Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Product Labeling In The Marketing Mix

When it comes to introducing a new product into the marketplace it is crucial to get off on the right foot marketing your good or service.  The product’s marketing team will work to create and execute a plan that takes into consideration all four aspects of effective product marketing.  When developing a marketing mix considered the following; product, promotion, price and place each offering a unique benefit to help move the goods and services that are offered.

Product
This goes almost without saying but if you are offering a good or service that is of little value to consumers than it is safe to speculate that there is a possibility of imminent failure.  It is near impossible to sell something that no one sees any value in.  Your product must be viable.  It must be something of quality that people can’t imagine themselves living without it.  The product needs to have value.  It is important that the products physical attributes are considered, what the product or service does, how it is different from what the competition offers and what benefit it offers to the purchaser.

Promotion
The promotion of your product is defined as anything used to communicate the features and benefits that your product or service provides to your target market.  This often includes aspects such as the products packaging as well as product advertising, sales promotions and public relation efforts.  Product packaging and labeling are important because they can be used to really grab the attention of your target consumer at the point of sale.  Shrink sleeves are a popular option in labeling as they offer a three hundred and sixty degree space to promote the product.  As far as a label being able to grab the attention of consumers shrink sleeves bring the ability to use an array of colors as well as a larger area of coverage to further assist in marketing the product.

When it comes to promoting services the number one method to increase awareness and get consumers to perceive value is word of mouth.  When people are talking about the service they have gotten from you in a positive light it is the best advertising a company providing services can wish for.

Price
The price at which you offer your good or service for also plays a large role in the marketing mix.  When determining your products price it is crucial as this is the driving factor in profit and therefore also determines the survival of your company.  When setting the price be sure that it compliments all the other aspects of the marketing mix.  Take into consideration the value that the product or services is perceived by consumers.  Consider the three basic pricing strategies as well: market skimming, market penetration and neutral pricing.

Place
Where you find your product or service also plays a huge role in the success or failure of your marketing plan.  Think about it; if you are selling cold water you will sell more if you make it available to people who it offers value to.  Cold water is of value to participants in street fairs when it is ninety degrees out however during forty degree whether hot cocoa and coffee make more sense.

It all comes down to having the right product, available at the right time, in the right place, promoted to the right market.  

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your label design, printing and packaging needs.

Becoming Familiar With Shrink Sleeve Labeling

How many people are actually aware of what a shrink sleeve is?  The type of label that is on the products we purchase is not something that many of us ever take into consideration.  Labeling on products is so common that we never stop to take notice of them when in fact they play an incredibly intricate part in the products we choose to purchase.  Heat shrink sleeve labels are regarded as the number one label option to assist in product branding.

From the toilet cleaner you use, your daily energy drink and even the soap you lather with most likely use a heat shrink sleeve. They are one of the most popular options to use in labeling as they offer major benefits for product branding.  Detailed below are the advantages of using shrink sleeves when considering labeling options available to help in branding your product.

Advantages of Using Heat Shrink Sleeve Labels
  • Large Advertising Space: Shrink sleeves offer a three hundred and sixty degree area for product advertising.  When using a heat shrink sleeve there is no wasted, empty white space.  With shrink sleeves you get space to design graphics around the package to catch the attention of your target market.  Shrink sleeves offer the most reality space for advertising and promoting your product.
  •  Purposeful Wrapping: It is hard to design a package that stands out and fits with what you are hoping to accomplish with it when you are worried about how the label is going to fit.  With shrink sleeve labels this is no longer a concern.  A shrink sleeve can be manufactured to fit the oddest shaped packages.  They offer maximum flexibility in labeling that works with most any products packaging while maintaining the products functionality.  This assures the product gets the advertising space on the package that is necessary to allow your product to stand out.
  • Inexpensive: When using shrink sleeve labeling you get extra advertising space without the burden of the extra expensive.  The label is created from a thin plastic material that is economical to manufacture. It is also simple to experiment on this type of label when looking to help update your brand. 
  • Tamper Proof: Shrink sleeve packaging encases a product entirely to prevent product tampering.  The label encloses the product, is tamper proof and allows the product to be transported without damage during shipping.  The shrink sleeve label provides an extra layer of resistance from scratches and scuffs.
Shrink sleeve labels provide a plethora of benefits to make it the perfect addition to any marketing mix.  Shrink sleeve labels are used on a variety of products throughout an abundance of industries because of the benefits that are provided for proportional purposes.

