The rise of box on demand technology
One service making great strides in popularity in the market is “box on demand”, which allows you to create customized packaging using digital printing and digital finishing. This allows manufacturers to not only optimize delivery and logistics but also raise awareness for their brands.
Rethinking the role of packaging for brands
Manufacturers previously saw packaging as simply a container for storing their products. However, this view is gradually changing. Competition for consumers is always on the rise, and not using the physical advertising space on a product’s box would be a missed opportunity.
Why should businesses adopt digital packaging?
To date, there are two main reasons for businesses to use digital printing for packaging.
- The ability to quickly get a product onto store shelves. This is an opportunity for new players in the market who need to quickly progress from the prototype stage to actually selling the product. The concept is the same for large, established companies with a strong marketing department and a high frequency of new marketing campaigns.
- Reducing costs on small print runs compared to offset printing. This is the case for local manufacturers who, like large companies, want to use packaging as a marketing channel.
Markets that are using digital packaging printing
The following main market segments are already using digital packaging:
- Large manufacturers that launch personalized marketing campaigns or product testing campaigns;
- Online retailers who print boxes for delivery;
- Small businesses, such as boutique craft shops, that want to promote their brands but previously could not afford to do so.
Web-to-print solutions for digital packaging has a place in all these segments.
Another class of manufacturer that widely uses digital printing are the online services that deliver personalized products on a subscription basis. This market has grown exponentially over the last few years. This is the segment that takes full advantage of box on demand services. Another interesting segment includes manufacturers of recreational marijuana products. This segment is worth mentioning due to its high growth dynamics and the wide variety of packaging types to match the large assortment of goods that can be produced with cannabis, from ordinary boxes to tea bags.
Our thoughts on the conference
In general, it is clear that digital printing is penetrating deeper into the packaging industry. At the conference, we talked with many manufacturers and printing companies, and all noted that they plan to intensely develop this niche.
Customer’s Canvas Packaging is a web-to-print API that integrates into any website and streamlines the creation of personalized packaging products.
