Source: www.bizrice.com We often get asked the question "do I need to engage a Packaging Designer for my package design?" It's quite hard to give a quick or direct answer, because everyone's packaging or bag needs, marketing strategy and branding is so different. The most simple way I can explain is, it depends on how complicated the packaging design is. It also depends on how complicated the artwork design is. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, we suggest getting the work done by a professional. As you can see from the two pictures below, the packaging template design would be complicated and would require a professional packaging designer to design. Source: www.looks.gd Source: cclearance.blogspot.com However, if you just require a simple design like a boutique bag or a shirt box, then we are often able to create the die cut template, and place your artwork design or logo where you require on the bag. We can do this as a complementary service, so that you do not have to enagage a Packaging Designer or Graphic Designer - however this is on a case-by-case basis, because it is our manufacturers who can advise if it is a straightforward job for them or not. For example, we work with event managment companies who need event bags for their clients. They just send us their bag size requirements, the colour of the bag they require (CMYK colour code- if not white or black), and the logo they want printed. We can offer to create the die cut template and organise the logo placement at no cost. The above bag is one of the bags we made for our client. They supplied us with the bag size specifications, their logo in a .jpeg file, and logo placement directions. We were able to make the bag without having to ask our clients to engage a Packaging Designer to create the bag template.
We usually ask our clients to supply us with a picture of the packaging design they require (a photo from Google images, or even a hand drawn design is fine). From that, we can indicate whether our client would need to engage the services of a designer.
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Businesses that have been successful with their initial product offering often look to expand their product line either by adopting a multi-brand strategy or a multi-product branding strategy to gain more market share to grow their business.
MULTI BRAND STRATEGY: Multi-brand strategy, as defined in the Business Directory[1] is the marketing of two or more similar and competing products by the same firm under different and unrelated brands. While these brands eat into each others' sales, multi-brand strategy does have some advantages as a means of: 1. obtaining greater shelf space and leaving little for competitors' products 2. saturating a market by filling all price and quality gaps 3. catering to brand-switchers who like to experiment with different brands, and 4. keeping the firm's managers on their toes by generating internal competition. Multi brand strategy advantages, as explained in Finance Maps of the World[2]: 1. generates economies of scale 2. in every market, there are some customers who frequently change brands in order to experiment with products of different brands. By adopting the trick of Multi Brand Strategy, a company can serve effectively to these Brand Switchers. 3. when a company undertakes Multi Brand Strategy, the Managers of the company are bound to operate efficiently as internal competition is generated at a high degree. 4. if the initial brand becomes successful, then through franchising and retailing, a company can develop a second brand without generating much expense. The marketing department of the company can market the different multi brand products just in the way an agency works for multiple clients. All these advantages of Multi Brand Strategy can generate economies of scale. Multi-branding strategy disadvantages: 1. it can fail because of poor management 2. it can fail due to the wrong choice of business model MULTI-PRODUCT BRANDING STRATEGY Multi-product branding involves releasing multiple products with the same brand name - for example Revlon. They have Revlon lipstick ranges, eye shadow ranges, foundation ranges etc. These are different products, but all branded as Revlon. Luke Arthur from Demand Media[3] explains that when offering products to the public, branding can help enhance customer loyalty and help the company be more profitable overall. While this strategy can be simple to use, it can lead to some problems. Advantages include: 1. Easy adoption of the new product by your already loyal customer base. For example, if Revlon brings out a new lipstick colour, women that already by Revlon lipsticks will buy the new colour without too much decision making or checking the price / colour against other competing brand's offerings. 2. Facilitates the acceptance of new products by the retailer that is already stocking your other product(s). Disadvantages include: 1. Dilution of brand name: one of the potential problems with using multi-product branding is that it can delete the effectiveness of the brand name (but not in all cases). When consumers see the brand name everywhere on many different types of products, they may not necessarily put the same faith in the brand as they once did. This can lead to lower sales in all of the different product categories a brand encompasses. By sticking to related products in a brand, you often can grab more market share of that particular niche. 2. All products tied together: another potential disadvantage of using this branding strategy is that it ties all of the products together. In some cases, this can be good, but problems can arise. For example, if your brand covers household products such as soap and cleaners but it also covers chainsaws, one chainsaw malfunction could lead to a bad perception associated with the other products in the lineup. You have to make sure all of the products in your line share the same level of quality. 3. Difficulty managing: when you put your brand name on many different types of products, you eventually may have a hard time managing them all. If you restrict your brand name to items that are similar to one other, such as soap, shampoo and conditioner, it is typically easier to manage them. If you start dealing with products that are completely unrelated to one another, such as soap and automobiles, you may have a hard time effectively managing your resources. 4. Expectations on new products: another potential problem you may run into using multi-product branding is expectations on new products. For example, if your brand has a certain standard of excellence in the eyes of the public, every new product is scrutinized. If the new products do not meet the standards of the old ones, it can lead to a negative stigma surrounding the brand. Every new product must have all of the kinks worked out before you release it to the general public. References: Photo courtesy of www.global-customer.com
As a follow on from my last post about international packaging considerations, colour is another consideration that you need to be aware of.
