The global beverage market has changed a great deal in recent years. Products have changed – for example, vodka used to be very successful in the past but is now experiencing a slow down. At the same time, there are products that are undergoing an exponential growth curve in sales. Examples of these include gin and tequila, and some other products that have reached record sales while threatened by huge taxes, just as Cognac with the Trump administration.

Whisky and Bourbon are going very well. Some experts have declared the latter could be the spirit to see a major up turn in the coming year.

All these statistics are directly affected by millennials’ preference for craft distilleries and for their type of consumption in general.

So far, you could say that there’s a global desire to consume alcohol and spirits in a different way than in the past, particularly for western consumers. They prefer well-made products, with good-quality raw materials and made in a traditional or pseudo-traditional way.

Today, craft distilleries have managed to profit from market-share that until now was occupied by the giants of the beverage world. This trend has forced everyone, big and small, to rethink not only their products, but also and more importantly, their packaging.

Now more than ever, packaging needs to be able to communicate a product’s quality and authenticity.In the spirits market, especially, there has been an ever more marked focus on the choice of closure. This has moved from being an almost unnoticed feature to becoming a genuine decorative accessory, an integral part of packaging and increasingly faithful to the brand’s values.

The use of packaging – and closures – as a genuine communication tool is a trend that’s more or less consistent across the globe. And to meet this new demand, we, at Tapì, are moving forwards on a number of fronts.

For example, Mexico and the United States are highly strategic markets for us. Tequila has experienced huge growth in recent years and there’s great potential in the mezcal world as well.

The US is strategic for different reasons. One of these is the success of Bourbon and craft distilleries, as mentioned earlier, since it’s important to be promptwith deliveries and reactive with local services when supplying this type of business.

France remains a key country for our business, due to Cognac, which is a highly significant product for us, considering the Group’s revenue and its positioning towards this specific niche market. However, we can also rely on some excellent results from other products, such as French whisky, gin, rum, vodka and other spirits, but also from products in the perfume, cosmetic, condiments and soon artisan beer industries.

Another strategic market for the Group is Scotland, of course. It offers enormous development potential for the whole company. Alongside this we continue to work with some traditional markets, such as Italy, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, as well as Central and South America, where we are attentively watching the possible boom on premium and super premium cachaça.

In recent years, we have noticed that East Asia and India are seeing growth in terms of spirits production, which explains our push to find potential new customers in this territory.

Think globally, act locally.

This is what our customers are increasingly demanding of us and the slogan could be used to encapsulate my role as Global Strategic Account Manager.

Being global and offering a robust contingency plan is required, but at the same time a local service is also necessary, suited to the various details of the different markets.

My work implies a certain ability to negotiate with contacts worldwide without overlooking or “offending” local contacts who are key both as purchasers and in packaging development. This entails diplomacy in my relationships with customers and adopting different ways of working.

For example, I would say I need to work across time zones, considering where my customers live and, I need to travel often. It’s useful to know how to communicate in various languages, other than in my native language, French. Obviously English and also Italian are useful for internal communications and with some key customers, as well as Spanish for the same reasons. And no less important is the need to know how to work in a team and the ability to meet round a table in different company departments, such as General Management, Sales, Marketing, Purchasing, R&D, Production, Quality, Administrationand so on.

You can’t bring in a deal for 80 million closures without working as a team. It’s impossible. And it’s perhaps the most interesting part of this new role.

I’m lucky to work with fantastic colleagues, who have incredible skills. I’m convinced that great success is even more enjoyable when it’s done through teamwork.

This article appears in our printed magazine, TapInk.

LEI – Low Environmental Impact – ist das Akronym, das auf kompakte Art die betriebliche Mission von Tapì zusammenfasst: Unseren Beitrag zur Senkung der Umweltbelastung zu leisten und damit Sorge um unseren Planeten zu tragen.

Daneben ist LEI (ital. „sie“) als Personifizierung von Mutter Erde zu verstehen, die die Welt versorgt und uns lehrt, unsere Umwelt zu respektieren. 

LEI soll Projekten, Produktsortimenten, Technologien, Produktionsverfahren und Best Practices unseres Unternehmens, die wir als nachhaltig bezeichnen, d.h. welche mit der geringstmöglichen Umweltauswirkung entwickelt wurden, eine klare Identität zu verleihen.

Green Design, Transparenz, Kundenzufriedenheit und Nachhaltigkeit: Diese Werte bilden die Grundlage der Vision von Tapì für Gegenwart und Zukunft.

Seit 20 Jahren arbeiten wir stetig daran, Produktionsmethoden, Beschaffungsketten und Verarbeitungsverfahren der Materialien so umweltverträglich wie möglich zu konzipieren, dabei auf alternative und erneuerbare Energiequellen zurückzugreifen und beständig in Forschung und Innovation zu investieren. Heute entwickeln und fertigen wir umweltfreundliche Verschlüsse, die mit dem Green Design-Anforderungen unserer Zielmärkte kompatibel sind.

