ARE YOU READY to generate new revenue with packaging?
Are you ready to extend your current business? Tapping into the opportunities presented by the huge growth in the packaging sector could be your key to success. Remember, this can be so much more than a simple box as packaging identifies, describes, protects, displays, and promotes a product and the brand behind it.
A conventional converting company will defend their experience that only B1 or possibly B2 print formats are relevant to packaging, but opportunities exist throughout the market for small format B3 digital printing and are also valuable to a wide range of potential clients.
PSPs can produce applications like small folding cartons, shelf-talkers, labels, blister card packaging, shaped retail tags and POP applications such as small signs made from board or synthetics can often be produced on equipment they already own, think SRA3 digital presses as well as wide format inkjet, or would be able to acquire with only a small investment.
Begin by assessing your technical capabilities
For folding cartons, what is the largest size sheet and heaviest substrate you can print? Check with technical specialists to determine if there are specific requirements for printing on heavier stocks and build those requirements into your workflow. Small folding cartons are quite close to commercial printing in terms of media and finishing. Jobs being run today on a traditional platen can be moved to a digital process that is more flexible and suited to short runs; there are many jobs that simply require cutting, or where a different form to creasing is perfectly acceptable, such as using a perforation or half cut.
Labels for primary products like wine and canned goods are normally printed on roll stock for use in automatic label applicators, but if you do not wish to risk an investment in this, you can partner with a company that does have the technology, or customers with smaller volumes can often accept labels on a sheet that can be printed on your existing digital press. That will mean focussing on a smaller size of customer with lower demands and volumes who is applying labels by hand, e.g. small producers of artisan food products, farms, toiletries and cosmetics, nutritional supplements and homecrafters such as sellers on e-commerce sites like Etsy.
Small folding cartons are ideal for many small products and can lend a really professional appearance to help artisan products punch above their weight.
Example : Printing on 350gsm single sided packaging board, laminated, 3D sensory coating applied with Duplo DuSense, foil applied by DuSense Digifoil, cut and creased using PFI Blade B3
Then also, but not necessarily in this order …
Consider your job onboarding process
Look at the processes you use to take in new job requests, is it using a web-to-print solution? You may need new fields or new dialogue to capture information. Your processes relating to estimating and quoting will need updating to ensure pricing is accurate for your sales teams.
Investment
Consider what new investment you require, especially what could make you different to your competitors. After all, if you have the same equipment and software tools as a competitor, you will quickly enter a price war – and the whole purpose of this new strategy is to create profit not give it away! Are your workflow tools suited to adapting from a few long runs to many short runs? Do you have design tools relevant for both two-dimensional labels and three-dimensional packages? Finishing essentials may include laminating, foiling, adding tactile effects and of course some kind of cutting device more than a guillotine.
Partnering
Suppliers to the conventional packaging sector have equipment, processes and skills that are uncommon in a commercial printer; and likewise they lack the knowledge of users of digital presses, variable data and handling many short runs that are typical in a PSP. Both sides appreciate the potential risks and knowledge of the other, so a good starting position can be by partnering with another local business, providing the gaps in their offering.
In conclusion …
Don’t just think “packaging”, think “shapes” and “product”. A non-packaging partner could be a company providing photo and seasonal gifting, but together you could add shaped greeting cards, wedding invitations, or small personalised gift boxes. A thorough review of where you are, where you want to go and what the impact will be on your business are essential. Please contact us to discuss how Duplo’s packaging solutions could be the perfect investment and help you get ready to generate new revenue with packaging.
Visit our new website www.duplointernational.com and be inspired
Thanks to Infotrends and Ricoh for their whitepaper “Expanding Your Product Footprint with Packaging” available from https://whitepaper.takealookatricohproduction.com/packaging/
