blog Archives - Brand Imaging Solutions

New Product Launches: The Importance of a Pre-artwork Meeting

Pippa Walsh — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:20:18 +0000

According to the Harvard Business Review⁽¹⁾, the biggest single reason behind failed new product launches is a lack of preparation. Forbes, meanwhile, stress the importance of visualizing every detail.⁽²⁾ It’s critical to take guesswork out of any product launch, and getting the controllables right so your team can focus on dealing with the inevitable unexpected challenges they’ll face in the sometimes complex journey between concept development and hitting the shelves.

That’s why Pre-artwork Meetings are such a vital element of any product launch.

When and why it should happen If it seems too early in the process to hold end-to-end project discussions while a product is still in creative development, don’t be fooled—it isn’t. An experienced print/production expert, for example, will not only be able to offer an early steer on relative costs and technical feasibility, they will even be able to nip some potential pitfalls in the bud and offer alternatives that will keep you out of a financial hole. So all the key players should be involved — the creative agency, artwork/repro house, production head, artworker and printer. Expectations can be set, and important early decisions can be made on both creative and production questions if the right knowledge and experience is represented in the meeting. This is the time to get your production ducks in a row; client expectations, likely timescales, quantities, and specifics like sustainability or Food Information Regulation compliance should be shared as early as possible. There can be a lot to think about: 10 Factors to nail-down early on

Colors and Varnishes. Confirm if special colors are being used, or any spot varnishes. This impacts not just the cost and timing of the job, but the press which can actually be used to produce the design. A varnish can have a dramatic effect on the look of a job, so it’s important these are agreed as early as possible.
Cutter Profiles. Some projects have critical considerations for cutter profiles. In packaging, for example, you have to ensure your design doesn’t impinge on areas that must be left blank for gluing, expiration/best before date application etc.
Substrate. Original creative ideas may call for substrates that are impractical when it actually comes to printing the product. Recycled or recyclable material may be preferred, or even mandatory in some cases. What color is the substrate and what affect will this have on the final piece? If it’s a clear substrate, will a printed white be required, and to what opacity? Is it going to be laminated, and is the substrate right for that process? Making sure everybody understands the fundamental effect the substrate will have on the finished job is crucial.
Product Variety. Is this a single product or a varied range with different sizes and shapes across multiple print processes? How will this impact the design and how can consistency be maintained across the range? Is there a hero product that sets the standard for all the others?
Consistency. Key factors like branding elements or photographic styles, and whether there is any expectation of compromise in this area across the product range, must be determined at this point.
Repro. Has the finished artworker or repro supplier been supplied with the printer’s specifications to ensure the print-ready files will be built correctly? It’s easy to underestimate the difference an incorrect color profile might make until it’s proofed, so this will avoid any amends at repro stage and ensure color targets are maintained.
Chromatics. The color profile is only one part of the story. Decide who’s responsible for signing off artwork and color targets, and establish if there are multiple targets to be hit. Can a color target be provided to the printer before they start work? Consider the right proofing for the project too; should an ink drawdown be done to show the color outcomes on the actual substrate, or should wet proofs be produced? Will a GMG proof accurately reflect the substrate and/or any varnishes that may affect the final color? Will the job require an in-person press pass? Remember that all of these decisions have a consequential impact on costs and timings.
Secondary Materials. It can be easy to focus on the main product in a range early on, only to discover late in the process that specific messaging, or new information like SRPs, is required on some specific materials such as promotional packaging. Avoid that by establishing these details in the pre-artwork meeting.
Timings. What’s the final delivery date? How long will each stakeholder need at each stage, and how long will it take to secure sign-off from all the signatories involved? There will not be a better time to set and manage expectations of lead times, so this is the moment to lay them out.
Costs. Everything above has an impact on the final costs, with not having to pay to put errors right being one of the most obvious. But even assuming everything goes well, have all costs in the process been accounted for? If not, all costs can be accounted for this early on, then at least an indication or ball-park figure could be allowed for, to avoid any nasty surprises.