Unter diesen findet besonders NEOS Erwähnung, eine innovative Technologie zur Senkung des CO2-Footprints von Produkten durch Rückgriff auf Biokunststoff aus erneuerbaren Quellen, der umweltfreundliche Verschlüsse mit unverändert hohen technischen Leistungen ermöglicht.

Oder Abor: Ein neuartiges Herstellungsverfahren für Verschlüsse des Spirits-Sektors, bei dem Destillationsreste unserer Kunden, welche sonst als Rohstoffe entsorgt worden wären, zu Packaging-Elementen recycelt werden, die die Geschichte des verpackten Produkts erzählen.

Ebenfalls im Bereich Recycling haben wir T-Cask gestartet, ein Verfahren zur Aufbereitung von Holz aus Reifungsfässern, die am Ende ihres Lebenszyklus bei uns zu Craft-Verschlüssen mit ökologischer Seele verarbeitet werden.

Mit Duo, einem Verschluss, bei dem Kopf und Fuß manuell abmontiert werden können, haben wir außerdem die korrekte Wiedernutzung von Bauteilen unter Beweis gestellt und die Grundlage für eine hybride Verschlusslösung namens Pure gelegt, eine vollwertige Alternative zu den herkömmlichen Lösungen aus Kunststoff oder Kork. Dieser besteht dagegen aus einem Verbund von Biokunststoffen aus erneuerbaren Quellen – NEOS – und sterilisierten Mikro-Granuli von Naturkork, die ohne Verwendung von Polyurethanklebern verbunden werden.

 

Dies und vieles anderes ist LEI, eine Art Rückkehr zu den Ursprüngen, bei dem die Achtung vor Natur und Umwelt die Grundlage für jede Handlung des Menschen bildet. Mit demselben Geist setzen wir von Tapì uns auch für eine nachhaltigere Betriebsorganisation ein und haben die Nöte und Bedürfnisse unserer Angestellten, Mitarbeiter und Kunden immer im Blick, mit dem Ziel, Produkt-. und Servicelösungen anzubieten, die unseren Markt bedienen und gleichzeitig unserem Planeten dienen.

Die Tapì-Gruppe

Tapì ist ein weltweiter Konzern, der sich auf die Entwicklung, Herstellung und den Vertrieb technologischer Design-Verschlüsse für den Premium Beverage-Markt spezialisiert hat.

Heute entwickelt Tapì Produkte für den Spirituosen-, Wein-, Würz-, Kosmetik- und Biermarkt. Mit über 600 Mitarbeitern in der ganzen Welt betreut und beliefert Tapì heute über 5000 Kunden in mehr als 60 Ländern und festigt seine globale Präsenz mit Niederlassungen, Forschungs- und Entwicklungseinrichtungen und einem dichten Händlernetz.

Zudem hat Tapì jüngst ein bedeutendes Übernahmegeschäft abgeschlossen und die französische Marke Les Bouchages Delage in die Gruppe aufgenommen. Damit wurde der erste Hub für Verschlüsse der Premium- und Super-Premium-Märkte geschaffen: Eine Gruppe, die in der Lage ist, heute am Markt ein Sortiment an Verschlüssen anzubieten, die hinsichtlich Vielfältigkeit, Kreativität und Performance ihres gleichen suchen.

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Wood is a noble material, prized in the creation of stylish, elegant closures. An insight into Wood by Tapì designs.

Tapì was established 20 years ago to make closures a key element in packaging.

Although, at least in the beginning, our business was focussed more on the production of innovative closures in synthetic materials. But as the years passed, our Research & Development team questioned whether these often-overlooked objects couldn’t be made even more unique and customisable.

From this, and our focus on the changing trends in the packaging world, a few designs were created in various wood finishes. They were made to pre-empt market demand which was to follow a few years later.

The opening of our Mexican site in 2014 was a cornerstone that allowed us to perfect our skills in this area. This factory specialises in making wooden closures and has offered the Group the possibility of radically changing its vision, by shifting its focus to the study of potential uses for wood in various market segments.

With all of these concurrent factors, we can now state that even five years ago we were the pioneers in wooden closures. And today our leadership position is still well-established due to our deep knowledge and control of the whole supply chain – from the forest to the finished product.

These days, we only work with wood whose supply chain we can ensure and manage ourselves. This allows us to avoid complex procedures and create ad hoc designs for our needs and the requirements of our customers.

Overseeing the whole supply chain brings us greater flexibility in terms of the ever-fluctuating market demands and has allowed us to develop from both a strategic and production viewpoint, and particularly for the needs of Europe and the Americas.

There is currently high demand for wooden closures in the spirits sector of the market. At Tapì, as pioneers in the sector, we can supply closures in various shapes and sizes, as well as offering customisations and many different finishes and wood varieties.

