Over 100 delegates, including 47 label printers, congregated at a knowledge-sharing event – Brand Owner’s Perception of Labels in Changing Scenario – at Radisson Blu Marina Hotel, Connaught Place, New Delhi on 30 March 2018. Organized by Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI), the event saw guest speakers from Nestle, Sun Pharma, PepsiCo, and Dabur who talked about their expectations from label printers. The program had lead sponsors as Avery Dennison, SMI Coated Products, and DuPont. Support sponsors were Vinsak, FIG, Creative Graphics and JN Arora Group.

During his presentation, Barun Banerjee of Nestle India said, “For the user industry, environmental sustainability is going to be the biggest thing which we all should work towards. We should make our labels environment-friendly and try how our packaging can be made of a single component or mono material which are recyclable. This is one reason why IML has gained so much popularity worldwide and is growing at a CAGR of 3.5%.”

Sighting data from Smithers Pira, Banerjee said that the global printed labels market is set to be worth US$ 41.6 billion by 2019, while the most widely used labels will continue to be the pressure-sensitive grades. He said, “It is therefore necessary for label printers to find ways how self-adhesive labels can work seamlessly with the packaging, which can easily go to the recycling stream.”

Another study report by Smithers Pira shows that Asia is the largest regional producer of labels and its share will grow between 2009 and 2016 to more than 41% of the world’s value by 2019. Flexography is the most common print process in label production, although digital methods are growing rapidly and taking an increasing share. In terms of the end-use market, food is by far the biggest category of labels, accounting for 47% of the total in 2014; if beverages are included, this rises to 63.9%.

Banerjee said that the label industry will witness a YoY growth of 4.5% to 5%. “Change is the only constant, and the three key major trends in terms of changes are visual and tactile changes, green initiatives and new technology, and digital print and personalization. Going forward, maximum development will take place under these three trends,” said Banerjee.

Rahul Bhargava of Sun Pharma gave a bird’s eye view of how packaging development happens at pharma companies, starting from the feedback level through retail shelves, while at the same time explaining how a label plays a versatile role in the healthcare industry. Bhargava said, “We visit places like hospitals, medical shops, and stockists at least twice a year to gather feedback and requirements of our customers and end-users so that we develop our packaging as per their exact requirements.”

Bhargava also explained the importance of adhering to statutory requirements and compliance through information on labels and packaging. He said, “Label is the most important component in pharma packaging because globally 70% of recalls take place due to defective labels.”

Kousik Saha of PepsiCo discussed how brand owners can leverage label as a component on a pack as well as how labels can play a critical role in brand positioning in addition to the packaging design. “Label along with the packaging should drive the First Moment of Truth (FMOT) – primarily the label,” said Saha. “Label printers should help brand owners in driving the FMOT through innovations and value additions.”

Ameya Pradhan of Dabur India said that the probability of interactive labels getting noticed by consumers is far higher compared to vertical and horizontal labels. “To be noticed, the product has to be interactive,” he said.

Kuldip Goel, LMAI president and managing director of Any Graphics, announced that LMAI will be hosting the LMAI awards on the sidelines of Labelexpo in November 2018 and will also be hosting the L9 Meet at that time. L9 is the global confederation of nine leading label associations in the world. Goel also announced LMAI’s new online platform, which will be officially launched on 15 May 2018. The online platform will help the LMAI members to announce and transact consumables and label stock lying idle with them. Members wishing to sell their machines can also post details on this portal.