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your label design, printing and packaging needs.

Advantages Of Using Heat Shrink Sleeve Labeling

Many consumers fail to realize the importance that labeling has on the success or failure of a product.  In order to assure your ventures success you must make sure to utilize the right materials for your products label.  Not only are the right materials important, the overall layout and design of the label is as well.

When it comes to labeling your product it is crucial that you look into all of the materials available to manufactures.  Focus on the options within the label industry that offer your product the most benefits; shrink sleeve labeling is the most popular preference throughout a variety of industries and for an assortment of different products.  Every label that adorns a product has a purpose.  Getting more out of your label than is expected easily helps to guarantee that your expectations are exceeded.

Shrink sleeves are advantageous as a product label for the array of benefits that they offer over other types of labeling options.

Heat shrink sleeves guarantee to help manufactures looking to save money in labeling. Shrink sleeves are created from affordable materials without detriment to the quality of the label.  Cost savings are just one of the benefits contrived from using shrink sleeves to label your product.

If you are looking for the biggest impact visually there is nothing better than shrink sleeve labeling.  Advanced technology in shrink sleeve labeling has made it possible for products of a variety of shapes and sizes to have an attractive label that is an exact fit.  Product manufacturers enjoy the graphic appeal that shrink sleeves offer for their products.

Another recent advantage to shrink sleeve labeling is that they can be produced and used without causing harm to our environment. Biodegradable shrink sleeves leave less of an environmental footprint then other options in product labeling.  Shrink sleeves offer promotional results that manufacturers look for without upsetting the natural balance within our environment.

Another benefit to using shrink sleeves is that they offer three hundred and sixty degrees of space to promote the benefits of your product over the competition.  The wrap around design allows you to take advantage of space that was unusable advertising space. Manufacturers can update old outdated labels by easily covering old labels with modern shrink sleeve labels.

Each type of label offers unique advantages to your products.  Choosing the correct product label may seem like a basic component to product development however making a smart choice allows you to experience rewards such as the cost saving benefits enjoyed with heat shrink sleeve labeling.

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your label design, printing and packaging needs.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Recycling group releases shrink sleeve label guidelines

A post-consumer plastics recycling trade group is out with a set of recommendations to help guide the packaging industry on the use of shrink sleeve labels, a move to help mitigate the label’s impact on container recycling. 
The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers said the problem is not completely solved, but progress is being made.
APR recommends companies use “sleeve labels that will float in water and separate from PET flakes in a sink/float material separation step.” 
The group also recommends use of printed label inks that do not stain PET flakes in the wash/rinse step of recycling.
Another recommendation is to use an APR guidance document to assess the impact a label would have on PET bottle recycling.
APR further recommends use of shrink sleeve labels that leave at least 20 percent of PET bottle surface area exposed. “This will allow the most accurate auto-sortation by the broadest range of installed color sorters,” the group said. 
APR formed its Sleeve Label Working Group in June 2013 to tackle the issue troubling plastic recyclers. 
John Standish is technical director of APR. “Recyclers were seeing more and more containers with full wrap shrink sleeve labels contaminating their materials,” he said in a statement. 
Several label manufacturers have worked with APR to create label stock that meets APR recycling guidelines, the group said.
“While we have a ways to go, the market is responding,” Standish said in a statement.
  Original Source: http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20140926/NEWS/140929926/recycling-group-releases-shrink-sleeve-label-guidelines#

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Flexible packaging recycling today

As the second largest packaging segment in the United States, flexible packaging solutions account for 18% of the $145 billion American packaging market, according to the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA). Lighter weight flexible packaging includes films and laminates, which allow for the transport of higher volumes of product and less materials needed for production. This has been a revolutionary movement for brands to adopt to save on energy costs and reduce capital spent on materials.