Over the years, we have created a range of products from our experience in using wood. These include T-Wood, Speakeasy and Signature Wood Inspiration.

T-Wood

T-Wood is a bar-top range of closures with wooden heads, available in various finishes, and with legs in synthetic materials. These closures are also available in the renewable source version – NEOS – micro agglomerate or in cork. T-Wood was created to enhance a basic design by changing the look of a natural material, such as wood, to give functionality and technical performance.

The development of the T-Wood range has also included the technical assembly of its components. In fact, we were among the first to offer co-injection – a technique that allows the bonding of head and leg without the need for adhesive. This technology ensures a perfect hold between the head and leg components and avoids the risk of breakage, by protecting the product’s functionality and the quality of the sealed distillate.

Speakeasy

For this design, we decided to evoke the secret yet slightly elite atmosphere of the speakeasy – stylish clubs that sold illegal alcoholic drinks in the 1920s Prohibition era in the United States. The range includes three different closure collections to mix and match with various bottle types.

Products with an alchemy feel that echo the old apothecary bottles in a refined, contemporary way. Each collection is presented in its own presentation box, containing a number of versions of the closure. Each of them is a blend of raw materials and a sophisticated design to enhance the specific qualities of the bottle it seals.

All the Speakeasy closures are customisable – from the choice of head, type of leg and material, right up to logo customisation and laser engraving.

Signature Wood Inspiration

The T and screw closures in the Wood Inspiration range were conceived and made as worked wooden sculptures, with high-quality customised inserts. This range is part of the Signature collection, the premium range by Tapì for the more ambitious distillate, condiment and cosmetic brands. It’s a combination of artisanal perfection, a technological and aesthetic celebration that conveys the expressive nature of wood through its natural veining and by playing with the elegance of its shape, finish and details.

Wood is a prized, noble material that’s the leading light of the whole Wood Inspiration collection, and which now has two new finishes – Exotic Woods and Craft Effect. The first has been made from rare, exotic wood varieties with a far-flung, mysterious feel that’s perfect to enhance any spirit or condiment with its unconventional, distinctive notes that spotlight the whole supply chain. The second, Craft Effect, was created as the meeting point between untreated wood and genuine leather. The result is distinctive and enhances the craftsmanship quality of every single product and packaging that it seals.

These are not just any closure; they are communication elements that express the values of the products that they are intrinsically connected with. Wood conveys Signature’s style evoking its age-old values and beauty that stands the test of time. It has a finesse that recalls the essential feeling of warmth both to the touch and look.

This article appears in our printed magazine, TapInk.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a number of changes, more or less radical, in the normal procedures governing work activities. We decided to interview Giacomo Dall’Ava, HR Manager, to learn how Tapì has reacted and dealt promptly with the crisis.

Giacomo Dall’Ava has been the HR Manager of Tapì S.p.A. since February 2019. He graduated in Philosophy, specialising in Cognitive Sciences and Decision-Making Processes, and in 2017 he completed a Master’s Degree in People Management and Human Resources at the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.

He combines classic management of Human Resources with more innovative projects promoting employee well-being and cultivation of talents: both aspects that are becoming increasingly necessary within a company.

In particular he told us about how Tapì managed to carry on with their work activities while protecting the health of employees and collaborators.

Italy is going through a very unusual period, with repercussions in many different sectors: how is Tapì dealing with the management of its employees and the organisation of work?

Tapì was designated as providing essential services in the food supply chain during the lockdown period enforced by the government. This meant that we were able to keep our business going, even if at a slower pace compared to our normal production rate due to the ongoing restructuring of the entire market.

However, if on the one hand we were fortunate enough to continue operations without interruption, on the other hand we needed to focus all our efforts on ensuring the health and safety of our employees in the shortest time possible, following the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the instructions provided by the Veneto Region.

To minimise risks as far as possible, my team and I were constantly searching for official information that would enable us to do more and to go beyond the minimum criteria, by implementing more safety measures than those that the government was recommending. Unfortunately, between the end of February and the first few days of March we were quite unaware of just how serious the situation was. Many companies were trying to deal with information coming in dribs and drabs, week by week, and the need to make quick decisions to protect the health and safety of their employees. From the outset we decided to act preventively by adopting safety measures such as, for example, minimum 2 metre distancing between people, screens to separate work stations and smart working.

Implementing a working from home policy, in such a short time, for a company like Tapì was far from easy. In fact, we are a production company and we were suddenly faced with the need to quickly organise smart working for a large number of employees, while taking into consideration the requirements of the various corporate functions related to the production processes.

Obviously, nothing is impossible and we decided to prioritise workers with the greatest needs (the fragile workers, those with health issues or with family members requiring care), then we moved on to the large group consisting of white-collar workers.

