When a company is ready to launch a new product, it’s imperative that you do not forget about the importance of custom product packaging. The packaging for your goods does more than just hold the items you’re selling. Packaging is much more than that. Getting the packaging for items just right is crucial to your business. Think about how you select products that are new to you when shopping. You may be tempted by packaging that looks good or perhaps elicits an emotional response; this is why product packaging is important.

Product Packaging Design’s Function

Protect the product. The primary function of product packaging is to protect items from damage, especially during transit. The right retail packaging also protects items while being stored on shelving. Custom product packaging can protect goods from moving around during transport as well as from being squished or broken if another package were to be sat on top of it.

Attracts customers. It’s not enough that product packaging protects the goods inside. Your packaging needs to be attractive. Custom packaging services will be able to work with you to create custom printed products that not only advertise your brand but also embodies your brand. The top custom packaging services will conduct extensive research to decide which color schemes, designs, and types of product packaging will be most attractive to your audience and potential customers.

Promotes the product. Having the right design scheme will do a lot of your product promotion for your business. What will your company and product packaging be known for? Think about how Tiffany & Co. packages their items. You can immediately imagine the blue box. Apple is known for their clean, minimalistic packaging design. How do you want your product to be remembered?

Helps customers make informed decisions. Your packaging should include nutritional info, ingredients, and warn of potential risks. This information being readily available on your packaging helps consumers make the decision to buy because they know exactly what they are getting without having to speak to a sales associate.

Helps differentiate you from the competition. There may be many brands in your industry, but custom packaging can help differentiate between your products and your competitors’. Having a design that stands out will help consumers identify your product and will elicit a positive reaction.

Delivers a message to consumers. What does your packaging say about your company? Everything from your logo placement down to the font, should tell your intended customers that this is the product for them and why.

About 95% of new products fail each year because most consumers base their decision making on the product’s packaging. In essence, your packaging will drive sales. By making your product packaging part of the product experience, you are already ahead of the competition. Make sure your product packaging conveys more than what’s inside and elicits an emotional response towards your brand.

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Have you ever heard the saying, “The devil’s in the details?” When you are researching the right product packaging services for your company, you need to pay attention to the details. Custom product packaging for your products will not only keep your products safe during transit, but the will practically sell your products for you by being visually appealing to consumers.

When vetting companies that offer custom packaging services, you need to consider the following in your research.

Company history and profile.

Take the time to read a company’s profile on their website. Not only that, but most company websites provide client or customer testimonials. You are also likely to find company reviews by customers online.

Quality of their products and services.

As mentioned earlier, most companies have testimonials on their website. Consider contacting one or more of their satisfied customers to talk about the quality of their products and their services.

Compatible schedules.

You need a company that can meet deadlines, especially if you are dealing with food and beverage product packaging. You need to make sure that they can handle food packaging, and perhaps offer bottle label printing if needed, and can deliver in the required timeframe.

Provide product samples.

Companies who are proud of their products generally offer product samples. Those companies that don’t are more likely to provide subpar products.

Product costs.

Before you ask for a quote, you should have already considered your budget, what you can afford, and what you are willing to pay for. When you do ask for a quote, be detailed in your specifications and design. Specify the material you will need, for example, will you need custom printed corrugated boxes, cardboard, or carton packaging?

Option for annual audit.

If you are looking for a long-term contract, the custom product packaging service you are vetting should allow you conduct an annual audit. An annual audit will help you keep track of increases to material costs so that you can adjust your price accordingly.

Also, while vetting, take into consideration that many, if not most households are more environmentally conscious. Having custom packaging that is sustainable, recyclable, and/or environmentally friendly could be an additional selling factor to your consumer. You want to consider your product demands. The custom packaging service you work with needs to be able to work together with you to meet the demands of your customers. One of the most important things to consider is the laws and legalities in your state and the countries you sell your products in. Your packing needs to be safe. If your packaging contains, or was made with harmful chemicals, your company could be susceptible to a potential lawsuit. Discussing the materials to be used in your product packaging is integral to ensuring your brand isn’t risking bad publicity for distributing products or product packaging that is harmful.

