Packaging it up. . .

2010-04-07T17:52:00.001-07:00

Niche music that is where the music is happening!

The everchanging face of music.

2010-04-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

When I was a lad music came in various formats. You had 8-track, reel-to-reel, compact cassette tape in addition to vinyl and even those had several flavours.

Nowdays everything is so homogenized so it falls into digital formats like mp3, wav or acc if you're an iPod listener. You download a file; it throws up an image of the album cover on your little player and off you go. Call me jaded but I miss those B tracks on singles. I miss buying those HUGE vinyl jackets with all the liner notes. I even miss taping an occasional compilation of all my favorite songs onto a tape so I could play it on my cassette player or for that special someone.

Everyone says it's easier to buy music. There is no denying that. But what about finding that nugget of a song? You really can't do that now. Everything is a la carte. You choose what you want instead of having it chosen for you. In some ways, it's great, but in others I get the feeling it limits your exposure to the artist.

The one thing I remember about liner notes is that it personalized that artist. You created this relationship with the singer(s) or that band. You can't say that now. I guess that is why a recording artist's shelf life is so fleeting they have to literally diversify.

My biggest quip about today's music is that before a recording artist had a concert to promote their album. You buy the album. You rave about the album. You get your buddies to go to the concert. They like the music. They buy the record. Simple. You were paid up front and if your album showed promise you at least had some capital to start your tour. Nowadays that paradigm has changed where you barely make anything if at all on the download and you make your money on these huge concert productions which in this economy may suffer. It's a gamble compared to the old paradigm. You could loose your shirt with this out-of-control beast of a concert tour; meanwhile your music -- the blood sweat and tears of your hard work -- gets second fiddle.

I used to joke with my colleagues about the music industry becoming a industry of hobbyists. Honestly those jokes are quickly becoming reality. Small guys can sound like big guys with a current version of ProTools. CD packaging for the most part is standard so you can run with the herd. Even the whole paradigm about music being an impulse sale has transformed into this a la carte menu.

It just seems so calculating. Less life in what people consider an important part of their lifestyle. I mean they define themselves by the music they listen to. Teens take their music seriously. I know my teenage daughter does. Why short change that experience?

EnviroPAK renamed EvPAK

2008-10-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

It happens. You do your search and find nothing that says a certain name is registered or trademarked but then you get a nifty little letter to 'Cease and Desist' saying someone registered the product name.

What do you do?

The easiest although never the most convenient is to comply. Which is what I did. So here it is, the new, improved, and renamed EvPAK. The EvPAK is ACE Packaging's answer to reducing your packaging footprint but still maintaining that higher-end retail look and feel to your packaging for all CD and DVD disc projects

Great for short run or single run projects. Give a great custom look to your latest DVD or CD Disc Project. We have a EvPAK sampler starter set (mouthful) available as well.

After all if entertainment like music and movies are an impulse buy doesn't it make sense to make your product look the best that it can? Now if you can make your packaging look and feel great while saving the environment as well isn't considering a packaging format like our EvPAK a great idea?

Visit us at http://www.ace-cases.com/; keyword: EvPAK.

Hitting the Music scene in Long Beach with the EvPAK

2008-06-03T17:36:00.001-07:00

ACE has chosen the District Weekly, a Long Beach mainstay to advertise their latest product creation the EvPAK.

"Long Beach is known for its younger crowds of music lovers. Advertising the EvPAK in the District was an obvious choice," says Jun Flores, President of ACE Packaging and inventor of the EvPAK. "We have seen a favorable response from that advert alone."

"It's a great fit for the consumer and pro-sumer both," says Flores, "and the District makes sure our word gets out to those interested indie bands and record labels."

Visit the District Weekly at http://www.thedistrictweekly.com/. Visit ACE at http://www.ace-cases.com/.

ACE Cases as shown in CreativeCOW.net

2008-06-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

In an ongoing effort to build product awareness and branding, ACE has chosen CreativeCOW.net as it's latest advertising vendors.

"With music and now video pushed so far down towards the consumer and pro-sumers, CreativeCOW makes advertising sense," says Jun Flores, President ACE Packaging Inc. in Paramount California.

Look for ACE and their style of packaging showcased in the forum section as well as print version of CreativeCOW.

ACE Packaging Inc. is a manufacturer/distributor of plastic packaging for CD/DVD industries specializing in multiple disc and eco-friendly enclosures. Visit CreativeCOW at http://www.creativecow.net/. Visit ACE at http://www.ace-cases.com.