Leave the Meeting on the same page At the end of a successful pre-artwork meeting, everybody involved in the process from design adaptation to delivery should have clarity on who’s doing what, and by when. If you’re thinking about the entire process from the start, you have a much better chance of it running according to plan.

Sources: 1: https://hbr.org/2011/04/why-most-product-launches-fail 2: forbes.com/sites/yec/2022/06/21/launching-a-new-product-seven-ways-to-ensure-it-goes-off-without-a-hitch/

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Extended Producer Responsibility; here’s the short(er) version

Pippa Walsh — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 14:52:07 +0000

You probably already know this, but if your organisation is responsible for packaging, your recycling responsibilities are changing on 1st January 2023. If you’re producing over 25 tonnes of packaging per calendar year, supplying or handling it and turning over £1m+ annually, or actually packaging products, you need to know the new rules.

Some of the Extended Producer Responsibility rules are complicated, especially where there’s a chain of custody involved or you’re producing packaged products under your own brand. Even the government’s own guidance page says ‘you may need to take action’ in many of the examples they give, and the rules and timescales also change depending on the size of your organisation.

What do the new rules mean practically?

For all those who are affected, the coming new responsibilities break down as:

The collection and submission of data on the packaging you handle and/or supply.
Payment of a waste management fee.
The purchase of waste recycling notes (PRNs) or packaging waste export recycling notes (PERNs).
The submission of information on where your packaging has been sold, hired, loaned, gifted or discarded.

Exactly what you need to do depends on whether you’re classified as a ‘small’ or ‘large’ organisation. You can see the full list of responsibilities, and how you’re categorised, on the government site. The earliest possible date by which you’ll need to be providing the data, regardless of how you’ve been categorised, is July 2023, so you’ve got some time to get your house in order. Be warned, though; late or non-submission of data will cost you, with penalty charges in force for non-compliance.

Get ahead of the game; be ready

The best way to avoid those penalties is to be prepared ahead of time. So start gathering data now on the weight of:

Individual materials in the packaging you handle and/or supply.
The materials used in your ‘primary’, ‘secondary’, ‘shipment’ and ‘transit’ packaging.
Packaging that’s likely to become household or non-household waste.
Packaging likely to end up in street bins.

The government site defines exactly what these material definitions mean. Your data from 2023 will be used to calculate your obligations for 2024 and 2025, and bear in mind that if your organisation is a parent company, each subsidiary must submit separate data.

What are you recording?

To the nearest tonne (1,000 kg), you must report handling of aluminium, fibre-based composite, glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, steel, wood and other materials. The ‘other’ category covers pretty much anything else not listed, including but not limited to biodegradable plastics, cork, cotton, flax-based products, nitrites, rubber and silicone.

This must all be reported both by weight and how much of each is used in the primary, secondary, shipment or transit categories:

Primary; the containers in which the goods to be sold are stored – tins, cardboard packaging, blister packs etc.
Secondary: the materials used to group and/or display the primary packaging – cardboard trays, temporary shelving for POS display etc.
Shipment: the outer packaging of whatever is being shipped, such as the addressed, waterproof plastic bag around a product’s cardboard box.
Transit: the materials used to support or protect the secondary packaging units, such as wooden pallets and parcel tape.

Help will be available

If this sounds complicated, the fact that registered compliance schemes are being set up to help companies comply with EPR regulations probably tells its own story. These schemes will be able to pay your registration fees, buy PRNs and PERNs on your behalf, and submit your data. But they will not be able to pay your waste management fees for you.

The fees, which have not yet been published, will be lower the easier your chosen materials are to recycle. The government has promised this information ‘as soon as they can’. In the meantime, get the full story from their guidance page, or email pEPR@defra.gov.uk if you have any specific questions.