The best decision for your company is to work with an experienced, product packaging service.

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You want your brand to successfully differentiate you from your competitors. Having custom product packaging is one of the many things you can do to make your brand stand out. Working with a custom packaging service can assist you with brand management to assure products deliver on the promises your products make to your customers. The best product packaging service for your brand will ensure that your product packaging does these four things.

Stand out from your competitors.

The best brand management teams know that specific colors and design will captivate your customers. This takes researching which colors, designs, and patterns will make your customers want to buy what you’re selling.

Be simple, practical, yet memorable.

More often than not, less is more in custom packaging. You don’t want to have product branding that looks cluttered and just blends in with the rest of a visually congested market. Experienced custom packaging services and print management providers will be able to offer guidance in creating custom retail packaging that’s simple, practical, and yet visually appealing enough to catch your consumer’s attention.

Will provoke an emotional response.

When a brand makes a consumer feel something, that consumer is likely to act. And by act, we mean to make a purchase. The laws of attraction are what makes great brand packaging. When you are compelled to look at an item, there is something about that item that’s attracting you. The design, the color combination.

It will create iconic imagery.

Think about Starbucks’ icon, the Coca-Cola logo, The Nike “Swoosh” and the McDonald’s arches. While these companies’ logos and slogans have decades of exposure, that doesn’t mean your branding cannot be iconic in your market. The best marketing execution means that iconic logos and branding provide more than just a pretty picture to their customers; they provide information about the design.

Pass the five-year-old test.

What’s the 5-year old test? It the ability to describe your brand to a 5-year old child, send them into a store, and they are able to find it. It means your packaging is able to create a connection because of distinctive brand marketing. Brand marketing takes more than just putting together some colors and slapping them on product packaging. Regardless of the type of product you sell, your product packaging should stand out in a good way.

As Simon Preece, director of Elmwood, said in Forbes, “At a time when many consumers actively screen out marketing messages, the surest place…to make a bigger impact is at the point of consideration.” Consumers are fast-forwarding past commercials and billboards and ads on websites. Retailers need their packaging to make an impact the moment a consumer sees it. Through biometive triggers, marketers are using science to design custom product packaging that will draw in customers. This is why it’s important to hire a custom printing service provider with experience developing custom retail packaging with brand management and execution.

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If you are a business owner, you should care about the impact custom packaging services can have on your bottom line. Simon Preece, Elmwood Brand Consultancy’s Director of Brand Science once said, “Consumer products brand design is wrongly predicated on the notion that shoppers make rational, informed decisions. In truth, most are purely instinctive and reactive.” Think about major brands and how their packaging stands out. What is it that makes them unique?

Here are 5 things your product packaging needs to do.

Elicit an emotional reaction.
An eye-catching design should allow the consumer to make a psychological connection. You want customers to feel something, whether it’s nostalgia, or excitement—you want them to associate a positive feeling with your brand.

Be iconic.

Typography is very important in brand recognition. Think about brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, Barbie, Volvo, and FedEx. What do they all have in common? Their typography is distinct in a way that draws your eyes to the center of the object that their brand appears on. There is a world of difference between being a brand and being an iconic brand. npn360 is a digital printing company with more than 30 years assisting small businesses include professional printing services.

Be simple.

Less is definitely more when it comes to creating a logo and brand identity that will be associated with your company forever. Of course, you want to set yourself apart from your competition. However, you do not want to overdo it with a gaudy design and reckless branding. A simple design for your custom product packaging will be more effective than a complicated design that makes it difficult for the consumer to figure out what your product does.

Stand out.

There is more to making your brand stand out than just slapping a logo on your custom product packaging. Making your brand stand out requires considering the design and positioning of your logo, selecting the right color palate for your company’s brand and designing custom retail packaging.

Pass the five-year-old test.

Your packaging is your company’s brand ambassador. It tells your product’s elevator pitch. Think about what type of story you want your product packaging to tell. Your brand’s story should be interesting, yet simple enough to explain to a 5-year old. Preece says, “you could tell a five-year-old, to get the salt pack with the girl in a yellow coat with an umbrella on it; she will come back with Morton Salt.”

