The DuPont Award winners for 2010 were just announced at the end of May, continuing the virtual forum format from last year. The winners proved breakthroughs in packaging with innovative developments, cost/waste reduction and improved sustainability. Diamond winners proved excellence in all three areas while Gold winners demonstrated excellence in two criteria. Silver winners were selected for their breakthrough innovation, and notable honorees were given recognition for innovative problem solving. 

Only two submissions were given the prestigious honor of a Diamond DuPont award: the GREENBOX reusable thermal management system, a sustainably-produced container used to transport sensitive medical supplies, as well as Exal Corporation’s “Coil to Can” (C2C) recyclable aluminum bottle.

To see all of the award-winning packaging innovators, click here.

HP recently sent out a press release announcing our purchase of their latest press!

Check out the capabilities our HP WS6000 press purchased in March 2010. It is the newest press on the market from HP and will increase our capabilities, including endless possibilities of substrates for printing.

“Short run, multiple SKUs, repeatable high-quality printing and the ability for variable data has helped to maintain our steady growth,” said Randy Duhaime, General Manager, Dion Label. “ The purchase of the HP Indigo WS6000 will allow us to continue this trend with longer run lengths transitioning from our conventional flexographic printing department to our digital department. WS6000 enhancements, such as its large repeat length and its ability to print on substrates from 12 microns to 450 microns, will open additional opportunities.”

A few weeks ago we showed off the label redesign for Campbell’s soup and explained the research behind their design choices. Since then, neuromarketing has created even more buzz. Take a look at a light-hearted video that explains the technology (scroll to about 2:20 to see how it’s used for marketing purposes):

As opposed to surveys or focus groups, the highly scientific research eliminates human response error. Unfortunately, as this article explains, getting that research isn’t exactly cheap. The companies, like Campbell utilizing the technology typically have big dollar advertising budgets to begin with. It will be interesting to see if budgets will be allocated towards truly getting into consumers’ heads.

The latest issue of Brand Packaging analyzed the effects of the recession. It’s a situation that has affected everyone, but rather than simply blaming our troubles on the current economic situation and giving up, we can look at how to learn, move on, and hopefully grow instead. The article compares coping with the recession to coping with loss, and how this influences consumer purchasing patterns:

Anger/Denial: At first consumers indulged in small luxuries that wouldn’t have major short-term consequences. Brands and even private labels that benefited were the ones that proved their value was worth the added cost. Others were ones with traditional/nostalgic value that consumers could take comfort in.

Bargaining/Depression: When consumers really started to feel the economic downturn, they shifted towards more thrifty habits. As a rudimentary example: even though people still dined out at restaurants, they chose less-expensive options (i.e. a pizza for the group rather than individual prime ribs. Trust me, I’ve seen this happen!).

Acceptance: At the end of the day, the major effect of the recession on consumer attitudes is a shift of the paradigm from a mindset of "what I want is what I need" to one of "what I need is what I want."

So here are Brand Packaging’s words of wisdom:

1. Don’t try to sell consumers what they don’t really need;
2. But, at the same time, don’t forget that behind every basic need lies an aspiration.
3. Use playfulness and familiarity to earn the right to engage with consumers.
4. Respect consumers by making clear, believable claims and making your portfolio easy to understand and navigate.
5. Give consumers a sense of control in the way they choose to interact with you.
6. Use packaging to give a fair picture of what is inside the pack, but don’t lose an opportunity to tell a compelling story.  

Ironically as I posted the battle of the brands blog, I came across this article link on packagingdesign.com. The private label vs. national brand debate is clearly a hot topic. While our last post gives an objective analysis of the packaging aspect, here we see how passionately the proponents for each side feel, and for good reason. National brands realize what’s at stake as store brands have become major competitors.

When I say the word "lion" what comes to mind? Ferocious? Hunter? Animal? Scary? It is important that as designers, owners, or marketers of a product, we understand that our customers make these associations in their minds when they see our product packaging. It baffles me when companies spend so much time, energy and money on their product and then barely consider their product packaging. This is when I want to scream "WAKE UP! Your packaging is what sells your product!"
 