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2020 Packaging Supply Survey

Pippa Walsh — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 10:13:45 +0000

Welcome to the Brand IMS 2020 packaging survey. The purpose of this survey is to explore how Brands are redefining and selecting their creative and pre-media agency partners.

We would love it if you could take a few minutes to complete the survey.

Create your own user feedback survey

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10 questions we get asked about design, artwork and production.

Pippa Walsh — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:19:49 +0000

The artwork, production and print process can be confusing at times. So here are the 10 questions we get asked the most, answered for you.

What is an Artwork File?

Answer: Artwork files have not been colour separated to the nominated printer’s specification. Artwork files are typically low-resolution files used to distribute for comments and approval that preserve the layout of the artwork.

What is a Repro File?

Answer: Repro files are produced to a printer’s specification. They will be hi-resolution, colour separated and print-ready. Each print process will have a different way of separating the file and each printer/press will have differences in the way they wish the file to be set up.

What is a PDF?

Answer: A Portable Document File sent over email to view artwork files. Many PDF documents are now Illustrator friendly and can be opened in Illustrator. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to be able to open a PDF document which is free to download.

What is VISUAL APPROVAL?

Answer: Visual Approval (VA) is our online workflow system which allows you to centralise your assets. It can manage your entire creative and production process giving you precision, real-time data access and visibility. It speeds up approvals, file location, and the amendment process. It allows teams of approvers to view, annotate and collaborate in a user-friendly environment.

How long will it take?

Answer: We work with our customers to produce critical paths and understand the importance of keeping projects on track. We are proactive in everything we do and work with you to deliver your requirements. We are flexible and have a wealth of experience to call on. So, the answer to this is how quickly do you need it?

What is a cutter?

Answer: A cutter (sometimes called line drawing, profile, or diecut) are the exact dimensions you require the artwork to be. This should be approved to run down the packing line and artwork should always be produced to these exact measurements.

Why is colour management so important?

Answer: When launching a range of products especially across different packaging formats and substrates ensuring the colour stays consistent reinforces quality and your brands message. Various printers will have different tolerances on press and varying levels of print constraints. Setting master colour targets, ensuring printers are aligned and if necessary attending print runs are all part of our process. At the creative stage, you should be requesting a physical sample of the colour you wish as a target. Viewing colours on a computer screen does not give a clear representation of how the printed packaging will look.

What is Adaptive Design?

Answer: We work with customers to carry out adaptive design quicker and cost-effectively without compromising on creativity. Working alongside the strategic agency our team take their vision and a key number of designs and roll out the design principles across the entire portfolio. Additional variants, alternative packaging formats, seasonal designs, multipacks and promotional packaging. This is Design Adaptation!

Can you produce samples?

Answer: We offer a wide range of services including mockups and 3Dimaging. We can produce sales samples onto almost any substrate, with no minimum order quantity and all barcode scannable.

What is wetproofing?

Wetproofing allows you to do a small run of print, using real inks. Several of our customers use wetproofing to produce colour targets for sign off before proceeding to final production. Advertising, producing samples for customers or to trail options of various designs. It is one of the most accurate ways to see exactly how your finished product will look. You can use a variety of different substrates, inks, foils, embossing and or debossing. Sheets can also be die-cut and made up to full preproduction samples. To download our A to Z guide to design to print packaging click here >>>>> If you need any other questions answering why not contact us at ENQUIRIES@brandims.com and we will be happy to help.

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TRENDS, MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THE BEVERAGE PACKAGING INDUSTRY

Saul Bailey — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 18:55:17 +0000

The global beverage packaging industry is currently undergoing some significant changes, so we decided to take a look at some of the trends, movers and shakers in this fast moving sector.

