Cog and AWA host “Enhancing Brand Value with Shrink Sleeves.”

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?)