Going GREEN with EnviroPAK

2008-06-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

Introducing the EnviroPAK, Eco-Friendly Packaging for the Masses

Ever want a custom package for a short run? How about an eco-friendly package that can be highly customized? The EnviroPAK from ACE is just the ticket.
Combining paper with plastic ACE presents the EnviroPAK a line of packaging solutions sure to revolutionize how we think about "Green" packaging.

"Being ‘Green’ is tough," says Jun Flores, President of ACE Packaging Inc. in Paramount California, "but with the EnviroPAK you get the best of everything. A package that is easy to assemble, easy to customize yet uses fewer natural resources."

Targeting the On-Demand printer and the Do-it-Yourself (DIY) set, EnviroPAK offers a superior solution over ordinary CD and DVD Packaging. Current offerings of the EnviroPAK include the Presentation Case, O-Card, and Mailer; more options soon to follow. Available in generic white, "you can add labels or print on the paperboard directly, when and however you want. It’s truly On-demand," says Flores.
The EnviroPAK is a paperboard enclosure provided flat with a plastic tray insert. Simply insert the disc into the tray, then the tray into the paperboard enclosure. Fold paperboard around the tray and you’re done.

Offering the consumer a retail looking package, reducing assembly cost, and most importantly the lightweight plastic tray uses 50% less plastic. "All you have to do is throw on a few labels to give it your own customized look," says Flores. "It’s inexpensive, flexible and a great tool for short-run, individual use.

The EnviroPAK is available online at www.ace-cases.com or contact ACE Packaging directly at 800-523-4526.

More on that Green Packaging trend

2008-04-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Just got off the phone with a customer of mine. Nice bloke, just no vision. We roll out our new EnviroPAKs this week and the one person I figure would get the idea, doesn't. Go figure.

At any rate EnviroPAKs are my answer to the burning question, "Do you have any GREEN packaging?" Now I can truthfully answer, "Why YES we do. Comes in three (3) flavours -- the O-card, the Mailer and the Presentation Case." They are truely great alternatives if you're looking to have a package that has the feel of retail packaging but on the budget. Comes in bite-sized lots of 50 and 100. Take a look if you're interested. Click HERE.

Three flavours to meet most short-run requirements. Give your presentation disc some pizazz use an EnviroPAK and wow them.

What really is "GREEN" Packaging?

2008-04-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

That is a question that has plauged me for around ten years now. What really is considered "Green" Packaging?

Is it something that is easy to recycle? And if it's easy to recylce how much of it is easy to recycle? How do you separate the recycleable parts? Is it paper or plastic, or both? Believe you me, I have heard different explanations and different interpertations and it's mind boggling to say the least.

For me since I specialize in providing a plastic package I have been toying with the idea of a plastic tray that is encapsulated by paperboard. What does that mean? It means the tray holds the disc. The tray is inserted into a paperboard carried and the paperboard "case" is closed.

Been working on a few ideas where the plastic content is reduced by as much as 50%. So versus a standard CD jewel case for example which weighs in at a hefty 60 grams without the disc; my enviroPAK weighs in at 24 grams without the disc and 39 grams with the disc. The only difference is that it is a combination of paperboard and plastic.

Wondering now if this is a viable product that folks will embrace. Photos coming soon!

Introducing the ACE Absolute for HD DVD and Blu-Ray

2008-01-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

Focused on the burgeoning HD-DVD and Blu-Ray niches, our ACE Absolute case is a unique alternative allowing you to store 1 or 2 discs; stacked for an inexpensive answer to your HD-DVD and Blu-Ray packaging needs.

Available March 2008, the ACE Absolute comes in natural (Clear) as well as HD-DVD red and Blu-Ray Blue. Can't get a steady supply of these cases? Well ACE is your answer! Visit us at http://www.ace-cases.com/.

Blu-ray wins smackdown fest versus HD-DVD

2008-01-28T00:11:00.000-08:00

Was it inevitable? Perhaps, then again perhaps not.

In an announcement at this year's CES (Consumer Electronic Show) 2008, it was announced that the defacto standard will be the higher capacity Blu-Ray format. HD-DVD will still be produced but only to satisfy current commitments. After that well it's Blu-Ray all the way.

Read more about it here.

On a personal note, all this means is that those folks other than Sony who mold DVD and the higher capacity formats will have to completely re-tool. No inexpensive endeavor as they set aside the HD-DVD format and proceed to Blu-Ray Production suites and production cells.

Have you tried the "3-wall" test?

