Delegates from the European Glass Flacons Industry highlighted how brand partnerships have successfully matched three big consumer trends: Brand Awareness, Digital Big Bang, and Emotion.
The panel at the Luxepack event in Monaco - chaired by Michel Fontaine, President of the Conseil National de l’Emballage – said luxury brands are under pressure from a consumer-centric and global market.
Consumers no longer just passively buy a product, they want to know a lot more about the brand, how it is produced and what the company stands for.
“The European glass flaconnage sector is partnering with customers to help reduce products’ environmental footprint through packaging innovation such as lightweighting, carbon footprint evaluation, and resources efficiency through equipment optimisation,” said Isabelle Lallemant, Group Marketing and Innovation Director at Groupe Pochet.
“Consumers trust glass for its authenticity as a packaging, and as an industry that’s rooted in the history of Europe,” said Simone Baratta, Prestige Perfume Business Unit Director of Bormioli Luigi.
The industry is now heavily investing in a transition to industry 4.0. Etienne Gruyez from Stolzle Masnières in France, said: “We can provide new finished samples to our customers in less than four weeks thanks to a complete digitalisation of the design phase. Digital printing allows us also to minimize errors and reduce costs”.
Brands want to have ease of access to high quality packaging solutions that meet increasingly demanding design and technological requirements.
“This can only be achieved with the most advanced know how in glass production. Brands also want to have more environment friendly solutions. Today we are able to provide innovative measurement tools and products that help customers to reduce their environmental impact,” said Samuel Joachim, Group Innovation and Development Director in Verescence.
The authenticity of glass material is also the unique and precious emotional touch point brands can count on. “Emotion is the key driver in the conception of new flacons and we work tightly with customers to make sure they fit with the product identity”, addedd François Cheru, Sales Director of Verreries Brosse.
Virginia Elliott, Global Head of Sales for Heinz-Glas Group said: “Brands rely on glass to create consumer empathy, communicate the elegance and prestige of their products. We can now create this empathy also through digital applications which will allow consumers to own unique products.”
The seminar was organised by the FEVE - the European Container Glass Federation.
