their label and create an even better experience for their consumers.” Dave Lord, National Account Manager, Food Segment at MCC 23

Sensory Engagement: Case Study

A Heaven-Scent Label Solution for Seventh Generation Seventh Generation | MCC Batavia, Ohio (USA) As more and more people are staying at home, laundry is at an all-time high. Due to this increased demand, Seventh Generation decided to launch an existing product in a new store – BJ’s Warehouse. The challenge As they were planning the launch of their lavender detergent into BJ’s Warehouse, Seventh Generation realized that the packaging presented them with a problem – consumers are not able to smell the product when in the store aisle. As this is a new product in that particular store, Seventh Generation needed a way to differentiate from competition.

Results Multi-Color created a lavender fragrance for Seventh Generation’s laundry detergent label that accurately depicted what the product inside smelled like. Seventh Generation was very happy MCC was able to come up with a solution and execute the scent they were imagining. Seventh Generation continues to utilize these scented labels for their products today.

MCC’s solution: scented labels Multi-Color suggested the idea of using scratch and sniff labels. This would allow consumers to still be able to test out the product’s scent before buying. In a market like laundry detergent, scent is often a driving factor to purchase, so this solution was vital to Seventh Generation’s success.

“

It was wonderful working with MCC on this project. We were searching for in-aisle solutions to communicate our fragrance to consumers, and the Scratch-n-Sniff stickers delivered perfectly. Even better, the retailer was excited by the program and centered a whole promotional program around the launch. Super pleased with the results.” Monique Malone, Laundry Brand Manager at SVG

Sensory Engagement: Case Study

Pop Up Label Naturgo Distinguishes their Brand from Competitors! PT Eka Jaya | MCC Jakarta (Indonesia) PT Eka Jaya was looking for an idea to promote one of their products, ‘Natur Go Face Mask’. They wanted to utilize labels to explain product usage to the consumer, and at the same time look attractive on shelf. PT Eka Jaya was interested in the extended content label and 2-ply label innovations MCC shared during the initial introduction call. MCC worked out the construction of the labels and shared the benefits of this concept. PT Eka Jaya is a manufacturer that produces beauty and cosmetic products in Indonesia. It continues to strive to create quality products for the market through innovation. The challenge PT Eka Jaya wanted a unique innovative idea to promote its product ‘Natur Go Face Mask’ and stand out on shelf. Creating the solution MCC worked with PT Eka Jaya to come up with an interactive label using a 2-ply label concept to market the ‘Natur Go Face Mask’. The label was designed to allow consumers to remove the face mask, revealing bright, fresh skin underneath.

Want to explore ways to engage your target audience with your labels? Contact us to expand the discussion and suggest new ideas! Email marketing@mcclabel.com.

Results PT Eka Jaya decided to give the construction a try, and placed an order with MCC to kick-start the project. The concept was very successful in the market, leading to an increase in PT Eka Jaya’s sales. MCC received another order with triple the quantity of the first order due to the success. This interactive label concept boosted sales, educated the consumer on usage, and allowed PT Eka Jaya to be unique in the market.

Rugged Labels for Scruffy Fella’s Rugged Consumers Scruffy Fella | MCC Melbourne (Australia) Scruffy Fella is a small, but emerging Men’s Grooming Products and Accessories business based in Victoria, Australia. Their main point of differentiation is that all their Beard Oils, Beard Butters, and Tattoo Butters are handmade by the owner and artisan, Nigel Bullamore. Gaining back valuable time As Scruffy Fella became more successful and expanded their market, the need to offload some activities became essential for Nigel. He was previously spending a lot of time on short run labels for his core products that occasionally gave different results. To regain time best spent on manufacturing and developing product, Scruffy Fella engaged MCC’s Melbourne facility. The Melbourne facility was then selected to print, cut, and supply a redesigned label that included store-ready barcodes and vibrant vector artwork.

six Beard Oil 50ml labels were printed with a textured finishing. Scruffy Fella was happy with this label but wanted to continue to enhance the sensory feel. Therefore, MCC worked with the Melbourne production team to print the next run of 30ml labels with the roughest textured finishing possible. Through many discussions, MCC made sure that they found a solution that would make recoating unnecessary, keeping the labels at one hit of varnish. This saved valuable time and money for Scruffy Fella and resulted in a wonderfully gritty label that would appeal to Scruffy Fella’s target audience. With having many variants in the range with names like “Hunter”, “Sparkie”, “Logger”, “Chippie”, and “Pitcher” a roughened, sandpaper texture was highly desirable for items that most consumers would be touching and interacting with daily. This extra sensory engagement brings an additional memorable encounter with the product that the Scruffy Fella customer would appreciate.

The perfect touch Once the first labels were created, Nigel and the Scruffy Fella brand wanted to elevate their labels even further. Since “Scruffy” is right in the name, a textured label was proposed. MCC gave Nigel a few different options of sample labels to get an idea of the different levels of texture that can be achieved. The first range of

The path forward Scruffy Fella’s target audience responded well to the new labels and are durable enough to withstand the tough environment that is involved with oil-based products. MCC and Scruffy Fellas are expanding their relationship and developing new and exciting labels that will be launching soon!

Sensory Engagement: Innovation Spotlight

How Labels Can Bring your Brand to Life!

Thermochromic Labels This is a specific type of ink manufactured to change color depending on the temperature. The ink can be clear and turn colorful with an increase or drop in temperature, or it can start out as one color and transform to another as the temperature changes. It can be used to visually display the optimal temperature for consumption of the product or interact and communicate with the consumer through the product packaging.

Watch a video of the label changing color as the candle heats up!

Glow in the Dark/UV Inks

Glow in the dark ink illuminates after being charged by indoor or outdoor lighting. The strength of the glow is dependent on how much ink is applied to the label via screen or flexo printing. UV inks absorb ultraviolet light and the emit the energy as visible light. These inks work best in dark rooms when illuminated with black light.

Sensory Engagement: Innovation Spotlight 30

Hydrochromic Inks From color to clear when wet • As the ink dries it becomes opaque and white. • It may be recoated to increase opacity. • Available in both water-based flexo and screen ink formulations. • Supplied as a 1-part ink system. • Ready formulated and easy to use allowing flexibility in application and optimization in appearance of printed article. • Can be customized to be reversible or irreversible depending on your preference.

You can customize hydrochromic inks to appear that you are revealing a color, rather than only going to clear when wet. This is done by adding another printed layer underneath the hydrochromic ink. Once the label gets wet, the hydrchromic ink goes to clear allowing the opaque color in the layer underneath to be visible.

Flash Activated Inks

A clear ink that can be over printed on labels and become visible when illuminating by a camera flash, not ambient light, then disappear ready for the next flash exposure. This is a smart photo reflective clear pigment that lights up when exposed to a camera flash and can be printed on various surfaces. Light activated silver reflective pigmented ink has been used on reflective tape and in safety applications but is visible at all times.

3 reasons to get in touch with our label experts from around the globe

Discuss labeling options to engage and excite your consumer.

Discover the possibilities to maximize your brand’s presence on shelf.

Work with our R&D specialists to develop a label solution unique to your brand’s identity.

To learn more about Promotional & Consumer Engagement Labels please visit our website. Or email your questions to marketing@mcclabel.com