Always adapting to the needs of the market with well-defined objectives, Virospack is committed to innovation, sustainability and fresher, more transparent communication than ever. Rosa Porras, Marketing and Communication Manager, talks about the new strategy and what's new this year.

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The way this year is developing has been a surprise for everyone. What are Virospack’s objectives for 2020? Have they changed?

The year 2020, from a marketing and communication point of view, should be a year focused on innovation and sustainability. Those objectives have not changed despite the new global situation. Developments are still ongoing; it could be that some suffer a small delay, or even that we are the ones who decide to space them out a bit more throughout the year according to the new situation and how it evolves. The scene will also vary now that tradeshows will no longer be the most important events at which to present these new developments.

These last few years we have opted for a strategy oriented towards branding, despite already being very well-known in the sector; to promote our excellent reputation and highlight our distinguishing values like our “in-house” and “made in Barcelona” production—objectives we have achieved. I am pleased to affirm that today Virospack is more well-known than ever and that our level of finishes, our always personalized productions, as well as the involvement in each project with our customers, is known and valued on a global scale by all cosmetic brands.

This year we are working on a strategy oriented towards innovation, focused on the product, with powerful visuals capable of transmitting emotions like never before. Our current communication should be more sensitive, and perhaps riskier—capable of provoking a reaction while presenting our newest designs with powerful “claims”, and at the same time respectful and reliable. Talking less about functionality and appealing more to the benefits of using our products and the pleasure the consumer gets from interacting with them.

Sustainability is, of course, one of the other main focuses and the objective, along with innovation, to work on and communicate in 2020. At Virospack we have made a very big effort in this terrain. To be respectful of our environment is more than just a goal, it is a philosophy of the company and part of our DNA. In this sense, all our sections and processes work in a certain way, thinking about our planet, and that has allowed multiple achievements. Like reducing our secondary packaging, our carbon footprint, and the waste products we generate. We separate parts and recycle because “together it’s trash, separate it’s a resource”. We only work with certified 100% renewable energy sources, we opt for suppliers that are dedicated to the environment, and our Research & Development team is constantly searching for new materials and sustainable solutions for our products.

Virospack is already very well-known in the beauty/personal care sector. How do you continue to build on your image and reputation?

This year is also about staying dedicated to our philosophy; there is no doubt we are innovative—the various internal developments that we present regularly and the multiple awards we have received in the sector, like best packaging innovation of the year, show that. But even so, as leaders of the sector, we have the obligation to keep anticipating the needs of the market and show that tendency with our designs. Beauty evolves, and Virospack is at the service of that evolution. Which is why our strategy for 2020 isn’t focused on transmitting our values, because the whole sector already knows who Virospack is and what makes us unique, but on our products.

You commented that one main objective is innovation. Let’s talk about new products… Can we see any recent ones in the market right now? Have any been specially recognized?

Yes, it’s true that the majority of our more recent developments have been very well received by the sector and won awards, on more than one occasion, in international competitions. Such is the case with our CBD dropper, with a closure that assures maximum protection, meeting regulations for packaging products with CBD, THC, and other active ingredients that by law must be packaged in a more secure way. It is the first and the only dropper, in reality the only cosmetic package, certified as a “child resistant package” in the entire beauty industry. It is the safest dropper package on the market. Its quality, functionality, and total customization are assured with a design and various decoration options to fit with any range of cosmetic products. It was recognized for its merits and the award-winner of Best Innovation 2019 and 2020.

What are some new upcoming products and how are you going to present them without the possibility of tradeshows for the time being?

We have recently presented several new products that we want to communicate to fully explain the concept behind them and achieve good visibility in the sector. I would highlight the new DuoMix, a new design to mix powder with liquid or liquid with liquid, with an innovative design and a greater store capacity. With a reservoir cap much larger than what is on the market, the DuoMix is ideal for Vitamin C or water-free formulas, and for a multitude of face and hair products.

