Comparison Between Hot Melt And Acrylic Carton Sealing Tapes

Product packaging is very important in any business.  Packaging is sometimes neglected in introducing the product to the market.  It is often overlooked as a very important aspect of marketing.  Just like choosing the right adhesives that will suit your product, which is also often ignored.  Even if you have a dependable taping machine in your packaging department, if you use a not so reliable adhesive tape, your product may be up for a big surprise once delivered to the market.

So how do you chose from a wide variety of adhesives that are out there in the market?  To give you a better perspective and to guide you on what to use on your production line, here is a short comparison between two of the most popular types of tapes:

1.     Adhesion – Hot Melt adhesives have significantly higher adhesion compared to    an Acrylic tape.  This is true to almost any surface including fiberboards.

2.     Shear Value – Hot Melts performs well under constant pull or stress.  This is why hot melt adhesives are commonly used with or performs better in case sealers.  Just like a rubber band when stretched, it goes back to its original state.  Acrylic tapes can be pulled but will come off once they return to its original state.

3.     Price – Acrylics are cheaper that is why this is the choice of many especially when budget is a consideration.  Price of the hot melt depends on the thickness and the size.  Price would also vary if it will be used for heavy duty or just for regular or general tape use.

4.     Temperature – they are both functional in hot and cold temperatures.  Acrylic tapes works in temperatures ranging from 32 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit while Hot melt will work well in temperatures ranging from 45 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  Acrylics holds up very well in extremely low temperature.

5.     Appearance – Hot melts comes in various colors and it yellows with age.  While Acrylic does not change in color as it ages.  Acrylic tapes have stronger resistance to Oxidation that is why it doesn’t yellow with age even exposed under the sun or any element that can influence change in color.  This is also the reason why Acrylic is preferred by manufacturers whose intention in the first place is to display the box.

Choosing the right tape for your packaging is also essential to positioning your product.  It gives the consumer the sense of assurance that the product is of high quality and well thought off.  Make your customers feel that your product is sealed securely and durably.  Buy the right adhesive now for your product and see the results of having the appropriate tape.

Branding Your Product In The Market

Branding is how you package your product in such a way that your target market will see your product as the only available solution to their problem. 

A great marketing person would always think of the sum total experience of the customer with the product.  That is why every stage in the product cycle is very important.  From the creation of the idea to the manufacturing of the actual product down to the packaging using a taping machine to shipping and to delivery.  Every process is essential and will contribute to the whole experience of the targeted market.

So how does branding works?  What are the key factors that influences branding?  Listed below are some essentials for an effective product branding:

1.     Clarifying The Win – what is the “winnability” of your product?  Your product should have a defined and a clear goal.  What do you want your customers to feel when they are holding or using the product?  Ask the question “what is the most important thing that you want to achieve when your product is already out in the market?” 

2.     Focus on One Thing – you can clarify the win by also being focused.  Who is your target market?  What is your unique message?  Focusing will also help you in engaging your target market.  As you define your focus, as you own that one significant thing, your target market would understand your product even more.

3.     Be Consistent – focusing is not enough to engage the market.  You need to be consistent with how you brand your product.  If it’s for female today, don’t say that it can be for men tomorrow.  Consistency is essential.  Be consistent with your message.  Use the same taglines, logos, images, fonts, tone and other visual components that will make the customer remember your product.  Do this for a long time and you will win the market.  Imagine McDonalds, they have been around the industry for decades and one can still remember that yellow letter “m” that is visually present in almost all corners of the world.  Consistency is indeed essential.  This is also where you apply the technicalities of packaging the product.  To be consistent would mean that you employ automation let say in packaging.  Uniformity in packaging can be achieved by using high quality and dependable taping machine or case erectors.

4.     Call to Action – it is very important that you stimulate your target market not to just remember your product but most importantly to consistently buy you for a longer period of time.  Give them a good offer to buy your product.  Be intentional and be obvious with the offer.  This is where your pricing comes in.  Study the market for competitive pricing.  Quality and scarcity is also a factor for people to buy your product.

Branding a product is very practical but you have to be intentional and should be timely.  It is very important that you invest time in researching and building your product.  Every stage is a part of a bigger objective and that is to deliver the end product to the consumer.

New Marketing Trend Through Packaging

Packaging plays a crucial role in positioning your product in the market.  If you are serious with your product you have to develop and continuously look for new ways on how to engage your target market to patronize your product.  Companies involved in manufacturing are now paying closer attention to how their packaging systems can get those new packages into the market faster and do it more cost effectively.  Having a high quality taping machine is a good start in ensuring and securing the product’s quality from the factory down to the consumer.  These case erectors and sealers are just part of a bigger and automated packaging system that a company has to invest in.

