APEAL, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, is celebrating the success of both its website and its latest social media campaign.

The APEAL website, www.apeal.org, won the award for best association website at the International and European Association Awards in Berlin, seeing off competition from a wide range of entrants.

In a sector filled with text heavy, information-led websites, the jury appreciated how the www.apeal.org clearly outlines the benefits of steel for packaging, especially in terms of sustainability, in an accessible and easy to understand way.

The site is rich in infographics, clearly outlined key messages and provides visitors with an overview of the benefits of steel for packaging.

It is also a home for blogs, reports and other materials that provide more substantive insight into the association’s aims, objectives and positions on a range of issues and an ideal reference point for anyone with an interest in steel for packaging.

APEAL Secretary General, Alexander Mohr, said: “One of our key aims at APEAL is to be the key reference point for anyone interested in steel for packaging. Having an effective and easy-to-use website is vital”.

“As a result, we were thrilled to win the award; it’s a real boost for APEAL and the team who have worked so hard to make the website a success”.

The second ‘digital’ success story concerns APEAL’s “30 days, 30 facts about steel” social media campaign.

The light, bitesize campaign saw APEAL publish one key fact about steel for packaging each day throughout April helping to give followers an insight into the qualities which make steel a unique packaging material.

It proved very popular, creating a roughly 800% increase in the number of interactions ordinarily received each month, along with a 90% increase in profile visits and around a 250% increase in post impressions.

“To run a campaign which has struck a chord with our audience is very rewarding” commented Mohr, “It was also a great way to mark 30 years of APEAL as the reference for steel for packaging.”

APEAL’s 30th anniversary activity is continuing throughout the year. The association is now working on the second stage of the campaign, commissioning articles by a number of leading experts in the fields of food, packaging and sustainability and looking at the next 30 years of steel for packaging.

The articles will be released later this year.

ENDS

About APEAL

APEAL, the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, is a federation of the four major producers of steel for packaging (ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel Packaging, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH, U.S. Steel Košice). In total these four companies employ over 200,000 workers in Europe. Founded in 1986, APEAL represents today about 95% of the total European production of steel for packaging.

About Steel for Packaging

Steel is a unique packaging material, combining exceptional performance capabilities with unrivalled environmental credentials. Strong, formable and long-lasting, steel offers numerous benefits for the safe packaging of a wide variety of products.