The winning team reports on the Schenk challenge: Can Schenk’s sustainability be communicated in a strong and reliable way – and not just as a common slogan? Can we avoid the “Green-washing trap”? What is making “our” sustainability different from competitors?
The challenge was organized by SOI in the framework of the ECIU-European Consortium of Innovative Universities, with four participating teams from 9 different degrees and three different Universities, including Trento University, INSA Strasbourg and Tampere University.
Thanks to this opportunity we have been able to experience one of the most innovative and stimulating activities in our university path. Indeed, we consider the participation in such a challenge not merely as something about winning or losing, but especially about personal growth. Being immersed in a transformative and innovative context, notably thanks to the international and multidisciplinary team members, allowed us already from the initial stages of preparation to uncover the profound impact that such an experience was giving us. Through the challenge we have reinforced our self-confidence while striving to be adaptable and tenacious.
Our project, offered as a solution to the Schenk challenge, is entitled “A sustainable wine labelling: the main link between consumers and producers” and focuses specifically on the development and improvement of the aesthetics and design aspects of the bag-in-box packaging produced by Schenk Italia. The decision of focusing on the label was mainly justified by our aim of providing something that was feasible and effective at the same time, a trade-off that is often complex to manage when developing a project for an established company.
We propose our strategy under 4 main goals:
- Make the packaging visibly more eco-friendly in order to attract eco-conscious customers
- Inform the consumer about sustainable practices and values
- Improve the perception and culture of consumers
- Reinforce Schenk’s reputation as a sustainable brand
In conclusion, this challenge was a unique opportunity also for interacting with experts and professionals both at academic and professional level. These interactions allow a fruitful networking activity, along with the mentorship we received, forge connections that extend beyond the competition itself and which are crucial for the development of our future career.
The Team
Agathe Coupeau (INSA Strasbourg); Adnan Irshad; Federico Falcone; Misia Aichner (Università di Trento)
Mentors
- Roberto Napoli, SOI Project Manager
- Stefano Turrini, Research Fellow SOI
- Sara Giuffrè, SOI Officer
Judges
- François Schenk, Board Member & Family Ambassador, Schenk
- Daniele Simoni, CEO Schenk
- Roberta Deflorian, Sales and Marketing Director, Schenk
- Daniele Ress, Technical Director, Schenk