The launch of Packaging Squad

The launch of Packaging Squad with the first Packaging Squad Expert Session

Launch of Packaging Squad

Driven by the believe, that collaborations, building partnerships and sharing expertise are key for a successful future, is the reason why the Packaging Squad is created. It’s an initiative of four companies working closely, with FMCG brand owners and agencies across Europe in very different sectors. Our daily duty is to objectify, optimize and accelerate packaging design and innovation. The emergence of the Packaging Squad is originated as a vision of how packaging innovation and design should operate as a squad to make the customer’s life much easier.

What is the Packaging Squad?

Packaging Squad is a collaboration between all stakeholders which centralizes the process of packaging design in one place. It is born from a partnership between four parties of interest: iVisual, that combines predictive impact intelligence and colour science; Athena Graphics, that is market leader in Europe in packaging pre-press and Flexo; doQmind, that provides design & artwork process and assets management software; and we, One Inch Whale, as an expert in consumer research and insights.

First Expert Session

Last month, the Packaging Squad was launched with the organization of the first Packaging Squad Expert Session. During these sessions, we want to share our vision by bringing together a compact group of forward-thinking professionals around hot topics in the packaging world, in great openness and trust.

The first session took place on the ZigZag HR boat in Ghent. On board we had professionals of Duval Moortgat, Colruyt Group, Friesland Campina, Lotus Bakeries, Edgard & Cooper, GB Foods, Rombouts, De Kuyper, Milcobel, Delhaize and Akzo Nobel. The location symbolizes that we - packaging experts, brand owners and agencies - are in the same boat on a turbulent sea.

Sharing experience & knowledge

Silvia Scheers, Brand Marketing Manager at Advanced Power Solutions (former Panasonic), showed us how they disruptively changed the packaging development of Eneloop (rechargeable batteries and chargers). Integrating the consumer’s voice and colour design science in the very beginning of the process resulted into decreased costs and lead time. For more info about this case: read more

Julie Dumoulin, founder Opinry, took us on a journey of data-driven packaging and product design. She showcased how the future of packaging design may look like: AI powered by DALL-E2, suggesting packaging designs on the base of historical data. So a fully data-driven packaging design is not as far off as we all think.

At the end of the session, brands went into debate with the experts about the challenges they face every day in an increasingly fast moving and complex world. One thing is clear: there is a real need amongst the peers to exchange ideas and share each other’s challenges.