Beautiful to bite into

 
Packaging design Every year in January, the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM) shows where the sweet journey is heading. 
 
The appetite for sweets continues unabated in Europe. The Swiss chocolate industry is also benefiting from this, posting record results last year. According to Chocosuisse, the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers, sales rose by a further 7.7% year-on-year to 181,266 tons and industry turnover increased by 9.0% to CHF 1662 million. Once again this year, chocolate manufacturers will be pulling out all the stops to win over consumers. The results were already visible in January at the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM), which takes place every year in Cologne. Tempting the eyeAs was already clear last year, the trend towards fine products continued this year. This applies above all to chocolate specialties, which are made exclusively from high-quality ingredients and whose compositions are becoming increasingly exclusive. Wellness and fitness are also an issue, and organic products in particular. The demand for organic products is also growing continuously in the confectionery sector, with more and more manufacturers offering products from organic cultivation and production.
These trends are also reflected in the packaging concepts. ISM has long been a must for all those who are not only interested in confectionery but also in packaging design. Creative ideas that serve as inspiration can be found here in abundance. Today, confectionery packaging is increasingly becoming an eye-catcher that stands out on the shelf and is intended to stimulate the desire to buy. The more sophisticated the contents, the more elaborate and refined the packaging. Customers also seem to like this, as demand shows.
Sweet pieces of jewelryAn example of the trend towards exclusivity are the products of Memmingen-based newcomer Sabine Kober, who presented herself at ISM for the first time and was inundated with inquiries. Her concept is to offer exclusive chocolate specialties in beautiful gift packaging. For her, luxury begins with the packaging. She has matching wrappers created for her high-quality chocolates, which, together with the contents, appeal to all the senses as well as the palate. Based on her extensive experience in marketing luxury items, Kober has now founded her own lifestyle company, which also bears her name. Her vision is to design exceptional gift items and confectionery specialties exclusively for specialist retailers. "Everyone who works in and for the specialist trade knows that new, surprising approaches and incomparable offers are always needed to satisfy today's discerning customers and retain their loyalty to the stores in the long term," she explains her motivation.
Appealing to all the sensesPeople are looking for something unique, such as exquisite "masterpieces" made with exquisite raw materials, lovingly crafted by hand and with the utmost care. "In addition to top quality, there has long been another level: the design and the emotional message," she explains. From the first glance to the touch to the final enjoyment of the fine products, Kober always wants to appeal to all the senses. Another unusual aspect of her concept is that the attractive packaging can also be purchased unfilled. At the ISM, she presented her high-quality gift ideas with an elegant look, exclusive surfaces and changing colors as well as unexpected closures filled with the finest chocolates. After the sweet pieces of jewelry have been eaten, the elegant boxes can be filled with small treasures of all kinds. They therefore offer a useful second use. The fact that such unusual ideas are in demand was confirmed for Kober at the ISM. "We were literally overrun by inquiries," she said. Kober and her small team work together with several medium-sized companies to manufacture the products. She still has many arrows in her quiver for the future. One of the goals is to build a kind of star alliance of premium products in the confectionery industry, in which partners from different sectors work together and are also successful together.
ISM and ProSweets 2009Together what belongs together. With ProSweets Cologne, the industry supplier fair for the confectionery sector, which takes place in the interpack-free years, Koelnmesse launched a new event in 2006 that was an immediate success. Already at the 2nd edition in 2007, the trade fair recorded a 20 percent increase in exhibitors. The next ProSweets will take place from February 1 to 4, 2009, parallel to ISM. With ProSweets Cologne and the leading trade fair ISM, the entire value chain of the confectionery industry will be represented at one trade fair location, starting with the individual raw materials through technology and packaging to the ready-to-sell product. This is a good opportunity for manufacturers of confectionery packaging to meet customers, make new contacts and present their products at the trade fair.
Sabine Flaxman
 
 
 
 
A good giftThe young company Sabine Kober,
offers exclusive gift packaging and confectionery specialties with messages. Its customers include industry, trade and commerce as direct customers and resellers in the upmarket specialist trade.