Strategic Insights
Innovation begins with… (no, not with an idea, nor with an invention)
Where does innovation start? You can find all kinds of complicate theories on that, but it is simple: innovation starts with observation.
Strategic Insights
Strategic Insights
Brand colors IRL: the Coca-Cola case
After having seen how my color memory messed up with a package of Kellogg’s, I thought that it happened again when the cans of Coca-Cola seemed much lighter and a bit more yellowish than usual. […]
Strategic Insights
Are professionals better at judging color? (you might not like the answer…)
Are professionals better at judging color? Your immediate response will probably be: “Of course, they’re professionals!” It would seem no more than logical. But based on some tests, the answer might not be that straight […]
Strategic Insights
Brand colors IRL: The Kellogg’s Case (II)
When I went shopping some time ago, I noticed that a box of Kellogg’s Special K Fruits looked very different to me. The red in the logo looked much lighter than usual. So – contrary […]
Strategic Insights
Printing Industry Profitability: update
These are my favorite statistics: the financial ratios derived from the annual accounts that companies are required to file. The most recent figures were published earlier this week, time for an update. And this time, […]
Strategic Insights
Brand colors IRL: the Kelloggs’ case (I)
Kellogg’s is launching new packaging for several of its products. Well, at least in my country. With both old and new types of packaging next to each other on the shelves, it’s an interesting topic […]
Strategic Insights
New survey: the influence of color deviations, damaged packages on shopping behavior and brand loyalty
The package of a product is important: it not only ships and protects products, it also conveys the identity of a brand. Brands are very proud of their unique brand image, they demand no less […]
Strategic Insights
“Color increases brand recognition by 80%”: the real contents of the Loyola study revealed
“Color increases brand recognition by 80%”, it’s a quote that is often used in the printing industry, e.g. to demand super tight tolerances in print production. I went on a search to find the original […]
Strategic Insights
CONFIRMED: our color memory is seriously flawed (and what this means for brand colors)
Color is important, that’s something everyone in the printing industry agrees on. But how good are we, as human beings, when dealing with color? In this article, I will discuss two studies. The first concluded […]
Strategic Insights
Brand colors in real life: the Milka case
The publication of the groundbreaking color study did generate some attention. Especially my plea for a more realistic, less fanatic approach to color tolerances in real life seemed provocative to some. I e.g. got a […]
Strategic Insights
Groundbreaking color study: 2 out of 3 see differences between identical packages, dE 6 won’t influence buying
You can find them in attics and basements: unknown treasures. At the campus of the AP university college in Antwerp, there is such a treasure. A groundbreaking study on the perception of color deviations. The […]
Strategic Insights
Real-life factors influencing color appearance in marketing
Right after I had published the article about real-life factors influencing color appearance in packaging, I opened my mailbox and found another very nice example. This one with a number of factors influencing color appearance […]
Strategic Insights
Opening an envelope feels like opening a present
Checking your (physical) mailbox and collecting, opening the mail pieces is packed with emotions, positive emotions. A recent study in France proves this, with the help of new technologies. And this emotion-packed experience is something […]
Strategic Insights
Blockchain and Printing, Publishing, Packaging
Blockchain, it’s probably going to be the most used buzzword in boardrooms this year. According to Gartner’s Hype Cycle, it has just passed the ‘peak of inflated expectations’. And that’s what we see: everyone is […]
Strategic Insights
A closer look into the mirror: expert myopia (the case for hiring an external consultant)
Last week I received an email regarding the Christmas card that we sent to our family and friends. And the question in that email is the perfect example why every business should consider hiring an […]