Going back to new marketing trends, interactive packaging is now gaining popularity especially in the food and beverage industry.   When it comes to promotion and selling of a product, packaging connects the product and the consumer beyond what media and advertisers can do; today packaging bridges the product and consumer through virtual encounter using technology.  Advertisers and Marketing people are now using augmented reality as a new way of engaging their market to buy their products.  Due to the popularity of Androids and smart phones in today’s generation, augmented reality is now transforming the way companies market their products.  Thought it has been around for more than 2 decades already, augmented reality is just being utilized today.  In essence if you create a packaging that has augmented reality, your view of the product that you are looking at through your smart phone is enhanced.  The packaging is augmented by a computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.  TicTac’s Shake Thing Up promo is one good example of a product, which used this kind of advertising through on-pack augmented reality.

Have you heard of QR codes or what they call “quick response code”?  This QR code is attached with a mobile application that will lead the consumer to a website, a game or a short video.  This kind of interactive packaging integrated with mobile applications is now seen in the marketing world.  These two-dimensional codes were originally used for the auto industry.  It was invented to track vehicles during the manufacturing process.  But due to its fast readability and larger storage capacity compared to the conventional barcodes, it is now used for interactive consumer advertising and packaging.  One successful story of QR code promotion is Verizon’s promotion.  Upon using the QR code, their customers are redirected to an online competition, which will allow them to win a smart phone.  This promotion increased the sales of that particular store by 200% for that week alone.

While sales and profits are the bottom-line of many companies, a business owner should not neglect that through packaging, a product is connected to the consumer in ways far beyond what you can imagine. 

Investing a little on an automated packaging system such as a taping machine and innovating on how you design and utilize your packaging like using QR codes and Augmented Reality will definitely help you achieve your objective, repeat sales and loyal customers.  Then profit will just follow.  

Impact Of Product Packaging In the Marketing World

Packaging is an essential stage in strategizing and positioning your product in the market.  It is not an end to itself but it is a way to attract and get your market to patronize your product.  A high quality taping machine, case erector and carton sealing tape plays a very important role in achieving the end goal.  This machine will not only achieve operational efficiency and reduced cost but it will aid in creating a lasting impression to the consumer.

So how does packaging impact the buying behavior of the market?  Most consumers would buy the product once they see how it is packaged.  Some would have an idea of what’s inside the box but they wont care until they see the packaging.  Packaging gives them assurance that indeed what’s inside the box is worth every penny.  Although it may vary from person to person depending on his buying capacity and preference, packaging is still part and parcel of the whole product.  But to prove the point that packaging indeed influences buying behavior of a consumer, imagine two identical products with the same amount placed inside two individual boxes.  One box is just plain white cardboard while the other box would have more colors and a more attractive design.  Guess which box would sell?  Yes, the second box would definitely sell, hence packaging can influence the behavior of the buyer.

Without a doubt packaging can persuade the buying behavior of the consumer.  Listed below are some of the many effects of packaging in marketing your product:

1.     Security – It assures the consumer that the product was carefully shipped from the manufacturer to the distributor down to the supermarket or department store then to the end consumer.  It also assures reseller or distributor that the item is of high value because packaging was well thought of.  Using a taping machine, case erector and a case sealer will ensure that products are sealed and protected from the factory down to the end line.

2.     Sense Of Quality – Aside from being secured that the item is of high value and that it was shipped carefully, packaging gives the consumer the feeling of having a high quality product.  Consumers and resellers alike will sense that the manufacturer invested in packaging because the product is of high quality.  It differentiates low quality competitors from the high quality brands.  It’s like buying a can of soda as against buying soda in a plain plastic pouch. 

3.     Brand Positioning and Awareness– Packaging itself promotes the brand and establishes market position.  Amidst too much clutters in the marketplace, packaging helps consumers pinpoint your product.  With the use of colorful images and logos, one can identify fast which one is your product and which one is not.  Let’s take McDonald’s as an example; if you would buy a burger from a store with 50 different types of burger from 50 different burger chains in the US, you would easily identify McDonald’s burger by simply looking for the M logo of McDonalds.

Strategizing how you would sell your product is very important.  Packaging should always be at the core of every market strategy.  But always remember that quality of a product should always be on top to make sure that consumers will come back for more of that product.  A high performance and a reliable taping machine will definitely be a good investment to make sure that your product is positioned well in the market and achieve the end goal which is repeat sales.

Five Packaging Options For Exporting Your Product

The United States is the largest trading nation around the globe.  This is also the reason why non-Americans were lured to work in this nation to fulfill their vision of the American Dream.  Although affected by the recent Housing bubble which had a huge impact in the lives of the people, US still remains a world leader in terms of exporting.  Even though fuel is the number one product that the US exports to other countries, there is still a need for quality packaging for other products that are imported by other countries from the US such as meat, fruits, medicines and clothes.  This is where taping machines and case erectors come into place.  A quality case erector, carton sealers and taping machine will definitely make your production line more efficient.