Think about your own personal experiences. What draws you to try a new product? Unless someone you know recommends the product to you, the packaging is what will drive you to purchase something new. Trust me, I'm a sucker for cool packaging. Not because it's my profession, but I always think the product in the metallic package or the one with an interesting caption will work better, taste better, and make me better. And you know what? Studies show this is the thought process for most consumers.
 
Here are 5 ways to make your item be the new product someone purchases this year.
 
1. Tell a story with your label. There is always a reason why your product exists or is unique compared to your competitors. Tell me why I, the consumer, should buy your product. Is your pasta sauce your grandmother's recipe handed down from generation to generation and you want to share it with me? If so, then I may think of my own grandmother and her home cooking and think "Forget about the Ragu, this pasta sauce is going to give me the warm feeling of grandma's homecooking." Does your product donate a profit to charity or have an eco-friendly element to it? If so, I'd be more apt to buy your product over a competitor's so I, too, may help fund a charity or help the environment. What if your product isn't so different from the competitors? You can still engage and get me to buy your product. A prime example of this is Vitamin Water. They tell funny, fictional stories on their infused drinks. This company is still fairly young in the soft drink market, yet their product contends with brands that have been around forever. 
 
2. Get your label in shape! Adding shape to your product packaging gives depth to your image. It draws the consumer in and makes them want to learn more. You can get your label in shape by using an irregular shaped product bottle and using a shrink sleeve label or using a regular shaped product container and using a custom-shaped die. Shrink sleeve labels are film sleeves that shrink to fit your product container. Nestle's Jamba Juice® uses this type of packaging. Custom -shaped labels are cut using unique dies.
 

3. Metallic labels. Using metallic in your label is a way to dress it up without needing to get too fancy with your entire packaging. Metallic can be incorporated into your design in a few different ways. Metallic film or paper coated stock will allow for your entire label background to be metallic. You can enhance or cover up the intensity of the metallic label by the type of ink you use in your artwork. For labels that only need a hint of metallic here and there in your artwork, you may use a regular material with metallic ink. This ink is laid down using plates that can be engraved into the pattern you'd like. For example, if you have a midnight sky in your design, your can use a plate engraved with stars to add gold stars to your design.
 
4. Invisible labels. By using a clear label on your glass or plastic bottle, you can utilize the product contents in your design as well as display your product. This technique gives the illusion of invisible labels. This concept works into your package design as well as provides the customer with pertinent product information. For customers that wish to get a silk screen effect without the high cost, clear labels are the way to go.

5. Add texture to your labels! 
Not all labels are smooth, glossy, and one-dimensional. Texture appeals not only to a customer's eyes, but also allows them to feel the difference when picking up your product compared to your competitor's. While embossing tools can raise parts of your design in the area(s) you choose, it can be a costly option as custom tools will need to be purchased. The most cost effective way to add texture to your entire label is by using a textured stock.
 
Click here to request samples of one or more of these design techniques! Please specify which technique(s) you are most interested in.

2009 marked the first full year for Dion’s blog, so we decided to take a moment to reflect on some of its highlights. With almost 200 entries this year we had a lot of options for choosing our favorites! Here are the top blogs we selected:

Products we’ve blogged about and tried:

"Neuro Brand Beverages": Stacy and I were lucky enough to receive samples all the way from the west coast of this product line. We loved everything from the product itself to the unique bottle design.

Colgate Wisp Blogs: Stacy likes these blogs, because not only were she and Karly able to write about these new products, but they also took the time to try them and decide how the design of the product actually had a functional purpose: the cool blue dot in the middle held the brush-able tasty liquid that helped clean our teeth, the fancy swish at the end acted as a toothpick.

• "Colgate Wisps: Hit or Miss?"
• "Brush on the go!"

"The Dear Hunter": This blog was near and dear to my heart not only because I love the design of the case but I’m also a huge fan. I also surprised myself with my respectable amateur photography skills.

Blogs highlighting good causes:

"October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month": Incorporating so many elements related to one important cause made this blog special. Non-profit organizations, products, television, celebrities, and even the world of dance came together to show support for breast cancer awareness.

