You can’t judge a book by its cover: changing the perception of cover finishes

rands and consumers alike continue to demand greener thinking and sustainable options from their suppliers, and the area of magazine/brochure cover finishes is no different. In a world where recycling is paramount, with more than 80% of the

Despite the shift towards digital in many areas of our lives, print marketing remains a major contributor to the typical media mix, with advertising mail forming the third largest media channel in the UK, worth £1.7 billion annually. Though many businesses are cutting marketing spend in the current climate, a recent article suggests that those who halved their marketing budget took up to three years to catch up with competitors who carried on as normal.

Challenging traditional cover finishing stereotypes

‘I’m going to dispel a few myths,’ begins Middleton.‘Pretty much all of the finishes we apply are recyclable, every one of them - even the lamination. It’s all to do with the content. If you’re putting a 10-12 micron piece of film onto a 220g board, it’s less than 5% of the material and the WRAP Report states that it’s completely recyclable.’

As Middleton suggests, the Waste and Resources Action Programme’s Paper and Board Packaging Recycling Guide explains, ‘Keep the plastic content as low as possible, with an aspiration of less than 5% of the pack weight. 15% is currently acceptable, however this is expected to reduce over time towards the aspirational goal, with a maximum 10% target by 2023.’ By ensuring the lamination on its covers is less than 5% of the overall material, Celloglas is going above and beyond current environmental targets to further benefit the planet - and that’s just the beginning.

Whether you choose a UV varnish, a lamination or a foil, Celloglas ensures its cover finishes stay within the requirements of the WRAP Report and the Confederation of Paper Industries Paper and Board Packaging Recyclability Guidelines so they are fully recyclable. Here, Middleton explains what happens to the fine film of plastic on a cover when it’s recycled.

Measurement

‘Whether you are running a national, regional or local campaign, highly sophisticated geodemographic targeting and audience profiling ensures that you are reaching the postcode sectors with the highest propensity of your target audience. It is no wonder 67% of people were prompted to make a purchase as a result of receiving door drop mail.’

‘Door drop offers access to a vast audience with at least one member of every household having to interact with the advertising itself. Research has shown that, on average, a door drop is interacted with 2.8 times once it reaches the home. Door drop’s tangible nature ensures high recall and action and record levels of mail interaction.’

‘Whether it’s redemption of vouchers, driving to a landing page with a QR code, or pushing for uplift in in-store and online sales, door drop is a highly measurable medium. With more people than ever spending more time in their homes, a low access price, significant reductions for bulk bookings, huge creative opportunity, and proven, strong ROI, what are you waiting for? There really are only three key ingredients: the right creative, high-quality print material and industry-leading planning and targeting.’

Targeting

Reach and engagement

Though it’s a more expensive strategy than door drop, PAM also receives increased engagement. According to Royal Mail, 86% of PAM is engaged with, compared to 72% of door drops. PAM also has a wider reach, with 30% more households contacted than with direct mail on the same budget. Whistl uses Waitrose as a particularly successful case study. The supermarket used a PAM campaign to deliver coupons to 300,000 homes and in doing so generated 1,144 new customers. Adding a discount voucher to a campaign, especially when the nation is tightening its purse strings, is sure to encourage footfall. Consider a blend of both door drop and PAM to derive benefits from both strategies and receive maximum ROI.

Online shopping continues to grow in popularity, with a quarter of UK consumers doing 90% of their shopping on the web. As a result, there’s never been a better time to consider a printed insert campaign. We all know the excitement one feels when you receive a package, so it stands to reason that consumers would be more receptive to a piece of print if it’s delivered alongside something they’ve just bought. Targeting people when they are having a positive unboxing experience is a surefire way to win favour with your audience. During periods where seasonal shopping is at its height, inserts are a winning option, so it would be worthwhile considering how to collaborate with a delivery service. Magazine and regional and national press inserts are another cost-effective way of getting directly into a consumer’s hands, especially while the combined regional press market remains strong and the new normal of working from home means that inserts are consumed more in a domestic environment. Having a voucher insert inside a seasonal edition of a popular title is another winning strategy.

Ultimately, it’s harder to ignore printed marketing materials when they come as part of your favourite magazine or newspaper, within your Hello Fresh delivery or through your letterbox. Capitalise on your captive audience while they are willing to engage. Walstead can help with your next door drop, partially addressed mail or press insert campaign or offer tailored advice about how to utilise a blend of all three. Get in touch for more information.