"An understanding of cultural color and symbolism is essential to anyone doing business with other countries and other societies. These associations with color have been a part of many societies for centuries and you must be aware of both the positive and the negative implications of using particular colors when marketing to these societies." Judy Scott-Kemmis Please refer to Judy Scott-Kemmis (B.SocSc) article and other amazing articles about colour by clicking on this link: http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/cultural-color.html Colour choice is very important when deciding to design your packaging. Colours conjure up feelings, symbols and emotions that are innate or learned in our cultures - so it's important not to offend or confuse your customer when selling your product in a culture different that your own. Don't use colours that are off-putting to your target market! Make sure you study what colours your target market are drawn to and why, and the colours to steer clear of, and why. It is also helpful to put into words, or become conscious of what colours mean in your own mind / culture. Sometimes we are not even aware of our thoughts until we see them written down (like in Scott-Kemmis' article). "Because of color trends and the ever-changing design taste of the consumer, the average life span of a package is two and a half years. If a company doesn't invest in repackaging efforts, the product itself will look like yesterday's news and the newer more current designed product will be more actively purchased." Donna L Montaldo. Please refer to Montaldos article by clicking here for more useful information on the importance of colours in packaging design: http://couponing.about.com/cs/aboutcouponing/a/colorme.htm References: http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/cultural-color.html Colour Palette photo: http://modernl.com/article/colour-lovers-colour-trends-and-palettes http://couponing.about.com/cs/aboutcouponing/a/colorme.htm If you are currently supplying a product to the Australian market, and want to expand to the international market, amongst other things you need to think about if your packaging branding, designs, fonts and images are appropriate to your international target market audience. It all comes down to researching before, during and after your product launch. Some things you need to be aware of: Your brand name: What does your brand name mean in other languages? (Especially in the country you want to stock your product.) Make sure it isn’t rude or offensive or will make people laugh (in a bad way) and potentially ruin your brand image. You may need to change your brand name if it is offensive, otherwise just keep it. Of course changing your brand name could mean that you lose the brand equity that currently exists, but it would be a good idea to change it if you don’t have any brand equity in that country and if keeping your current brand name could cause you potential damage. Hopefully you did your market research and created a 5 year plan when deciding on your brand name before you launched your product. 'There are many practical reasons to keep your name the same around the world: It's simpler; you get economies of scale; it's significantly less complex; and you create a unified global company."[1] Images: Cultural differences such as ensuring you are not using inappropriate images (as well as words). My suggestion is to research what is appropriate in the country you want to supply your product to. Google their cultural values, what they deem offensive, and look at successful packaging in that country. When you have an idea, try to get in touch with someone from that country that you can trust to tell you what would and what wouldn’t be appropriate on the shelves in their country. You don’t want to be selling a body lotion cream with a picture of a bikini clad woman on the product and trying to sell it in Saudi Arabia, with a brand name meaning something offensive. Your product would be boycotted, or not allowed on the shelves. Different cultures have different tastes: Australian luxury product packaging can look different (different colours, images, designs) than Chinese luxury products for example. Look at what a brand in your product category offer in Australia, then look at what they offer the country you want to stock your product in. You need to keep with your brand offering (ie if it is a premium product in Australia, then ensure it is perceived as a premium product in other countries), but again with research, you will be able to figure out what images and colours are perceived as luxury in that target country, and to check your brand equity won't be ruined. Colours mean different things to different cultures: Make sure you’re not being inappropriate with your colours on your packaging to avoid confusing people as to what the product is inside. Labelling: Remember there are different legal requirements for different countries. Your message: Western cultures are all about what satisfying the individual, whereas Asian cultures are about satisfying those around them. For example, toothpaste advertising in Australia is all about how the individual will feel better about themselves, whereas toothpaste advertising in Japan is all about how you can make friends, family and colleagues more comfortable being around you. If you start advertising only the benefits to the individual in Japan, people might not buy your product because they won’t see the benefits to them. (And that is why people buy products - because it satisfies a need or serves a purpose). Translation: Make sure you check with a professional translator everything you have written on your pack is ok before major production! As you can see, the people creating the packaging for the noodles in the picture above did not check with a professional translator before allowing major product and packaging production! I can't stress enough the value of research before, during and after any marketing move you make! Good luck! This quote features in a previous blog, but it’s relevant here, so I will feature it again: ‘Meaningful customer experiences begin when consumers are motivated to pick the product up, purchase and use it, confirming in their minds that it lives up to its brand promise and then seek it out again. That’s a tall order that begins with packaging.’