Page 30 - FINAT Yearbook 2019

interview that created lively debate in the conference room. Guido Schmitz quoted Einstein: ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’ – and went on to demonstrate how this philosophy is already helping graduate students in his relatively-new and cutting-edge course at Rutgers to bring innovative thinking to major product manufacturing companies around the world.
Consulting discussed capturing value from the smart labels and packaging revolution, and Matthias Vollherbst (D) of Vollherbst Group presented the business case for Augmented Reality labelling solutions. The second track, covering the sustainability of filmic innovations, examined multilayer flexible packaging solutions for a
circular
economy in a presentation from Achim Grefenstein (D), Senior VP, R&D Group, Constantia Flexibles; and Casper van den Dungen (CH), Executive MD
at Poly
Recycling
(CH) and Vice
President of
Plastics Recyclers Europe, outlined abel companies’ ‘design for recycling’
aspects, and the future recycling of plastics in packaging. In the third track, devoted to ‘connecting with our
target
audience’, Koos Wurzer (NL), Global Employer Branding and Candidate Manager for Danone in Paris, showed what recruiters can learn from a large FMCG customer, and Alastair Banks (UK), founder
of digital
marketing
agency Optix
Solutions, looked at building your personal brand in a B2B environment.
ELF delegates enjoyed a rainy river
trip around Copenhagen’s beautiful
waterways in the evening, followed by
a wonderful dinner at the city’s ancient and elegant Børsen – the one of the world’s oldest stock exchange buildings.
The younger generation on the other hand joined YPN’s ‘Night Dive’. A brainstorm evening for young managers meant to produce fresh new ideas how to successfully contribute to the mainstream activities of FINAT and the labelling industry. (See also page 34)
THE CHANGING FACE OF RETAILING
Next day, it was the turn of Wijnand Jongen (NL), founder and CEO of the Dutch e-commerce association Thuiswinkel.org
In developing a new product, he said, ‘you have to address all the questions/issues before people ask them!’ He identified ten different types of innovation, and showed that -- while product performance is of course central -- customer engagement; the product system; and branding are also key considerations. The impact of design thinking is aptly exemplified, he showed, by the Apple brand, with not only its variety of market-leading products, but also retail stores and the online Apple and iTunes stores.
He went on to examine the new face of product advertising today, where only about 20% of classic retail products are promoted through classic ‘advertisements’, and where consumers’ buying impulse is actually strongly focussed on packaging. Indeed, research shows that 42% of consumers have used a product more frequently because of its packaging; 35% have changed brands because of new packaging; and 65% have tried something new because of its packaging.
PARALLEL BUSINESS LEARNING SESSIONS
With plenty of food for thought on this first morning of the forum, delegates enjoyed lunch and went on to select from, and attend, a series of expert- led parallel business learning sessions, across three central topic tracks, in the afternoon. Looking at the smart future of labelling technology, Tim Paridaens (B) of Deloitte
l
30 | FINAT YEARBOOK 2019