May 26th, 2009
With Earth Day nearly at an end, I started wondering. Who declared the first Earth Day, and why? Did they realize how important environmental awareness would become, and at the same time how polarizing an issue?
The first official Earth Day in the United States was celebrated in spring 1970, at the urging of a Wisconsin Senator, Gaylord Nelson. The limited bounty of earth’s natural resources were of concern, but ironically the focus was not on conservation. At that time, the more popular movement was for population control! Nelson was quoted as saying “The bigger the population gets, the more serious the problems become … We have to address the population issue… every country is 
responsible for stabilizing its own population. It can be done.” Quite a different spin on environmentalism! Even more ironic, one popular environmental concern cited “imminent cooling” of the earth’s surface and “glaciation” as a significant threat to our environment! A downward temperature trend was observed during the 30 year period preceding 1970 which alarmed some scientists, and led to the popular fear of “Global Cooling”.
Whether our planet is cooling or heating, one thing is certain. We should all do our best to use earth’s resources wisely and reduce waste. Custom Label is ready to help you find packaging materials that are environmentally friendly. Our Digital Label press is a perfect example. Digital printing has significantly lower material waste than traditional flexography, letterpress, or rotogravure. By running an order digitally we avoid the need to “set-up” the press while running waste stock through the press. Selecting an eco-friendly label stock is also a way to green up your package. We offer a range of facestocks that have higher post-consumer-waste content. There are also bio-degradable and compostable materials that Custom Label can propose for your labels. We even have renewable materials, such as tree-free bamboo papers, where the source plant can be replenished faster than the consumption rate. Give your representative a call, Custom Label would welcome the opportunity to help you create a more eco-friendly package!
Posted in Custom Label, Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Materials, Packaging News, Sustainability, Technical Articles | No Comments »
May 26th, 2009
For many of our customers the retail store is their battleground. As a consumer approaches your product’s aisle the vast majority of shoppers do not know what brand of product they will buy that day. Oft-quoted marketing research claims that 70-75% of consumer packaged goods buying decisions are made at the shelf. That’s a scary statistic if you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, trying to gain sales momentum through retail distribution. Jane or Joe Consumer doesn’t realize how hard you’ve worked to develop your recipe or formula. They have no idea that you spent endless hours with a designer until your package design and product label conveyed the perfect brand message. In the blink of an eye, that consumer will make an impulsive decision whether to choose your product or Product X. It’s not fair! Why doesn’t the consumer see how much better your product is?
Fear not. Thankfully, your product is not defenseless against a whimsical and fickle consumer. Consumer buying behavior has been studied and analyzed by a multitude of researchers, scholars, and consultants. We can learn from their work to get a glimpse into the consumer’s mind. So what influences a shopper as they stare at the options? As you know, human beings have many senses. Some of our basic senses are sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. All five basic senses can influence a consumer to say “I’m going to buy Product X!” But which of our senses is the most important? At the risk of sending perfume testers and food samplers to the unemployment line, I’m pretty sure it’s the sense of Sight. Research has determined that 92.6% of consumers put the most importance on visual factors when purchasing products (source: Seoul International Color Expo 2004). In a separate study, they claim that people make a subconscious evaluation about a person, environment or product within 90 seconds of their initial viewing (source: CCICOLOR – Institute for Color Research). Not much time for your packaging to give it’s silent sales pitch!
So as a packaging engineer, entrepreneur, or small business owner what can you do? I have a simple, albeit biased, suggestion: Focus on your product’s packaging. Look through this checklist and honestly evaluate your packaging:
Emotion – Does your package evoke an emotion that stimulates a purchase?
Efficacy – Your labeling should communicate the benefits and effectiveness of your product.
Up-to-date – Even iconic brands must be changed regularly to stay fresh
Unique – Does your brand stand out on a me-too shelf?
Information – Make sure your label gives the consumer the info they seek
Give us a call today at Custom Label. Let us help you build the optimum packaging for your brand and product. That’s why our tag line is….
YOUR PRODUCT - OUR PURPOSE
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May 26th, 2009
In the most recent blog I cited a study which found that people make a subconscious evaluation about a person, environment or product within 90 seconds of their initial viewing (source: CCICOLOR – Institute for Color Research) and that more than 62% of that assessment is based on color alone! We are all programmed to react with emotion to different colors. It seems clear to me that a product’s color has more to do with our purchasing behaviors that we are aware of. On a subconscious level we connect specific colors with feelings, fears, emotions, and sensations. Brand managers and entrepreneurs must pick their colors carefully to make sure their brand colors match their brand image.
There are other reasons to pick packaging colors carefully. In another research study color was found to increase brand recognition by up to 80% (source: University of Loyola, Maryland). That is a big number! Coca-Cola versus Pepsi is a clear example of this phenomenon. Same can, same artwork layout, but if I asked “which is red, and which is blue” you wouldn’t need to phone a friend. What about Pepto Bismol? Easy to remember when you have an updset stomach?
Custom Label is all about Color. Your Color. We have more than 30 years of experience working with customers to match your exact color – not once, but every time you place an order. Our flexo label presses are multi-color platforms that support up to 10 individual colors run in a single pass. Each print station can print a different PMS or custom-match color. We can provide color draw down samples or conduct a live press-check proof where you can be involved and confirm the perfect color for your label and product. Our digital press uses up to 6 colors to create a process blend that emulates the traditional PMS colors. We can come very close for a large percentage of PMS colors. For those colors that do not translate to process printing, we can order PMS match colors for the digital press. Whether your need is short run digital labels or a long run flexo job, we will make sure you are happy with the color. Your success depends upon it!
Posted in Digital Label Printing, Entrepreneur's Corner, Flexo Labels, Labels 101, Packaging News, Quality, Technical Articles | No Comments »
