Archive for June, 2009
Friday, June 26th, 2009
Microsoft is rolling out their latest window’s upgrade. So, of course we were curious about the packaging and checked out the Windows Blog to see what they had to say. One of the challenges Microsoft was facing in designing its packaging was the stigma of the Vista packaging which almost needed dynamite to open it.
A quote from Microsoft about their packaging reveals, “We approached the packaging for Windows 7 the same way we approached the product – by listening to what our customers told us they wanted: make it a simple clean design, easy to open, and reduce waste.” So, rest assured, Microsoft listened and has improved the packaging.
Their theme is: Simple, Clean and Easy To Open…
Simple:
The graphics are clear and bold. They text font is larger and easier to read. Each version has its own distinct color which makes it easy to identify which version of the operating system you are picking up.
Clean:
The cover graphics are simple and minimal which gives the packaging a fresh and clean feel.
Easy To Open:
The upgrade disc comes in an easy opening, recyclable, frosty clear DVD style case. The case is shaped with the iconic curve on the upper right corner. For security reasons, there will be a seal on the top of the case which is claimed to be removable with little effort.
Reducing Waste:
So how green is it? The entire package is 37% lighter than previous packaging. They accomplished this by using less material to make the case. And the case is recyclable. In fact, the entire package consists of only 3 elements:
- The upgrade disc
- A “Getting Started” manual
- And the recyclable case
So, we give kudos to Windows for listening to consumers and giving them the packaging they want.
Tags:creative packaging, custom packaging, customized packaging, eco-friendly packaging, environmentally-friendly packaging, green packaging, innovative packaging, Media Packaging, packaging, Packaging Design, recyclable packaging, sustainable packaging
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Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
More and more we are hearing about companies “going green” and offering eco-friendly products. There is a growing concern being shown for the environment, but is that one of the main factors shoppers are looking for 
when making purchasing decisions?
GreenBiz pointed out that consumers are becoming very eco-conscious. According to a study by Ipsos Marketing, consumers are tending to choose healthier food products with fresh ingredients and green packaging over products with more convenient packaging and food preparation. They even scored higher than improving the taste of the food. But taste should not be taken out of consideration. Taste is key to food choice and to many, taste and fresh ingredients go hand in hand.
Deloitte, along with the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), also conducted a study of over 6,000 customers on how sustainability affects purchasing decisions. They determined that a substantial amount of consumers take social and environmental benefits into serious consideration when choosing a product.
What does this mean for you? Clearly green packaging is deciding factor in purchasing decisions, and environmental concerns are not going away. So if you want to stay on top of the market by paying attention to consumers’ concerns and help the environment, try using green packaging.
Tags:convenient packaging, eco-friendly packaging, eco-friendly products, environmental benefits, environmental concerns, environmentally-friendly, fresh ingredients, Going Green, green packaging, healthy foods, purchasing decisions, social benefits, sustainability
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Monday, June 22nd, 2009
When
rock legends come together to form a new band, the packaging must be bold and original to represent the excitement of the new collaboration. Chickenfoot did just that. Their new band formation includes guitar hero Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar.
David Bellm from Packaging Digest pointed out the innovative design by Todd Gallopo for Chickenfoot’s debut album. The design for this album features new thermal ink developed and patented by Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI), a special effect inks and coatings manufacturer. This ink causes the album cover to change with heat, which could be simply just touching it with your hand. When heat is applied, pictures are revealed on the front cover, as well as song titles on the back. Chickenfoot’s self-titled debut album was released earlier this month by Redline Entertainment.
Custom CD packaging can help boost CD sales over iTunes or illegal downloading, because the physical album becomes more of a collector’s item that fans would love to have and are willing to pay for. Make your album a “must-have” for every fan with the Permavue One turned edge case that has your artwork printed on the cover. Or there are always stock jewel cases that you can personalize with your own creative artwork.
Tags:boost cd sales, cd album, CD cases, chickenfoot, creative packaging, custom cd cases, custom cd packaging, customize, heat sensitive album, heat sensitive cd case, illegal downloading, innovative design, itunes, jewel cases, personalize, Red Hot Chili Peppers, redline entertainment, rock legends, rock music, thermal ink, Van Halen
Posted in Custom Packaging Products, Media Packaging | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 19th, 2009
According to the New York Times, many studio
companies are now using DVD cases that are smaller and lighter in weight to reduce their environmental impact, as well as save on costs.
Warner Home Video, the largest distributor of DVD entertainment, just started releasing all of its new and library titles in cases with 20 percent less plastic. Some feature a thin layer of plastic, while others have cutouts in the walls. One of 
the main forces is to lessen the load on the environment; it will reduce Warner’s home entertainment division’s carbon emissions by 31 percent. Not only do these improvements help the environment, but they also cut costs for companies by using less raw materials and by spending less on shipping. Companies are looking to save money wherever they can, especially in this struggling economy.
