“A coffee with…” RICARDO MORENO – CEO – Founder. The show must go on

Ricardo, tell us a little bit about how you decided to form TSMGO. What did you see was missing in the market and how do you work?

R.M: After several years of experience in management positions in different companies and sectors, in 2009 I valued the possibility of creating wealth for myself, understood as a vital project in which to develop the concerns and interests that I had in the field of brands and their relationship with the consumer, we were interested in participating in the creation and definition of brands so that they have personality and that from the beginning they know what they want to be when they grow up, with what purpose they are born and what meaning they want to have for their audiences.

At that time the situation was not the most propitious and, despite the fact that everyone around me was recommending me not to do it at that time in the middle of the crisis, I decided to give the name of the company: TSMGO | The show must go on, a clear homage to Queen as a call to think about the next step and to overcome the situation.

From that moment on we have been growing gradually and that wealth has generated an established work team with which to strengthen our value proposition. There are many films that inspire me, but I think I would choose two: The Sting, in which every move is rehearsed and fits perfectly with the final purpose, the meticulousness of the execution, if well planned, always produces results, and Usual Suspects, for almost the same reasons and for a disconcerting ending that makes you review everything you have seen before. The learning from both is that analysis and planning if accompanied by good execution usually produce results. One reading I recommend is Collins’ Companies That Excel, which gives us a fresh perspective on how leadership must mutate from what we generally understand to something more liquid in which we simply allow teams the freedom to do what they do best.

At TSMGO you are experts, among other things, in packaging design for companies of all kinds, but you work a lot with food and beverages. How has the perception of packaging for this type of brands changed in recent times?

R.M: Our arrival in packaging is motivated by the branding approach with which we approach projects, for us packaging is the consequence of the reflection of the organisation to define what place it wants to occupy in the world, its landing in the final mile in which it comes into contact with the consumer and has to synthesise in a glance of just a few seconds what its value proposition is and what makes it different in order to generate preference and choice.

Naturally we have a clear influence due to our location, we are in La Rioja, land of wines, land of centenary wineries, an environment in which the value of the brand takes on special relevance and which lives from understanding that it is necessary to go beyond the transaction to connect in an emotional and sincere way with its consumers and there the brand and its declination in the packaging has a lot to say. This has led us to specialise in food and beverages, especially in products with a premium approach.

In recent years we have seen a clear trend, especially in mass consumption, to incorporate narrative and discourse into packaging, to try to explain a story behind it that gives the product another layer that works in favour of building a stronger relationship between brand and customer, linking them emotionally so that this bond is more powerful.

Do you think the pandemic has changed the direction of the packaging industry and what has it meant for TSMGO as a company?

R.M.: I would like to remember all those who have been taken from us by the pandemic and the desolation it has caused in human, social and economic terms.
If I have to make a positive reading of this situation, it is the great opportunity that has opened up by breaking down structures and barriers that otherwise would have taken us years to change, the impact has been such that the planet has flattened in record time, the world has opened up, it has become more agile and connected.
We, for example, are working with France, the UK, Mexico and the USA on projects that, due to the pandemic, have made us leave our comfort zone and think in more global terms, it has stimulated us as an organisation and has also allowed us to get to know other realities. A customer in any of these countries has the same perception of our company as of another that is next to them, we are separated by a screen, that is the limit… in this sense, talent and knowledge are more available than ever and companies are more open to looking for it in new corners.
More opportunities have opened up in terms of packaging, a reflection on sustainability and materials that was put aside a long time ago and is now stronger than ever and is going to be a “must” in any new development, a variable to contemplate, we have a responsibility to our world and we have to rethink how our products contribute to its maintenance.
All of the above is linked to the place that brands occupy in the world, we have seen how there are brands that have committed themselves to the situation and have contributed their grain of sand, from the support of jobs, the manufacture of PPE… they have taken a step forward and have responded, and this is reflected in the perception of organisations.

And what about e-commerce? What does it mean when deciding on one type of packaging or another?

R.M: I think we must distinguish between several moments, the one prior to the purchase decision, the moment of purchase and the delivery of value.

At the moment when the decision box is activated, most of the consumer’s reflection comes from their previous experience with that brand, if there is no previous experience or comments and recommendations from prescribers, the choice is basically based on sensory elements and visual perception, so what is seen through a screen becomes more relevant.

When we approach the moment of purchase, one of the issues to put on the table and that is generally ignored is the best representation of your product, if the only thing your consumer perceives of you is a bad image, a photo with poor quality, what perception do you think is formed, let’s invest in a good session so that the product is visually attractive.

On the delivery of value: we must consider new channels to influence the purchase action, a unique experience in the unboxing becomes another element to strengthen the decision. The consumer interacts in different ways at these moments and those moments of contact through the packaging have even more impact, so investing in this element also brings greater brand recognition… One of the biggest demands we are having is the amplification of the WOW effect when a customer receives their product, that that first impression is bordering on excellence so that the perception of the product is greater. A few years ago we made a pop-up case for Viña Luparia that was highly valued for achieving this effect and because it encouraged a second use.

Let’s talk about trends, where do you see the evolution of packaging taking place?

R.M: It is risky in a world as liquid as the one we are in right now to make a prediction, everything is so variable that perhaps in a few months or weeks this interview will be nothing more than a dead letter, if I had to make a projection, the commitment of brands to sustainability, to providing more value in the product thanks to the circular economy, for example, are issues that will become more important and will be decisive.

Immediacy and simplicity are also important, I believe that consumers are more disbelieving of false promises and want less artifice, they have raised more barriers and are less permeable to certain discourses.

We have a couple of projects on the table in which the requirements we have been given are to commit to an economy of proximity, to resort to nearby, small-scale suppliers who offer an almost artisan service and also to be absolutely responsible with production, in this case light bottles, recycled or largely recyclable materials, to encourage more than one subsequent use, that the useful life of the product extends beyond its consumption, that it can have a second use, all these challenges are challenges that mean that we are experiencing a very interesting moment in the sector.