Did you know that 95 percent of new products fail within a year of being introduced? Blame on it the economy or blame the consumer, but wherever you point the finger, the numbers are sobering for businesses with the “next best thing” and interested in competing in the retail market. Fortunately, you can improve your chances of success by following a few simple steps. 1. Know Your...
Printing Effects to Help Your Product Packaging Stand Out on the Shelf
Your packaging bears a heavy burden. It has to catch a consumer’s eye, educate him about your product, and make a case for why to pick your product over a competitor’s. This is no easy task, particularly when your product has multiple competitors all vying for the attention of the same shopper. Fortunately, you can make your product stand out on the shelf by getting creative with printing...
Does Your Packaging Copy Convert at the Point-of-Purchase?
One of the most important aspects of your packaging design is the copy you include. Visuals are engaging and colors draw interest, but it’s the actual text that will pull most of the weight in the customer’s purchasing decision. But copywriting for packaging requires a thorough understanding of visual design, point-of-purchase marketing, and branding awareness to get right. You’ll want to work...
Will Stock Photos Kill Your Product Launch?
You’re in the process of launching your product and you’ve arrived at your packaging design. Now, it’s time to decide which type of visuals to include in your packaging and accompanying marketing materials: Stock photography or personalized photographs. Spoiler alert: If you can afford it, custom photos are usually your best bet. If not, stock photos can work—as long as you know how to use them...
The Color Smackdown: Should You Choose PMS or CMYK?
Of the many printing decisions you’ll have to make as you get your product in retail stores, one of the more technical ones will be choosing which printing color system will best suit your needs. CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black CMYK involves “process” colors—a four-color printing process that combines cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in various quantities on the page. This process is simple...
Traditional or Modern? A Breakdown of Printing Styles for Product Packaging
Everyone knows how the invention of the printing press revolutionized modern printing, but we’ve come a long way from the days of movable type as a revolutionary concept. There are plenty of modern printing technologies that have reshaped the printing landscape. And if you want to create packaging that stands out on the retail shelf, you’d better know which one will best support your goals...
What Is a Dieline And Why Do I Need It?
Take a cereal box from your kitchen, unfold it, and lay it flat on the table. Look at the way the cardboard is laid out—you’ll see each of the box’s folds, glue tabs, and creases that help form the box’s shape. You’ll also see how the box’s visual elements relate to one another and how effectively the packaging space is used. Now take this concept, upload it to your computer, and boom!—you have a...
The Beginner’s Guide to Retail Sales
You’re closer to success than you realize. You have a marketable idea. You have a passion for your product. You have just about everything you need…and you’re only missing one thing: Customers! But the process of finding and marketing to customers is a hassle. We’re talking constant selling, constant pushing, and, inevitably, constant rejection. Why not just let someone else find your customers...