Huhtamaki Creates Ultimate Hot Beverage Experience
- Published: January 04, 2017
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN | As premium coffees continue to gain in popularity, the Finnish packaging company Huhtamaki has created a beverage cup that offers coffee drinkers a truly heartwarming experience. The Impresso insulated cup, originally launched in Europe and recently introduced in the US, is powered by BillerudKorsnäs FibreForm, a sensory brand enhancing, 3D cold formable paper.
Huhtamaki deployed this new technology for its customizable Impresso cup to enrich the sensory experience of drinking a hot beverage, drawing consumers closer to the warmth and comfort of their favorite coffee brand. BillerudKorsnäs FibreForm enables the Impresso cup to have a greater three-dimensional feel of comfort and satisfaction because of the ability to create deeper and more intricate embossing and shaping. This unique technology build’s consumer preference and nurtures greater brand loyalty.
Premium coffees have become more popular in the quick service category, and increasing numbers of consumers are searching for espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos when they fill up for gas. Food services and retail outlets are seeking to leverage this opportunity by providing consumers with a premium experience. As brands seek ways to stand out from their competitors, there is increasing demand for innovation that can enhance the consumer experience and build brand appeal.
Huhtamaki was looking for a new solution to strengthen brand loyalty for premium coffee brands. The company teamed up with BillerudKorsnäs to engineer the Impresso cup with the goal of raising consumer satisfaction when gripping a warm cup and savoring each sip of robust coffee.
“Consumer perception is influenced by packaging, and a premium beverage deserves a premium package and an enhanced experience,” said Erica Colgan, product manager, Foodservice, Huhtamaki Inc., who added that the company had several patents pending for the Impresso cup. “A premium material that enables precision and deep three-dimensional embossing contributes significantly to the experience of enjoying coffee from the first sip to the last. Moreover, a coffee cup that enables exceptional graphics functions as a walking billboard for brands and serves as an avenue to market.”
FibreForm, reportedly the world’s first 3D cold formable paper, enables up to 10 times the embossing depth compared to traditional papers. With this unique capability, Huhtamaki is able to invite consumers into an elevated sensory experience. The Impresso cup provides the optimal level of insulation needed, delivering the ideal barrier protection. This barrier prevents scalding beverages from becoming too hot to touch, while allowing enough heat to penetrate to keep consumers comfortable while consuming hot beverages.
The Impresso cup by Huhtamaki, made with BillerudKorsnäs FibreForm, is the first global launch of the FibreForm technology and can be found at various food service and Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), coffee shops, hotels, and retail outlets. BillerudKorsnäs FibreForm is now available for an expanded portfolio of consumer packaging applications, including cups and bowls, stand-up pouches, embossed cartons, and thermoformed trays. FibreForm gives brand managers the opportunity to get in touch with their consumers.