2007-11-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

This is the mother of all destructive tests. Plain and simple. What is it? You throw a package against one wall with all your might and angle it so it will hit two more successive walls; hence, the name -- Three Wall Test. But truth be told such a test is only the stuff of legends.

But seriously, nothing can survive such a ruthless test. But our packaging format does come close. All our designed ACE Cases use the same concept of "encapsulating" the discs in a "nest." Take the ACE Library for instance.

It can hold up to 12 discs easily. CDs or even DVDs are light but as you add more and more discs to the kit, the weight can be substantial. So substantial that if you drop the case you could easily sheer the hub it sits on; rendering the case "defective." Not so with our ACE Case product line.

What do you do to prevent this? Try our ACE Case. Instead of holding the disc with a center hub, our Library Case encapsulates the disc(s) in a "nest." So for those of you willing to try this destructive test, you do have a better chance of survivability.

Does it seem Christmas Season is getting later and later?

2007-11-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Christmas season for manufacturers typically begins at the Middle of the 3rd Quarter (August) and continue to the day before Thanksgiving -- the kick-off for the Traditional Christmas Shopping season. Historically if you ship after this date, you're screwed. That's right game over, Little Johnny is not going to get his GI Joe with the kung fu grip because someone in the purchasing department screwed up and couldn't pull the trigger and order when the window was available.

For the average Joe Consumer, they are never privvy to the actual behind-the-scenes machinations required to pull this monumental task off. Allow me to clarify. A manufacturer must order the raw materials, convert them, and ultimately ship them. But ours is only a piece to the puzzle because after it leaves our hands it has to be handled by the distributors and finally the retail distribution hubs and retail centers.

All this takes time. You can't simply say one day, "I think I need 100,000 widgets by Wednesday this week," and it magically appears on your retail doorstep. It may happen like this on your favorite cooking show but in real life we operate on more realistic standards.

Raw materials need to be ordered, and that takes time for delivery. Likewise for the manufacturer they will need to convert these raw materials into finished goods and those goods need to be shipped.

But have you noticed something alarming? Because I have. More and more year after year the busy Christmas season seems to be pushed further and further back. Like I said August/September is typically the start of our busy season but we have experienced a sluggish start. It's now November and we are more busy than a one-legged man at a but kicking contest.

Strange.

One of two things could be happening. These retail stores have become more efficient and have a better handle on the consumer pulse, but I highly doubt that. Consumers are a very fickle-minded. Or purchasing managers fueled by fears of a sluggish Christmas Season have held back orders too dangerously long. My only hope they know what they are doing because there are only so many rabbits a manufacture like myself can pull out of his magical hat to make something like this happen.

So when you think about the Holiday Season, the manufacturers have been diligently working behind the scenes to bring you a little Christmas cheer. And if you are unable to get that really Hot Christmas Item because it's sold out don't blame the poor Sales Associate working for sub-standard pay. Instead place the blame on upper management being crippled. They should have consulted his crystal ball earlier.

What makes a package great? Great thought.

2007-10-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

You heard me. You have to think things through. Why? Folks buy what is in the package as much as what is on the outside.

Take fruit or vegetables for example. Would you buy damaged or bruised fruit? Only if you're hungry. Same applies to packaging. If it doesn't appeal, attract, or interest a buyer how the devil do you think they are going to pick it up and even consider buying it?

With that in mind how about this little tidbit of trivia sports fans? What if you could buy a standardized package at a fairly economical cost AND have enough money in your budget to splurge on great artwork to make your product more appealing?

Caught your attention? Great... then try our ACE Case product line. We offer a specialized cases at commodity prices. Spend where you will get the most bang for your packaging buck. Spend it on what gives the "S" in sizzle. You will thank yourself for being so forward thinking.

Interesting Reading -- The 8 Most Needlessly Detailed Wikipedia Entries.

2007-10-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Parousing the World Wide Web, I came across this fantastic tid bit of knowlege in this vast wasteland we call the internet -- The 8 Most Needlessly Detailed Wikipedia Entries. No lie. It's a hoot to read. Enjoy!

RIAA Succeeds in Prosecuting Layperson for Illegal Downloads.

2007-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am all for protecting the digital rights of producers and musicians alike. In fact I believe what the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is doing is right. But come on, a single mother of two forced to pay a $220k fine? How is she going to pay for it all? To me I think it's all a bunch of grandstanding on the part of RIAA bullying these individuals on the behalf of some major corporations. Your basic David and Goliath and folks, David
is losing.

