StampaTech Intelligent packaging innovation available free until December 31st

StampaSud S.P.A., Mottola (near Taranto), southeast Italy

Earlier this month, Italian printing company StampaSud   S. P. A. launched StampaTech, an intelligent packaging innovation that lets users access unlimited amounts of information from a product's label.  It can connect to data on everything from point of origin, current location, ingredients, quality and freshness indicators, instructions for use, shopping and social media sites, satisfaction surveys, and other marketing collateral.  Besides increasing consumer trust, it offers a huge potential to facilitate operations like delivery tracking, quality monitoring, supply analytics, mass recalls, counterfeit detection, sales, and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and many types of consumer goods.

StampaSud's Commercial and R&D Director, Tony Calo, stated:  "We wanted something that allowed digital systems to work at 360 degrees on a platform of print that is in reality the basis of most communication.  There was currently nothing in the market that had the ability to do this, so we built one ourselves"

Mr. Calo is especially happy that StampaTech places print in what he believes is its primary role of leading digital communication; it is easy enough for every brander, agency, print buyer and manufacturer to use and afford; and that it works with all hand-held media.

He also notes that it offers more appeal and interactivity than NFC and QR codes (but can be incorporated with them as needed), plus it is more environmentally friendly, less expensive, and requires no post-printing finishing work in contrast to RFID or security tagging solutions.

Mr. Calo’s unorthodox marketing techniques for StampaTech have included a product launch during a 6-day gathering on Italy's Mediterranean coast of select international guests whom Calo met on social media (see http://vicg8.blogspot.ca/2013/08/back-to-future-first-international_14.html).

Sauce label employs StampaTech technology

In an upcoming issue of PrintAction I will be devoting an entire column to StampaTech, complete with working samples and case studies as the technology becomes more widespread and more examples become available.

Meanwhile, to launch the product onto the market, Mr. Calo has announced that his company will provide a free introductory package to all manufacturers and branders who register before 2014.  To receive further information, please visit www.smartlabitalia.com  and leave your details in order to be re-contacted.

Recent media coverage of StampaTech includes:

http://www.graphicdisplayworld.com/categories/labels-a-packaging/2359-stampasud-announce-possible-game-changing-printed-packaging-technology

http://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/stampsud-launches-revolutionary-track-and-trace-development/

http://www.pr-inside.com/smartlab-launches-stampatech-a-revolutionary-new-intelligent-packing-innovation-r3800182.htm

http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Packaging/Tech-enables-easy-access-to-intelligent-packaging

http://www.aipia.info/news_215_printer-creates-intelligent-packaging-system.php

http://whattheythink.com/news/65344-smartlab-launches-stampatech-revolutionary-new-intelligent-packing-innovation/

The English portion of StampaSud S.P.A.’s Website is available at: 
http://www.stampa-sud.it/website/en/

2 Canadian companies win World Label Awards for wine labels

Two Canadian label printers are among the winners of the 2012 World Label Awards competition, which was judged by an international jury during Labelexpo in Chicago in September 2012.  Winners were announced on Friday by the L9, an informal group of the world’s leading label-industry trade associations, established at Labelexpo Asia in 2009 to unite and serve as a resource to label communities around the world.  

Their awards competition is divided into 22 classes covering all the main printing processes and label markets.  Entrants must first win a prize in the awards competition of their own local label association—in Canada’s case TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc.), a trade organization for converters and suppliers in the North American tags and pressure sensitive labels industry.

Both Canadian winners were recognized in Wine/Spirits categories:  ASL Print FX (Vaughan, Ontario) for its flexo label for Rennie Estate Winery 2009 Gaia, and TAPP Label Technologies Inc. (Langley, British Columbia) for its offset label for Cloud Valley 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.  (Actually, TAPP tied as Joint Winner with Sato Printing Co., Ltd., of Japan.)

These developments seem to reinforce my March-2012 article for PrintAction on world-class marketing innovations in Canada’s wine industry. https://www.box.com/shared/155447311a71831eea34

http://www.labelandnarrowweb.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2013-02-15/l9-announces-world-label-award-winners/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LNWBreakingNews+%28Label+and+Narrow+Web+Breaking+News%29

http://www.convertingquarterly.com/industry-news/articles/id/5250/2012-world-label-awards-winners-announced.aspx

http://www.worldlabelawardsassociation.com/

http://tlmi.com/

http://www.worldpackagingnews.com/2012/12/world-label-awards-restructured/

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+meeting+of+minds%3A+the+L9,+a+global+group+of+industry+associations,...-a0293417415

http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/04/04/new-ontario-wineries-2012/

http://www.aslprintfx.com/

http://tapptech.com/contact/

Packaging updates

"Pack Balancing Act", my October-2010 column in PrintAction, reports on the latest developments in packaging in Canada--including the recently implemented PACSecure food safety certification program. https://www.box.net/shared/8xzv4kk0tn

Regrettably, I just noticed a typo in the October issue (paragraph 4, page 32), which erroneously states:  "Already PACSecure has certified a dozen or so progressive Canadian packaging companies ...".  Instead, it should have read "half a dozen or so".  In fact, as recently as PAC's 27-Oct-2010 recall and traceability workshop in Toronto, the number of companies to have become certified under PACSecure was exactly 6.  The program is that new!  Additionally, my November-2010 column reports that Deco Labels and Tags is poised to become Canada's first label company to achieve certification under PACSecure. https://www.box.net/shared/lx31eionez

Prior to the publication of both these columns, I was delighted to have begun exchanging news with several international packaging contacts via LinkedIn.  Now or in future, I'd welcome further feedback on the complex and urgent demands being placed on packagers regarding food safety, environmental sustainability, and other topical issues, in Canada, the U.S., and other countries around the globe.