Ilan Schinazi, how to cross borders when the whole world is confined
We spoke with Ilan Schinazi, Managing Director for Salinas International, a sales office created to develop the internationalization strategy for Salinas Packaging Group, a group of companies specialized in the design, development and production of corrugated cardboard boxes for the premium and luxury sectors.
Ilan has been dedicated to the world of luxury packaging for 30 years. He is currently based in Paris but has worked for diverse markets such as the USA, Brazil and the UK, which have provided him, apart from an invaluable experience, a very enriching global vision for the teams he leads.
Make box: SALINAS INTERNATIONAL took shape during the confinement between the months of March and May. What motivated you to undertake a new business adventure in these uncertain times?
Ilan Schinazi: Although it may be cliché, we all know what they said about crises: they either consume you because of the fear and insecurity they ignite or they activate your resourcefulness and creativity. Fortunately, I consider myself to be among those in the second group.
Had it not been for the pandemic, Salinas International would have been created anyway, but it might have taken longer to do so.
The confinement gave us time to analyze and reflect, and both Antonio Martínez, CEO of Salinas Group, and I agreed that it was necessary to accelerate the process, because circumstances made our product even more necessary in the market.
And it also gave us time to hold meetings with many potential clients. We worked hard to create quality digital tools to bring our facilities and offices to any corner of the world.
Overcoming this crisis has become a question of closeness and collaboration. Providing security and trust to the client is now more important than ever
MakeBox: In your 30 helarse of professional experiences, What have your roles been?
Ilan Schinazi: Many years of experience has provided me the opportunity to have various and valuable points of view within the complex systems that encompasses luxury packaging.
I have always been lucky enough to work at leading companies dedicated to different components within the complex world of luxury packaging, such as algae papers, promotional gifts and packaging of all types and materials.
Now I am starting my adventure as Managing Director at Salinas International, where I will try to use all my experience to become a leader in the sector.
Ample experience in both trading and in production join together to create a very powerful company in terms of quality, service and sustainability.
MakeBox: Let’s dive into conceptual ideas. What is luxury packaging for You: branding, marketing Or Strategy?
Ilan Schinazi: I believe that when we talk about luxury packaging, we are talking about 40 to 50% of the branding strategy, depending on the product. For example, what is a bottle of perfume or champagne without its packaging, without its bottle or without its label?
In fact, it’s the way in which luxury packaging is born, trying to highlight the overtones that differentiate it and permit it to enter the world of excellent products.
Between marketing and strategy, I think I would divide the weight equally. Without a good strategy, good marketing can’t exist and without marketing, necessary for improving and ensuring a unique consumer experience, strategy can hardly be carried out.
Branding, marketing, strategy =
personality, empathy, effectiveness
Packaging needs to enhance the consumer experience.
It’s what makes the real difference between a beautiful product and an outstanding and unique experience.
Packaging has been improved in the last years thanks to the partnership with our clients and their agencies particularly addressing sustainable issues.
MakeBox: When you have a package in your hand that you didn’t developed your self, What is the first Thing you look for?
Ilan Schinazi: After many years of working in the luxury sector, I think I’ve developed a keen sense for the small details.
I like to look first at the experience that the packaging is intended to provoke, at the relationship between the package and the product (how it is opened, how it is held, the language of color…), if it has that wow effect.
But then I usually focus in on the minute details: the texture of the paper, the quality, the printing or finishing effects…, and in more recent years and considering how important it is, I look for sustainable components in the packaging: eco-design, eco-materials, information on the life cycle of the box…
Being in the luxury environment for so many years has developed in me a sense for small details. I like to first absorb the effect that the packaging has, whether it has a wow effect and then I like to focus in on small details (texture of paper, printing effects …. )
MakeBox: You have ample international experience. Deos globalizacion exist in this sector? Do all customers requires the same in diferent countries and no different continentes?
Ilan Schinazi: We could talk about an infinite number of cases and possibilities, however there are well-known world-wide brands that provide the same service, products, and packaging to all countries where they are present.
There are other brands that, even though they are global, adapt their products and dialogue (understanding dialogue to also mean communication through packaging) to each country or group of countries (Europe, Asia…).
We can also talk about national brands, and luxury niche brands, which focus their products on a specific consumer target for reasons that have nothing to do with geography.
MakeBox: Are there any trends you’ d like to comment on such as changes in consumption habits, type of packaging in demand, type of production, etc.?
Ilan Schinazi: The most radical and obvious trend is, without doubt, everything concerning sustainability. In a short time, this issue has gone from being a PLUS to being a MUST.
We can no longer understand the concept of luxury without understanding how it related to sustainability; this is a concept that MAKE BOX elaborates on in their posts.
A large part of our R&D is based in this field right now.