The stats are staggering, with the global beverage industry expecting to reach an estimated $1.9 trillion by 2021, with a CAGR of 3.0%. This growth is fuelled by growing urbanisation, health awareness, increasing population and disposable income. The Asian market is experiencing unprecedented growth, accounting for two-thirds of global consumption by 2021 . The drinks industry is typically broken down by;

Carbonated soft drinks
Bottled water
Fruit beverages
Ready to drink tea and coffee
Sport beverages
Energy drinks
Value-added water
Beer
Wine
Spirits

Coca-Cola and Pepsi continue to be the dominant players in the non-alcoholic beverages market, with AB InBev, Heineken and Diageo the global leaders in alcoholic beverages. The expansion of the drinks industry is inevitably influencing the global beverage packaging sector, with growth projections set to reach $173 billion by 2025 (grandviewresearch.com).

Essential to Your Packaging Strategy

The beverage packaging industry is undergoing a period of transformation and we decided to take a look at the 3 primary triggers:

Sustainability

A significant push to create environmentally friendly, biodegradable, recyclable material is number one on the agenda for many of the leading Brands.

Smart Packaging

Brands are looking to use intelligent technology to extend shelf life, monitor freshness, track authenticity, display product information, improve customer safety, evidence logistics and distribution, enhance product security, connect with other channels and generate customer insights and data points.

Customer Experience

Packaging that will enhance and uplift the customer experience both pre and post-purchase. Ensuring the drinks packaging is sturdy, aesthetically pleasing and design-led, weather-resistant retains aroma and is heat-insulating.

How Are Brands Responding?

So which brands are leading the charge with a future-focused packaging strategy? Innocent’s new Smoothie bottle is their most sustainable bottle yet, made up of 50% recycled plastic and 15% plant material. ABV InBev owned Devils Backbone, have started to utilise augmented reality where packaging can be seen to come to life when viewed through a smartphone. By scanning a printed QR code, animated stories relating to Vienna Lager, Golf Leaf Lager and Striped Bass Ale can be viewed, effectively using the bottle as a media channel for a commercial. Diageo is phasing out plastic packaging from multipacks of its Guinness, Harp, Rockshore and Smithwick’s beers and replacing it with 100% recyclable and biodegradable cardboard packs. Coca-Cola has decreased the weight of its packaging by 27% and have a plan to reduce the amount of material in its packaging by 25% by 2020. The new Abbey Well twist bottles are now 100% recyclable with the new design using up to 32% less plastic than in previous bottles. Gin brand, Twisting Spirits have certainly gone the extra mile on Customer Experience, by firstly matching each ingredient in the spirit with a colour algorithm, these colours were then used on the labels as vivid bars. Twisting Spirits printed each individual flavour on its own tactile embossed paper, so the label “feels like it tastes” with lemongrass, for example, given a citrus skin texture. Resulting in a distinct product with masses of shelf appeal. To see how Brand has helped the likes of Coca-Cola, Diageo and SAB Miller with their packaging innovation or to discuss a specific project please contact us at enquiries@brandims.com

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Press Release

Mark Bent — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 09:00:28 +0000

Brand Delivery Agency, Brand Imaging Solutions, has expanded its service line-up by acquiring PPP Digital. The Manchester-based digital image team brings enhanced packaging and flexo print solutions to Brand’s growing client list.

Brand Imaging Solutions (Brand IMS) has completed the acquisition of PPP Digital. The acquisition means that Brand IMS can now offer a complete end-to-end solution for their clients’ packaging and print needs.

Brand was founded in 2005 to provide International Brands with a straightforward and knowledgeable partner that would calmly deliver packaging campaigns consistently around the world. Brand supports their clients, such as Aujan and Avon Cosmetics, in delivering a fully managed design-to-print service.

With the acquisition of PPP Digital, Brand can provide a complete end-to-end print delivery service for clients, with particular expertise and focus in flexographic pre-press services. The additional services include the production of ‘In the Round’ (ITR) flexo sleeves and a range of industry-leading technologies

“We are delighted to welcome the team at PPP Digital to the Brand IMS family“ said Mark Bent, Co-Founder and Director, Brand IMS “The team at PPP have a long established reputation for exceptional quality, and this can only go to enhance the scale and operational efficiency that we are able to offer our clients.”

