INNOVATING THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITALLY PRINTED LABELS

Several of the leading consumer brands in Vietnam attended a seminar called DIGI WOW to find out about the latest technology in digitally printed labels and packaging. The event, which was held on August 1, 2018 at the Deutsches Haus in Ho Chi Minh City, was hosted by Rieckermann and its local printing partner in the country and saw an attendance of over 100 representatives. DIGI WOW was the first event of its kind for Vietnam’s printing industry, bringing together printers, service providers and brand owners.

The packaging market is rapidly evolving with the growing demand for consumer goods. To build brand loyalty and enhance sales, consumer brands need to be aware of innovative ways to create brand differentiation and engage with customers. Hence, digitally printed labels and packaging are increasing in demand. Digital printing allows these brands to reach their customers through customization and personalization such as Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign, whereby each bottle was labeled with a different person’s name. In Vietnam, however, the availability of digital technology is limited. This seminar was an opportunity for the brands to discover a new technology; the world-class HP Indigo 6800 print engine for label production. The print engine provides an amazing array of customization, personalization and premium finishes.

One highlight of the seminar that especially attracted a lot of attention from brand owners was Trust Code. This is a new cutting-edge technology in product labeling security that premiered itself in Vietnam during the seminar. The Trust Code is a unique serial number or QR code that is printed by companies on each product packaging to prove its authenticity, preventing their products from being counterfeited. The unique code is generated and linked to cloud-based software using advanced mathematic algorithms, which is then printed through block-chain encoded technology.

According to Tran Kiet Toan, Vietnam Graphics General Manager for Rieckermann, “Success is achieved by brands who are the most responsive to their clients.” He added, “While traditional printing and production methods are commonly used in Vietnam, brands who want to be truly innovative and enhance the customer experience need to embrace digital print technology.”

The event also featured industry leaders from the Asia Pacific region, who shared their experiences and opportunities for innovation in the market. One of the featured speakers, Huynh Bich Tran, Associate Director – Retail Measurement Services for Nielsen (Vietnam), highlighted that industry trends saw local brands driving sales through improvements in labels and packaging. Another speaker, Conrad Mendoza Jr., Brand Innovation Marketing Lead for HP Inc. (Singapore), shared some practical examples of reinventing brand experiences by rethinking the print on packaging.