In 1935, Stan Avery introduced the world’s first pressure-sensitive sticker. Off the back of a US$100 loan from his then-fiancé, Dorothy Durfee—an early VC investor, you might say—he created and patented the world’s first self-adhesive die-cut labelling machine, and The Avery Dennison Corporation was born.
Fast forward 87 years and we are now looking at how to replicate Dorothy’s commitment to innovation through initiatives like AD Stretch, an accelerator programme that aims to pilot new technologies with a focus on value chain efficiency, sustainability, and materials innovation.
With more than 80 years of experience under its belt, and borne through the spirit of innovation, ambition, and sheer determination, Avery Dennison is partnering with like-minded startups to address some of the biggest challenges in packaging innovation.
In fact, the team has just recently announced its first cohort of the programme that will be working with them on pilots in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Specific challenges need targeted solutions
The challenges that the industry faces are specific, and we need targeted solutions to respond to the granularity of the problems.
In setting out such challenges across three themes, Avery Dennison is aligning with partners who bring the right mix of ambition, expertise, and technology to help address them head-on.
Theme 1: Maximising consumer experiences
With packaging being such an integral part of the consumer experience, it has the opportunity to be both functional (delivering information and sustainable value to buyers) as well as inspirational (providing unique experiences that increase the value of products).
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Receiving packages should, in theory, be a positive experience for consumers; a moment of joy that connects them to brands through new experiences. Avery Dennison will be partnering with startups that can respond to this challenge by creating these sought-after experiences through both physical and digital capabilities.
The second challenge within this theme draws on the old adage less is more. Consumers and brands alike are increasingly committed to reducing waste so the team is looking to improve demand planning optimisation, enabling them to design and produce short or limited runs of products for smaller brands with increased localisation and personalisation.
Theme 2: Creating sustainable, responsible, and efficient value chains
Responding to the need to develop innovations that advance the circular economy and reduce the environmental impact in their operations and supply chain, Avery Dennison is looking to partner with startups that are developing solutions around recycling, upcycling, and biodegradable packaging and labelling. Of course, this is with a focus on new materials that are cost-effective and will enhance the overall sustainability of packaging and labels.
Avery Dennison is also looking for startups that can help them leverage digital and physical technologies to reduce the environmental impact of perishables. In short, the team seeks to improve food waste sustainability through labelling and packaging.
Theme 3: Materials and packaging 2.0
Theme three looks to the future. As a leader in materials science, Avery Dennison is continuously investing in new materials’ innovation, always seeking ways to reduce packaging, and increase its value and usefulness via both digital and physical means. As such, Avery Dennison will be partnering with startups that can develop functional and digital labelling and packaging solutions that enhance trust, transparency, and connectivity throughout the journey — from production to end-user delivery.
Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum
In essence, AD Stretch offers the opportunity for innovation in its earliest form to receive the financial support, infrastructure, expertise, and insight to bring new products to market that will change the way we interact with packaging. It’s an opportunity that will place ambitious entrepreneurial minds at the cutting edge of the industry.
While Avery Dennison was founded by Stan Avery and his singular invention of the self-adhesive label, today’s reality is that innovation relies on collaboration. It will rely on the coming together of multiple minds, disciplines, and approaches, united by shared goals.
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The fact of the matter is that in a world facing common challenges, we can’t rely on localised solutions. The next frontiers for innovation are collective: being sustainable—to ensure that we leave behind a planet worth inheriting for the next generation; bringing transparency to supply chains—helping consumers make informed decisions, and enabling a better customer experience—personalised but not invasive.
The years (decades, in Avery Dennison’s case) of learning, expertise in the established supply chains, customer bases, and reputation means AD Stretch can expedite the ideas of smaller companies far quicker than if they were doing it alone. It’s a journey that Avery Dennison is incredibly excited to embark on together.
To know more about the Avery Dennison’s accelerator programme, visit ADStretch.com
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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Avery Dennison
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