Brand IMS offers global execution, scale and operational efficiency

Global Brands require global teams to deliver across multiple territories and formats. Brand has developed a global infrastructure that provides expertise, depth and scale for their client’s pre-media and production needs. From design services, artwork, reprographics and colour management to digital banners, 3D modelling and plate making, Brand IMS have capability across four continents with hubs in the UK, Dubai, Australia, India and North America.

With the acquisition of PPP Digital the combined companies now offer a complete, market leading service for all of their clients packaging needs. Services include design services, artwork, reprographics and colour management, 3D modelling and flexo plate making, and market leading workflow management system, Visual Approval.

About Brand

Brand was founded in 2005 by Justin Jenkins and Mark Bent, to provide International Brands with a straightforward and high quality packaging delivery solutions. Brand has since grown to a team of 60 and has clients across four continents.

About PPP

Founded in 1961 PPP as a private, family-owned business based in Manchester, U.K PPP are one of the largest independent polymer plate manufacturers in the UK and one of the largest producers of polymer sleeves in Europe.

PPP Digital’s speciality is Flexo reprographics and plate making. Over the last 30 years they have grown to include all areas of packaging and digital pre-press.

You can learn more about Brand Imaging Solutions and the services they offer at their website, www.brandims.com.

END

Editor’s notes: Please direct all press enquiries to Mark Bent at Brand’s Manchester headquarters, Commerce Way, 1 Avocado Court, Manchester, M17 1HW or call on 161 877 6080. All email enquiries can be sent to mark.bent@brandims.com.

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BRAND COMBINES CREATIVITY, TECHNOLOGY AND SCALE FOR THEIR CLIENTS

Mark Bent — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 06:28:14 +0000

Brands are increasingly looking to roll out campaigns across multiple territories and are looking for one agency to deliver those ambitions – a trend that has accelerated in the past 12 months.

Campaign, Brand Experience Report

At Brand we have made this client need a reality, by significantly extending our group capability, so that we can better service our global clients, across territory, across channel for all their content needs, from packaging and retail to digital and e-commerce.

B of the Brand - Creativity

Brand supports their clients in delivering a fully managed brand delivery service. We start with the B of the Brand, by delivering the insight, ideation, immersion and creative design to shape your new brand and products.

Outstanding creative that ensures your creative vision is never compromised is non-negotiable.

Global Execution - Scale

Global Brands require global teams to deliver across multiple territories. At Brand we have developed a global infrastructure that provides expertise, depth and scale for our client’s pre-media and production needs. From artwork, reprographics and colour management to digital banners, 3D modelling and plate making, we have capability across 4 continents with hubs in the UK, Dubai, Australia, India and North America.

Operational Efficiency - Technology

Our outstanding client services team provides a single point of contact for our clients, across all channels. Relieving the stress and complexity of global campaign delivery, they adapt to a client’s culture and ways of working to ensure brand delivery is seamless.

All Global Brands need a strong brand management solution to deliver control, transparency and efficiency. At Brand we have worked closely with our clients to design and build the market leading cloud solution for Brand Managers, Visual Approval. VA automates and streamlines approvals and asset management. Facilitating effective brand management processes and contributes greatly to campaign delivery success. VA generates freedom for you to further invest in your brand, whether it’s time, creativity or cost.

To see how Brand can support your Global Campaigns, please contact us at enquiries@brandims.com.

