Reviewing the trends and insights we gleaned from ACS 2018.

A: Camilo Quiñones: I think it was great how BASF came in and helped provide a theme to the overall trade show. Even beyond our booths, we noticed folks talking in terms of our trend pods — [i.e. Value Engineering, Smart Coatings, Cure Control, Protect & Perform, and Sustainability] — which is exactly what we wanted to do.

We aimed to gather all the things that we have learned over the years, along with trends we’re currently seeing, and condense it in a concise manner so people can start talking about it.

A: CQ: As I was talking to people at the show, a common theme I noticed was how they are being impacted by the rising cost of raw materials.

The cost makes things difficult. It can be affected by raw materials like titanium dioxide (TiO₂₎. We talked to people about how BASF can use the different things we have in our tool kit to help them overcome cost issues without compromising on performance. That's where  products such as AQAcell® — a product to offset TiO₂ — can help them.

A: CQ: To start it off, Value Engineering was definitely important. Again, people wanted to know how we could improve the TiO₂ efficiency of their formulations. In the Cure Control pod, one of our conference presentations on how to attain early rain resistance using  Acronal^® EDGE 4247 also drove a lot of traffic to the booth.

Smart Coatings was another breakout trend pod. As part of our focus to push the envelope, we shared one of our prototypes for true stain resistance. For us, stain resistance is not the same as washability. True stain resistance is when the paint prevents the stain from binding to the surface. The desired outcome is that the end customer will be able to just wipe off the stain, as opposed to having to scrub several times until it comes out. It's the same outcome with less effort.

A: CQ: I think we are hitting the nail on the head when it comes to their needs. We understand the drivers for them to act, whether that’s additional performance or help with rising costs. So, it’s really all about being attuned to the needs of the market.