Selinko and Toppan to market the first protection for wine bottles which can detect cork piercing with first client, Domaine Emmanuel Rouget, one of the greatest winemakers in Burgundy, already on board.
Selinko, the object identification platform for authentication, gray market detection and consumer engagement, and Toppan Printing Co., Ltd, the global printing company involved in security business for more than a century, today announced a collaboration in Europe to launch an innovative device allowing detection of any attempt to remove, tamper with or even pierce the cork of a wine bottle. This device provides efficient protection against the problem of bottle refilling, an increasing threat to the wine industry. This device simultaneously offers enhanced customer engagement channels for winemakers
The innovative device will combine a state-of-the-art Toppan sensor coupled with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) / NFC (Near Field Communication) tag and powered by Selinko’s platform and a mobile application for authentication and consumer engagement. The sensor is located on the top of the bottle, below the capsule. The sensor is able to detect any attempt to remove, tamper with or pierce the cork. By tapping the NFC tag located on the bottle neck with an NFC-enabled smartphone, a wine connoisseur can verify if the bottle is genuine and access extensive information on the winery, the grape and many other matters relevant to the specific bottle. Consumers can easily confirm that the cork has never been removed, tampered with or pierced since initial bottling by a clear message on the mobile app, thus confirming the integrity of the bottle’s content. After normal opening, the NFC tag will still provide updated information about the producer.
The digital certificate contained in the NFC tag is protected by an encryption technique certified against the highest worldwide certification standard (Common Criteria EAL5+ level—the same as the level of security in biometric passports and bank cards).
Domaine Emmanuel Rouget in Burgundy adopts Selinko and Toppan’s anti-counterfeiting solution
As part of this new collaboration, Domaine Emmanuel Rouget in Burgundy, which produces wine very highly rated and keenly sought after by connoisseurs worldwide, has chosen Selinko and Toppan’s combined technology to protect its Grands Crus and Premiers Crus from counterfeiting by maintaining the integrity of the closure. Smart bottles of its 2014 vintage will hit the market by December 2016. On top of content integrity, the solution chosen allows to assign a target market at production for each bottle. By tapping a bottle, the consumer becomes the final and most reliable indicator in Rouget’s traceability chain. All information supplied by the scan is sent to a secured platform (Brand Manager) which can identify any deviations from the geographical area initially assigned to the bottles.
Toppan enjoys collaboration with Selinko to develop highly secure brand protection devices that remain extremely easy to use by consumers for genuine product authentication. Selinko’s platform also allows a range of innovative marketing services enhancing the consumer experience, such as, but not limited to, loyalty programs, community and news services, store locator and one scan buy (facilitating reordering via a simple tap). Brands can also access big data scan activity reports in real time to increase consumer intelligence. Based on a rich heritage of more than 100 years of experience in banking security, Toppan is proud of its innovative anti-counterfeiting device, which, together with Selinko’s application, offers a secured and direct communication path between wine connoisseurs and prestigious wine producers.” said Hideo Yoshikawa, president of Toppan Europe.
According to the World Customs Organization (WCO), an independent intergovernmental body representing 180 customs administrations across the globe, global trade in counterfeit goods was estimated at $600 billion in 2014 and $1.7 trillion in 2015. Luxury goods branded in the US, Italy and France are the hardest hit, and the wine and spirit market is unfortunately a target for counterfeiting. According to experts, counterfeit wine accounts for some 20% of international sales.
Selinko recognizes an advantage by collaborating with Toppan. The Toppan device offers strong protection against bottle opening, bottle reuse and cork piercing. Selinko’s application allows easy control by professionals and direct authentication by consumers which guarantee them a higher value for their bottles.” commented Patrick Eischen, CEO of Selinko.
About Toppan
Changing the world with printing technologies
Toppan Printing was founded in 1900. Based on its printing technologies, Toppan undertakes a wide range of activities in its three business fields of Information & Communication (Secure Business, Marketing, Content Business), Living & Industry (Packaging, Interior Décor Materials, Functional Product & Energy Related), and Electronics (Display Related, Semiconductor Related). In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016, Toppan posted revenues of JPY1,474 billion (approx. US $14 billion) and ended the year with approximately 46,000 employees. For more information, visit www.toppan.co.jp/english/
About Selinko
We give every object a digital identity.
Belgian public limited company, formed in September 2012. Selinko is the only all-in-one solutions provider for brands that want to connect their products to the Internet of Things. We mark each product with an NFC tag that holds a unique digital identifier, which can be read using an NFC smartphone. This identity enables us to provide high value-added services to brands such as product authentication (up to bank-level security), gray market detection, consumer engagement and a patented certified e-commerce solution to eradicate the sales of fake products online. Our solution is adapted to different sectors such as wines and spirits, leather goods, perfumes and cosmetics, footwear and apparel, etc.