Read about it HERE from the Baltimore Sun

To be honest when CDs first came out the music companies were afraid that copies from CD to cassette tape would spell the end for the industry. They were wrong. In fact I am under the impression it helped bolster their business model. Why? If you like a group enough and get a bootleg copy of an album eventually if you really liked the group you would buy the legit
album for your library. Why continue to listen to a crappy copy when you can get a near original by buying a CD. The problem nowadays is quite simple. The industry is so niche oriented: so formula, that they really don't create enough buzz to be appealing to a broad base of niches. That is to say, what is someone's Nirvana is not necessarily the next guy's cup of tea. There, truth be told, hasn't been a cross-niche music artist since Michael Jackson (hate to say this) that really helped close the ranks of listeners.

The other thing is music downloads. Hey to me nothing wrong with having these huge libraries of music that took you two weeks to compile and categorize. Just make sure it's yours. Or if it isn't yours, make sure you don't brag about ripping it to everyone in creation. What you do on your time should be your business not the news story of every Tom, Dick and Harry news reporter. By the way if you're caught the fine is $10,000 PER OFFENSE That means each song that is a bootleg can be $10,000 EACH! Got that much money to burn? Go right ahead.

OK that was a little off-track but why has digital downloads spelled disaster for the music industry? They have to cut from a SMALLER pie. I believe the Apple iTunes store charges $0.99 a song. You get to pick and choose which song. Great for the consumer who can have what he wants a la carte. But terrible for the musician and music company that has to take his/her/its share from such a small pie. Plus an unprotected music file without the fancy DRM (Digital Rights Management) forensics to actually catch the culprits is essentially an unfettered original. It's digital after all; just 0's and 1's. It's an EXACT duplicate of the original file versus a dumbed down copy of a song copied from CD to tape.

Now I know what to listen for and even these digital copies ripped from a CD are a little bit off but if you download a copy from an iTunes store and somehow manage to remove the DRM you essentially have a pure, unadulterated original, that you can share with anyone in creation. How scary is that? Why even bother to buy a copy when you can surf the internet and locate these little nuggets and download it to your computer to be burned to disc later? After all isn't it all just electrons anyways? Isn't all just a bunch of magnetic pulses on your Hard Drive. It really isn't like you're stealing from a store right? Well wrong. Hate to burst your bubble. That spells disaster for the music industry my friends and that has go to somehow stop. That or they have to come up with better acts so it helps revive the already splintered music industry. Get a decent buzz going around, sure you will have your bootleggers but then also a whole lot more folks will reenter to market to make their purchases legitimately.

Now for those of you with these music files on your computer. Let me ask you this. Do you have a back up? What happens if your Hard Drive craps out and you're Shit-out-of-luck at restoring your data. Data after all is what turns your computer into a juke box instead of a desk cluttered. I bet you whoever reads this you don't have a back-up copy. If you do, kudos, you are perhaps 1 out of 20. I have one. Actually several but that is only because I am anal like that. What happens when you can't recover your data? What is your time really worth? I strongly suggest if you like the artist do not pass GO, do not collect $200 but go directly to your local music store and buy a legit copy for when "All Hell Breaks Loose."

Department of Homeland Security?

2007-10-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Surfing the web at work and came across a rather interesting article the other day about the Department of Homeland Security and spam or should I say the Department of Homeland INSECURITY and spam? Click Here? You be the judge.

Didn't know there was a confidential notification list and that some folks can sometimes be so stupid as to think even these confidential channels are for their amusement. In other words, our hard earned tax dollars at work.

Someone needs to get off the pot and fix and obvious flaw and dumb down the interface to prevent events like this from happening.

Why is our ACE Portfolio Case well suited for PC CD/DVD-ROM?

2007-10-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when all our software came in these great big cereal boxes? I call them that because well they were the size of a cereal box. Inside these gems awaited the next greatest PC game or application along with the required reading -- the software manual.

But then that was it. Fast forward to the present. The world has suddenly realized that we are wasting so much space. Retail stores like Best Buy determined that they could generate more sales per square foot if they just reduced the size of these cereal boxes to the size of say... a standard DVD case. The problem was how can you fit the software manual, coupons, propaganda and a collection of discs into this small 5 in x 7 in window?

Enter the ACE Portfolio.

Think more discs; less space.

Our ACE Portfolio case is perfect for computer application and games alike. Stack as many as 9 discs plus all the propaganda you could shake a stick at. OK I am exagerating but how does a 50 page manual with 10# paper sound to you? The rest of your propaganda you can stick onto a few PDF files and viola! You can fit everything you want in a neat little package that regular folks like you and me can honestly store -- long term. And you save a few trees while you're at it.

