Recently, while discussing a new in-house project (yes, IT related), I made a comment about how we didn’t know how much we didn’t know but are beginning to realize how much we still need to learn. That probably borders on a Yogism (Berra, not The Bear), but essentially it means the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know about any given topic.
That is especially true of e-commerce packaging design. Our customers tend to be experts in many areas such as web marketing, procurement, international sourcing, product design, and the list goes on and on. However, most will readily admit, they don’t know a lot about packaging design or performance. In fact, even some of our largest companies we work with do not have an in-house expert in this crucial area. Why? Because for them, packaging design work is project oriented and is not a full-time position. They do not need to have a packaging pro on staff, because expert packaging is always a phone call or email away. That is the role Salazar Packaging satisfies for our customers and clients.
Packaging design is not a DIY project.
A year ago, I wrote a blog post with the same title, because we feel that strongly about it. It’s tempting I know because there are so many great resources available on the internet. However, literally anyone with a smidgen of experience can quickly portray themselves as an expert. Even with a project or two under their belt, they cannot compare to a resource like Salazar Packaging that has successfully designed packaging for well over a thousand different applications, and annually manufactures millions of boxes.
What makes us different is not only the 17 years of being in business, but also because we have learned a lot in those seventeen years and can apply that knowledge and experience to help you save precious time and money.
There are two critically important things we do when we engage with a potential design or redesign customer.
- We ask the right questions about you and your packaging needs.
We specialize in custom packaging solutions for e-commerce. We are not going to try to force you into one of our “stock” available products because we don’t have any pre-made products to offer. Everything we do is for a specific customer and application, namely you and yours.
The only way that works is if we take the time to learn by asking you for details about your specific product, about your requirements, and even about your customer’s expectations. We know this can be frustrating for an impatient caller or inquiry wanting fast answers and a quick price but that is not what we do. We ask time consuming questions, such as, how do you plan to ship your DTC products and orders, are you experiencing any shipping damage, how important is the unboxing experience to your customers? We work from a firm belief that the better we understand your specific application, the better our finished design.
- We consider every facet and step in the e-commerce process.
This goes hand in hand with the item above. Many people who may be involved in a package design, for example a graphic artist or marketing person, each have a different area of focus when it comes to packaging for e-commerce. We know appearance is obviously very important, but our focus goes beyond the esthetic. We review the entire process from bulk packaging materials procurement through the consumer’s unboxing experience.
Here are a few items many packaging companies miss. Did you know that it is less expensive to ship E-flute boxes compared to B-flute? Even storage costs (at your 3PL) are lower because the board is thinner, and you can put more on a pallet. Are you aware of the fact that RSC boxes can be printed inside and usually result in a savings of 50% or more? Do you realize your 3PL bill can far exceed the cost of your packaging materials or outbound shipping? There are many costs that are often unplanned or unaccounted for. We believe our job is to help you look at every single step in the process to determine where those savings opportunities can be found.
Let us discuss your project with you. Whether you have been in business for years or are just preparing to launch, we are very confident we can save time, trouble and money. Call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us through this web site. One of our trained, experienced, branded packaging advisors will be eager to help you create the most attractive packaging at the lowest possible OVERALL cost.
Related posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/packaging-design-is-not-a-diy-project/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/can-transparent-inks-improve-your-e-commerce-graphic-design/