Warner is not the only studio making changes in DVD packaging. Just last month, Sony Pictures Entertainment released their own 20 percent reduced DVD cases. Walt Disney Company is 
also coming up with their own green home entertainment ideas. And don’t forget that Disney, Century Fox, and Sony were the ones to really push the shift to Blu-Ray discs, in which cases have a 30 percent smaller impact on the environment.
Using lighter DVD packaging helps the environment by reducing waste and carbon emissions, while still storing and protecting your DVDs. And don’t forget about the money you’ll be saving on raw materials and shipping! 
Lighter DVD packaging could include DVD cases with cutouts in the walls, Blu-Ray cases, slim DVD cases, c-shells or square-shells.
Tags:Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray cases, c-shells, Century Fox, clamshells, cut costs, DVD cases, DVD packaging, Eco-Friendly, environmentally-friendly, reduce carbon emissions, reduce waste, slim dvd cases, Sony Pictures Entertainment, square-shells, Walt Disney Company, Warner Home Video
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
When you walk into a store, what is it that makes you want to buy a product? Is it the actual product itself or the presentation of the product with custom packaging that grabs your attention? It is usually a combination of both. Consumers typically have at least somewhat of a need or want for the actual product itself if they are going to buy it, but the creative packaging is really what makes it stand out on the shelf over the competition.
So what is it about creative packaging that draws us in? The bright colors, the different shapes and sizes, the unique design. It’s not something we see everyday, it’s new and exciting, our curiosity wants to see more. The packaging is such a huge part of marketing, because products are so similar and the packaging could be the slight differentiation from the competition. Meterdown displayed some creative packaging designs that they found:
Box designed to custom-fit the shoes.
Coca-Cola holiday bottles look like ornaments.
See your dream sports field as you open your new athletic shoes.
Workout with your sports drink.
Eco-friendly paper water bottles.
Unique shoe box.
Innovative milk carton.
Banana case to protect from bruising.
Make sure no one eats your sandwich.
Creative juice boxes that look like the texture of fruit.
Custom packaging can truly turn your product into a creative masterpiece that gets consumers to stop and stare. It adds value to your product with an exceptional look that is fit to meet your needs. Consider getting an eye-appealing customized package for your product or your next project and you could see the results that a quality product presentation gives.
Tags:advertising, attention-drawing, coca-cola, coke, creative packaging, cusomtized package, custom packaging, differentiation, Eco-Friendly, environmentally-friendly, eye-appealing, eye-catching, lunch bags, Marketing, milk cartons, presentation, products, shoes, sports
Posted in Custom Packaging Products, Marketing | No Comments »
Monday, June 15th, 2009
If you’re like me, you love to read books, but can’t ever seem to find the time to do it. That is why audiobooks are so handy and have growing popularity. You can listen to them while driving, walking, or wherever you take your CD player or mp3 player/iPod.
But the costs add up for audiobooks, especially if you go through a lot of them quickly. For one title alone, it can cost around $15-25 in the iTunes store. This is where Booksfree comes in. They offer a rental service that is much like what Netflix does with DVDs. For a monthly service fee, you can continually rent audiobooks from a huge selection without having to worry about late fees. And you don’t have to pay extra for shipping, each audiobook you receive in the mail comes with a prepaid envelope for you to send it back in.
The amount of your monthly service fee will depend on the membership plan that you sign up for. Prices are higher if you choose to be able to rent more than one audiobook at a time, or if you prefer the CD membership over the mp3-CD membership. But you can get a plan for as little as $13.49/month. If you typically buy at least one audiobook each month, you would be saving money with this membership.
This rental service is both good and bad for authors and publishers. They get paid for the number of books sold, not by how many times they are rented.
But this is not any different than a library offering titles, and it helps them gain exposure for more possible customers in the future. A rental service is great is you plan to go through a lot of audiobooks, but we hope that they are using extremely durable cases if they are continually being rented and sent back and forth in the mail. And if you like to keep your wide collection of audiobooks on display and available at all times, you may just want to stick with buying audiobooks and being able to keep them as your own.
Tags:audiobooks, book collection, Booksfree, CD cases, durability, durable cases, libraries, long-lasting, membership, mp3 discs, Netflix, rental services, renting, subscription
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Friday, June 12th, 2009
Advertising agency, Colenso BBDO, which is located in Auckland, New Zealand, created this anti-litter ad campaign, “The Heart of the City: Rubbish”:
Each day, the litter around the bus stop was collected and placed inside the bus stop. This ad was intended to show how quickly litter can add up when people don’t put in the effort to recycle or throw their trash in the garbage can. It may just seem like a big deal to litter one wrapper, but if everyone does it, it really adds up. If we all come together and be more environmentally-friendly, we can really make a difference. Who wants to look at trash all over the city anyway? Let’s just hope people don’t start to think the bus stop is the new garbage can!