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For Middleton, the main challenge is educating magazine publishers and retailers on the variety of sustainable cover finishes Celloglas offers. ‘Brands are really keen to know what is good and what is bad. That’s my role, to explain to them that they are doing a great job for their brand by using our products.’ Though many might assume that a foiled or metallic cover is problematic, Middleton alleviates those fears. ‘Our foils are all completely recyclable. They’re as good as it gets.’ Celloglas advises that where foil application keeps to a limit of no more than 60% of a cover’s surface area, this ensures the cover is recyclable. ‘Brands don’t want to be associated with something that’s clearly not good for the planet, so we’ve got to be quite clear that they’re doing the right thing by using foil. That look is something we’ve got to encourage because it’s great for brands to show that they’re a premium product. Brands can rest easy. That’s the message I take out every time I go and see a client, because we can back it all up with the reports and statistics that we have at our disposal.’

Looking great, acting green

Today, brands don’t need to compromise on the look of their publications to make eco-conscious choices. Celloglas have a variety of options that push their eco credentials even further. ‘We do a Mirri board, a metallised polyester, in three variations. We do a PCR, a recycled plastic that makes the material, so it’s reused and then when it goes to the pulping mill it’s reused again and remade into the film using plastic bottles and recycled plastic product. It’s totally sustainable.’

The same is true of the brand’s Cellogreen finish, a cellulose-based over-lamination film product that offers all the benefits of gloss BOPP (oriented polypropylene) but is biodegradable, recyclable and sustainable. ‘You have to shout about it to your customer because otherwise none of people who are receiving Cellogreen would know that it’s recyclable, it looks exactly the same. I couldn’t tell, unless you put a recycled or compostable logo on it, which we can do because it’s made from wood pulp. Even though everything we offer is recyclable and, in most cases, compostable, we do have even greener versions of that, the Cellogreen and the Mirri Eco, where we strip away all the plastic as well.’

The Mirri Eco is a bright, plastic-free metallic finish that gives a high-shine look without compromising on sustainability. The Cellogreen option also has SFC certification. When it comes to developing greener print finishing options, Celloglas offer an incredibly wide choice.

New and next - level finishes

As well as being at the forefront of environmentally conscious cover finishes, Celloglas have also been ahead of the curve with Cellomed, a range of antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal coatings that many publications might be keen to make use of in the wake of the global pandemic. ‘We targeted the multi-use airplane magazines. I thought that menus would be an obvious choice as well, because it’s built into the lamination. We have seen a massive upsurge in the printing of menus. The outlets want them and the customers want them - they much prefer to have that physical thing in their hands. When you go to a restaurant, it’s part of the process, not getting your code out on your phone. The alternative is to have disposable versions. Now, what is the most energy efficient? To make all that print and paper and get rid of them every day or have this laminated version that they’re only going to make once?’

Continuing to innovate with the launch of its latest products, Middleton is enthusiastic about Celloglas’ Micromotion.‘It’s a way of varnishing with very, very fine lines, almost like a herringbone floor, they go against each other and create movement in the image. I think it’s got a wow point and it’s not massively expensive, it’s about the same as foil blocking.’

It can create a sunbeam illusion around any part of the cover. It’s sustainable, it’s a UV varnish and ticks all those boxes, the same as the silkscreen UVs.

Micromotion makes a great alternative to traditional lenticular covers, which are plastic-heavy.

For Middleton, what truly sets Celloglas apart from its competitors is the experience of its team. ‘I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I see myself as a resource to many of the brands, and to Walstead as well. I know what things are going to look like and I can put people off or sway them the other way. If someone asks for something and I think, “That sounds awful”, I have to say, “You’ve got to think again.” We offer this proofing service whereby, if [a brand/publication] comes up with an idea and it’s got legs, I’ll proof it free of charge. I’ll get a dye made and I’ll print it digitally - because it’s such a powerful tool, to see that front cover in all its finery. It’s got projects over the line every time. It may not be in the format they asked for, but it’ll be some version of it.’