As for the production team, the workers used up any accrued vacation days during the peak period of the pandemic. And we have done all of this, to this day, without taking advantage of the redundancy fund made available by the Italian Government to cover this extraordinary emergency situation.

Currently we still have several employees working from home since we decided to maintain limited access to our offices. We have reduced the flow of people going out to lunch by bringing packaged single serve meals to the workplace in order to avoid crowding of employees and contact with places outside the company confines.

Although the situation is now under control, we cannot say that the crisis is completely over and this is not the time to compromise all the efforts made by the State, the companies and by the citizens themselves.

In just a few days Tapì, like most of Italy’s companies, was faced with changes that, under normal circumstances, would have required years to happen. What did this situation involve and what rules did you give to your employees?

As soon as the first hotspots started, the one in Codogno and the one in Vo’ Euganeo, we started informing our employees and collaborators every week via emails by outlining the new rules, internal and external, as well as  the ministerial and regional guidelines.

From the start we decided to instruct all our employees directly on the correct use of masks, hand sanitisers and all the changes introduced within the company to improve work flows and avoiding direct contact between people. This was the case for both our factories in Italy: in Rossano Veneto and in Massanzago.

As I said earlier, all the rules that were put in place are still active because this is not the time to lower our guard. It is also a sign of awareness for our employees of what happens outside the confines of the company.

We have become disseminators of what is happening, also because the pandemic crisis has provoked an unprecedented and difficult to manage infodemic, exposing people to very dangerous fake news (for example the one about gargling with a solution of water and bleach to disinfect the body). In times such as these, marked by fear of the unknown, we are more exposed to errors which is why we wanted to open such a large dialogue window with all the people that work alongside us.

What paths has Tapì taken as a result of this crisis to further bolster the innovation that has always distinguished it?

Certainly remote working is one of the innovations, not just seen as simply working from home, but as a way of facilitating work-life balance. In fact, one of the negative aspects of remote working is always being connected and, with Tapì factories spread around the globe, communications may arrive at any time of day.

Considering this aspect, the risk could be that people never take their minds off work which would have a negative effect on their health and well-being.

So once again the task force team became a group of disseminators facing the state of emergency by developing clear remote working guidelines, including the need for regular breaks and clocking off at scheduled times. Our objective was to meet with each employee separately, to gain a clear understanding of each person’s requirements and to find appropriate work-life balance solutions.

At a time of great difficulty like the one we have experienced (and are still experiencing) we decided to strengthen our corporate team even further and on this occasion we received great support especially from our employees, who adapted to all the rules without any problem whatsoever and who helped us throughout the entire information and awareness process.

Has the role of HR changed in this period? If so, how?

From what has emerged so far it is obvious just how much the role of HR has changed. Communication with employees has intensified and interest in the well-being, health and safety of the people who are part of this company has increased significantly.

A great deal of attention has been devoted to training and information, even relating to personal issues.

The crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the world of work with many challenges but, at the same time, has offered new opportunities for developing a more ‘smart’ management of the various corporate functions. From your experience, do you think Italy is ready for a more widespread smart working practice?

I feel confident in stating that Italy is definitely ready, but there are a few issues we need to address. We often think that the brakes are due to the low digitization of the country, but the crisis has shown us that in many cases we already have the right tools for working remotely.

I think, however, what we need to focus on is the individual training of employees, managers and entrepreneurs, a step towards a change of mentality that is vital for all of us. Two main ingredients are necessary if smart working is going to continue post-pandemic: trust on the part of entrepreneurs and responsibility on the part of employees.

Today we cannot actually measure if there are or are not the conditions for moving forward with this approach, because in fact there has never been one. We cannot talk about real smart working, because we all simply rolled up our sleeves so that we could continue working while protecting the health of workers and collaborators.

When this virus will have become just a memory we will be able to think about a training course for management and workers, to teach the real value of our company mission and to transmit the real value of our corporate concept: not just a physical place that we turn up to every morning, but a holistic body of knowledge. Not people working as individuals, but an ecosystem created from everyone’s work. Not focussing on one’s own specific technical duties, focussing more on one’s role within the company network.

If all of this works, then I am firmly convinced that a real upgrade is possible

The recent pandemic has changed the megatrends in packaging design, with significant implications for the short and long term

The global pandemic has had a dramatic impact on people’s lives, and this has had repercussions on consumers’ perceptions of packaging. Until a few months ago, newspaper and internet headlines were dominated by worries about the invasion of plastic on our seas, by environmental compromises and the difficulties of managing recycling. All of this created consumer awareness about more sustainable lifestyle choices and habits. Then the pandemic took over and packaging, particularly single-use plastic packaging, has become the key element in ensuring health and safety.

So, it’s clear that today the value of good packaging is well understood, yet our concerns related to environmental sustainability have all but disappeared.