Packaging is very important in the export industry.  Its role is to hold, secure and to preserve a particular product.  This is the most important stage after manufacturing a product.  Aside from protecting and securing the product until it reaches the end consumer, it also aids in saving money and adding profits.  Packaging adds character to the product; hence choosing the right type of packaging is very crucial to your business. There are different types of packaging for different variety of product.  Below is a list of packaging types:

1.     Loose/Unpacked – this type of packaging is usually used for large items such as heavy vehicles.  An extra protective material (dunnage) is used to protect these vehicles from damages caused by transporting and other elements.

2.     Drums – this is usually made out of steel, carbon steel or fiber is used for liquids or powders that needs to be kept dry for the duration of the shipment.

3.     Containers – these metal containers can withstand the weight of the cargo.  It is also used to secure goods from theft.

4.     Boxes or Crates – this is the most used type of packaging.  You would see these boxes often in shipping goods such as clothes, canned goods, gadgets and a lot more.  This type of packaging uses taping machines and box erectors for more economical operation.  These machines also help secure the products from any damage caused by moisture, dust, vibration and other elements.  Boxes and Crates are also stacked in pallets and shrink-wrapped to make it more stable.

5.     Pallets – made out of wood and usually used to stack boxes and crates.  Pallets make it easier for forklift operators to lift those boxes that are grouped together.  Loading, unloading and warehousing of these crates and boxes are now more efficient because of these pallets.

Choosing the right packaging for your products is not an easy task.  You should know what fits your requirements and what will protect your goods.  Be intentional.  Be creative.

Evolution Of Packaging

Just like the latest iPhone 4 and the iPad 3, packaging is fast changing.  From the conventional bottles and cans, we are now in the era of plastics and film pouches.  But with the ever-growing concern for the environment and the increasing need to save on costs, packaging will definitely evolve at a much faster rate. 

Let us look at the evolution of packaging so we can better appreciate where it is taking us right now.  Check out the pictures showing the old packaging of Coca-Cola Products compared with the latest look of their sodas.  They started with bottles and cartons and now they came up with PET bottles and easy open cans.  They still have bottles though but the latest ones are already dominating the market.  Why?  For the reason that it is easier to store and to handle and for the consumer, it is easy to use and to open.  But when they are transporting these Coca-Cola products, one thing hasn’t changed. They still use corrugated boxes, sealed and taped by using a taping machine and other packaging systems that they may have. 

Look at the image on your left.  That is a picture of how you buy vegetables in the market.  You just get it directly from the basket.  Now you can buy these same vegetables in vacuum packs.  Some of these vegetables can be bought peeled and packed already.  The image on your right shows you how you can buy those fruits and vegetables in today’s market.  They are grouped by kind and vacuum packed to seal its freshness.

Ketchup has been around for centuries and we have seen its evolution in terms of packaging.  It started with using bottles and now it’s already in sachets, packets and the newest is the dip and squeeze type of packaging.  We use this tomato-based sauce almost everyday and as a consumer we want flexibility and convenience.

Consumer preference and lifestyle are changing.  Packaging should keep up with the demands of its end user to be able to market and sell effectively.

Moving Out For College: The Ultimate Guide For A Major Decision

Summer is halfway over.  You might be excited to move out from your parents’ house and move in to your new apartment or college dorm or you are still wondering if this is really a good idea.  Well, it’s always best to plan ahead especially in major decisions like this.

Moving out may be thrilling and exciting to some but it can also be intimidating to a few.  Leaving your parent’s house is a major one and living on your own can bring about a lot of stress on your end.  This transition in your life can open new doors of opportunity should you embrace it with open arms.  These guidelines will help you achieve a successful and a smooth moving in transition.

1.     Know where you are moving.  Check out the Internet or better yet go to that place, whether it’s a residence hall, an apartment or a condo, nothing beats a firsthand experience.

2.     Check out their move in dates.  Most residence halls have move in dates that you need to follow.  Most of the residence halls don’t accept students prior to their scheduled move in dates.  Know when the date for New Students Orientation is.  This will help you jumpstart your new life in college with other new students.

3.     If you’re not going to get any support from your parents, you should start scouting for work.  You should learn how to save money while in college.  Getting a decent work will help you sustain your college life.

4.     Prepare all your stuffs for shipping and hauling.  You can either ship your stuff directly to your new address prior to moving in or you can just haul it with you on the same day you’re moving in.  You will need corrugated boxes and tapes to transport your personal stuffs and appliances.  Bestpack.com also sells high quality packaging system and taping machines should you know anyone with a requirement.

5.     Practice cooking.  Going out and eating fast food will quickly exhaust your funds.  Learning to cook will help you save money for other important matters.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to moving out for college.  Enjoy this new season of your life and get to know a lot of new friends to keep you away from getting bored and remembering your parents.