Themed Week Process Optimization: Merging marketing and technology
Marketing and technology aren’t always the best of friends. The better organized technology is, the more creative possibilities there are for marketing. This line of thinking sees technology within a company not just as a useful tool, but as a real partner within the equation. And this also holds true for the beverage industry.
Today there are countless ways of optimizing processes so that products can go to market quickly, securely and on time. Tomorrow the possibilities will be even greater. And this presents an opportunity for marketing to follow in the footsteps of the many technical innovations that have been on the rise. Industry 4.0 is the word on everyone’s minds these days, and a key aspect for Industry 4.0 is the “smart factory,” which is defined as a technical facility, or an intralogistics approach, that operates independently and without human intervention. But this requires seamless communication between products and machines.
Marketing and technology: everyone wins
So what are the benefits for marketing? Let’s say you’re running an advertising campaign and a predefined batch size for special packaging is necessary for pulling off a large event. The corresponding data can be entered into the process-control system’s software. The machines then organize themselves, producing the ordered quantity in a timely and cost-efficient manner. And all that within the shortest time imaginable. The same goes for producing new syrups that are used for making fruit-juice mixed drinks. The prerequisites for such a highly flexible production line are, among other things, reduced changeover times. Even the careful processing of new, sensitive product ideas also places high demands on today’s technology. Here, too, the better the process technology is organized and networked, the more profitable marketing efforts become. That’s because your marketing can react quickly to new trends while new product ideas can be targeted and implemented with a relatively short “time-to-market” span.
Process optimization builds brand trust
The same rings true for product-security systems. Anyone who has ever dealt with a product recall is all too aware of how things go. In the beverage industry, it is now extremely important to guarantee continuous control over the production and filling processes, as well as being able to provide tracking systems that allow for product and filling batches to be traced with ease. Only in this way is it possible to check the production data in a punctual manner, should consumer complaints arise. This allows producers to avoid any claims for damages and helps companies and their products keep face. The key lessons from all of this: The trust that consumers have in a brand is fragile and worth protecting, and a permanent cycle of process optimization is a vital prerequisite.
Marketing and technology go hand in hand: With good technology at your side, your marketing department can get the most of what’s out there. The drinktec forum will feature a strong focus on process technology for safe beverages. Dr. Ana Lucia Vàsquez-Caicedo, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, will be discussing “Future Applications of High-Pressure Technologies in the Food and Beverage Industry”. Karin Pawlowsky, from Campden BRI, UK, will also be giving a talk on “The Microbiological Challenges of Developing Novel Beverages”. drinktec is the ideal platform for merging and bringing technology and marketing in the beverage industry closer together. For more riveting insights, engaging talks and exciting content on the topic of marketing in the beverage industry, please click here.