"Labels Raise Awareness": Provided insight to companies that utilize their labels in raising money (and increasing sales) to help fight a disease. It’s a unique way of using labels. Some tell a story, some have funky shapes and designs… and some help save lives!

Some lighter moments:

"Sunscreen is no laughing matter!": This blog also falls into the above category, but funny man Will Ferrell always brings a little something extra. (You may have recently seen his engagement photo "crash" in the New York Times). They say that getting someone to laugh and then giving them important information helps them to retain the message. Ferrell certainly gets our attention on sun protection.

"Update on Blue Q": Once we quieted our giggles over the new humorous products from Blue Q, we stumbled upon the videos of their sales team and were off again. We’re not sure about you, but the leg lifts get us every time!

The most highlighted rebranding failure of the year:

Tropicana Blogs: The blogs about the whole Tropicana debacle is cool because it shows why packaging is such a key component of selling a product. From a marketer’s point of view, it also explains why so much research needs to go into brand changes to increase (not decrease!) sales.

• "PepsiCo and Carbon Trust Unite"
• "Out with the new, In with the Old?"

What were your favorite moments?

Happy Holidays from Dion Label Printing !

Holiday Hours:
Thursday, December 24th- closed
Friday, December 25th- closed
Friday, January 1st- closed

UPDATE: Last week we wrote a blog about Blue Q products. We recently came across these videos of the Blue Q sales team. They are sure to put a smile on your face! And we're pretty sure we'd buy anything from them!

From September 23rd to 26th, Dion exhibited at booth #339 at the Natural Products Expo East at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. With over 21,000 industry members and 1500 booths, it was a showcase of the growing popularity for natural and organic products. It is no surprise that many attendees were interested in the eco-friendly material and soy ink labels featured at our booth (to request eco-friendly samples, click here!). Some trends we spotted were gluten-free foods, probiotic supplements, products made with goat’s milk, and products made from coconut. Next year, the show will be held at the same location on October 13-16, 2010.

Does your product need a warning label? Do you need help designing your warning label? Then check out the Warning Label Generator! This website allows you to design a warning label in three easy steps. You simply choose the color of your warning label title, its image and then type the text you want to appear on your label!

With stringent budgets, it’s more important than ever to produce effective marketing collateral. When considering the ways you reach out to your customers, you may find that digital printing can increase your marketing return on investment:

• Digital printing reduces the setup costs and does not use plates. Fewer steps means a shorter setup time and turnaround time.

• By printing shorter runs, it is far less likely that you will waste your marketing materials (whether they are outdated or a product is pulled). Not only does this save you money, it reduces waste.

• Digital print proofs are printed on the exact material and machine used to print your labels. This allows you to see exactly what your label will look like when printed.  

• Customizing your marketing materials has shown far higher response rates. Whether it is personalized to an individual or changed slightly for varying markets, "research by PIA/GATF found that adding color and personalization to a direct mail piece increases responses by 134%." Digital printing allows for variable data printing (VDP). This allows you to change text or the graphics on each piece without slowing the press. There are also various levels of VDP allowing more complicated VDP.

• Digital printing also allows for printing PURLs (personalized URLs) that are unique to the prospect. If your marketing campaign is utilizing this growing strategy through direct mail, look to digital printing. PURLs are known to increase response rates and therefore give more return on your marketing investment.

• If you are employing these personalization techniques, a good calculation of your ROI should be in terms of response rate. By dividing the cost of producing and mailing a piece by the number of responses, you will find the cost per response decreases as your responses increase through personalization.

 

In the label industry, a die (aka tooling) is a metal sheet with a cutout of the shape and size of your label. On our printing presses, this metal sheet wraps around one of its components and is what cuts your label material to the desired shape and size you need. For example, this is a picture of tooling for a starburst shaped label:  

Ink and UV varnish or lamination is added to the label material before it is die-cut. After the material is cut, the unused portion (waste) is stripped away.  While many companies throw their waste in landfills, Dion has theirs turned into energy pellets. Different die variations are used to cut different material. Since we have been in business for 40 years, Dion has a large collection of dies available. For orders where custom shapes or different sizes are needed, we can order tooling to meet each customer's specific needs.