Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch whisky, has opened the Johnnie Walker House Beijing, the world’s largest embassy for luxury Scotch whisky. Like its sister property in Shanghai which opened last year, the Johnnie Walker House Beijing is expected to provide consumers with bespoke experiences to immerse themselves into the world of whisky and Johnnie Walker.

With China poised to become the world’s most powerful market for luxury goods the Johnnie Walker House serves to meet consumer demand for luxury with substance. Blending a bar, museum, retail outlet and an exclusive members club, the Johnnie Walker House Beijing is a response to the demand from Chinese consumers for in-depth knowledge, not only of the specific luxury brands they indulge in, but also of the broader categories the brands fall under.

Gilbert Ghostine, President, Diageo Asia Pacific, says: “The Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai has been our most successful experiment in marketing and commercial innovation in Asia to date. This was a journey for our consumers, as well as our business, and we are very happy to share even more luxurious offerings through the Johnnie Walker House Beijing. This experience has brought incredible success and new energy to Johnnie Walker’s century-long story of progress in China.”

The Johnnie Walker House Shanghai played a part in shaping the international spirits landscape in China with luxury Scotch. Since the House began operating in 2011, sales of super-deluxe Johnnie Walker whisky in China increased by 64% year-on-year; this included Johnnie Walker Blue Label that grew 45% over the same period.”

The Houses are dedicated to the enjoyment of luxury whisky and they have some of the finest whiskies in the world available for patrons to sample and purchase. The Houses are home to collections that are available only for purchase on site such as the Johnnie Walker Epic Dates collection – retailing from RMB22,800 (£2,250) – and the Master Blender Series which will be a collection of whiskies aged at least 30 years.  In addition, patrons can work with the Johnnie Walker Master Blender Jim Beveridge to create a personalized blend.  Even with an entry price of RMB800,000 (£80,000), this service has been so popular that one customer has created a blend that has become his family’s hallmark at celebrations. Jim Beveridge maintains a personal collection of his favourite whiskies in the House for use in creating these bespoke blends.

Diageo hopes to roll out this business model beyond China, with plans for Asia Pacific and, ultimately, worldwide development of the Johnnie Walker House concept.

Heineken is marking its 140-year anniversary with the launch of a spectacular light installation and is inviting people across the globe to connect in celebration in a fun and groundbreaking way. It has illuminated its spiritual home at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam with five thousand iconic green Heineken bottles, each carrying an LED light inside to create a digital video screen, starring its millions of fans around the world.

The innovative exhibit is running from December 7th 2012 to January 3rd 2013 – the first ever installation of its kind of this scale, celebrating Heineken’s inventive spirit. As part of an open global party people are invited to share their own celebration messages through the power of Facebook which light up in a dynamic animated showcase, alongside bold visuals inspired by the brand’s iconic evolution.

Cyril Charzat, Senior Director, Global Heineken Brand at Heineken, says “Heineken’s proud to celebrate its 140th anniversary – not by dwelling on history but by reaching out to the world and inviting everybody to join in, just as we have been connecting people since we first launched. Heineken has the mindset of an explorer – always looking forward and progressing and it is this quality that has made it such an iconic brand. We are always seeking new and exciting ways to engaging with our consumers around the world, igniting the conversation and tapping into their lives.”

To help Heineken celebrate its 140th year, people are invited to share a personal celebration message and a picture of themselves via a dedicated tab on Heineken’s Facebook page. This will form part of a dynamic animated dance sequence bringing the party to life on the bottle wall and ensuring that while the installation takes place in Heineken’s native home of Amsterdam, fans can still dance the night away in an exciting global celebration to mark a landmark in the brand’s history.

The interactive bottle wall forms part of the ‘Amsterdam Light Festival’ – a festive celebration of light taking place across the city of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.

Machinery and installations from international industry leaders, high-quality raw materials and innovative marketing ideas, efficient logistics solutions and operating equipment – Brau Beviale 2012 gives you a comprehensive guide to the marketand the basis for successful investment decisions in a friendly atmosphere.