Be green. Think ACE Portfolio for your next software project!

So what really is recycleable?

2007-09-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

If you can believe it I get asked that question a lot lately. Blame it on Al Gore and his tree-hugging friends. Don't want to poo poo them; I am not. Perhaps just some light hearted poking is all that is intended.

What really is GREEN? In a word -- Plastic.

But here is my take on it. What really is considered recycleable?

A lot of things and then again not so many. Let's focus on two groups -- paper and plastic.

Paper can be recycled to some degree. The paper itself can be reused or repulped. The glue sticking to it or any other sort of contamiant cannot. It has to be removed first. So those newspaper drives of old with those stacks of bundled newspapers reaching the rafters for some charity drive are completely recycleable. Magazines with the glossy pages are not. Why? The varnish they place on the paper to make them shiny prevents proper pulping of the paper to turn it into reusable material. Those DVD cases that meld paper with plastic can't because the glue on the paperboard is not water soluable. That means you have to rip the glue off the paper before you can recycle them. Those boxes your X-box 360 or Sony Playstation 3 comes in with the shiny outter printing -- not recyclable. It's the printed side that is pressed onto the cardboard box. Once again it's the process that prevents breaking the box down into pulp properly -- or should I say cheaply.

Now plastic, that is a different story. See those chasing arrows? It's called a recycle symbol. The American Plastics Council in their infinite wisdom decided to come up with an easy visual aide to help the layperson (that's you) find out what sort of plastic your cup is made out of and the recycler to sort through the various types of plastic. Glue? That is washed off in the process of removing contaiments. Labels, also washed off and removed during the recycling process. Metal contamination, they have strong magnets and metal detectors to remove them in-process. Even a metalized CD or DVD disc (with the shiny metal finish) can be recycled. I ahve seen it done and they use the recycled resin for high end spindles for disc replication. See where I am going with this?

Bottom line; plastic wins hands down. Game. Set. Match.

And guess what. That cheap DVD box you bought at Big Lots for under $5.00 for a dozen; guess what they are made out of? Virgin material polypropylene? Don't make me laugh. Smell it. That is the smell of 100% REcycled plastic.

HD DVD vs Blu-Ray vs DVD who is the real winner?

2007-09-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

The consumer of course. The real question is who the big loser. And that my friend happens to also be the consumer.

This is my twisted take.

A standard DVD disc or DVD-5 (5GB) can fit most movies less of course those special extras. A DVD-10 (10GB) can and does fit all the movie you wish but you have to flip the disc sometime to see the final part.

HD DVD headed by bigtime software giantor Microsoft is the next best thing out there. Manufacturers can use the existing manufacturing equipment to produce a disc that can store up to 30 GB of data. Not bad considering you can now run those high-falouting games on X-Box 360 with surreal sound and realistic almost life-like graphics.

Blu-ray is the darling of Disney and Universal. You can hold up to 50 GB of data. But this is supported by another evil empire aka Sony Electronics who also holds the golden basket of all console games -- Playstation.

So who is to win? Well I was asked this by one of my direct reports the past week and this is what I told her.

"Hold onto your regular DVD, because you really don't want to see the pimples on some starlet on your HD screen assuming of course you have an HD screen to see the pimples on her .... er... face."

This is my take. The consumer cannot fully enjoy what these two new formats (HD DVD and Blu-ray) have to offer if you don't have the proper tools to view it with. It the simple plain, honest truth. That means surround sound 6.1 and a slamming kick-ass HD Flat Screen. The problem with that is who can afford the $2000+ it takes to get a decent HD screen (btw that is 42 inch) to actually see the pimples on her... face. Much less have the surround sound system to hear them squash those pimples? And for that matter do you necessarily want to see those pimples? So until the price of equipment can go down low enough for everyone to enjoy it, they say the sweet spot is around $299/system sans HD screen, don't touch it.

BUT and this is the rub here. Say you decide to upgrade. Guess what. Your DVD from the old format may not play in the newer players. So that means you get the dubious honor of restocking your library.

Me, I prefer to wait. Wait until it's as cheap as those 3 movies for $20 you can get from Blockbuster used and the playing unit is under $150.

CD & DVD Packaging -- It's what I do.

2007-09-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

It struck me the other day that I failed one important duty as a salesman. I forgot to show you what I do.

So here it is.

ACE Packaging is the premiere packaging specialist in innovative storage solutions for optical discs. Our goal is to deliver premium packaging without breaking your budget. ACE Packaging offers a simple design created to prevent theft and protect disc(s).

