Things to Consider When Choosing a Packaging Partner

Like any good design, packaging tells a story. It’s a sensory experience with a direct link to your brand, designed to take consumers on a journey of discovery by appealing to the intrinsic human desire for exploration. With most packaging partners only focusing on visual design, it’s important to look for a partner that understands the importance of invoking strong emotion by appealing to other senses as well. Good packaging should create an experience rooted in sensation that allows the product to interact with the consumer by telling a story. It should spark questions such as: What is it for? How should it be used? Who should use it? and most importantly, Should I buy it?

Experienced packaging designers know that every detail is crucial to further immerse customers in your product’s world, which in turn will encourage them to form a lasting relationship with your brand. It’s only when you see the bright colors and elegant design of an item calling you from across the store, forcing you to walk over and pick it up, feeling the delicate velvety texture of its box brush your skin, and hearing the gentle crinkle of its tissue lining and low-pitched soft swooshing of its lid, that it becomes clear what visual, physical, and audible branding can do.

A great packaging vendor will know that creating this kind of consumer experience requires the knowledge and use of state-of-the-art machinery, quality materials, intricate software, elite engineering, and innovative methodology. Now, you will too! Here are a few things to consider when choosing a packaging partner:

1. Reputation
   1. The most important thing to look for when choosing a packaging vendor is their reputation. It’s important that they are reputable in the industry and manufacture quality products for companies that you know of in the marketplace. If they produce for recognizable brands, you will know that their facilities have been visited and audited by major retailers across the globe. PPD&G has been creating packaging designs and displays for some of the world’s most well-known luxury brands, including Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Gucci, Creed, Tiffany, Christian Louboutin, Thierry Mugler, and more. Many of these designs are featured on www.ppdandg.com.
2. Experienced Graphic & Structural Design
   1. Be sure your packaging partner is well-versed in paper substrates, structures, and styles. They should be able to facilitate ideal graphics integration and printing processes as well as determine what materials and methodology to use to ensure the outcome best represents your vision for your brand. PPD&G features a team of in-house graphic designers & engineers to assist you in all phases of ideation, engineering, design, and rendering. Our extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities allow us to create structural prototypes, animations, 3D renderings, and final artwork approvals to ensure your vision is brought to life.
3. Quality Materials
   1. Comparing and contrasting what materials your packaging vendor is familiar with is another crucial aspect to consider. For example, do you want to communicate that your brand is sustainable but don’t have the budget for high end eco-friendly packaging? An experienced packaging partner will likely advise that opting for Kraft paperboard is cost-effective, durable, and 100% eco-friendly while offering high-quality printing and finishing capabilities. With over 25 years of experience, the professionals at PPD&G will guide you through picking the right material for your products based on your branding, product specifications, and budget, as well as advise you on any other components you may need based on your product needs. This includes but is not limited to protective inserts, structural design features, and material changes.
4. Practical Details
   1. Many packaging vendors can put a lot of time and money into designing an incredible-looking package. However, if it doesn’t stand up to the rigors of distribution and stocking, then it does not serve its intended purpose. At PPD&G we equally prioritize structural integrity, practicality, and visual, physical, and audible branding to ensure that the finished product meets your every expectation and performs well in the consumer marketplace.
5. Efficiency Assistance
   1. It is important to choose a packaging partner with a skilled project management team to help facilitate your project and reduce lead times. The professionals at PPD&G will research, construct, and deliver innovative solutions while reducing time spent, optimizing materials costs, and minimizing the risk of damages.
6. Cost
   1. Your packaging supply company should work with your budget and assist in optimizing costs whenever possible. PPD&G is committed to finding ways to optimize material costs, design fees, obsolescence, waste, and product handling costs while delivering the ideal packaging solution for your needs.

Packaging TRends

We were lucky enough to be featured in Beauty Independent’s most recent “No Stupid Questions” Column, the following is an excerpt from the feature.

