Branding can include shipping and storage containers
Creating a brand and promoting it is a vital part of any business marketing strategy. Even if you are an industrial b2b company, you need a branding strategy. Branding needs a consistent and focused effort, starting with a well defined brand identity.
According to www.entrepreneur.com, the following are considerations when defining your brand (Source)
“Defining your brand is like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult, time-consuming and uncomfortable. It requires, at the very least, that you answer the questions below:
- What is your company’s mission?
- What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
- What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
- What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?”
There are many methods for promoting your brand:
- Logos
- Brochures
- Website
- TV and radio ads
- Trade shows
- Social media
- Printed media
- Online advertising
- Vehicle decals
We would like to add one more consideration when developing and implementing your brand strategy: Shipping and storage containers. Branding is a huge part for retail sales packaging, but often industrial b2b companies don’t consider branding when shipping or transporting product. Here are a few ideas for branding:
Hard sided shipping cases
Companies that sell electronic test equipment, medical monitoring, safety devices and gauges often show clients sample products for demonstration purposes. These demo products can be sophisticated and fairly fragile. Sales personnel need to transport them in shipping cases that will protect the equipment. Shipping cases are often used repeatedly and can be seen by a lot of people when being transported. Branding the outside of the container with promotional graphics is relatively inexpensive. Packnet can print, hot stamp or bond branding graphics on a Gemstar hard sided case.
Soft sided cases
Soft sided cases are used in a variety of transporting applications including emergency medical cases, sales demo kits, healthcare supplies and more. Soft sided cases perform the same function as hard sided cases, but are often more convenient to carry around. Printing, hot stamping, sewing and adhesive bonding are just a few ways that promotional graphics can be attached to soft side cases..
Trade Show Cases
Custom fabricated trade show cases will keep your exhibition material undamaged while being transported to and from the trade shows. They also can be specially designed to improve load and unload time, saving labor as well as stress and strain on your personnel. Trade show cases are also a great branding opportunity. Custom trade show cases can be custom printed, stamped or bonded with your company branding graphics. Trade show cases are used repeatedly with plenty of opportunity to be seen.
Reusable Containers
Reusable plastic containers used for shipping and storage can be easily decorated with your branding graphics. They are often used many times over and are viewed by many when shipped and stored. Reusable containers are usually made from corrugated plastic which can come in a variety of colors. Branding graphics can be added by printing, hot stamping and adhesive bonding to the reusable container.
The outside of the container or case is not the only place that branding graphics can be added, screen printed plastic or paper inserts, or decorated foam are a couple of examples where branding can be added. Whether it makes sense depends on the functionality of the package.