BillerudKorsnäs’ business concept is offering the packaging market sustainable materials and solutions. They also want to challenge industry conventions and push forward the development of packaging design. As a part of this work, every year an international packaging design competition PIDA – Packaging Impact Design Award – is organized. In the competition, design students from some of Europe’s most distinguished universities are challenged to develop innovative, sustainable and trendy packaging design. That means that the target group is young and interested in design. The majority is also active in social media and looking for inspiration online.
As we at Cordovan have the honour of working with all communications regarding PIDA, we do invitations, programmes, films, on-site photo units, Facebook, and PR in all participating countries. In 2016, we also launched a new PIDA website with a new design and new content.
On pida.billerudkorsnas.com the results are presented, these also include a blog to inspire and inform about PIDA and packaging design trends.
In attracting attention to PIDA, PR is also an important part of our assignment. That includes having developed press material with adapted messages, and personally contacted influential journalists and bloggers to talk about BillerudKorsnäs’ focus on young designers and the future growth of the industry.
In this year's PIDA, 154 students from France, Germany and Sweden participated. Even the award ceremonies were popular among customers, industry professionals and media who came to network, mingle, and to be inspired.
TT, Cap & Design, DN, Pack-Online, Packnyheter.se and Packnet are just some of the Swedish media that paid attention to this annual competition. Packaging of the World, Reflet, NRJ, Channel 3, Pap’Argus and Emballage Magazine are other, foreign media and blogs that have reported about PIDA. All in all, the PR efforts during 2013–2016 resulted in more than 1.8 million readers and 102 articles and social media posts.
Last but not least, the competition has grown – in reputation, importance, and in size. For example, this year PIDA is expanding with a new school from Sweden: the Graphic Design and Communication programme at Linköping University. Moreover, PIDA is continuously receiving new requests from business professionals who want to participate, lecture, be in the jury, or just to be seen in what has now become the industry’s leading contest for young packaging design.
