"Punctuality and quality are vital parameters for us"

What are Camlin's view as a print-buyer?

 We have been a pretty conservative buyers for a long but now with Kokuyo on board, we are exposed to many packaging and print innovations and trying to bringing them in. Since the brand is youth centric and our operations are such that we require a wide range of print support, from certificates numbering a few hundred to lakhs of them to POS to packaging. We are trying to experiment with quite a few things. 
 

How do you approach the package/label-development process?

 Since we have a large number of SKUs and the identity needs to be maintained while innovating, which is also need of the hour, the process is pretty long and arduous. Shaded products & different packaging styles also pose challenges. We have agency on account and they also contribute to it.

What according to you have been the significant changes in the packaging needs of brands like Camlin in last few years?

There are quite a number of them. The packaging must perform as a POS too while performing the task of preserving, communicating and carrying, but at the same time keeping the costs under control is the biggest of all. It is very important for a marketer like us is to design  packaging, which is  attractive and at the same time functional too. Since we are working closely with Kokuyo S&T, our parent company in Japan, we are getting a lot of ideas from them too.

What do you look for in printers in terms of productivity and process workflows?

Printers are very vital to businesses like ours. Their attitude towards punctuality and quality are the most important factors along with costs. A better work flow and process design is the key to these deliverables and must for all the print vendors. These attributes are not negotiable.

Have you ever changed your printers? Why?

We have a long relationship with our printers as they were selected with a proper process and ones who could deliver quality, timeliness and price. We feel that changing vendors too often does not help as it does not bring it speed. However we do review performance of our vendors on all the aspects which is a good mechanism to have things under control. 

What are the challenges faced especially in commercial packaging? In last five years, what have been the improvements in technologies to address these challenges?

For our organization we have had challenges like product categories which large number of SKUs (one category has more than 3000SKUs) and limited volumes for each SKU. In such situatutions operations like packaging has big challenge due to issues like MOQ (minimum order quantity). With our superior sales and operation planning process we have been able to overcome these challenges. Other in developing standard packaging sizes . With such vast range of products with different history, safety and stability of the product through to the consumer and during the process of use is also a big challenge for our product range.
 

How do you define innovation in packaging? Your pick of six works of Indian packaging (can or cannot be from the Camlin stable) that redefined the commercial packaging space.

§       Any improvement in packaging which can help enhance benefit to consumers or help trade to make it easier to promote to consumers can apply for being a good packaging innovation.

§       There are two examples from Kokuyo Camlin which come to my mind which classify into great packaging innovation. One if our krafty glue which comes with an applicator and hence makes it easy for consumers to apply the glue.

§       Other example from Kokuyo Camlin for trade is that we have on many occasions converted inner cartons into dispensers due to which one does need separate dispensing and it gets executed fast.

§       There have been great packaging innovations outside Camlin like sachets in shampoo, Oil with a tube of actual herbs and pet jars for not only stocking but displaying products.

One print job that you commissioned that you are very proud of (Please mention the tech specs)

We have recently launched Cartridge Fountain Pen which is a segment slowly losing its ground where school children are switching to Gel Pens which are seen as more contemporary and attractive.

When we launched this Cartridge fountain pen we had to make these pens more attractive as compared to Gel pens. We tried using Cartoon Characters and exploited them every well in the packaging and also made the primary packaging and secondary packaging more convenient to both trade and consumers with our learning – dispensers inner cartons etc. This has made this NPD a big success.

What is Camlin’s view as a print-buyer?

We are undergoing a lot of transition as a global organization with many systems and processes. We are looking superior ideas and technology to make our packaging stringer and effective in the market place.

How do you approach the package/label-development process?

We have a very rigorous process wherein the work starts with a very detailer brief from marketing which is developed after lot of consumer research. Also the brief is complete when it’s aligned with the R&D department. The action standards are set in the beginning and packaging is reviewed post that. In every project we challenge the past work and evaluate how we can develop something superior.

What according to you have been the significant changes in the packaging needs of brands like Camlin in last few years?

On one hand Camlin tries to meet the needs of millions of consumers and hence keep the mrp affordable which puts a lot of pressure when we have maintain the packaging standard and withstand cost inflation. Also on other we are developing lot of superior products for more discerning consumers for whom we have to develop world class packaging as compare our products with the best in the world.

What do you look for in printers in terms of productivity and process workflows?

We define the parameters for evaluation and appraisal of vendors at the begining so that they are very clear about the expectations.  Printers are very vital to businesses like ours. Their attitude towards punctuality and quality are the most important factors along with costs. A better work flow and process design is the key to these deliverables and must for all the print vendors. These attributes are not negotiable.