Whether your company is looking to design custom retail packaging or are looking for custom printing services that include offering flexible packaging services, npn360 has a knowledgeable team who understands the importance of brand marketing. Don’t discount the impact custom printed packaging can have on your business. If you are unsure of where to begin, our team’s custom packaging services will help you elevate your business’ brand to the next level and beyond.

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Most well-equipped businesses have in-house office printers for routine and daily tasks. Even though many forms of communication can be digitized (email memos), businesses still need printing for letterhead, reports, business cards, brochures, flyers, leaflets and more. These types of tasks can take a toll your staff.

The print partner provides the service(s) you need

Ask your print service provider what type of services and products they can provide.  Business cards, flyers, brochures and the like require high-quality equipment. If you need company t-shirts or wearables, you want to make sure that the the provider includes apparel printing.

The print partner is experienced

It’s important that print partner you choose has an eye for detail and will thoroughly review your projects for discrepancies and make sure they are completed on time. An experienced provider will be able to advise you on design and ensuring your requirements match the task at hand.

The print partner produces high-quality work

When shopping around for the right print partner, view samples of their work to ensure quality.  Also, a printing partner who invests in the latest and leading printing technology means they likely take pride in the work they do and want to stay ahead of their competition. The quality of materials your print partner supplies can have a huge impact on the products and services you offer.

The print partner has great customer service

A business’s level of customer service is just as important as the projects that they take on. You want to choose a a print partner that is informative and helpful. The ability to clearly communicate objectives, suggestions, and vital information is a major part of ensuring your final product exceeds your expectations. Ideally, the partner you hire will be able to handle your entire project: personalization, quality output, storage, and fulfillment if needed.

The print partner is reliable

No matter the size and scope of the project, you need your project to be completed and delivered in a timely manner. This comes back to communication. You need a print partner that will be efficient and dependable.

The print partner is trustworthy

In today’s hyper-connected world, reviewing a company’s service offering is very easy with Google Reviews, Facebook, Yelp, and other services. You can check the credibility and trustworthiness of the print partner you are interested in working with. Business websites typically include testimonials from previous and existing clients and customers. You can get an idea of the company’s reputation by checking reviews and testimonials.
If you are looking to hire a print partner, follow these tips to ensure you retain the services of a company that will work with you to produce the best products and services for your business.

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Humans are visual creatures by nature. Marketing professionals and artists know that the more visually appealing an item and/or its packaging is, the more likely it will sell. Not only that, when you package your items, you do not want them to be damaged when they arrive at their destination. Having professionally custom product packaging can do wonders for your business.

Here are three reasons custom product packaging can improve your business.

Why would you pay for custom packaging when the customer will just throw the package away? Because first impressions are lasting impressions. And you want to elicit a positive feeling the first time they open their package and every time afterward. Sadly, many small businesses are under the illusion that custom packaging is too expensive. In actuality, custom packaging is not only inexpensive, but will save your business money in the long run. Because of digital printing technology, you can create custom printed corrugated boxes with zero tooling expenses.

Custom product packaging can offer better protection for your products. Using unsustainable filler materials like packaging peanuts and bubble wrap do not always guarantee your products will be delivered safely when using a standard sized box. Items can shift around during the shipping process if your box isn’t customized to fit the products you ship. Custom product packaging provides the best protection against shifting and breaking, ensuring your products will reach your customers in perfect condition.

Increase your brand’s awareness with custom product packaging. Use custom printed boxes to feature your logo and brand name instead of sending your clients a boring, plain, cardboard box. You can display your brand’s image both inside and outside of the box. And when your customers see your company’s colors and logo, it will evoke an emotional response of excitement. Custom product packaging is one of the best marketing tools you could have in your arsenal.

Use customized box sizes for your various products. Using the same, standard box for all of your products, even if your products are different sizes, can be a huge mistake. Whether your products are big, small, or has a peculiar shape, npn360 provides flexible packaging solutions that allow your business to create the right sized box for your product shipping needs.

