Know the quantity. The number of items to be packaged affects the materials and techniques available, says Bruce Fasick, president of distributorship The Production Center, Dumfries, Va. For example, "Offset printed paperboard for software packages in large runs is very attractive, but set-up costs for small runs may preclude this option."
Know the budget. Find out the amount the client is willing to spend on packaging. "A client that has only a $2,500 budget may be best suited to stock packages and digital printing," Fasick says. Those with big budgets and high-end products might consider more expensive materials such as leather or book cloth.
Show the material. Fasick listens to clients' expectations on the look and feel of materials. Samples broaden their assumptions about what to use or eliminate. "Many clients may shake their head to vinyl or plastic, but aren't aware of some of the new finishes and colors available," Fasick says.
When the economy slowed three years ago, Bruce Fasick, president of distributorship The Production Center, Dumfries, Va., saw clients cut funding for their direct mail promotional campaigns. Fasick, who specializes in custom packaging, lost half of his business. He stuck with his niche, but diversified and now offers packaging for almost any application.
Innovative Packaging for
Almost Anything
Recently, Fasick provided packaging for XO, a telecommunications firm in Reston, Va. The agency hired by XO developed a direct mail promotion with a disposable camera giveaway. The agency was concerned that existing and prospective customers who received the promotion would throw it away before opening it. It asked Fasick to design a package that would allow recipients to see the camera.
Fasick turned to his manufacturers for help. He works with a group of small and medium-sized plants that don't have their own sales forces. They offer the use of their employees, and Fasick works exclusively with the manufacturers. Each plant has different manufacturing capabilities, allowing Fasick to offer clients a range of packaging solutions. "We have six plants and six different options for any packaging idea," he says. "If you're sending out a pen, CD, booklet or flipchart, we try to come back and show you a lot of different ways to do that." Offering clients many solutions increases the chance that they'll do business with The Production Center, he says.
Fasick showed the agency three prototypes that were within its budget. The first was an 18 pt. SBS board package with a die cut aperture that showed the camera partially. The second option was a 4-color corrugated box with a cellophane aperture. The third was a medium, 35-gauge, clear-frost poly and a flat, unglued box approximately two inches thick, with two pieces of foam to hold the camera. The agency liked the third option and ordered 1,000 pieces. It ordered 4,000 more pieces a few weeks later.
Not all of Fasick's clients appreciate the value of innovative packaging, he says. In his experience, clients that focus on exceptional quality and service are the most receptive to creative concepts.
--Andrew Brown
Bruce Fasick, president of distributorship The Production Center, Dumfries, Va., offered a client three packaging prototypes for a direct mail promotion. Ansel Press, Buffalo, N.Y., supplied the SBS board package (top); Elwood Packaging, Chicago, supplied the corrugated box (center); and Silvanus Products, Ste. Genevieve, Mo., supplied the poly and foam option (right). The client chose the poly and foam option.
