AIPIA Americas Summit

Arjowiggins: ‘We are connected but we still like the feel and touch of an object’

05-Jun-2018 - Last updated on 28-Sep-2021 at 12:33 GMT

We are a connected world but consumers still need to touch and feel a product, (haptics), says Arjowiggins.

Speaking at the AIPIA Americas Summit (June 4) in New Jersey, Christophe Jordan, business development director, Arjowiggins Creative Papers, said sometimes people need "to come back to touching the physical product."

Collector's items

For example, vinyl has recently seen a revival, not just for its sound, he said but more than 60% of sales of vinyl will never see a turntable because they are bought as a collectors item.

“Digital marketing allows you to use several levers it’s a big ecosystem but still the object is there,” added Jordan.

“Digital marketing doesn’t always need to be intrusive, its push not pull marketing.

“There is a market for more sustainable packaging, there is a real public concern about plastic waste.

“Brussels this week is accelerating its stance on this, China recently banned plastics imports for recycling, all of this public concern has led to company initiatives, ie, Apple is working to reduce the amount of plastic in its packaging driven down to 7g for its iphone7, replaced by paper fiber molded trays.”

PowerCoat

Jordan said Arjowiggins has created a bridge between the digital and physical objects with its connected NFC (Near Field Communication) paper, PowerCoat.

“First came PowerCoat, developed five years ago for the printed electronics industry, which needs properties in terms of its surface.

“Then a year-and-a-half ago, we moved into embedded NFC technology, with different layers. Our next release is September 2018. It doesn’t need an app, except for the iOS11, and it can be recycled after use.

“Why do we need paper embedded technology, if it’s just to point to your website it’s a waste of money. A brand has to provide additional value-added content to be successful.”

Jordan said Arjowiggins recently signed a partnership with CNG (Central National Gottesman) papers in the US and just developed an UHF (ultra high frequency)/NFC tag.

“What does this type of technology do for a brand?” he added.

“A brand is reinventing a different user experience that no other technology can provide and can measure the return on investment, with real-time data gathering.”