On the manufacturing end of the production/consumption loop, flexible packaging makes sense because it has less of a negative impact on the environment than its rigid plastic bottle counterparts. It requires less material for production, generates less CO2 during transportation and taking up less space in the landfill.
Flexible pouch
According to the FPA, the flexible standup pouch product to package ratio is 35 times greater than that of glass bottles with metal caps and 21 times greater than the aluminum can. This allows for more product to be shipped using much less packaging. Included in the association's statistics is the fact that flexible packaging uses 50% less energy to produce and 60% less plastic than rigid bottles.

While sustainable packaging is a great talking point for the flexible packaging sector, there is still progress to be made to be entirely environmentally responsible. To any consumer, recycling plastics is the answer. CompleteRecycling.com states that recycling plastics uses 80% less energy than what it takes to create new plastic containers or bottles. But is recycling the only answer to environmental consciousness? Is it applicable to flexible packaging? 

Flexible packaging recycling today

As it stands, there is no proper closed-loop system put in place to handle the recycling of flexible packaging, especially multi-layer high-barrier materials, specifically structures composed of aluminum foil within a polyethylene (PE) laminate. Mono-layered packaging is more easily recyclable because it doesn't contain the aluminum foil center. But the process to recycle multi-layered flexible PE packaging involves more steps than the traditional plastic recycling regimen by including separation of each layer. Each layer is then analyzed, identified and recycled individually to further process the plastic film into a recyclate resin.

Since a lot of flexible packaging is used for food products, another hurdle for recycling is food contamination. Due to food contamination in most flexible packaging going through the current recycling system, a very small percentage is actually reusable. The non-recycled polymers are sent into oxygen-free chambers for incineration, providing emissions-monitored energy to manufacturing plants.

There are great initiatives in the works from forward-thinking groups like the Flexible Packaging Association, who has a strong focus on sustainable packaging. The FPA is working with several producers for packaging that is safe for the environment. The Sustainable Plastic Coalition, the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APPR); and The Flexible Film Recycling Group(FFRG), are also promoting and increasing public education and outreach on plastic film recycling.

Cradle-to-cradle design is another initiative that organizations such as Enval are working toward. The philosophy of cradle-to-cradle design is to keep packaging products within the reusable system without downgrading or becoming 100% waste. Enval has found a way to fully recycle the aluminum foil between the layers of polymer laminate and keep it clean. Along with that, they can produce oils and gases from the plastic components, which can be used for electricity and heat. This is possible by using microwave-induced pyrolysis, which is not able to be done by incineration because of the inclusion of oxygen in the process.

Manufacturers are also moving toward the cradle-to-cradle concept by implementing the use of either eco-friendly materials that biodegrade, bio-based plastics that may also be biodegradable or techno-friendly materials that can be recycled without being down-cycled into low-grade materials. Using plant-based materials in flexible packaging would mean economic growth for agricultural industries. It would also push further agricultural development due to demand for crop growth. 

Possible optimization of flex pack recycling

While Enval's process to completely recycle aluminum components and use pyrolysis for plastic components is currently the best solution for handling of multi-layered packaging waste, there is no solution to adequately recycle the plastic components into other plastic materials.

With pyrolysis, char residue formed from plastics contains inorganic materials, 80% liquid carbon and 20% carbon gas (CO2 gases are not created because of lack of oxygen in the chamber). The carbon can be transported to different locations for liquid fuel/energy needs. The ash can be used as ingredients in products such as concrete ready mixes. While the carbon can be used as fuel, companies tend to enter mixed waste materials into the pyrolysis chamber, producing fuel that may not have optimal usability.

What needs to continually be researched is an effective way to turn this carbon liquid fuel into a more serviceable, high-integrity energy source.