Product line includes the ACE Slim and Classic Case – holding a single optical disc in both 7mm and 15mm formats; the ACE Duo – holding 2, 3 or 4 discs PLUS standard DVD Booklet in a 15mm spine; the ACE Multi– holding 1, 2 or 3 discs; the ACE Portfolio– capable of holding 4 to 10 discs with a 25mm spine, the ACE Library– capable of holding 4 to 12 discs in a compact, yet attractive display, and the ACE Folio – capable of holding from a single to fifteen (15) SLEEVED discs plus standard DVD booklet in a 43mm nested format. Upcoming items include the ACE Book, a DVD binder capable of holding 2 to 8 discs in a 25mm spine with molded pages to hold your discs and tamper-proof interlocking design.

ACE also offers a complete line of standard packaging solutions such as the D-Frame, CD Poly, Standard CD jewel case and tray inserts for 1 to 8 discs configurations as well as specialty packaging services to create that unique, yet cost effective package. If it’s custom packaging that you are after ACE can do that as well. We can design, manufacture, and manage your new and upcoming packaging requirements with ease.

Visit us at www.ace-cases.com. See the multitude of packaging solutions for your special project.

6 years later -- September 11 -- Remembered

2007-09-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's odd. Six years ago I was in a hotel room in Vegas attending a convention and I see this on my television screen. Just like the space shuttle Challenger disaster before this I was dumbstruck. Could this actually have been happening?

Well it did happen.

I remember being stuck. They cancelled all flights. I had to seek transportation elsewhere. All the car rental places were sold out. Folks were buying cars off the lots just to get home. Strangely I remember walking on the floor of the convention thinking to myself what a ghost town of a place it had become compared to a day earlier. Everyone was somber. Luckily I was able to find a ride home through the mad driving of a German buddy I had befriended in Los Angeles.

My prayers and thoughts go out to all the family and loved ones lost on this day.

The Nam Tasa Newsreel

2007-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Ok a side note.

Take a gander at a buddy's blog The Nam Tasa Newsreel. An ex-Peace Corp, ex-Full-time plastic Salesman, and now full-time English Instructor in Korea, Spanky as he has allowed me to call him is your American single male about town and looking for his place in the world.

Explore with me as he makes his trek through life or in this case the Korean countryside in his quest for cheap beer, decent food, and pretty girls all the while teaching English. Talk about a kid in the candy store at least we will be able to live vicariously though him. I know I will.

http://namtasanews.blogspot.com/

Hey be pithy!

2007-09-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

pithy ('pi-thE) adjective Form(s): pith·i·er; -est 1 : consisting of or abounding in pith 2 : having substance and point : tersely cogent synonym see CONCISE - pith·i·ly /'pi-th&-lE/ adverb - pith·i·ness /'pi-thE-n&s/ noun

In other words, be short and sweet. From some of my buddies who have read my blog, I promise to do just that -- be pithy. I just cannot help myself sometimes. I suppose only time will tell.

Something most folks never consider but just as important -- Intangible Costs

2007-09-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Well truth be told they really aren't intangible costs. They can be quantified, calculated, and categorized. I have heard them called soft cost, built-in cost, or hidden cost. All sorts of names charaterize this phenomena and they are rarely considered in the end-cost of a product. They really should but as it turns out they are never until it is too late.

So I propose a slight paradigm shift. How about including this intangible cost into the total cost of your product?

In my experience packaging is ALWAYS the last thing considered. Everything is focused on the content which is a good thing. These sort of truisms can be dishearting to a packaging salesman but you roll with the punches and play the hand you're dealt. Consider altering your vision to include this additional cost so when the tally sheets are in you can honestly say you squeezed a few more dollars back into your pocket.

Any marketing guy/gal will tell you that the industry we are in -- Entertainment -- is impulse driven. If you have a sexy looking package it will sell and typically the customer or end-buyer will accept the package you provide for him so long as it's functional.

What I am trying to do here is provide some additional insight to any burgeoning hot shot customer who has this brilliant idea and is looking to turn that idea into a physical reality. Now tell me if you find yourself in the same position as a customer I recently spoke to -- Let's call him "Customer A" for the purposes of this case study.

Customer A calls me up and says, "I don't understand why I have so many product returns. They leave the factory OK but as soon as it is shipped to my client and they ship it out to their customers they typically receive damaged product."

I ask as any good packaging professional would ask, "What sort of damage?"

His response, "Mostly the disc just comes off the hub. The disc looks OK and can certainly play but it makes a sound when the box is closed like a 'rattle' and they automatically assume it's broken; so they return it."

