SIG Combibloc, one of the world's leading solutions providers for the food and beverage industry within the field of carton packs and filling technology, introduced an unprecedented digital solution that guarantees total control of the production process in the industry, and allows the creation of tailored digital marketing actions focused on the end consumer.

As explained by Ricardo Rodriguez, CEO of SIG Combibloc Americas, the solution was born from the need of customers to meet new consumer demands and to prove the origin and quality of products: "Food and beverage manufacturers need tools that maximize their efficiency, reduce losses, maintain control of the product throughout the supply chain, and show consumers the quality of what they are consuming."

Rodriguez adds: "Our new digital solutions portfolio shows the alignment of SIG with three megatrends: Connectivity – consumers are increasingly aware and want to receive information anywhere, any time; Authenticity and trust - through total transparency of quality information, food safety, and procedures to prevent fraud; and finally natural products with certificate of origin and free of chemicals, genetically modified crops, among others.”

In addition to ensuring food safety for the product and traceability from origin to point of sale, SIG's digital solutions portfolio ensures consumer connectivity with the brand. SIG has exclusively developed the first application for digital promotions called “Promo-Clicks.” With it, it is possible to develop tailored actions for clients, in addition to the use of geolocation tools that allow, for example, identification of regions with high consumption of a customer’s product.

"Research shows that by 2020 there will be more than 7 billion people connected, sharing stories and experiences. Thus, the company that finds new ways of buying and interacting digitally will have a competitive edge. And this is what SIG can offer with its growing digital solutions portfolio. With unique QR codes for instance, it is possible to create specific campaigns for a particular retail network or for a region of the country,” explains Luciana Galvão, Head of Marketing Americas of SIG Combibloc.

Technology in practice

As an example of a company that incorporates a digital solution from SIG, Galvão cites Languiru. They launched a range of dairy products in SIG aseptic carton packs, with individual and unique QR codes printed on the packs during production. The codes allow consumers to trace the supply chain and the quality process from the collection of raw materials, up to the milk’s industrialization and commercialization on a single platform. "Accordingly, Languiru can prove to consumers the quality of their product in a fast, practical, and accessible way. In addition, by reading the QR code, the consumer has access to product-related information about that package, without having to enter any additional information. On the website, which is an integral part of SIG’s solution, data is available on the customer’s quality system, the product, and the production process. The new digital services by SIG also allow each of the trays to receive a unique QR code; in turn, the pallets are identified via a bar code. "

The advantages of this new technology include the fact that it also maintains the control and management of production lines. “This maximizes the plant’s overall efficiency and cuts operational and investment costs by means of a specific information intelligence tool known as Power BI,” Galvão concludes.