Tags:advertisements, advertising, advertising agency, anti-litter ad campaign, bus stops, Eco-Friendly, environmentally-friendly, garbage, green, green advertising, green efforts, litter, littering, recycle, recycling, reduce, reuse, trash
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Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Cause marketing is nothing new, but it has been increasingly growing in popularity for companies to both give back to the community and to get their names out there. It is seen as a marketing campaign, but the money used is not just being spent on promotions, it is being used to help others. This makes cause marketing a truly great idea.
A new trend that we are starting to see is companies implementing cause marketing through popular social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. These social media networks connect millions of people across the world quickly and easily.
Just last month, Target’s “Bullseye Gives” campaign allowed Facebook users to go on Target’s Facebook page and vote for which charity (from a list of ten) that Target will donate $3 million. Users were allowed to vote once a day, and the amount of money each charity was given was determined by the percentage of votes that they received. Better yet, each time someone voted, it would show up in their newsfeed for all of their friends to see. This is a tremendous word-of-mouth tool for praising Target and their acts of social responsibility. Target’s “Bullseye Gives” campaign resulted in 167,000 Facebook users who came together to vote over 291,000 times. Now that’s getting their name out there.
Target is not the only company that uses social media networks, like Facebook, to broadcast their charitable efforts. Kraft also did well with their “Share a Little Comfort” campaign. They offered to donate up to one million boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese to needy families, depending on the number of “statuses” or “tweets” shared by users on Facebook and Twitter.
Using popular social media networks for cause marketing can really help companies get their name out there and give back to the community, but they must be careful as to not come off as spam. If consumers think that you are just trying to sell more of your product and don’t actually care about the charities, your campaign will be a setback for your branding efforts. But if you follow in these companies footsteps in finding the perfect mix of social media promotions and charitable donations, you could gain a considerable amount of customer and brand loyalty, while still knowing that you are helping others.<–>
Tags:"Bullseye Gives" campaign, "Share a Little Comfort" campaign, brand loyalty, branding, cause marketing, charitable efforts, charities, charity, customer loyalty, donations, facebook, Kraft, marketing campaigns, newsfeeds, social media networks, social responsibility, SocialVibe, status updates, Target, tweets, Twitter
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »
Monday, June 8th, 2009
We found more proof of the growing trend of Blu-Ray technology. This month, Panasonic will be offering the first-ever portable Blu-Ray player, the Panasonic DMP-B15.
This 8.9-inch WSVGA screen portable Blu-Ray player features PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus technology to enhance the picture quality and color sharpness. 
Its quality and size makes it the perfect player for superior quality viewing on-the-go. The two and a half hour rechargeable battery could last a whole trip as a portable Blu-Ray player, or you can plug it into your HDTV with a HDMI cable to use it as a stand-alone Blu-Ray player. It also features a SD memory card slot to view digital photos or HD video files. Now you don’t have to give up quality for portability!
Look for it in your favorite electronics store later this month, but 
since portable Blu-Ray players are new to the market, the price of the Panasonic DMP-B15 is starting out rather high with an SRP of $799.95, which may not be affordable for many. But as the growing popularity of the Blu-Ray technology increases and more portable players are offered and purchased, we will see the price will start to drop. Most importantly, as we start to see a product like this offered in stores and online, we are seeing that the Blu-Ray trend is not going away anytime soon.
Tags:advanced technology, Blu-Ray cases, Blu-Ray Discs, Blu-Ray player, Blu-Ray technology, electronics, innovation, Panasonic DMP-B15, portable Blu-Ray player, rechargeable battery, sd memory card
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Friday, June 5th, 2009
With growing environmental concerns, we are constantly hearing the phrase, “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” This is especially apparent with shopping bags and wasted wrapping. According to a study by the Clean Air Council, the United States generates an extra five million tons of waste in the winter holiday months, four of which come from gift wrapping, gift bags, and shopping bags. That is an enormous amount of waste that could be reduced by using reusable materials.
If you are looking to help the environment and reduce waste from gift wrapping, we found the BOBO Wrapping Scarf online, which can do both for you. Not only are these wrapping scarves classy and fashionable, but they are also good for the environment. They are reusable and typically made from already existing fabrics, rather than wasting and using raw materials. I thought this wrapping scarf was a great green alternative to gift wrapping. It is reusable, durable, and stylish. 
When you think about packaging any of your products, think of a reusable package that will last. At Sunrise, we make durable packaging, which you will not have to replace nearly as often, so you can help reduce waste. Many of our products are also made from recyclable, biodegradable or recycled materials, and we recycle all of our excess materials. So get out there, do your part to reduce waste, and help our environment.
Greenhouse environmental management – the green house provides businesses with tailored waste management programs to minimize their waste output and costs.
Tags:BOBO Wrapping Scarf, durable packaging, eco packaging, Eco-Friendly, eco-friendly packaging, environment, environmentally-conscious, environmentally-friendly, environmentally-friendly packaging, green, green holiday, green packaging, green practices, landfill, recycle, reduce, reduce waste, reuse, Reuse Packaging, sustainable packaging
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