[2] References: [1] http://www.startupsmart.com.au/adam-ferrier/should-i-use-a-local-brand-in-overseas-markets/201206016474.html?utm_source=StartupSmart&utm_campaign=fa15eb86b8-Monday_4_+June_2012&utm_medium=email [2] http://www.thedieline.com/?mobify=0¤tPage=647 Photo courtesy of: http://moodyknows.com/post/3727438073/ramen-packaging-fail-soup-for-sluts-lets Packaging can make or break a business. Below are a variety of packaging failures. Although the below 'packaging fails' will probably not make the businesses fail, it will make people annoyed, or see you in a negative light - and we all know it's easier to keep return customers than try to gain new ones! So don't annoy your customer! You need to do a lot of research before launching your product (in its packaging), as with any marketing move you make. Amongst other things: - you need to get a sample of the packaging before allowing it to go into bulk production to test it - you need to engage with your Graphic Designer / Packaging Designer to discuss what the finished product will look like (including where the handle holes will go etc) - you need to spell check - if you need the information on your packaging translated in to another language - make sure you engage a professional translator to do the job - you need to think about the 'customer experience' when dealing with or opening your package. Don't annoy them by making it hard, or wasteful or time-consuming. This is why it's important to incorporate any hand holes or anything else in your packaging design, or at the very least, get a sample made up before it goes into major production!! It's more important than ever to have clear and concise warnings on your food or allergy prone products. If you are not a native speaker of the language you are printing on your packaging - you need to get a professional translator (not your friend) to translate for you. You could put someone's life in danger! As you can see, they didn't spell check! Again, if the language used on your packaging is not your own native language, you need to invest in a professional translator. Also, get a sample of the box made up and sent out to you before going into bulk production or check with your translator the packaging images / wording is correct/ok. Frivolous, annoying, time consuming, wasteful packaging can make people annoyed! Your end product might be great - but if it comes in a massive package, your customer will be thinking that maybe you have added an additional product or gift! Always think of the customer experience when creating your packaging. Most people are time poor so creating easy to open packaging is best. Again, this kind of frivolous, wasteful packaging just makes people mad. You need to understand that even if your target market customers are not the type to be environmentally friendly minded, there are people that will view your product on the shelves that are. They will not be amused! Think about the environment and the impact your packaging will have on it, and also about your costs. Some things - like bananas, don't need packaging! so don't waste money were it isn't needed. Best of luck with your packaging design! References:
Thank you to: 1. http://failblog.org 2. http://pelfind.com/photos/38050 3. http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/10-absolutely-pathetic-packaging-fails/ After spending probably thousands of dollars (or even tens of thousands of dollars!) on your event materials, products to display, furniture, maybe more staff, and the booking fee or stall at the expo itself...amongst numerous other costs, you then realise you need event bags.
Having worked in event management and marketing for years, and having ordered event bags for numerous events and expos (before starting my own bag and box business) these are my thoughts and tips for what you need to consider when you want to order event bags: 1. What is going in the event bag? Do you need the bag to fit a bulky magazine and a water bottle, or just a few little flyers and small give-away? Make sure you gather all your collateral together and measure them to figure out the size of the bag you want. There's nothing worse than having a massive event bag with a few flyers hiding down the bottom. It feels weird for the delegate carrying it around too. Nor should you make the bag too small. Make sure the gusset will be wide enough to fit your give-aways in. For example if you are giving away a bottle of water and a magazine together, make sure they can both fit snug in the bag, by ensuring the gusset (side of bag) is wide enough. You don't want your bottle busting the bag, or if you do manage to squeeze it in, having an outline of the bottle that has obviously been wedged into the bag! My advice: measure, measure, measure! 2. How heavy are the contents? Again, if you've got a 750ml bottle of water and a thick magazine, you could be looking at over 1kg. You probably don't want to go for a 70gsm (thin) kraft bag. You will need a sturdy bag (probably a classic boutique style bag), and you will need to think about reinforcing the handle holes and the bottom of the bag to ensure your contents don't rip through the bag and land on the feet of a very embarrassed delegate! My advice: tell your packaging supplier (preferably us at Custom Printed Bags & Boxes!) what your contents weigh. We will be able to reinforce the bag to ensure non-breakage. 3. The bag design. If you don't have the budget to engage a Graphic Designer to create a fantastic stand-out design for your event, then you should just go with printing your logo on both sides of the bag, (and even print on the gussets). If you buy in bulk, you can use the generic branded bags throughout the year for other events. Otherwise, to really stand out, you can print a message on the bag relating to the event itself. My advice: custom printed bags are so important because it shows you're a professional organisation, and when people walk around with your bag, it gives you brand exposure. Best of luck with your event! We are excited to announce we got a two page spread in the December 2012 issue of the 'My Business' magazine!