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SELECTING THE RIGHT SOLUTION TO MANAGE YOUR ARTWORK APPROVALS

Mark Bent — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 06:28:42 +0000

The first question we need to ask ourselves, is what is approvals management software? Fundamentally it is software, accessible through a browser, that allows you to:

view any file or asset that requires approval, as part of your brand or campaign process
collaborate quickly, in real-time, with your colleagues, agency partners and the wider supply chain
get clear, concise feedback on creative concepts, artwork, digital, video & copy
streamline and template approvals workflow, for greater automation and standardised processes
centralise approved files, artwork and assets to increase repurposing, brand consistency and reduce email traffic

The ultimate outcomes are:

a significant reduction in artwork approval time
fewer amendment cycles with less cost
shorter campaign lead times
an uplift in brand consistency

Does this all sound too good to be true?

This is a mature, well-tested market, but selecting the right vendor and platform are critical to success.

Here are five simple steps to ensure you select the right technology partner and manage the change effectively:

Design the right selection and implementation team. Any department that is involved in artwork approvals should be represented both in the technology evaluation, requirements gathering and implementation

Uncover, prioritise and document the critical / user/feature requirements, so all bases are covered during the selection process
Assess your technology vendors based on a scorecard that includes UX, functions, security, scalability, workflow, training and support. This will ensure a like for like comparison and provides a level of science to the selection process.
Invest in the change. Ensure the Leadership team are seen to be active in the transition, have a strong communications plan and be flexible in your approach. It’s a learning curve for everyone.
Agree on quantifiable metrics at the start that can be used as a basis of accountability and governance. It is these metrics that will illustrate your success throughout the project.

Our Visual Approvals system helps you keep control over your packaging projects.

If you’d like to learn more about Brand’s market-leading artwork approvals system, VA, then please get in touch on enquiries@brandims.com.

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PACKAGING GROWTH TRENDS FOR 2019 AND BEYOND

Mark Bent — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 17:11:25 +0000

The Packaging industry is growing steadily and by 2022 will be worth almost $980 billion (smithpira).

The food packaging market accounts for almost half of this total spend with growth being propelled due to:

the rising demand of convenience food
increasing urban population
changing eating habits
greater varieties of products in the supply chain
better packaging for health and hygiene in developing countries
no electronic alternatives from the physical properties protecting contents

We are also seeing emerging design trends, fuelled by consumer needs, including transparent food packaging, as consumers are keen to see what they’re buying rather then merely reading a label on pack. This trend also encourages recyclable packaging with glass and PET the standout materials.

The burgeoning consumer class in the Middle East, India and China coupled with an expanding population of youthful consumers and often strong marketing strategies is driving growth in the drinks market, as consumers become more health conscious with energy drinks and organic juices seeing a significant uplift in sales. Commitment from the likes of Coca-Cola to make 100% of it’s packaging recyclable by 2030, with many other producers expected to follow this lead, continues to develop the Brand/Consumer relationship and drive sales and, more importantly for future growth, trust.

The global cosmetic market is worth almost $30 billion and growing at over 4% every year. Bolstered by a growing awareness relating to health, hygiene and personal grooming and an uplift in eco-friendly packaging. Rapid urbanization and a rise in disposable incomes also continue to sustain strong growth, whilst oral haircare is forecast to have the greatest growth as consumers increasingly adopt toothpaste globally. A growing demand for premium, lightweight packaging and smaller pack sizes shows no sign of slowing as consumers become more aware of the impact that packaging can have on the environment.

Finally, the consumer packaged good (CPG) industry, which encompasses many of the industries above and more, is the single largest vertical standing at a mammoth $721.8 billion. Many CPG brands will have a mature omni-channel strategy, selling products in physical stores, large e-tailers and through their own e-commerce platforms. CPG brands are aggressively investing and researching smart packaging as a means of generating a better, more insightful relationship with their consumers. Through smart packaging, CPG brands receive information that can best position their products for purchase, often predicting the need and streamlining the supply chain. Smart packaging can also support auto-replenishment from within your home ensuring automation of orders and happy, fulfilled customers.

To see how Brand can support your omni-channel strategy or discuss your packaging needs, please contact us at enquiries@brandims.com

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