This is why now more than ever the whole packaging industry should evolve and move in the direction that can offer the best protection for the environment and the society we live in, by taking on a key role in this change.

There are a few considerations that ensue from this, such as how we can change the world of packaging after Covid-19 and how we can prepare ourselves to contribute to the creation of a more solid future that’s eco-friendly.

Greater interest in sustainable packaging

At the height of the pandemic, the media’s attention focussed on the value of packaging in supplying and delivering products to homes to ensure the health and safety of consumers. The consequence has been an increase in the use of single-use plastic, due to the general need to reduce the risk of transmission of a virus that is little understood.

Packaging is now recognised as one of the key tools in safeguarding products and consumers yet, at the same time, the increased use of plastics is raising awareness further about current consumer behaviour patterns and waste management.

As time passes, this will demonstrate a raised awareness of the true environmental impact of single-use plastics and it is likely that there will be a tendency towards the choice of products wrapped in packaging that can be partially or entirely recycled.  According to some research, even now consumers are already more likely to purchase products wrapped in eco-friendly packaging and, within the year, it’s expected that this will become an increasingly common requirement around the world.

A new vision of recycling

The current definition of recycling should be broadened and standardised. During lockdown, that has touched the whole world at various points in time, even consumers who don’t normally purchase online have used e-commerce services or apps for meal deliveries to their home. These numbers have reached unprecedented levels.

In the post-Covid-19 world, where it’s expected that home deliveries and online buying will remain high, emerging recovery technologies will be invaluable. It’s often difficult to recycle packaging. For this reason, it’s going to be all the more necessary to continue to protect products with functional and aesthetically pleasing packaging, as currently happens but with the added courage to create new components that can be completely recycled.

Discover Duo, the closure from the Collection range that can be separated and recycled

In the short term, the whole packaging industry will need to deal with a growth curve, characterised by research and development into more efficient ways of collecting, sorting and reusing materials and existing technology to tackle future consumer trends.

As forecasts predict that e-commerce and takeaway food services will continue to grow, ways of sorting multi-material packaging or identifying new ways of collecting pre-existing packaging need to be established.

We’ll need to set objectives and take effective action, but also introduce legislation and standards to widen the concept of recycling. Alongside this, we need an alignment between States and international organisations to include more collection types, promote innovation and help to support investment.

Reusable packaging will continue its growth, but in a different way

To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, a growing number of restaurants have suspended the use of reusable containers and in some countries, they have temporarily revoked the ban on using plastic bags. These changes have led many experts to ask themselves what the future of reusable packaging will be.

Realistically, aside from the initial unease, we can say that there’s nothing to fear and that reusable materials will be a growth opportunity. It will be sufficient to change approach and offer cleanliness and sanitation guarantees before being made available for reuse, with the potential for the creation of new business within this field.

This type of approach would reduce the risk of relying on consumer cleaning practices, by reducing the potential transmission through handling and by introducing a new development to the world of packaging.

Reinvention and action

While we look to the future of a post-pandemic world, we have the opportunity to assess and reinvent the environment we live in, by identifying structural weaknesses and committing ourselves to researching new solutions. To get started, we need to begin to look at packaging as a system and explore the impact of change to the supply chain. By doing this, we can bring together interested parties within the value chain to continue to create a shared vision of the near future.

Creating a joined-up strategy that recognises the value of packaging, but also emphasises how to deal with its weaknesses, could lead to economic growth for the whole industry. It won’t be easy but if we can align everyone around a strategy that’s based on principles that protect the environment and people’s health, it will be possible to increase efficiencies for the reciprocal advantage of society, the environment and the economy.

The concept of sustainable packaging goes far beyond just design. It demands innovative thinking, inquisitiveness, and the desire to move the circular economy forwards so that it can meet the changing demands of consumers and protect the world we live in.

Want to find out more about Tapì’s environmental activities?

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The gala ceremony to announce the winner of the 14th Pentawards Edition is to take place in October and Tapì will be an official sponsor for the competition.

The difficult times we are all living through may well change Pentawards plans. So, we decided to interview Adam Ryan, Head of Pentawards, to tell us how such an influential event is dealing with these issues and what its plans are to survive in the future.

1. What are Pentawards and how did the competition come to be established?

Pentawards is the first and most prestigious global competition exclusively dedicated to packaging design.

Founded in Belgium, in 2007, Pentawards was created by husband and wife Jean Jacques and Brigitte Evrard. The couple who both had degrees in design, founded the design agency Carré Noir and the Desgrippes Gobé group.

In October 2016, Pentawards was acquired by Easyfairs, a global top 20 exhibition and events business which has an extensive packaging event portfolio.

Over the last few years, Pentawards has grown, it is now not only a competition, but it provides a core source of inspiration to connect the global packaging community. This is done through its annual gala ceremony, international conferences, winner exhibitions, networking events, social media platforms and books.

