All Printing Resources (APR) announces that on October 11 at 2pm EST, APR will present an industry webinar that focuses on trends and perceptions at the brand/packaging buyer level, spotlighting the label and narrow web flexible packaging industries. Earlier this year, APR commissioned industry research firm LPC, Inc. to carry out an extensive North American brand owner/packaging buyer survey.

The survey gauged companies’ perceptions in key areas including digitally printed labels, converter proximity preferences and what drives companies to seek new, narrow web print vendors.

In addition to the quantitative surveying, over the course of the research in-depth interviews with packaging buyers also explored the areas of SKU proliferation and printed package complexity levels. During the webinar, Jennifer Dochstader and David Walsh of LPC, Inc. along with APR’s Catherine Haynes will take attendees through the results of the survey work in addition to ways converters are meeting heightening packaging-buyer requirements head-on. APR President and CEO, Dave Nieman, comments, “APR elected to commission this important market research project because we wanted to take a close look at the perceptions and preferences of the companies that purchase and use labels and flexible packaging products. These are the two primary markets APR serves and I felt we were perfectly positioned to act as an intermediary and to bring the research back to our label and flexible packaging customers.”

Brand owners and packaging buyers across end-use verticals participated in the APR surveys including food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care/cosmetics, chemicals, automotive and consumer durables/electronics. Jennifer Dochstader, Managing Director at LPC, Inc., comments, “I applaud APR for prioritizing market research at the brand owner/packaging buyer level. Not nearly enough companies in our industry conduct research in this space, and it’s so important for narrow web converters to learn about what current perceptions, pain points and opportunities are in the marketplace from the viewpoint of the very people that source and purchase these products. We work in a maturing industry that manufactures products that are increasingly commoditized in the eyes of the buyer. So how do we ‘de-commoditize’ the products we sell? How do we find innovative ways to serve our companies up when it comes to growing our businesses and effective prospecting? I think it’s more and more important that suppliers in our industry survey the ‘customers of their customers.’ This enables them to be a more effective supplier-partner.”

The webinar is open to all printing/converting companies serving the North American label and narrow web flexible packaging industries. Attendees can register for the webinar at: 
https://flexo.co/webinar-10-11-18