In this article, published in FoodBev, Horsky discuss the future of personalisation and customisation on product packaging
Below is a snippet:
The fast technological evolution of digital printing algorithms that enable millions of design permutations and 3D printing have opened up new possibilities in terms of product and packaging personalisation. We are all familiar with Coca-Cola’s named bottles and Oreo’s customised Colorfilled packs.
The Share a Coke campaign saw the brand exchange their iconic logo with 250 of the most popular teen names across the world. Consumers were prompted to create virtual Coke bottles shared, with Coca-Cola gaining 25 million new Facebook followers, and 7% consumption increase. Such successful campaigns clearly demonstrate that for teens and millennials, personalisation is not just a fad, but is in fact, a way of life.
As we reach the end of 2016, it is also clear that just because it is now easier for brands to offer personalisation, it doesn’t mean they should. Personalisation is after all a bit more than adding a consumer’s name on a pack, and it is not obvious that brand owners are asking themselves whether personalisation is actually adding anything.
It’s important to also recognise the difference between customisation and personalisation. Personalisation is adaptive; it’s when the product or system you’re using tailors itself to your behaviours, wants and needs without your active input. Customisation is getting into your car and adjusting the climate control to the desired temperature. Personalisation is when the car knows it’s you, and then automatically adjusts the climate to suit you.
A sophisticated example of personalisation would be Volvo’s ‘Volvo drowsiness detection’ feature which, quite literally, scans the driver’s facial expression for signs of tiredness. When the driver hits a certain level, the car advises the driver to take a break, purely based on the user’s subconscious behaviour.
You can read the full article on the FoodBev website