Our mission is to promote packaging design, add value and connect our beautiful community.

2. Pentawards are the highest accolade in packaging design. Including both sponsors and exhibitors, how many businesses are involved in this global competition?

This years competition has been another record breaking year, we received over 2,000 entries from 60 countries across 5 continents, with top contributing countries including Russia, Spain, China, the US and the UK. Nearly 400 entries have been shortlisted across the six main categories of the competition, which hold a total of 59 sub-categories.

We have 4 main sponsors UPM Raflatac (Finland), Reflex (United Kingdom), Shenzhen Baixinglong Creative Packaging  Co.,Ltd (China) and of course Tapi (Italy). Each sponsor is from a different sector of the packaging supply chain and we are very proud of our the global representation from our sponsors.

We also have strong relationships with globally recognised media partners, associations and exhibitions such as; the European Packaging Design Association (EPDA) based in Germany, Packaging Premiere (Italy) and etapes (France).

3.What does winning a Pentawards prize mean?

Winning a Pentaward is seen by many to be the highest accolade globally for packaging design. Winning a Pentaward can be the pinnacle of many creative careers especially as the international jury who chose the winners are their peers.

I can honestly say we have a sensational jury and we are continuing to drive for a more diverse mix within our jury, ensuring we have representatives from different nationalities, ages, genders, educations, skill sets, experiences, knowledge and ethnicities.

This year’s jury is composed of members from 18 countries, across 3 continents, including first-time representatives from India, Denmark, Armenia, Switzerland and Brazil. We have also expanded with the inclusion of a wide mix of design agencies, brands and cooperation’s which include; Lego, Nestle, Amazon, Microsoft, Shiseido & Facebook.

Being a Pentaward winner is more than just a trophy it’s the industry kudos and opportunities that follow. Winners receive invaluable exposure through worldwide press, live events, website, social platforms and media coverage. Winners are also featured in the world famous and best seller ‘The Package Design Book’ which is distributed to more than 60 countries.

Being a Pentawards winner can be life changing, it can help win new business, build confidence, connect with peers, launch careers and fulfil dreams. Having the opportunity to celebrate such great achievements especially on stage at our gala ceremony allows the winners to be seen by the global packaging design community.

4. How will future Pentawards events change with the new social distancing restrictions?

We are optimistic that we will hold our gala ceremony in October, however, the safety of the judges, staff and participants is of upmost importance to us during this challenging time. We have to be realistic and consider other alternatives just in case it’s not possible to hold a live event.

Around the world many large organisations and brands have opted to keep moving and holding their events online. Take Giorgio Armani who live streamed their Milan fashion show from an empty event space in the city or festivals going online, these events are have hit some big numbers and you can still communite and connect with your target audience.

Over the last few months, we launched a series of Instagram Takeovers hosted by top creatives and designers to help share some positivity, inspiration, and tips for those working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. This has worked extremely well and has actually reached more people than we anticipated. Taking this as an example, we could consider an online gala ceremony option.

Easyfairs will implement new safety measures to protect its staff, clients and partners at our exhibitions by introducing new rules depending on different government guidelines and laws. For instance introducing social distancing rules, strict cleaning measures, introducing more checks which will include temperature checks with thermal imaging cameras, extending show days and opening hours, one way systems and maybe restricting numbers. We currently have a system called ‘Easy Go’ which allows exhibitors and visitors to scan each other’s badges, so totally contactless and safe.

Whatever we decide, we will ensure it’s to the highest level, our commitment is to provide support to our community during this time and to ensure we continue to celebrate creativity in packaging design.

5. Do you think that packaging design industry will be negatively affected by global pandemic?

I’m an optimist and I generally see that the glass is half full not half empty, though in this climate it has been tough.

People are doing what they do best… evolving and adapting. Some amazing examples of businesses who are adapting to the situation are alcohol distillers turning their efforts towards making hand sanitizers or car manufacturers using their factories to make ventilators.

During times like this research shows that product innovation will slow but brand innovation will increase. So, brands will be finding new ways to engage with consumers and packaging will be a huge one. I think connected packaging will start to play a big part, especially with the opportunity to use QR codes to learn more about a product without touching it. Designers will design more for the home rather than the self.

From our Instagram takeovers I would like to share some great quotes from 3 packaging design experts which sums up the COVID-19 experience:

Steve Honour, Design Manager Europe & Africa at Diageo and Pentawards Jury Member:

“We are in lockdown, but our creativity isn’t”

Carolina Alzate Alvarez, CEO of OpenLab and Pentawards Jury Member:

“This moment of uncertainty is an opportunity to create something new”

Karim Rashid, Designer

“Design needs to regain that sense of feeling, aesthetic, and problem solving”

Mauro Porcini, Senior VP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo

“Real design is about us as human beings, our talent and ability to create something that is meaningful for the world and for others. Right now that’s more important than ever”

“The next decade of innovation will be the most consequential of all time”. This is a quote from Forbes in 2019 and with recent events this will speed things up even more.