If you are serious about standing out from your competitors, but are still using standard packaging boxes, it’s time for you to consider a much-needed change. It’s time to elevate your company’s brand and style with custom product packaging. Branded, custom sized packaging will leave your customers with a positive impression of your company, ensuring they will remember you while keeping your products safe during shipping.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Use branded, custom packaging to make your customers first impression of your business a positive, lasting impression. Especially if your company is an e-commerce, online business. If you are not sure where to start, contact npn360 to discuss custom packaging services and extensive, on-demand print management solutions.

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Digital Marketing: Be relevant, data-driven and precise

All marketers would agree that digital technology has brought about a sea change in the world of marketing. The basic model has gone from almost exclusively “push” messages to more of a “pull” approach that combines traditional channels, such as advertising and direct mail, with strategies like search engine optimization, social media marketing, mobile and email marketing.

Power shifting to the customer

In marketing today, prospects and customers are educating themselves about your industry, business space and product or service area. This holds true in both B2B and consumer marketing.

These people are not interested in receiving marketing messages pushed to them from the mountaintop. They want useful information to begin the decision-making process long before they actually interact with your company or brand.

This new way of looking at marketing has been described a number of ways, and one new book fresh off the presses calls it, “precision marketing.”

I had the chance to speak with Sandra Zoratti, Vice President Marketing, Executive Briefing and Education, Ricoh. Sandra defines the term, “Precision marketing is about using data to drive customer insights so that you send the right message to the right person at the right time in the right channel.”

The precision marketing framework is about following a logical, sequential and continually improving process:

1. Determine objective
2. Gather data
3. Analyze and model
4. Strategize
5. Deploy
6. Measure
   • 64% of consumers say promotional offers dominate email and traditional mail received. Only 41% consider these offers “must-read” communications.
   • Out of the 91% of consumers opting out or unsubscribing from email programs, 46% do so because the messages are not relevant.
   • 41% of consumers would consider ending a brand relationship because of irrelevant messaging, and an additional 22% would definitely end the relationship because of irrelevance.
   • A survey of IT buyers by the International Data Group found 58% of vendor content was not relevant to potential buyers, and that this lack of relevance reduced the chance of closing a sale by 45%.

Are you seeing a theme here? Relevance is extremely important in marketing today.

“I say customers are powerful, in control, and they know it,” Sandra says. “They vote with their dollars. They vote with their attention, and what I would call their brand-altering online voices. So, customers are really in the driver’s seat, and marketers need to recognize that.”

Relevance

Sandra offers examples of how marketers turn prospects and customers off with a lack of relevance:

“If you send me promotions for items I have already purchased, you just don’t get me. If you send me content for things that do not align with interest needs, where my behavior has shown you I typically go and linger and learn and read, then you are totally missing the mark, and you don’t get who I am, and you don’t get what I care about. And for that, the penalty is I will take my business elsewhere.”

She adds, “Relevance is simply using insights based on data to craft targeted messaging that makes every piece of content in every channel speak to each recipient.”

Sandra offered a consumer marketing example in 1-800-Flowers. The company began analyzing its customer data:

• Customer name
• Occasion bought for
• Recipient’s name
• Recipient’s address
• Channel for the order
• Demographic information

This data was then used to send the right type of messaging, promotion and marketing for each customer. In result, the marketing itself became more relevant for the customer. And, by utilizing all the available data, the process actually fortified itself by continually enriching that customer database.

To provide a B2B case study, Sandra offered Rapid Racking, a UK-based shelving and racking company that used the traditional marketing of “spray and pray” mailings of a physical catalog. Because of this, its customer acquisition costs were enormous.

The solution was to collect data on prospects, such as job title and job responsibility, and then analyze the existing customer database to predict which of the new prospects were most promising. This led to a 25% reduction in mailed catalogs, and a 47% decrease in customer acquisition cost.

“And they got a revenue uptick of eight percent,” adds Sandra.