“In this edition of Beauty Independent’s ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty, we ask 14 packaging, marketing, design and branding experts: What do you think are the three biggest trends in post-pandemic beauty packaging?”

Jonathan Rovner

President, PPD&G
“…Within the marketing industry, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of influencer packaging. With people mandated to work from home, “virtual” lifestyles have become the social and professional norm. In order to maintain a presence among consumers, brands around the globe are tasked with maneuvering their marketing techniques. The use of unique packaging has become the foremost practice to ensure brand survival in our new post-COVID environment.

Emerging from the height of the pandemic, we have experienced an immense surge in the marketing budgets of our current clients. Many have come to realize that they are now required to present engaging packaging that sparks social media interest.

There is a rising trend among clients serving industries that focus on personal appearances, such as cosmetics, skincare and cosmetic surgery. Once a scarce commodity, time itself became an abundant resource while the main form of human interaction has pivoted into Zoom calls and video conferences. This is resulting in people becoming more aware of their appearance and is now more inclined than ever to “fix” it. These circumstances have created a window for brands to market their cosmetic products and services far more competitively than in the past.

As a result of COVID-19, manufacturing that previously took place overseas has remarkably shifted to domestic production. Due to the impact of the virus, countries that were often used for outsourcing packaging production are no longer viable options due to a lack of resources and staff in conjunction with unprecedented shipping costs and delays. These conditions are exacerbated by increased duties/tariffs imposed under the Trump Administration, leaving companies more inclined to keep their manufacturing on U.S. soil…”

The remainder of the column can be found on Independent Beauty’s Site.

Click Here to Read the Full Column

PPD&G News | JUNE 10, 2021

Package Design

The package design of any given product is arguably one of the most important factors in a purchasing decision.

Women, especially, are visual and compulsive consumers. When you think of Chanel No. 5, what made it one of the most iconic fragrances since its release? It was the look, it was the smell, it was what every woman wanted. The overall package of this perfume set the standard and allowed Chanel to defy time.

When it comes to the cosmetics industry, visual merchandising can be the reason why a product soars or flops. Regardless of whether or not we realize it, package design can be one of the most influential things that solidify purchases. The concept of emotional drivers, when it comes to purchasing is so relevant in the cosmetics business that one of the most prestigious fashion colleges in the world, The Fashion Institute of Technology, devoted an entire curriculum to it. In this pioneering program, they believe that the heart of the beauty business is—heart, and the key to that passion is creative and innovative packaging, in addition to great marketing and a great product. In this program, students are introduced to the strategic marketing tactics that define the beauty industry.

What are the emotional drivers of purchasing you ask? It’s the synergy of an item. If the item looks amazing and smells amazing, then the consumer will feel great and exude confidence which leads to ongoing consumerism. It all starts with the packaging!

PPD&G News | OCTOBER 13, 2020

The Next Generation of Business Cards

If your job requires face-to-face meetings with prospective clients or partners, you have received at least one business card in your life. In fact, on any given day millions of business cards are exchanged with some people receiving a few dozen business cards in a single day. If you are one of the millions of professionals handing out these essential communication tools, the first goal is to be memorable.  Today’s business cards have come a long way in their 400 year history, with digital printing and processing elevating the humble printed card to a highly branded introduction of you and your company. For those who truly want to stand out and be remembered, the next generation of business card is here.

Video Business Cards  offer an impactful way to introduce yourself and your company while presenting content beyond the business card norm. Instead of sending a prospective client to your website or YouTube channel to see a corporate video, you can now place the video in the palm of their hands for their immediate engagement. This is a powerful way to make your first impression a memorable one, helping you to stand out among the competition.

Video business cards are part of the evolution of small format technology that is at the heart of the mobile movement. Using LCD video screens combined with micro storage and simple controls, businesses have the ability to deliver vibrant content when first meeting with a prospective client.  Additionally, as the LCD video screens come in a variety of sizes, you can opt to have a larger video product brochure when a larger viewable space will benefit the content being presented.