Designers, brands, packaging suppliers /manufacturers have been really focused on sustainability over the last few years and this will be a key industry shaping trend, but it will be now be defined alongside hygiene and consumer safety concerns. During the pandemic there has been widespread use of ecommerce and many brands will need to step up whilst facing pressure with cost.

The idea of premium in the distillate world and the evolution of luxury packaging

Luxury, by its very nature, is viewed as synonymous with exclusivity, elite values, the best-quality materials and higher cost. All these ideas can be applied to the spirits sector, where the premium sector is undergoing a so-called ‘polarisation in demand’.

Over the last few years, we have seen a notable split in the distillate market. Mass-market products continue to the maintain their dominant position, while those in the mainstream sector, that is in the mid-market, have been losing market share to upmarket distillates, namely the premium segment. This is a compelling evolution that’s also having a direct impact on the packaging world – closely connected to the luxury beverage sector.

This market trend shows that, through purchasing premium products, consumers are satisfying not only their needs – as happens with mass-market products – but also their desires. So how do you make a product desirable to a consumer who hasn’t come across it before? The answer is quite simple – through packaging.

Packaging design in the world of premium spirits

Following increasing demand for premium products, offerings have inevitably changed. These days you can find countless distillates that are well placed within this market segment and for the end consumer it’s difficult to make a choice based only on the information available online. So, it has become necessary to guide purchases using powerful visual communication – through the choice of coherent packaging elements that reflect the company’s values and the product on offer.

It’s currently very difficult to identify any single trend connected to the concept of luxury in the world of beverage packaging design. The common thread definitely remains distinctive and exclusive manufacturing processes, and even the use of cutting-edge materials and technologies, as well as taking advantage of cross-over from a number of other sectors.

Within this specific market segment, we can confirm that packaging has radically changed its own role. It’s no longer just a simple container – it has become the brand image’s spokesperson and communication tool for the client.

Even one – apparently simple – element, such as the closure, can play its part in storytelling. Just consider our Abor project. It has a production method that allows distillation waste, that otherwise would have gone to landfill, to be reused in the manufacture of our own line of customisable closures. Or even the whole of the Signature range, which sees premium materials such as ceramics, wood and metal take a leading role in embellishing any bottle it seals.

Closures in the premium segment of the market no longer assume a simply functional role. They also play a part in aesthetic appeal and brand storytelling, by adding the finishing touch to complete the distillate’s packaging.

What are the elements that define luxury packaging?

Over recent years, even the elements that distinguish the premiumisation of a given product have altered. Until fairly recently, ‘shiny’ materials took centre stage in luxury package design, but today, the focus is on originality, customisation, eco-friendliness and technology.

Shelf space is in ever-shorter supply for new products and their promotion, so the focus should be on what the container itself can offer and all the associated packaging elements.

Sustainability

There are always more brands in the spirit market that want to capture new consumers by focussing on ethical and green values, with cautious, sustainable production methods. Naturally, in these situations it’s important to target the reusable parts of packaging, either in part or in their entirety, or their reduced environmental impact due to the use of waste materials.

Abor, as previously mentioned, belongs to this category, as does Duo – it’s a unique closure whose head can be separated from its leg, making it easier collect for recycling. Another good example is Mekano, the closure designed by Tapì Revò that offers endless possibilities in closures requirements.

Emotional connection

A premium product should always convey something to the end consumer, namely emotion. But before getting to the liquid, the consumer needs to get through the packaging – and it needs to be closely connected to the contents.

This is the case with one of Tapì’s most recent references, Ayam. This French sake places itself as the meeting point between East and West, between tradition and innovation. Its packaging perfectly tells its story, through the transparency, sophistication and modernity of the closure selected.

Craftsmanship

Often premium can be synonymous with ‘craftsmanship’ in its production processes – either wholly or in part. This craftsmanship trend is growing steadily and consumers are becoming ever more demanding and aware of manufacturing processes, as well as that of how the packaging is made.

Tapì can claim a number of examples of craftsmanship. From the stone-effect finish for Signature Ceramic Inspiration Stone Effect to the Signature Wood Inspiration range with its distinctive Craft Effect that can house leather inserts in its wooden heads. Both of these are strong references for craftsmanship, effectively communicating this significant value.

Other unmissable elements for closures in the premium distillate segment

As we have seen, closures no longer play a purely functional role in capping a bottle. They have become an integral part of packaging, a strategic ingredient for communication and the enhancement of a product’s value.

The establishment of the Signature range in 2015 was based on this idea, that is lending importance to an often-undervalued element, such as a closure. This range of products includes distinctive materials, such as ceramics, that ensure the excellence and sophistication of any distillate it seals.

