As Covid-19 continues to have an impact on traditional business processes, DS Smith is responding by maximising virtual and hybrid customer interactions as part of its new normal. It has transformed its sustainability and innovation workshops and launched ‘Impact Centre Online’.
A core part of its business, DS Smith’s nine Impact Centres provide a collaborative environment to inspire customers with the latest trends and opportunities for innovation. DS Smith normally holds over 2,000 visits each year to its PackRight and Impact Centres, including over 30 sustainability workshops per month, with some of the world’s biggest brands. With the launch of its new interactive, virtual experience DS Smith transforms collaboration and can more effectively engage with wider customer teams such as marketing, category management and sales.
Marc Chiron, Sales, Marketing and Innovation Director for DS Smith commented, “In this new normal, our interactive platform allows us to leverage our customer experience, driving more connectivity and impact. Innovation and collaboration with our customers have always been at the heart of our approach as we take on challenges together, from developing the next generation of e-commerce packaging, implementing new sustainable design principles and developing alternatives to problem plastics.”
In addition to continuing to provide interactive sessions through a bespoke augmented reality platform, ‘Impact Centre Online’ is delivering a number of additional benefits including ease of access to DS Smith experts, maximising international collaboration, using 360° experiences with digital overlays that cover areas such as retail, sustainability, e-commerce and supply chain. Through virtual collaboration DS Smith can develop bespoke design solutions that meet the customers’ specific needs.
The virtual experience has been piloted with a number of key customer accounts and following positive feedback, the approach is being rolled out across Europe.