Data collection and data mining

Just by looking at the two examples above, it’s clear that data can be a marketer’s best friend. At the same time, data can be very difficult.

“Data is paralyzing,” states Sandra. “It is paralyzing to a lot of marketers and a lot of companies because it is inaccurate, it is siloed, it is messy, and no one really knows how to do it.”

She continues, “When you use words like ‘data analytics’ or ‘data modeling’ or ‘developing an algorithm,’ a lot of people get paralyzed, and that causes them to stop and not take action, and then just do what they did yesterday.”

Sandra suggests simplifying the process by starting with the data you have right now and apply it to a campaign with a specific goal in mind, such as retention, promotion, cross-sell or up-sell. Run a side-by-side A/B test with a control and treatment, look for improvement or learning, and expand from there.

Sandra adds that often when people hear analytics, they think “predictive analytics.” This, she says, is the Holy Grail of data, but actually the process of analytics resides on a spectrum:

• Segmentation analytics – basic data applied to basic business rules
• Profiling – using high-value customer descriptions to find look alike prospects for targeted messaging
• Predictive analytics – capturing behavioral data in unique ways to predict future prospect behavior

Missed (and Found) Opportunity: A case study

Caesars Entertainment has a huge marketing budget, and began collecting customer data by using a loyalty card in the casino.

Sandra explains, “They could track 80% of customer spending: Where were their interests? Where were they spending? And the hidden cost this revealed after tracking data for a couple of years was that they had totally missed a customer segment. It was 0.15% of their customers who generated 12% of their revenue.”

She continues, “That is pretty important customer data to have when you are doing your marketing. A lot of us marketers have aggregated data and look at it in average, and we miss the detail that can really make a huge difference in how we connect with our customers.”

In response to this information about its customers, Caesars began target marketing to this tiny segment that contributed so disproportionally to the bottom line. It resulted in a savings of up to $20 million a year in marketing costs and a 400% boost in revenue.

“They credited it all to data,” says Sandra. “They say data presents a single version of the truth. It is not an emotion; it is a fact upon which you can act.”

Data can drive your marketing career

Sandra’s final thought was on how implementing this process can actually help marketers in the boardroom, as well as in the marketplace.

“Let’s make it personal,” she says. “The experts in customer insight, customer intelligence, based on data are, in my view, really becoming the cornerstone of value in a company, and this really places precision marketers in a very strong position to advance their careers.”

Sandra adds, “I think we have seen people who use this data-driven approach also make the jump from marketing to an executive management, CEO-type position.”

Source: David Kirkpatrick July 31st, 2012 – http://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/

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76% of respondents could recall the company name on a promotional product they had received in the past 12 months… but only 53% could recall a single advertiser they’d seen in a magazine or newspaper in the past week.

72% of trade show attendees who received a promotional item remembered the name of the company that gave it to them—and 76% had a favorable attitude toward that company. Including a promotional product with a pre-trade show mailing increases the likelihood of attendees stopping by the booth.*

Here at npn360, you’ll find the perfect promotional items for your business or organization—and our helpful staff is here to make selecting and ordering products fast, easy, and yes, even fun.

* Source: Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), 2009 Promotional Products Fact Sheet

Expanding Relationships

npn360 offers our clients the most cost effective and extensive array of print resources available today. We will assist you with virtually any type of printed material including marketing collateral, direct mail, labels, custom packaging, complex business documents or large format items. With our extraordinary production flexibility, you can rest assured that npn360 will utilize the most economical, efficient equipment to produce each and every job in a timely, cost-effective manner.

Today’s digital technology has opened up a new frontier of opportunity when it comes to print and integrated marketing. From targeted personalized 1-to-1 marketing in 4-color variable imaging to customized large format imagery, npn360 will help you reach the right contacts with a personal message that will forge stronger relationships.

In addition, you can further add to any marketing program with the perfect promotional product. npn360 can put your logo and message on almost anything imaginable. We offer you the ideal solution to manage and select the best processes and products for your marketing needs.

Download a PDF of our
Presentation Folder Brochure

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