Being able to draw upon Middleton’s expertise also offers options that a publication may not have considered - options that might enhance a cover or provide cost efficiencies.‘When you’re doing these proofs you then have the option to put in your ideas. I’ll say, “Look, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve done another option for you. What do you think to that? And that’s how much that costs.” It’s really powerful. The person you’re giving it to becomes your best friend because they take that into a meeting and people will say, “Wow, that’s brilliant, how did you get that done?” They become great within their company. We’ve been advocates of this way of selling because it changes your offering, it gives you options and every one of them is great for your brand.’

When it comes to publication covers, as well as other value added print products, there are a host of statistics that prove how compelling these can be. The print media market is predicted to grow this year as people are so eager to connect with the physical world and physical products. As such, printed publications become a physical extension of a brand and the hero of those print products is always the cover. Giving brands a cover that excites their customers, inspires their sense of touch - and provides the added benefit of being sustainable - is to create something that consumers can be wowed by and engage with guilt-free.

If you want your next cover to stand out, speak to Walstead and Celloglas to find out what eco-friendly, exceptional quality options are available to you.

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UK’s paper and board waste being recycled, the perception of high-shine or foiled covers is that they are bad for the environment. Walstead spoke to Steve Middleton, Sales Director at Celloglas, the UK’s leading specialist in decorative print finishing, to find out why this perception is simply untrue.

rands and consumers alike continue to demand greener thinking and sustainable options from their suppliers, and the

With less competition for your audience’s attention, your campaign can achieve unprecedented cut-through. As many traditional advertising channels are currently compromised, from experiential marketing at events to out-of-home advertising on transport systems, it makes sense to bring your campaign direct to your customer in the form of printed inserts, drop drops and partially addressed mail. As we heed the research about improved market performance, here are the top areas of investment to consider for your next campaign.

Door drop

Celloglas advises that where foil application keeps to a limit of no more than 60% of a cover’s surface area, this ensures the cover is recyclable.

Challenging traditional cover finishing stereotypes

Looking great, acting green

Celloglas advises that where foil application keeps to a limit of no more than 60% of a cover’s surface area, this ensures the cover is recyclable.

Micromotion makes a great alternative to traditional lenticular covers, which are plastic-heavy.

Being able to draw upon Middleton’s expertise also offers options that a publication may not have considered - options that might enhance a cover or provide cost efficiencies.

You can see from our website and our blog, we are on it. There are five directors and two of them sit on their local BPIF and they are really aware - we all are - because it’s important for our industry. We’re also massively at pains to point out that we’re zero to landfill as a company. Every bit of our waste is recycled.

You can download our eco credentials on our website which shows you the finishes we offer and tells you whether they are recyclable, compostable, whether they contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which you’ll be glad to know there are none in any of them, which are energy efficient and which help reduce waste.

The laminate on the surface goes into a mulch. It’s the same with UV varnish, there is nothing unfriendly about UV varnish. It’s got no VOCs, it’s completely compostable, completely recyclable. We did a popular motoring magazine recently that was processed with glow in the dark ink and at night, all the headlights of these electric cars ‘come on’.

It was really outstanding, I was blown away - but that’s a completely green product. It uses UV varnish, it’s silk-screen processed, there’s a minimal amount of the varnish on there, it’s all recyclable, there’s no VOCs in it, it ticks every box.

For Middleton, the main challenge is educating magazine publishers and retailers on the variety of sustainable cover finishes Celloglas offers. ‘Brands are really keen to know what is good and what is bad. That’s my role, to explain to them that they are doing a great job for their brand by using our products.’ Though many might assume that a foiled or metallic cover is problematic, Middleton alleviates those fears. ‘Our foils are all completely recyclable. They’re as good as it gets. ’Celloglas advises that where foil application keeps to a limit of no more than 60% of a cover’s surface area, this ensures the cover is recyclable. ‘Brands don’t want to be associated with something that’s clearly not good for the planet, so we’ve got to be quite clear that they’re doing the right thing by using foil. That look is something we’ve got to encourage because it’s great for brands to show that they’re a premium product. Brands can rest easy. That’s the message I take out every time I go and see a client, because we can back it all up with the reports and statistics that we have at our disposal.’

When you’re doing these proofs you then have the option to put in your ideas. I’ll say, “Look, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve done another option for you. What do you think to that? And that’s how much that costs.” It’s really powerful. The person you’re giving it to becomes your best friend because they take that into a meeting and people will say, “Wow, that’s brilliant, how did you get that done?” They become great within their company. We’ve been advocates of this way of selling because it changes your offering, it gives you options and every one of them is great for your brand.