Yeo Valley deploys UniXcode for largest customer promotion

Yeo Valley is a UK dairy brand that produces many different products, including yogurt, cream, milk, ice cream, fruit compote and butter. Yeokens, which is the brainchild of Yeo Valley chairman Tim Mead, is currently running across the majority of its product range. It is the largest customer promotion the brand has ever launched and has been made possible by UniXcode.

UniXcode has been developed by Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury, formerly Chadwicks of Bury, to offer a unique code printed, using high-speed inkjet, on the lid or shrink sleeve, which is only revealed when the lid or sleeve is peeled back. Neither the quality of the design or functionality of the lid or shrink sleeve are compromised, and because the ink is not printed in direct contact with the product there is no risk of product contamination.

For Yeo Valley, Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury has printed a unique code number on the surface of most of its lidded products, to ensure the printing ink does not contaminate the product. The code is covered by the design and is only revealed when the polyester lid is peeled back.  Customers enter these codes online to collect a virtual currency, Yeokens, which can be exchanged for a host of different offers, including visits to Yeo Valley, days out around Britain, Yeo Valley merchandise and charity donations. Yeokens codes appear on the Yeo Valley brand's organic products and are available in shops and supermarkets now.

John Chadwick, managing director of Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury, said: ‘It is the first time this printing technology has been used in the UK dairy market. We initially developed the concept to cover a number of Yeo Valley promotions, including competitions to "Win a Landrover", "Win a Campervan" and "Win a Holiday of a Lifetime". Following this success Yeo Valley approached us to help facilitate a brand new loyalty scheme across the product portfolio. 

‘We are delighted to have been involved in such an exciting campaign from the outset. We have already printed over 60 million unique coded lids for Yeo Valley and we wish it every success with its latest initiative.’

Dan Rusga, marketing director at Yeo Valley, added: ‘We have worked with Clondalkin for many years and have always been impressed by its technical expertise, commitment to quality and willingness to either find, or create, innovative solutions to meet our requirements. The printing technology it has developed is enabling us to get closer to our customers and reward them for their loyalty. 

‘As a company we have made a long-term commitment to unique coding and are confident that it will reap rewards for our business.’