Packaging Should Play a Pivotal Role in the Product Development Process

You may have the best product in the world, with state of the art features and a high brand value, all of which are considered to be key requisites for a successful sales conversion. But unless you have a proper packaging, especially one that protects the contents of the packages and allows the quality to be optimized, you would not be able to beat the competition in your respective industry / market. 

The intended use of packaging is to ensure longevity (in terms of shelf life of product) and to optimize quality. But there are other factors to consider, especially when it comes to packaging produce and other food items. If packaging were to be treated with care and involved in the product development process, then it would contribute towards sustainability and safety of the food items. Both of these factors are in fact major challenges in the food industry (fresh produce segment). 

In the case of fresh produce, temperature plays a key role in the designing of modified atmosphere packaging where the contents are packed in an environment that ensures long shelf life without any rotting or spoiling of the contents. This is an integral part of quality optimization when trying to come up with the right packaging solution for the contents. 

Similarly, the management of moisture in the packaging is an important obstacle that needs to be managed. Most of the packaging materials available today act as moisture barriers. This allows moisture to be either kept out completely or be retained inside the package without much transmission being allowed. Such conditions could become a problem if not checked in time. Due to the prevalence of such issues, special films are being developed which offer higher vapour and moisture transmission rates. 

All of these aspects clearly indicate that packaging should be considered as a technology platform rather than being thought of as a storage solution. Researchers are now focusing on nano-level schematics to ensure next-gen packaging solutions that could define a new future for the global business scenario. Traditional packaging methods have definitely provided a lot of convenience to the products, but it is time to leverage technology and come up with innovative packaging that provides more than mere protection and brand value to the products.

How to Tie the Perfect Bow on Your Gift Package!

(Pic Courtesy: Lia Griffith [link to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qSvnCux5QM])

I know that you made several attempts at making that perfect bow while wrapping your gift. It isn’t as daunting as it appears. In fact, it can be as easy as tying your shoelace. Remember, the first time someone taught you to tie your shoelace. Well, this is pretty much the same thing. You only need to take care about the length of each loop of the bow. It should be equal as that is what defines a “perfect bow”.

Tie a Simple Knot

Start by taking your ribbon and trying a simple knot. This should not be difficult. Just make sure you place the ribbon around the middle to get a good position for the bow. 

Hold the Knot in Place with Your Finger

Now that you have made the knot, keep your finger on it so that the knot doesn’t get loose. This is important for the next step which involves making the loops for the bow. 

The First Loop

This is the most important step in the entire process. The first loop needs to be made with utmost care and remember, you only need to create the first loop now. Once you have made the loop, take the other end under the loop. 

The Second Loop

Now that you have the free end of the ribbon under the first loop, push it through the knot and let it come out the other end. This is your second loop. You really need to be careful while doing this as even a small mistake could require the whole knot to be undone and then made again. 

Adjust the Bow

When you have two loops of equal length, then adjust the bow to make sure everything is in place. Give the loops a slight tug to ensure appropriate tightness in the knot. 

Cut the Ends

Those long ends are not giving a nice visual appeal to the overall presentation. So you need to snip them away. The best way to do it is to fold the ribbon and make a diagonal cut just a few centimeters away from the knot. Do this for the other end also. 

Your Perfect Bow is Ready!

Just straighten out the ends, give a slight tug to the loops and the “perfect bow” has just been made. It wasn’t that difficult, was it? If this is your first time, then be patient and don’t worry. So what if it didn’t turn out like this on your first attempt, you only need a few more to get the hang of it. 

So go on and make impressive bows that are nothing short of being perfect. I am sure your friends will be pretty amazed at your craftsmanship. This is just the basic bow. With time, you would be able to come up with complex bow designs that involve much more than just a few knots and loops. 

To order your gift packaging materials, visit DCGPAC Now !!

How to Manage Packaging During The Holiday Rush Like a Pro

It’s that time of the year when the festive spirits are at an all-time high. The holiday season not only bears witness to joyous celebrations, but also heavy holiday rush. After all, everyone wishes to send gifts to their friends, family and loved ones. The holiday rush may not affect you in a major way, but it does have an impact on the performance of businesses, especially those involved in eCommerce as the orders may comprise any number and type of products. 

The thing about the holiday season is that people expect a visually appealing and highly attractive packaging that manages to keep all of the contents safe. This is the challenging part that needs to be approached with care. Usually, businesses come up with their own packaging boxes or packaging solutions so that the spirit of the festive season is not diluted in any manner. However, the problem lies in the fact that customers may order anything and in any number so the business needs to accommodate the demands without compromising on packaging effectiveness. 

Do you want to know how the professionals manage the holiday rush? Just follow these tips and you should be able to do it like them. 

Calculate Your Packaging Requirements

This is one of the most important aspect of the holiday rush. You need to come up with proper estimates of the upcoming demand for your products during the festive season. A good way to approach this would be to use previous year’s data and analyse that in keeping with the rate of business growth. This should give you a good idea about the demand that you could expect this year. 

Keep a Buffer

Just because you need a certain number of packages doesn’t mean that you have to order only that much. It is advisable to maintain a buffer so that any last minute problems related to packaging may be managed without causing any delay in the entire process. Keeping a buffer is also beneficial for surplus demand where the sales go beyond that of previous years. 

Come Up With Custom Designs Especially for the Holiday Season

The most notable issue faced by businesses during the festive season is the difficulty in striking a balance between visual appeal and overall design of the package (from a safety perspective). Cost also plays a major role here as the investment in acquiring packaging material needs to be kept at optimal levels. This is where the need for coming up with custom designs can help businesses as the materials would be prepared according to the specific parameters and this would ensure better compatibility of the packaging with the contents. 

Offer Bundled Packs

This is the safest bet that you (as a business) can take during the holiday season. By offering pre-designed bundled packs, you have less chance of getting orders with products of varying sizes and dimensions. Moreover, all of the products in the bundle would come pre-packed and carefully placed within the package so that everything remains intact with minimal movement. Now that the safety aspect has been taken care of, it becomes even easier to focus on making the package highly attractive by adding decorative elements and carefully placed accessories. 

Inform Your Packaging Material Supplier Beforehand

Make sure that you inform your packaging material supplier about the estimated demand beforehand. This would help you to avoid last minute delays and would ensure that your requirement is fulfilled properly. By informing the supplier beforehand, you also get the opportunity to consider the supplier’s perspectives. This is a valuable insight as the supplier has a better understanding of the dynamics of the holiday rush and he would be able to provide effective tips on managing this hectic season like a pro.