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The Cogs are always up to something. Read what we have been involved in over the years by scrolling through the various news articles, events, and happenings below.
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Alexander Watson Associates (AWA) pulled off one heckuva panel discussion during their AWAVirtual™ 2020 International Sleeve Label Conference & Exhibition. The topic was “Enhancing Brand Value with Shrink Sleeves.” The insights were flying, thanks to Andrea Rizzardi from Italy’s Gentlebrand, Jerome Labie representing The Coca-Cola Company R&D in Belgium, Lucas Helferty speaking for The Absolut Company - Pernod Ricard in Canada, and Tracy Murchison in Cincinnati with the Procter & Gamble brands Olay and Safeguard.
Our president and CEO, David Lukshus, pulled on his moderator pants again to be sure everyone had their say.
Here are some gleanings:
1. Shrink sleeves are the premium choice for brands who want to maximize the total surface on their packaged product and drive disruption (i.e., "real estate”) with messaging, imagery, and color.
2. Shrink sleeves can give smaller companies a competitive advantage and can be an economical choice for companies, like breweries, that prefer shrink sleeves to cans, as they are much cheaper.
3. Sustainability is increasingly on everyone’s minds and the reason some brands reject the idea of more plastic, even in the face of the marketing advantages of shrink sleeves.
4. Shrink sleeves provide functional and technical benefits, such as acting as a product seal and providing a light barrier for products like milk. They require no glue and are easier for the consumer to dispose of the label.
To Corey Reardon, Francesco Ticca, Patryk Sliwa, and everyone else over at AWA, you rock (does anyone say that anymore?)
When Mixicles asked us to show some love to their unique, new product and complement their packaging agency, Redshoe Brand Design, we poured it on. Our Structural Design Specialist, David Brown, recorded his experience building an ingenious, first-time-ever product carton with a new client under an amazingly tight deadline. Read it in Cognitions here
BXP (Brand Experience: Packaging) Magazine loved the story so much they featured it in their October issue. They did us proud. Check it out and peruse the rest of the content-rich pages. Click here and flip to page 19.
If you’re a cocktail connoisseur interested in having the ingredients frozen and ready to drop into your favorite spirit, look for Mixicles here. Cheers!
Yep, that’s our own David Lukshus, President and CEO at Cog, holding "Dream of Colorado Rockies," a painting by Jaclin Hastings and John Nusekabel. Why’s he so happy? Well, being the successful bidder on such an impressive and inspirational piece of art is one reason. The other is, he, all of us Cogs, and every volunteer at Visionaries + Voices can breathe a big sigh of relief.
Cog has donated talent and resources to V+V for the last few years, and David has served on their board of directors. When it came time for the annual Double Vision art auction, there was COVID-19 trying to ruin everything. The V+V team weighed the risks and decided to host it remotely. But, would people feel the excitement of a live auction when at home? Would the art look as wonderful online as it does in real life? It was a suspenseful seven days, but Cincinnati art lovers came through in a big way by the fourth day. Purchases amounted to over $30,000.
Thanks to everyone who participated, from all of us volunteers and 150 very grateful artists. Little jewels of the city like V+V can’t exist without all of you.
So, you’ve just created six fictitious wine, craft beer, and spirits brands to showcase your snazzy new sustainable label substrates and luxurious foils. Who ya gonna call to get production-realistic prototypes done fast and fantastic? As this is a Cog news item, the answer is, “Duh.” We’ve long admired Avery Dennison and API, so when they asked for help making an impression at this year’s Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, CA, we immediately said yes. The six gorgeous labels bearing their designs were put impeccably in place by our new bad-azz cold foil prototyping system. The takeaway here is, sustainable materials can have awesome shelf-appeal. Read more at Packaging Impressions online mag.
Regards to Joe Walsh, but it was Cog singing “Rocky Mountain Way,” as we headed into Colorado to cap-off our 2019 Discovery Tours. We said “hi” to old friends and met a few new ones. This inspirational band of smarties uses state-of-the-art technologies and world-class know-how to rock the packaging design-to-print supply chain. We’re ready to share, so if you’d like Cog to visit you and be your advocate, contact us at engagenow@cogdriven.com.