Developing more effective end-of-life processes (especially within pyrolysis) for flexible packaging; to have an even lesser impact on the environment is a challenging quest, but it is possible. With the innovations the flexible packaging sector has already made, like using bio-based material,or the waste-to-energy process of pyrolysis, the building blocks of further development have been set in place.

Influence Consumers Using Your Product’s Label

product label is an intricate part of what influences consumers to buy your product.  A label identifies your product from similar products that are selling in the marketplace.  It is crucial for business owners to have a label designed that is plentiful for marketing and promotions as well as complete product information.  The label on a product is meant to provide an accurate ingredient list as well as to highlight everything that distinguishes you from the competition.  The more attention your label is able to grab from consumers the more likely they are to make a purchase.

When you are marketing your product within foreign markets your product package design and label will separate you from others.  If the item that you are selling is edible it is important that your label clearly states all the ingredients as well as what ingredients your product is free from such as nuts, gluten, dairy or other allergy inducing things.  Allowing your customers to be knowledgeable about your product makes it easier for them to commit and make an educated purchase right away.  The label should engage the customer and allure them into committing to buy.

A label embellishes your product and is made to continually bring attention to your product.  Not only should it grab their attention but it should drive them to make a purchase.  What is the best way to do this?  Marketers work diligently to design a perfect product label.  The label design should be professional, unique and engaging.  When a product is visually interesting people tend to want what you are offering.  When consumers are stimulated, which can be done with an appealing label, they often make a purchase. 

When looking to produce a label there are several different types of labels to consider that are of higher quality.  A higher quality label will speak high volumes for your product.   There are a variety of superior types of labels including cut & stack, pressure sensitive, roll-fed and shrink sleeve labels.  If you are looking for labels that are printed directly on the product consider the option of flexible packaging.  Flexible packages are good for products ranging from chemicals, beverages and nutritional supplements.  

The products tag or label as it is more commonly referred to delivers information, grabs the attention of consumers and help to inspire a purchase.  With each of these features working together it is remarkably easy to persuade the buying decision of your customers.  

At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your label design, printing and packaging needs.

Get A Better Understanding Of Your Product Label

When it comes to labeling there is no shortage of products in need of accurate, attractive product labels.  The market today is one in which labeling has never been more important. With food allergies and specific ingredient-free products on the rise labels are vital.  When a product is stored in a container that the contents cannot easily be identified, which most are now a days, the label is the only source of information on what is in there.  Labels come in a variety of forms and can be pasted or printed on the outside of the package.   

The shape of your products package and the form the product comes in are all important marketing tools to help sell your product and company image.  Making your product easily recognized and remembered by consumers is what will differ between a product that succeeds or fails.  A combination of characteristics that make up your products exterior will help to give your product a boost over the competition. 

There are two ways that product labels can be adhered onto a package; they can either be printed directly on the package or onto a label that is then placed on container.  Paper labels are less expensive and more vibrant in design but can easily come off if not attached to the container in a strong manner.  When a label is printed directly onto the container it is more expensive but also can be more easily read by consumers and less likely to wear off. 

It is valuable to not only the company but also to the consumer to place relevant product information in a place that is constant and clearly visible location. Labels can come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit all products and containers.  If a label that adheres directly onto the package is what you are looking for you can choose between cut & stack labels, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fedlabeling and shrink sleevesFlexiblepackaging is one way that labels can be printed directly onto the product. 

One thing that is important to remember is that there needs to be enough space to not only includes the “important” product information there needs to be space to ensure the product is recognized.  This can be done with the use of a brand image or company graphic without over powering or over crowding the label. 

If you choose to have a label printed and designed for your new product look into finding an experienced and reputable printing company.  Look for a company that is able to offer in house design services for your label as well as updated resources that cater to your specific product.   Finding a company that caters in industrial and commercial product label printing will be helpful as your brand further expands. 


At Anchor Printing, we take pride in offering our clients cut & stack labeling, pressure sensitive labels, roll-fed labeling, shrink sleeves as well as flexible packaging options. Contact us today at http://anchorprinting.com for all of your label design, printing and packaging needs