For the label printing industry in 2019, the manufacturing sector appears headed towards a continuing and faster pace of consolidation. Some markets are now going through the inter-generational change that occurred in Australia in the last 15 years. Combine this with the increasing sophistication of consumers requiring higher quality labels and you will see some converters sell rather than take on the necessary capital costs.
Owners and participants in the supply chain, especially around food, are wanting greater adoption of sophisticated track and trace technology to manage the growing concerns surrounding product authenticity and precision recalls.
For brand owners, the desire for greater consumer engagement will see an increasing demand for faster changes in designs and greater diversity of SKUs. Brands in the FMCG space are now replicating the notion of ‘fast fashion’. This will increasingly push convertors to digital platforms and ink-jet could be a major contender for its cost and flexibility.
Consumers are increasingly being drawn to the capabilities of labels and packaging interacting with them via smart technology. This will see greater use of augmented (and mixed) reality and 2D barcode technology to enhance a customer’s brand experience. This provides brands with enormous opportunities for direct engagement but also results in greater responsibility and transparency for claims of provenance and authenticity.
Label converters are feeling the pressure from sustained increases in operating costs and raw materials may start to see the impact on growth and profitability. Combine this with the demands of investment in new technology and we could potentially see more companies leave the industry or consolidate with others.
I see a growing demand for direct engagement between convertors and brand owners as companies seek to reduce costs and gain a better understanding of which innovations and print technology they can utilize. Convertors with flexible or hybrid platforms seem best positioned to provide brand owners with the solutions they require for fast-changing market conditions and growing numbers of SKUs.
Premium is the new normal. Brands that once traded on ‘value’ are now competing against private labels that reflect both quality and value. Label converting and label printing companies will be expected to find solutions for economical and fast-to-market embellishments that meet both budget and brand expectations.
Customization and personalization look to go to a whole new level as boutique brands adopt the concepts in new and innovative ways.
IMEC Media is a leader in developing product solutions to meet unique and challenging label, ribbon and tag requirements. We have the experience to develop effective, working solutions to meet every kind of media supply challenge, asset labels, food product labels, shipping labels and many more.
From small runs to high volume, we offer a convenient, easy way to purchase pre-printed labels for a range of applications.
IMEC Media designs, manufacturers and delivers products to customers in Food, Logistics, Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Medical Device, Beverage, Utilities and Government organisations. Meeting the needs of customers in product identification, asset labels for asset tracking and asset management solutions and warehouse signage labels.
IMEC Media supplies Thermal Transfer Ribbons for a range of applications. Resin thermal transfer ribbons, standard wax thermal transfer ribbons, all ribbon types designed to work on a wide range of printers, to provide high quality durable printing solutions for all industries.