Or the Massage Applicator Dropper, a dropper whose pipette ends in a metallic tool for a pleasant massage and instantaneous cold effect on the skin. The only one on the market with this 2-in-1 action: dropper and massager. An internal development to respond to the needs of the market to offer products with extra functionalities, capable of generating interaction with the final consumer at the same time.

We will also shortly present a new dropper with a wooden cap, and I can’t say more, that certainly won’t go unnoticed. Talking about sustainability, this new design is novel, a development that we have just finished and that I am looking forward to announcing. In sustainability, even though everyone talks about it, there is confusion surrounding this topic and many companies try to appear to be sustainable when they are not, and it really is very difficult to be sustainable. But for Virospack it’s not just an image, it’s a philosophy, and we are completely transparent about this subject. In these times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to be sincere.

To present new products obviously tradeshows are very important, but, even though they are postponed or even cancelled, development is not going to stop. At the moment, at Virospack we are continuing with our plans for new projects, but perhaps we won’t present as many we had originally planned for 2020 since the market has other priorities right now. Without tradeshows in sight and with the responsibility to keep innovating and marking trends, we have to look for alternative lines of communication. At Virospack we are focusing on improving our website, launched in Jan. 2019, with 400% more traffic than last year and many more visits today than one year ago. We want to make the website even easier to use and even more interactive. And of course, more innovative, which is why we have been working on two new sections, the Configurator—operational at the beginning of June—and the Virtual Tour, recently released.

Can you tell us more about these new tools?

The brand Configurator is going to give clients the opportunity to choose from all the models we have and to choose the different components of our products—droppers, bottles, pipettes, caps, etc.—to configure their personalized product right from their screen. It will have a more technical side for the brands’ Development departments, where they can select by neck type or volume, and a more visual side for those in Marketing to configure their product (dropper or full pack) selecting finishes, colors, or decoration. At a time when we have less opportunities to be with our clients in person, this tool will be especially interesting to initally view samples virtually and see the different options for our dropper packs.

As its name indicates, the virtual tour lets any client visit our facilities virtually. We regularly receive many visits from brands, and we do a guided tour through the different sections and departments, but since travel is going to be somewhat limited for the time being, we offer the opportunity to visit our headquarters from your computer. The tour can be taken by advancing through the sections being guided automatically or by using the menu to go straight to the section of interest. The virtual tour also has information and videos for a detailed look at our processes and lines of production. With this new tool, Virospack is more transparent than ever!

How has COVID-19 affected Virospack? What measures are you taking to minimize the impact?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Virospack has implemented all of the necessary safety measures to protect the company’s greatest strength: its employees and clients. We are a family company and the value of our people has always carried the most weight, and in a situation like the one we are currently experiencing, the care of our employees and clients has become stronger than ever.

Fortunately for us, in spite of the global situation, we are fulfilling our commitments with clients. Meeting their needs is fundamental and also a way to protect our workers, guaranteeing their jobs. Even though we have naturally had to rethink some things, at Virospack we have maintained our workforce at 100%.

Our facilities are very new, and the production sections are wide and spacious, so employees can work comfortably without being too close. Even so, to assure maximum compliance with social distancing, we have increased the separation between them and implemented measures to avoid contact, in addition to handing out masks and PPE. In that regard, we must mention and thank brands like L’Oréal, who had the courtesy to send us hydroalcoholic hand sanitizer to pass out to all employees in an act of solidarity against the coronavirus.

It’s clear that it is time to reinvent and that many things could change after this pandemic. We will stay true to our DNA, always offering the best service to brands, offering high quality solutions, and being transparent in every sense. Our communication plan also must be reinvented to respond to the new needs that will surely appear. Cosmetics is hope and excitement and right now the whole sector has the obligation to continue creating that hope and happiness, but with responsible, respectful, and sincere communication. At times like this we have to be more transparent than ever.