Packaging is the first step in fulfilling a brand’s promise, which is why flexo printing is a key element of the go-to-market strategy for every CPG brand, in-store and online. It’s an increasingly competitive landscape where narrow web printers make brands stand out on the shelf and online with colors, effects, and imagery.

In this environment, packaging has to work consistently harder than in any other consumer product location. It’s all about guiding shoppers down the path to purchase. 

According to Packaging of the World:

• 70% of consumers form their impression of a brand based solely on packaging.
• 63% of consumers agree product packaging is as important as the brand itself.
• 52% of people say they will happily pay extra money for products if they like the packaging.
• 30% of businesses reported that their revenues increase when they improve their product packaging.
• 64% of store shoppers say they buy products right off the shelf if they like the packaging.

And according to a report by WestRock Company, packaging is just as important for online purchase decisions:

• Almost 20% of consumers have written reviews and talked about the product’s packaging.
• 15% have written negative reviews mentioning the packaging.
• 20% of customers have purchased a product because the online review mentioned the package.

Flexo Printing Options Support CPG Brand Owners

The right flexo-printed graphics can make the difference between the success or failure of a product. Not only the look and feel of the package but the overall presentation of the brand identity. All are essential elements for great shelf appeal.

For that, Anderson & Vreeland elevates flexo printing capabilities with a range of equipment, materials, software, and support solutions tailored to meet CPG graphics requirements and substrate choices. Integrated user-friendly systems deliver benchmark performance for color calibration, digital proofing, ink formulation, customer-specific color standards, visual assessment tools, and 3D imaging, among other things.

While brand owners today have more print options than ever to deliver their brand graphics—labels, folding cartons, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging—what hasn’t changed is the absolute fidelity to brand colors across all platforms. The stakes are high because the competition continues to increase at every turn. That’s why even a slight variation in color can lead consumers to believe product quality is compromised, expired, or even counterfeit.

CPG brand owners need to be totally confident in their printers’ abilities, processes, and effectiveness in guiding the entire narrow web converting process.

Anderson & Vreeland Makes Flexo Printing Easier

As a packaging printer, your value proposition is that you make it easy for your customers to go to market effectively. This is where Anderson & Vreeland’s team of experts comes in.

With decades of pressroom experience, we combine technical knowledge and application expertise to deliver an optimal mix of color management support. The goal is to help set you apart. This means the label or packaging is perfectly printed with precise color matched to the substrate and that it’s done cost-effectively. This is what matters most to you and the brand owner.

Communicating for Production Efficiencies 

Siloed work areas are roadblocks that can stymie your flexo printing workflow, reduce your production efficiencies, and, in the end, lead to increased costs and lower margins. They also impact your ability to respond to customer needs in a timely manner. If you’re the bottleneck for a CPG getting a new product to market or a brand refresh on the shelf, recovery can be a huge challenge.

Anderson & Vreeland software and other automated color management options save time in the flexo pressroom by making it possible to meet color standards faster. The proper tools to create, implement, and maintain color requirements are vital for overall workflow efficiency. 

And that makes it easier for each area of production to do their job:

• Design—calibrated monitors should tell you whether or not the color target can be hit on the chosen substrate.
• Prepress; Ink Room; Pressroom—linked across all sites to communicate color standards, print expectations, special tolerances, and press performance.
• Press—measure, and report on results of adjustments.
• Color Measurement Instruments—verify and optimize performance to reduce variances.
• Device Performance—use an online platform for real-time insight into your entire fleet of devices across all sites.

Color Standards Protect Brand Identity

Pressroom success hinges on having clear expectations regarding flexo color standards. This is why brand owners require their printer and converter partners to provide proof they can hit them.

From beginning to the end, it all comes down to execution.

You maximize efficiency and increase pressroom performance when everyone in the color workflow is using the same spectral data, measuring with the same calibrated hardware, and working under the same light conditions. This ensures brands get the attention they need, enhances product differentiation, helps drive consumer preference, and protects the coveted goodwill of an iconic brand identity.

Sourcing the Right Color Management Support

Color management in flexo is a blend of art and science. Printing technology today is more complex than ever, with multiple printing processes, substrate properties, and assorted touchpoints. Whether it’s from a single production site or multiple locations across the country, each has a specific workflow.

Advanced color management options from Anderson & Vreeland make it possible to consistently hit color standards. We combine flexo pressroom knowledge, process insight, and technology solutions. Our focus is helping narrow web printers make informed decisions about how to best optimize their diverse color management supply chain.

When considering what systems are best for your application, it pays to start small and build for the future. The aim should be to establish a reliable, end-to-end process. Making things convenient will also help ensure that you effectively integrate your new tools.

You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but that’s what Anderson & Vreeland offers. When you work with us, you have the opportunity to expand your color knowledge, enhance the value you offer your customers, and improve your bottom line.