Denver, CO LRXD
Broomfield, CO Danone – WhiteWave Packaging R&I
Longmont, CO Sticker Giant – A TLMI Member Printer/Converter
On typical printing industry showroom floors, you’ll see a lot of new and emerging technologies. That was certainly the case when Mark Lackey and Lindsey Frimming attended this year’s PrintingUnited. The show was jam-packed with over 680 represented suppliers, industry-leading subject matter experts, and new technology.
Highlights included:
1. Sustainability Strategies Luncheon: A panel-speaking engagement which encouraged everyone in the print supply chain to re-examine their commitment to the environment at all steps of our processes.
2. Color-Logic and MGI showcased their software and print embellishing technologies which provide options for marketers to accommodate changing buyer behaviors caused by Amazon Prime.
3. Omni-Channel Optimization: Subject-matter experts and industry leaders espoused the utilization of digital print as a key component to an omni-channel marketing program.
4. Mark Lackey attended and graduated from BrandUnited University, which focuses on the optimization of, digital printing technologies.
5. Lindsey Frimming participated in the Recognizing Women in Print breakfast, which introduced Cog to some kick-ass women and their stories.
Mark Lackey and David Lukshus just popped the question to Lindsey Frimming, Cog’s first employee, to be their lawfully bound business partner. Typical of Lindsey, she took it in stride with a bright smile and a single remark, “Duh!”
Legend has it Lindsey once figured out a way to print on the surface of water. She’s tight-lipped about it, but we’ll give her the benefit of the doubt, as her talent for innovation is prodigious. As Cog’s Chief Innovation Officer, she can do more of what she’s done ever since she joined Cog as our first hire in 2010: impress us, our clients, and our competition. *sniff* WE LOVE YOU, LINDSEY!
Pardon us, Willie, but we have to sing it: “On the road again!” This trip, Cog visited more business associates in the packaging design-to-print supply chain to cross-pollenate ideas and news that might be beneficial to all. If you’d like Cog to visit you, contact us at engagenow@cogdriven.com.
This trip:
Aurora, IL The Label Printers – a TLMI Member Printer/Converter
Chicago, IL Ciulla Associates
Neenah, WI Outlook Group – a TLMI Member Printer/Converter
Minneapolis, MN CGS Technologies
LaCrosse, WI Inland Packaging – a TLMI Member Printer/Converter
Chicago, IL Landor Associates
The Innovative Labeling Solutions Open House. Thanks to Eric Knop (far right), the Cogs were there. We hate to let a learning moment get by us, and we saw this one as a must. ILS, based in Hamilton, Ohio, is one of those bright stars in the packaging design-to-print universe we’ve gazed upon for many years. They live up to the innovation claim in their name, and showed all of us attendees how it’s done. In partnership with H-P and ABG, and packaging development guru Michael Ferrari, ILS put on an impressive demonstration of their label and shrink-sleeve capabilities. All of their equipment impressed us, but their new H-P Indigo GEM, which allows digital printing and embellishments such as foil, spot, tactile, cast & cure, and special effects, was out of this world… and, as you might have guessed, right up our alley.
When twenty TLMI judges and staff came to town to weigh-in on hundreds of submissions for the annual label and tag printing competition, Cog met them with meatballs. We invited them to the secret underground Cog facility to get to know the Cogs in a casual, milling, chatting, meatball-eating atmosphere. Along with Mark Lackey’s famous BBQ meatballs, our guests enjoyed our favorite hummus from Aladdin’s in OTR, an assortment of finger foods, and a surprise from our new friends and clients Jen Morales and Jason Stitt. Expensive corporate attorneys by day, they own a start-up known as Mixicles that manufactures frozen botanical and flavored ice cubes for adding a nice something extra to your favorite tequila, vodka, gin, rum, or bourbon. Jen and Jason served as bartenders for our gathering, while Paul Teachout from Nilpeter kicked-off the evening with a welcome to the judges who’d traveled from out of town. What a great bunch of folks!
Cog visited another group of business associates within the packaging design-to-print supply chain to re-affirm relationships and to combine brain power on how things can be done smarter and faster. If you’d like Cog to visit you, contact us at engagenow@cogdriven.com.
White Plains, NY Danone North America
Lancaster, PA FORCE pkg
Cohoes, NY Printed Products – a TLMI Member Printer/Converter
Shillington, PA William Fox Munroe
New Kensington, PA Yerecic Label – a TLMI Member Printer/Converter