Now lets consider the costs here. Customer A charges lets say $1000 for a project that ships out 1000 packaged units ($1 per unit for reasons of simplicity.) -- all nice and pretty in its cigarette wrapped case with the pretty artwork and inlay cards with a pretty disc in 4-color art.

Customer A ships that product to his client -- Customer B. It's shipped in bulk so all he has to do now is open a master carton and ship each unit to their customers or ship the whole master carton to their Customer C who sells it to the end customer -- Customer D.

Here is a little stick diagram so I hopefully will keep you interested.

Customer A -> Customer B -> Customer C

Customer A -> Customer B -> Customer C -> Customer D.

Let's simplify this model further so we are only considering one stream from Customer A to Customer C, where the "->" represents freight and handling.

Now here are some assumptions. Out of 1000 units shipped you will experience 5-10% failure due to damage from shipping and handling. Let's assume the better percentage of 5%. So out of 1000 units shipped you get 50 + 47.5 units or 97 units suffering from failure of one thing or another. ( (1000 x 5% = 50) + (950 x 5% = 47.5) =97.5 units or 97 units)

If you assume everything was shipped out by some kind of Less-than-Truckload or per piece common carrier like UPS shipping a package -- any package -- would cost on average around $4-5. So now if you or your customer's customer issue a Return Merchandise Authorization you end up paying freight to go from Customer A to B to C then back to B to A or (4 trips x $4 = $16). But it doesn't end there, now you have to add in the replacement shipping cost of shipping it from A to B and back to C (2 trips x $4= $8). I mean total you're spending $24 just to replace ONE product and you could have up to 97 pieces that are bad so you could spend upwards of $2328 just in shipping costs. Great for companies like UPS and FEDex because you (whoever you is) has to pay for the shipping cost. But serioulsy, who is going to pay for all that freight? Customer A? Customer B? Customer C? It's an honest question. Even if you cut it in half ($1164) do you necessarily want to spend that much money on a project that cost you only $1000 initially?

Now I am just talking shipping cost. You have to also consider replacement cost of the product. So really you're spending an additional $97 on replacement product. Spending a total $2261 ($1000 + $1261) on a project that initially cost you $1000. Getting kind of crazy isn't it? Now let's throw in some frustration expense which you can only truly gauge on repeat business. If your end customer is unhappy about receiving a damaged product, is it necessarily going to help you if you save on skimping on packaging?

I know it's a tough nut to swallow but consider this.

What if you added lets say an additional $0.10-0.15 yes, 10 to 15 cents to your packaging format so for a 1000 project you add an additional $100-150 to the project but do not increase the shipping weight of the product using one of my boxes like the ACE Classic -- a single DVD/CD disc case. Using our case I can honestly say you will improve your product's survivability from 5% to say a manageable 1-3%. Let's assume just 3%.

So using the same calculations and assumptions on cost.

1000 units x 3% = 30 units
970 units x 3% = 29.1 units
Total Assumed damaged: 59.1 -- let's say 60 units.

Calculating the shipping costs now you get:
(4 trips x $4) = $16
(2 trips x $4) = $8
Total shipping costs for replacing 1 unit = $24

Now we calculate the total cost
60 units x $24 = $1440
and we divide it by half like we did for the previous example we get $720 total replacement cost. Now we add this to the additional cost of packaging of $150 ($150 + 720) we get $870 for a grand total of $1870 cost all-in.

What does this mean? It means I can ultimately provide you a minimum savings of $391. Now isn't that a suitable trade off? PLUS I put money back in your pocket. Isn't it at least worth considering? I mean getting a really good price for a job is great BUT being penny-wise; pound-foolish here is self defeating.

This is my dilemma. I sell a premium case. It works great. It provides protection but upfront it is rather expensive -- 15% more expensive. If you sell the product you make your savings on the back end and folks for the most part only see the horse and not the cart. Personally I like riding but the smoother the ride the better. And only a few customers get it before it is too late. Typically I am there to do damage control and save their bacon.

Now the question here is after reading this and digesting the numbers are you willing to make that leap of faith and trust a packaging professional to provide you a package as good as mine and take a small hit on the total cost to save both these hidden costs and customer frustration? What if you add packaging on the back end so you double wrap everything or use bubble wrap. Great it only adds say $0.10 per unit but it also adds to the total weight of the product not to mention you spend more in fulfillment costs of kitting the project.

Only you can honestly say.

What I offer you is a way to justify a small additional cost upfront; that will pay dividends. And all that in a day's work. Not bad if you ask me.

