Advertising on Social Media Grabs Attention for 2 Seconds, Cups Hold It for 420 Seconds

On average, a social media ad holds attention for 2 seconds, but branding on a coffee cup lasts 420 seconds. And bowls, such as those used for salads? On average, 1,260 seconds. This demonstrates the added value of advertising with your logo—or a complete design—on these food packaging items: impact!

CUPSZ was founded in 2014, originating from W&R Etiketten, then led by Jack Willemsz, the father of Daan and Michiel. W&R was later acquired by the Optimum Group. As he approached the end of a successful career, Jack remained involved with CUPSZ as an advisor, helping drive further growth.

Xeikon’s Role in CUPSZ’s Beginnings

Xeikon played a pivotal role in the creation of CUPSZ, as Daan Willemsz explains: "At a trade show in 2013, Jack saw a Xeikon digital toner press printing folding cardboard for cups. It was the same press W&R Etiketten used for labels. Jack and we found this an interesting application: small runs of coffee cups with high-quality digital printing, quickly produced and delivered with customer-specific designs. It was a market gap, as cups were typically unprinted or had standard designs, shipped in batches of 50,000 from China."

Accelerating Growth Together

In 2014, Jack visited China to study how printed, die-cut folding cardboard was assembled into cups. Afterward, he purchased a Chinese cup production machine. Daan explains: "We started experimenting. What began as an hour a week turned into full shifts. By the end of 2014, during my Commercial Economics studies in Den Bosch, we officially founded CUPSZ, based on the idea of marketing communication value: put your message on a cup. In 2015, we printed cups in one size for customers for the first time. By 2017, we expanded to multiple sizes, each requiring a specific production machine, establishing CUPSZ as a serious business. In 2018, my brother Michiel joined after studying entrepreneurship in his Construction Engineering degree. Since then, we’ve been growing the company together."

Significant Growth

CUPSZ now employs 25 people, with a turnover of nearly €4 million in 2024. Its Tilburg factory houses two Xeikon 3300 dry toner presses, a flexo press, various die-cutting machines, and numerous cup production machines. Growth was boosted by the recent acquisition of De Jong Ecocups, another producer of printed cardboard packaging. The goal for the coming years is further growth through organic expansion and acquisitions, especially abroad.

Michiel explains: "Our business focuses on small quantities: we produce digitally on the Xeikon 3300 for runs of 250 to 15,000 units. For higher quantities, we use flexo printing but don’t exceed 400,000 cups. Flexo provides volume, but better margins come from the smaller runs of custom-printed cups that need fast delivery."

A Growing Share of Digital

About 40% of revenue comes from digital printing, a segment experiencing rapid growth. "Customers increasingly want faster delivery and higher quality," says Daan. "Orders today are delivered tomorrow, even in South France. No other European company can deliver custom-printed cardboard cups as quickly. Our digital quality, thanks to Xeikon’s dry toner press, is excellent. Quick setup and short lead times make all the difference, and customers are willing to pay extra for this service."