Among the advantages of this range of closures, we find the weightiness of the object. A ceramic, or wooden, closure can never be lightweight because of its very nature and composition. And this is an essential feature that should always be present in a closure destined for the premium market.

Weight, in fact, plays a part in both visual and tactile communication that helps to convey the quality of a specific product. In reality, if the entirety of the packaging makes it heavy, the end-consumer will associate a higher value to the distillate itself.

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Tapì’s advice on how to choose the right closure for your product

Selecting the perfect closure for your distillate can be far from straight forward. There are a variety of considerations – from the type of product to reaching your target market.

Before we look at each variable in turn, though, we need to take a step backwards. Closures are not just a bottle cap. They should be able to preserve the liquid without any impact to its taste or flavour. And as it forms an integral part of your product’s packaging, it shouldn’t and mustn’t be left to chance. It should be aesthetically in-keeping with the other packaging elements and fit with the messaging intended for your potential customers.

Now that’s covered, let’s look at how to select the perfect closure for your premium or superpremium distillate.

Product type

The first thing to consider is the type of distillate you intend to produce. For liqueurs and spirits, the oxygen barrier is not a key factor, but it should still be good enough to protect the product in the bottle from any external factors such as high temperatures. This particular issue merits significant consideration, given that heat can make the liquid expand, increasing the pressure within the space where the liquid is held. This can lead to the closure being pushed upwards resulting aesthetic damage and product leakage. And, as noted in the introduction, closures should always guarantee that no interference with the liquid has taken place, as well as contributing to the overall look of the product.

Closures known as ‘T closures’ ensure an optimal balance between aesthetic appeal and technical performance – ideal for the premium and super-premium sector. And Tapì has established itself and developed its position in this area over the last 20 years. This kind of closure takes its name directly from its shape. They have a leg – which is inserted into the neck of the bottle – and a head – the external part that does not come into contact with the liquid.

This structure allows the head to be made from any sort of material. Wood, plastic, aluminium, ceramic are some of the most commonly used by Tapì. But we do design closures on request, or use our cutting-edge production methods, as we do for Abor which is made from distillation process waste products. Naturally, any part of the head can be customised – from the perspective of colour, printing, engraving, embossing, laser work, heat branding and with various types of insert.

The leg can also be made from different types of material. The ones we use the most are synthetic polymers – or biopolymers. They are perfect for avoiding transfer issues which can happen when substances like cork are combined with clear spirits.

The alcohol acts like a solvent and can extract large quantities of poly phenols from the cork. And more specifically tannins that can result in the clear liquid taking on a yellow colour and spoiling the product.

This is exactly why synthetic legs are among the most well used. This doesn’t mean that cork is not suitable for T-closure leg construction, in fact, at Tapì, we use it for darker spirits that have usually been aged. And of course, there’s always the middle ground, known specifically as the micro-agglomerated leg. This ‘hybrid’ solution is a compromise between cork and synthetic materials.

Context and target market

As we’ve already mentioned, closures are a highly significant element that is part of product packaging. So, when it comes to the premium and super-premium spirits segment, it’s really important to select a closure that can blend functionality and design. And this is where the variables of context and target market come to the fore.

The idea, more specifically, is connected to the perception of quality for a given product. Packaging as a whole is a key purchase lever. And for this reason, it’s important that each individual element fits in with the rest and expresses the brand’s key messages.

One example would be a distillate produced through sustainable methods, selected raw materials and uniquely linked to the product’s region of origin. A product like this could use a closure designed similarly to Abor – its production process designed by Tapì involves the recovery of distillation waste products that would otherwise go to landfill. By choosing Abor this opens up so much potential for storytelling – namely talking about the product’s origins without forgetting the immense value of its eco-friendly design which underpins this closure’s production process. Equally, a product that’s positioned in the luxury segment – with stylish, distinctive packaging – could do well to marry up with a closure featuring a ceramic head, perhaps even decorated with an aged-wood effect.

So, as we have seen, context is key to the effective positioning a product within its niche market. And the perception of value conveyed to the market is equally important in determining the success or failure of a liqueur or distillate.

The bottle

The right choice of closure also depends on the bottle used for your distillate. The best way to come to a decision is to test out a few closure samples with your filled bottle to find out which has the best fit.

If this is out of the question, then you’ll need to work from the technical designs from the glassmaker who made the bottle, which is usually provided at purchase.

In general, these details will ensure an optimum fit and avoid any liquid leakage. Clearly, there are other factors that may influence your choice such as shape of the neck of the bottle. For this reason, it’s essential to follow our advice about trying out a few samples before making your final choice.

A final note

The recommendations listed are suggested based on our experience. In any case, we advise the assessment of all the elements and factors involved – bottle, product type, fill level and the packaging as a whole.

Contact us to arrange a consultation with our area manager.