We featured in the Packaging News! Please click on the link below to view the article written about Custom Printed Bags & Boxes:
http://www.packagingnews.com.au/news/custom-packaging-helps-small-businesses-test-the-market If these products above were the same product and price, which would you buy for a present?
Remember the value of packaging on customer's purchasing decisions. At this time of the year (if you love the festive season), you’ll be starting to think about presents for friends and family – maybe even writing present lists, and being organised and going out and buying presents already. If you’re like me, you’ll go to the store where you think you could purchase that item on the list, and find a good array of the same type of product. Say you were thinking of buying a nice tie for your brother. You go into a department store, and you see all the ties laid out in a glass case, and next to them, a beautiful branded rigid gift box. Then you see ties in another glass case with no branded rigid gift box…. I know myself that I would go for a tie that comes in a beautiful box, to make the present I’m gifting look beautiful (and appear much more expensive!) No matter how organised you are, there will always be someone you forgot to buy a gift for – maybe a neighbour or a colleague that gives you a gift close to Christmas and you realise you didn’t get anything for them, so you need to slip out to the mall or shopping strip as soon as possible to find a present. From past experience, my eyes will go directly to the packaged gifts selection on the shop shelf. I will buy a product in a beautifully presented bag or box. I will even by-pass superior quality products that are sitting on a shelf next to it, just to get a product that is beautifully packaged! I’ve even started seeing supermarkets stock their shelves with beautifully packaged items – so if you’ve forgotten that person at the last moment, you can even pick up a beautifully packaged gift in the supermarket! For example my local supermarket has started selling gift boxes in the beauty isle: for example a collection of soaps in a nice square or round box, with the soap company’s branding on the box, with cellophane and festive coloured ribbon, for a quick purchase decision sale. Think about your product. Could you package it in a beautiful bag or box for easy last minute purchase decisions? For example, if your hand creams range is stocked at a pharmacy, why don’t you consider packaging up some of your items into a beautiful, unique branded box, and present it as an already wrapped gift? Make it look a million bucks! Make the purchaser proud to give your product away as a gift, and make the person receiving it feel special, because they have a beautifully presented, expensive looking gift in their hands. Look at what your competitors are doing. Go to the shops where your product is sold and check out how your competitors are presenting their products for the festive season. If they have them in already-wrapped boxes for easy customer purchasing, then you need to think about doing this for next year – but make your gift box even better than your competitors! Even if your product is the superior quality product on the shelf - remember that some customers don't know your product and are just looking for a quick purchase! You will find that last minute shoppers might reach for your competitors product if it is beautifully wrapped and presented - even if your product is better on other levels. Don’t let this happen to you! Make it easy for your customers to choose you! All the best for the festive season! I don’t know about you, but every time I get home from an event, I have a heavy event bag full of a variety of postcards, flyers, brochures and giveaways that I often end up throwing away with a moments glance.
I wanted to explain my take on event bag fillers, and run through some good and bad ideas for your future event bags. Some good ideas for giveaways are are food – chocolates, drinks, nibbles, samples of your product or a wrapped present of some sort (chocolate or a small sample of your product, for example), a hugely discounted gift certificate or a 'two for one' deal (that is really worth something - not just $5 off) – but package it or make it stand out somehow (maybe tying ribbon around the voucher?) otherwise people might see it as a worthless piece of paper. Some bad ideas are key rings – who doesn’t have one of those already? figurines – who is going to keep them displayed around the house? Plus you don’t want them to get into the hands of someone under the age of five. If you are sticking to a budget for your conference or event (as most people do), don’t throw away money on silly, gimmicky give-aways that you know will end up in the bin. It’s not only bad for the environment, but a waste of your money – think about what the hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars that you spend on unwanted giveaways could have bought you, through other marketing efforts, or through spending a little bit more on a giveaway that is a truly thoughtful. Remember to always link the giveaway to your brand or your industry if you are not giving away samples of your product. Make it fun! You want people to like your brand and take notice of you. If you are giving away samples of your product, remember the basics for the packaging – keep it to your branding colours, include your logo, slogan and most importantly include the ‘how to buy’ or ‘how to contact us’ details. This could include where your product is stocked or your website details for online sales. The worst thing ever is a potential customer enjoying your sample, then finding it hard to contact you, find your website, or find out where they can buy it from their local area! Best of luck with your conference bag giveaways! |
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August 2021
AuthorClara Cassidy, Founder and Marketing Manager of Custom Printed Bags & Boxes, is a marketing professional with years of experience in branding, promotions and events. Categories
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