One of the most exciting and powerful features of these video business cards and brochures is their ease of use.  Content can quickly be updated using a simple USB cable and a PC.  When connected to the PC the device appears as a USB storage device.  The person updating the device can change the content with two quick drag-and-drop steps.  This allows the user to modify the content to match the opportunity where the card/brochure is to be presented.  For example, real estate agents presenting multiple listings can create custom videos based on who they are meeting to create interest for specific properties. Another exciting and cost effective feature is an internal rechargeable battery that allows long term use without the need to purchase and install batteries.

Unlike the business cards detailed in a recent article on Slate, embedded with near field communication chips, access to the internet and the use of a smartphone are not required to operate these cards.  Self-contained, these LCD video business cards and brochures can be used anywhere, regardless of internet connectivity.  Since the cases the LCD video unit is presented in can be printed with the standard business card information, the video content you choose to present can be focused solely on messaging.

PPD&G can create an amazing Video Business Card or Video Brochure that will start the conversations you want to have with prospective clients. Call us today and speak with Matthew Menies to learn more about video business cards and all of our other services.

PPD&G News | November 2, 2015

From Concept to Creation

When a company launches a new product, the branding of the product is the underlying element of all marketing, promotional and merchandising efforts. While the product is the centerpiece, how it is branded is of equal importance (see: Steve Jobs & iPhone packaging). This includes not only the packaging and advertising, but also how the product is presented in the venues through which it will be sold. For the manufacturer, their vision of how to best market the product offers the optimal path to success through proper branding. In the case of an ultra-prestige brand, all elements of branding and marketing are planned to perfection and each new piece that is added must meet the high standards necessary.

Since our inception 18 years ago, bringing to life our client’s marketing vision has been the main focus of our business. We have been challenged in various ways, but it is these challenges that we embrace. Each new project allows our staff to bring together all of our skills in perfecting our craft. Such was the case with a recent project brought to us by Coty for their new Miu Miu fragrance line.

Coty wanted to present their product in a subtle, elevated fashion that would be pleasing to the eye, drawing potential customers to their product in-store. Since the display piece was going to live on retail counter tops, we worked with Coty to design a sleek, multi-tiered glorifier for this important product launch. For our PPD&G family, this project is a great source of pride.

Each display unit began as several sheets of acrylic, which were fabricated in our on-premise work-shop and assembled into the base design. Once assembled, the edges were mitered and a thin layer of white acrylic was applied to the front and rear surfaces. After this, a layer of chromed metal with a mirror finish veneer was applied to the product display area, adding an extra visual dimension to further draw consumers’ eyes to the products. To protect the counters that the display unit would be placed on, the bottom was covered with a layer velvet cloth. Finally, the product name was added to the front of the podium, the letters made from custom cut acrylic and metalized with a gold mirror finish.

What made this especially gratifying for PPD&G was our ability to deliver this project on a much shorter deadline than would normally be in place for a project of this complexity. Working in conjunction with our overseas counterparts, we were able to cut the manufacturing time in half. This ensured that the custom retail display units were delivered to select Nieman Marcus locations nationwide. In doing so, Coty was able to launch their latest fragrance in spectacular fashion.

The finished product is an elegant branding piece that, due to its sleek design and classic color pattern, can be used in a variety of merchandising opportunities. The mirror finish ensures that overhead lighting will make the products shine brightly; creating an eye-catching and engaging presentation that demands attention.

We’re thrilled with this finished product, and even more ecstatic that Coty is happy as well. Do you have a custom-project and don’t know where to start? We can help – give us a shout!

PPD&G News | October 27, 2015

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream

Marc Jacobs has done it again and will be launching its third Daisy fragrance to the garden since its birth in 2007. The Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance line has been so successful it has taken on a life of its own. The fragrance will be launched in July 2014 and has a whimsical playful package that’s similar to its predecessors.

The original Daisy was launched in 2007 and has exploded into multiple different lines, the newest being the Daisy Dream Collection.