Get the latest trends and technologies
straight from the source!

Machinery and installations from international industry leaders, high-quality raw materials
and innovative marketing ideas, efficient logistics solutions and operating equipment –
Brau Beviale 2012 gives you a comprehensive guide to the market. The basis for successful
investment decisions in a friendly atmosphere.
From Exhibitors Forum to theme pavilions, from PETpoint to Consumers’ Favourite:
Here you can source information about products and discuss the trends in the industry –
completely relaxed and among friends, colleagues and market partners.
We look forward to seeing you in Nuremberg.

Network knowledge and discuss trends:
ideally prepared for the future.

“Energy & Water” theme pavilion

Find out more about sustainable technologies and potential savings in energy and
water – direct from suppliers and service providers.
Organizer: NürnbergMesse GmbH
(developed with the assistance of CPW – Competence Pool Weihenstephan)

“Future Beverage Industry 20XX” theme pavilion

Companies present innovative ideas for meeting the growing requirements for quality,
flexibility and cost stability – from software and logistics to sales.
Organizer: NürnbergMesse GmbH
in cooperation with the Brewery Research and Training Institute in Berlin (VLB)

The Exhibitors Forum

The latest knowledge on technologies, industry trends and services – prepared for you
by professionals. Choose from many presentations each day. Prior registration is not
necessary.
Organizer: NürnbergMesse GmbH

European MicroBrew Symposium – Market, Trends and Technology

Variety wanted: craft and micro breweries are booming. Find out more about
technologies, recipes, marketing and lots more at the VLB seminar in English.
Date: 12 – 13.11.2012; a fee is charged for registration.
Detailed information about the supporting events at
Brau Beviale 2012 is available at:
brau-beviale.de/supportingprogramme

Wolfertschwenden/Düsseldorf, 22.10.2012 – MULTIVAC supplies the worldwide medical products industry with its innovative packaging solutions. At Compamed, the international trade show for components, primary products and raw materials for medical manufacturing, the packaging specialist is showing selections from its extensive range of packaging technologies, as well as marking and identification systems for the medical industry.

The highlight of the MULTIVAC exhibits at Compamed is a packaging solution, which enables large and small batch sizes of sensitive or sterile products to be packed fully automatically and in compliance with GMP. “Medical products are being packed today in ever smaller batch sizes, in order to fulfil regional or other specific requirements. For this reason, the producing companies set very high requirements for a quick format change, reliable line clearance and intelligent automation technologies for loading and unloading. We have optimised our packaging solutions for the medical industry to these requirements”, says Luc van de Vel, Senior Manager of the Business Division of Medical Devices, Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals (MCP), in which MULTIVAC has for several years now pooled all its know-how in this sector.

Frequent and reproducible format change

The packaging solution, which MULTIVAC is showing at Compamed, is based on a thermoforming packaging machine with a newly developed machine concept, in which the areas for the packaging process and the machine technology are largely separated from each other. The installed units for the machine technology have been moved from the interior of the machine to the rear. MULTIVAC’S proven ‘drawer’ system meets the requirements of frequent, reproducible and rapid format changes, and this system has also been extended to the tools of the complete cutter, which are usually used with medical products for the single-piece cutting of the sealed packs. This means that MULTIVAC can achieve a high level of packaging flexibility with varying batch sizes. Reject packs can be automatically separated out and ejected into a container. It is very easy to see into the machine, which is also very accessible to operators. MULTIVAC is also at the forefront when it comes to automation technology. With the packaging solution which is being exhibited, the finished packs can be removed directly out of the cutting tool and placed into cardboard outer cartons. MULTIVAC offers a wide range of handling modules for these requirements. The line-motion control is carried out via MULTIVAC’s HMI 2.0 user interface and it is largely self-explanatory. The sensor technology of the machines is highly sensitive and this ensures that a consistently high product quality and an overarching quality assurance are maintained. With its track-and-trace function, MULTIVAC also meets the serialisation and marking requirements of individual countries.

