Op-ed: For smart pooled reusables, we don’t need more LinkedIn photos of damaged pool pallets or ones abandoned in a ditch. We are at a point where results matter more than possibilities.
Scroll through LinkedIn on any given day, and you’ll find them: well-lit photos of dumb (non-tagged) pooled reusable assets lost or abandoned “in the wild.” You’ll see branded content with bold claims about loss prevention, enhanced durability, and value-added insights through innovative smart packaging solutions. Often, it ends with a tagline about revolutionizing logistics and supply chains.
But behind the photos and declarations, something is too often missing: news about actual conversions. Not lab performance test results, although that is a start. Not another theoretical value proposition. Conversions. Pilot programs that led to contracts. Results that got procurement excited. Performance metrics that motivated a logistics decision-maker to take a gamble on something new. And full disclosure, I’m always looking for compelling news to share, so I’m biased.
Over the decades, I’ve seen change happen, but slowly, and almost always through practical collaboration between supply chain practitioners and solution providers. That’s why, to me, the new wave of IoT-enabled plastic pallets, advanced composite containers, and “smart” reusable packaging, unfortunately, too often rings hollow. The benefits they tout, longer lifecycles, lower total cost of ownership, and improved traceability, are only as real as the data and partnerships behind them.
I look for, and often don’t find, the third-party case studies, the multi-month trial data, or the customer testimonials that feature real-world KPIs and named companies. This is the kind of proof that gets mainstream buyers past the skepticism.
Reticence is understandable. Confidentiality agreements, competitive sensitivity, and the delicate nature of early-stage pilots can make it difficult to share outcomes publicly. In a conservative industry, many large customers are reluctant to associate their name with a solution that hasn’t yet proven out at scale. But this doesn’t mean that communication has to stop altogether.
There are ways to tell the story without breaching trust. Anonymized data. Aggregated performance benchmarks. Descriptions of the pilot framework and learnings. A willingness to share something, anything, that signals real-world progress.
Start by framing the data release as a win-win. Position it as a thought leadership opportunity for the customer, or a case study that reinforces their sustainability goals or supply chain innovation. Offer editorial control and transparency. Keep the story factual and credible. In some cases, anonymization may be sufficient to sidestep the internal red tape. But don’t assume silence is the only option.
Here’s My LinkedIn Pitch Wish List
- Start with Low-Risk, High-Learning Pilots: Work with mid-tier customers who are more agile and open to experimentation and sharing results. Target use cases where the performance delta can be clearly measured.
- Invest in Independent Validation: Commission a third party to run lifecycle assessments, cost-benefit analysis, or loss prevention audits. Publish the results.
- Tell Better Stories: Stop posting photos of pallets in ditches. Start telling stories about real customers with a problem, a process, a fix, and a result.
- Stop Marketing to Each Other: Create content for the logistics manager reviewing next year’s budget, not just investors or LinkedIn echo chambers.
- Measure, Learn, Iterate, Publish: Even if the pilot doesn’t lead to adoption, lessons learned are more persuasive than recycled hype.
The Cost of Saying the Same Thing
There is a real downside to repetition without substance. Buyers disengage. The industry tunes out. And truly promising innovations get lost in the noise.
Supply chains don’t need vision statements. They need proof. Data. Lessons learned. Even failure stories reveal something useful. If you’re holding something back that could move the needle, now is the time to lead.
And if you’re not? Maybe skip the next LinkedIn photo shoot.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
