SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY takes personal approach to packaging to sweeten its brand storytelling

Industry sector: Labels and Packaging; Flexible Packaging

Brand name: SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY, s.r.o.

Testimonial from: Adrián Šedivý, managing director

Print Service Provider: Aluprint

HP equipment: HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press

Website: korunnycukor.sk

HP Indigo enables Slovakian sugar producer to communicate origin of ingredients and the skill of its growers

Challenge

“We wanted to use the packaging to communicate not just our values as a producer, but the qualities of our growers. Our growers show real skill and craft, we want consumers to connect with those qualities.” - Adrián Šedivý, managing director, SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY, s.r.o.

Creating a connection with sugar growers

Sugar has an image problem. It is seen by many as one of the chief culprits in the global obesity epidemic. The truth is, as ever, more nuanced.

“Like any food, eating too much sugar is unhealthy,” says Adrián Šedivý, managing director, SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY, s.r.o.. “But sugar is also a vital source of energy. As with everything, moderation is key.”

SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY, s.r.o. is one of Europe’s largest sugar producers. It has operations in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It produces 60,000 tons of refined sugar each year.

Šedivý wanted the business to get ahead of health concerns by creating an emotional connection between consumers and sugar growers. Other foods have worked hard to communicate the origin of ingredients, or the skill of the farmers. Šedivý saw an opportunity to do the same with sugar growers and SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY: “Since we cannot speak to the consumer with sugar alone, we wanted to do so by means of the packaging. We wanted to communicate the idea that the customer buys not only sugar, but the work of local growers, the work of real people. It creates a connection and pride in the product.”

SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY wanted to feature ten of its growers on the packaging of its 1kg bags, each with space for a personal story, a logo and different color scheme. The creative execution would not only communicate a different story, but also establish a point of difference on the shelves.

Solution

“We had a free hand, which is a huge plus for graphic designers. We used the coats of arms of the individual municipalities from which the ten selected sugar growers come from, finished off with hand-designed floral ornaments.” - Adrián Šedivý, managing director, SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY, s.r.o.

Unique packaging design for different growers

Artwork for the packaging was designed by AVart, a design studio in Trnava, Slovakia. Rather than print directly onto the packaging, the decision was made to place each package into a specially created sleeve.

As it is a pure natural product produced in different parts of Slovakia, folk motifs, natural shades and faces of individual growers give each design an unmistakable character. AVart founder, graphic artist and photographer, Antonios Vlachou, says the sleeves create “something like a birth certificate” for each package.

The print run was then managed by Aluprint, a packaging print specialist in nearby Vrútky. All printing was done on Aluprint’s HP Indigo WS6600 Digital Press. Changes to the designs were still being made on the day of the scheduled production run.

Printed wheels from Aluprint then travelled south to Euro PRESS BK in Bátorové Kosihy. It is the only company in Slovakia that can produce paper sleeves and packaging with a rectangular bottom.

“In the production of food packaging, the choice of paper is the most important aspect,” says Zoltán Cséplő, managing director of Euro PRESS BK. “The packaging, despite its strength, must breathe, and there must be no barrier to the air passage. For us, this order was very specific. We haven’t worked with coated paper printed by digital equipment. With the help of a special glue everything worked perfectly. The packaging looks exceptional.”

From there, the sleeves were transported to the last stage in the production process, the SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY sugar factory in Sered.

Results

“Finally, we have packaging that we can all be proud of.” - Adrián Šedivý, managing director, SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY, s.r.o.

A more confident approach to promotion

The project kicked off with an initial print run of 1,500. In total, ten variations were printed, in batches of 150. The printing, says Aluprint’s marketing manager, Marián Ladňák, took 45 minutes: “We’re honored the customer chose us for this first series. We enjoyed the challenge.

“We’ve been gaining experience in printing variable data over several years. It started with a large order of personalized full-frame labels for Coca-Cola, and since then the HP Indigo digital press has been constantly busy,” continues Ladňák. “Production flexibility, zero design change costs, variability in print data and short delivery times are features that appeal to lots of customers.”

Šedivý at SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY says the idea was to start a conversation, and to encourage a rethink of sugar’s reputation. In that respect the project can be judged a success: SLOVENSKÉ CUKROVARY has strengthened ties with some of its most important suppliers, its growers, and takes a more confident approach to its promotion.

He says the company has been delighted with the results, “and we’d not oppose the idea of now placing the new packaging on retailers’ shelves.”

© Copyright 2019 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

4AA7-6271ENW, October 2019

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