Exhibits in the MULTIVAC Clean Design^TM

The packaging machines, which MULTIVAC is presenting in Düsseldorf, fulfil the high requirements of the medical products industry: its proven MULTIVAC Clean DESIGN^TM machine concept ensures that cleaning can be carried out simply and in compliance with GMP. In addition to this, MULTIVAC’s packaging solutions ensure a reliable, reproducible, and traceable packaging procedure.

About MULTIVAC:

MULTIVAC is one of the world’s leading suppliers of packaging solutions: the company is a global market leader in thermoforming packaging machines and it manufactures a comprehensive range of traysealers, vacuum chamber machines, chamber conveyor machines, labellers, quality control systems, automation solutions and even ready-to-use lines.

The MULTIVAC group has approximately 3,400 employees worldwide, with about 1,400 based at the headquarters in Wolfertschwenden. With more than 65 daughter companies the Group is represented on all continents. Over 900 consultants and service technicians around the world place their knowledge and experience at the disposal of their customers and ensure that all installed MULTIVAC machines remain fully operational.

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 By Helen Curtin, Director of Communications for Clip Gurus

Google sources state that for one day in March 2012 the number of searches on mobile devices exceeded those of any other digital platform. A startling statistic that confirms a dramatic alteration and unstoppable alteration in the way we shop. We want convenience, information and inspiration at our fingertips at all times.

An odd looking digital square called a QR code promises to play a significant role in the shopping revolution. They can be found on posters, packaging, print ads and flyers. Shoppers can get instant access to more product information by scanning one of these.

See-Hear-Buy

Until recently most QR codes led us to a web page or a Facebook account. Now clever marketers are using QR codes on their packaging and printed adverts to bring the consumer to video. This could be a video introducing the product maker, a recipe or advice on items that work well with the product in question. It’s the See-Hear-Buy mentality in action.

A survey from Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies found that half of smartphone owners have scanned QR codes and 18 percent of them made a purchase after scanning According to research from comScore, 20.1 million mobile phone owners in the US used their device to scan a QR code in the three-month average period ending October 2011. Among this group, 59.4% scanned from home, 44% from a retail store and 26.6% from a grocery store.

Companies such as Starbucks, M&S, Chili’s, Taco Bell and Red Bull are among the many that have incorporated QR codes into their marketing efforts over the past year.

In Germany, grocery chain REWE first introduced QR codes into its products in early 2011, allowing customers to access product origins and examine nutritional information.

“By using QR codes you can enhance peoples experience and understanding of your products. A quick snap and they can get a video showing how something was made, what makes it unique or how best to use the product,” comments Des Martin, CEO of The Searchmill. “When you have people’s attention, it is much easier to make a sale.

What’s more you are reaching people at the exact moment they are considering making a purchase. A unique opportunity for producers.”

Platform For Promotional Video

It should be remembered that the QR code is just one of many platforms open for the promotional video.

Scan here with your QR code app to view the sample featuring food critic Paolo Tullio, co-produced by Clip Gurus and Wavebreak Media.

“With such a high demand for online video content, we’re finding that QR codes provide the ultimate cross over between traditional print advertising and online marketing. It means that the same video can reach the consumer via the packaging and at point of sale if they are shopping online,” comments James Vizor, CEO, Hailstorm Commerce.

Quality content and production values will play a significant role in the success of QR coded video campaigns. Again, technology is bringing costs down and making even the highest quality productions affordable.

The sample included here is a prime example of how to achieve high-grade results without prohibitive costs. The piece is a collaboration between video marketing specialists, Clip Gurus and Cork-based stock media producers, Wavebreak Media.

“There is a big demand for beautifully created stock for the food industry. It means creating productions that look fantastic at a fraction of the cost,” says John Burke of Wavebreak Media.

The rise of the Smartphone, the demand for content and information, the affordability of creating quality productions all point to a new and lasting opportunity to connect with the consumer. The QR Coded video is here to stay.

Helen Curtin is director of communications for Clip Gurus, specialists in video campaigns for all digital platforms. You can contact Helen on 00 353 87 9691698 or email Helen@clipgurus.ie.