Why Choosing your phone service is so important

2007-09-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just a humorous parody with the mobile phone market being the way it is. Thought it would be a nice change of pace. Personally I would have gone with the gal but hey I roll like that. Click here

A question of Dollars and Sense

2007-09-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Two or three years ago, I designed and built a low cost DVD Case to hold up to 15 discs. We call it the ACE Folio. Yes you read correctly -- fifteen(15) discs. This behemoth of a case had a comparatively smaller profile (43mm spine) to other cases and disc folder systems and a lot easier to assemble and fulfill. It literally filled a niche in the growing movie market namely budget DVD Compilations.

I won't say who it was but it was for one of the big guys. Well we were working with a replicator and indirectly with the replicator's customer; creating a case to best fulfill their needs yet come in under budget. We did it. The Replicator bought into it and we thought their customer did as well. Boy were we mistaken.

Fast forward to today.

I have seen a resurgence in the interest over this case but for a different reason. It's kind of neat to see an overlooked product take on a life of its own once it finds its niche.

Yes it does provide a single package to hold from 1 disc to 15 discs -- sleeved -- and homogenizes the packaging format so you really only need one overlay jacket (Cover art) instead of coming up with 16 different Cover arts for 16 different disc cases. You could characterize the ACE Folio as a catch-all case. It is a flexible case to store one to fifteen discs. It standardrizes the Cover Art so you really only need to have one template; not a plethora of them so printing over runs could be a thing of the past. Holding fifteen discs we are talking just under 1 pound of discs plus anything else the publisher wants to throw in to add value to the product.

You still have the ability to index and find a disc you wish even if it at the bottom of the stack. You really only have to worry about using inexpensive paper sleeves which further protect discs during transit because let's face it UPS is not the gentilest of carriers. And if you consider unit cost plus assembly to other multi disc cases for a package of this caliber (i.e. Binder + vinyl sleeves or Binder + Polypropylene sleeves) you could save as much as 60% of the cost of fulfillment and product -- combined.

Considering all the positives this case offers I understand now why it has seen a resurgence of customer interest.

Now let me break this all down.

If we look at a regular binder system for discs it takes 5-6 steps to pick and place a disc. If we compare that to our ACE Folio which takes only 4-5 steps per disc. Multiply that by the number of discs you are placing into the ACE Folio -- as many as 15 discs or 15 additional steps saved. Now if we assume that it costs approximately $0.03 per touch or step, you save $0.45 per case and that is just fulfillment cost. Add that to our normal pricing of the ACE Folio (approximately $0.55-.85 per case depending upon quantity) to a binder and sleeve set up (approximately $1.35-$5.00 depending upon its complexity) and you can really see the savings a case like the ACE Folio can offer the Customer.

But proof is in the pudding. Figure it out for yourelf. You will see as did I and my customers why this case offers such a big punch for DVD packaging. To view our specification sheet click HERE

Greetings! My First post and What-is-to-Come Manifesto

2007-09-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

I was watching television last night; perhaps the first night in a long time, and came across a television program called i-Caught about of all people Tom Green of MTV shock comic fame. Nice to see he is mellowed out after the divorce but he brought up a topic I have only heard spoken in hushed tones at Adult Internet Conferences -- Viral Marketing. Similar to Guerilla Marketing it takes old ideas; updates them to slam head first into the new millenium. It satisfies American's thrist for constant stimulation and instant gratification because unlike before you can get what you want, when you want, and whatever dosage you want.

Completely amazing.

This Blog is going to be my vain attempt to see if this Blog and Blogosphere can actually work. Here I talk about packaging, because let's face it EVERYTHING we buy comes in a package of some sort. Tell me something that doesn't and perhaps, just perhaps I may concede my point and that is that no matter what you do where you go you will always buy something new in some kind of packaging. It is so pervasive that we don't even notice it, yet we generate literally tons of it yearly. No small feat if you consider the amount of packaging it takes to completely encase a computer, flat screen, mushrooms at your green grocer or for that matter a DVD disc.

My speciality in packaging -- you guessed it DVD and CD packaging. Have been doing it for literally decades now. I have seen music artists come and go and to be quite frank I am disgusted with the music out there -- so formula. DVD same thing all glitter no substance which I can honestly say has contributed to the slow down in the entertainment industry. Only lately has the box offices offered some rather funny and well done movies -- soon bound for DVD and my reality.

So stick around as I ramble though the maze of alternative and not-so-alternative packaging. Heck I might even show you what I do for a living and explain how we professionals look at packaging.