Packaging That Keeps On Giving

Packaging News You Can Use
by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva
Tip Of The Week Issue #1311 - December 19, 2008
http://packagingdiva.com/
http://packaginguniversity.com/
http://packagingyourself.com/

PACKAGING DIVA OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK:

Companies requesting small quantity packaging want to do business with you.
Packaging small quantities is the number one problem of small business when creating new products. JoAnn gets hundreds of requests a week for help. Now she has created just the resource for businesses seeking small quantity packaging and suppliers.

The Small Quantity Packaging Supplier Directory – has rapidly become one of her most sought after products. It’s complimentary for anyone that requests it and we get dozens of requests a week. Some recent queries have come from companies we know you want to do business with. Now you have an affordable opportunity to be showcased as a featured supplier and stand out from all the other vendors.

For a nominal charge of $100, your company will be listed in the directory with a premium enhanced listing where it will be seen first by those seeking small quantity packaging. You also get an expanded listing of your products not just a few words that come with the free listing.
This is a limited time offer @ $100. When the new Entrepreneur Academy goes live after the first of year the fee for premium listings will increase to $200 so sign up now to take advantage of this special discount.

Don't miss out for increased visibility of your products to a targeted group of companies that want to buy from you.If you want to be in the forefront of the thousands of people that come to the Packaging Diva for help, advice and expertise get your listing now at http://packaginguniversity.com/pkgustorefront.htm#adverts

PACKAGING DIVA FEATURE ARTICLE:

Packaging That Keeps On Giving: by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva

This is the time of the year when the media is all a frenzy about consumer product packaging. Whether its "wrap rage" over hard to open packaging, too much packaging, or just packaging and general is everybody has something bad to say about product packaging. Most of the time people just complain and never consider solutions but a few companies are coming up with feasible product packaging programs.

It's common knowledge that the green movement is getting considerable traction. There have been a host of eco friendly product packaging claims and innovations. Companies are seriously looking for ways to resolve the consumers of dissatisfaction over excess or too much product packaging. Although many companies are trying to come up with eco friendly packaging alternatives the answer may not be just to have a "greener" package but to reconfigure the packaging purpose altogether.

The key is to think about packaging differently. It's not going away as so many people would like to suggest. Packaging has a job to do and considering how few problems we have with products, packaging IS performing as intended. So what other options are there?

Several businesses have begun reusing discarded packaging and turning it into other products. The most notable being Terracycle that has several partnerships with major CPG companies. They take back your old packaging and you even get paid for it like they do with bottle surcharges. From the used packaging they create a whole host of new products and the consumer is happy.

New terms have surfaced packaging that is "precycled" that it be "repurposed" for secondary use. Good examples with be glass containers that have a secondary life, aluminum tins that can be used for other purposes or any package that can be reused in a different method from its primary purpose. This concept has been around for a while, its just that many companies are getting more creative about it.

In addition there are other things to think about, ways that packaging can give back to its users by or donating proceeds to other needy causes. The latest rage is celebrities using product packaging to support their special causes. We've all seen the use of the pink breast cancer ribbon on product packaging but other causes are coming to the fore. You will see statements such as X percentage of proceeds are given back to X charity or a % of profits will be donated to a specific cause. Not sure who monitors that this really happens but the sentiment is good anyway.

Lastly products like the Cargo lipstick packaging that gives back as another product entirely. When you plant the package embedded with seeds it turns into flowers.

However you package your products think creatively about the packaging. Can it see another life as something else or is it just something going into the trash. As brands struggle for differentiation one way might be to create packaging that keeps on giving long after the product is gone.

Want to connect with me on a more personal level?

1,600 follow my packaging twitter feed at http://twitter.com/PackagingDiva
On LinkedIn I have 1,400 packaging colleagues and answer lots of packaging questions @ http://linkedin.com/packagingdiva

When Packaging Is In The News, Capitalize On It

Packaging News You Can Use
by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva
Tip Of The Week Issue #1310 - December 12, 2008
http://packagingdiva.com/
http://packaginguniversity.com/
http://packagingyourself.com/

PACKAGING DIVA OPPORTUNITY OF THE WEEK:
I am happy to offer the first edition of the Small Quantity Packaging Directory. Join the hundreds of people who have downloaded the Small Quantity Packaging Directory.
We have verified that all these companies are currently in business and added many new listings. You may get the SQD directly from http://packagingdiva.com/

I'm getting so many calls about advertising that I have created an opportunity for a prioritized enhanced listing. For a nominal charge of $100, your company will be listed in the directory as a premium listing where it will be seen first by those seeking small quantity suppliers. Regular listings are free and we are happy to include you, but if you want to stand out, I’d recommend upgrading. Just email me for more details.

PACKAGING DIVA FEATURE ARTICLE:

When Packaging Is In The News, Capitalize On It.

This is the time of year when the media is all a frenzy about packaging. You hear the same bad news over and over. Most of the year they just ignore packaging or really don't care what's going on with the third largest industry in the US ( packaging). This time of year however, packaging IS the news so what are you doing to capitalize on it to expand your brand and your business?

Here are a few things to think about words that always garner media attention: Wrap rage, Oyster Awards frustration free packaging, excess packaging, over packaging, packaging shrink.... you get my drift. The media is already out there sniffing out the latest in negative news about packaging and the companies that make it. If you get picked up by the media on any these prior points its liable to not be the type of publicity you are seeking although AMAZON has successfully rebounded from negative publicity about excess packaging to its latest frustration free packaging campaign.

But what about the other side of the coin what positive spin can you put on a negative story. Everyone hates clamshells and not just at the holidays either. Got clamshells that open easily or don't injury the recipient when they try to open them. Clamshells are the bane of the packaging world or so they would have you think. I can't believe how may injured by plastic packaging stories I see this time of year. Or the inevitable wrap rage stores on plastic packaging they just can't get opened. The media would love to hear about a clamshell that works since this is a universal packaging problem that has not yet been solved successfully.

And what about "packaging shrink"? I've seen at least a dozen articles crucifying the companies that dare take this approach. As CPG companies reduce the size of products and keep the prices the same are you offering more product at the same price? Or have you figured out a way to provide more bang for the buck? That's news especially as consumers have become more conscious about reading the packaging and understanding what they are buying.

The economic slowdown is a hot button too. Mention the word recession with a packaging solution and your news is sure to be picked up. Can your product packaging provide some tangible recession proof strategies like repurposed packaging or packaging that keeps on giving long after the product is gone?

Have you launched a new private labeled product that provides sincere value and that competes with a major band? Private labeling is hot. Consumers are on the hunt for better products at lower prices and the media love to point the way with comparison shopping angles.

Most of the time the medium ignores packaging unless of course its to put them down or point out the problems. When the media is on the hunt for interesting packaging stories be sure you have your product packaging targeted to share the right message. There is no better time than now to capitalize on the news.

Want to connect with me on a more personal level?

1,600 follow my packaging twitter feed at http://twitter.com/PackagingDiva
On LinkedIn I have 1,400 packaging colleagues and answer lots of packaging questions @ http://linkedin.com/packagingdiva