The plain bubble envelopes were a great introduction as a packaging product and their advantages made them surpass many other mailing packaging options. You can imagine the impact when the bubble envelopes were improved by introducing a metallic cover for them. This made them gain even more popularity for the additional advantages they provided. Today many of these envelopes can be seen all around as they are used to mail some of the more sensitive and more valuable items. These envelopes are also seen frequently being used to mail electronic gadgets.

The metallic bubble envelopes are made of a tough kraft plastic that can withstand adverse conditions making it puncture proof, tear proof, and the envelope cannot burst easily. Together with the air bubbles, which are a major attribute of these envelopes, the package provides a stiff and hardy cover that will protect the contents inside. The bubbles inside are filled with air which is excellent in providing cushioning against compression forces and shock or vibrations which could cause damage to the sensitive objects inside.

The introduction of air bubbles as a substitute for cushioning was a great idea from the Seal Air Company. This company is responsible for the invention of bubble wraps. The same company acquired the Jiffy Company which had been producing cushioned envelopes up to that time. The “Jiffy” envelopes, as they were known, used paper wool to provide cushioning for the envelope’s contents. Despite being effective, it was not very efficient since the mail ended up being too bulky and attracted high postage rates due to weight.

The metallic bubble bags are made from a seamless plastic cover with a tamper resistant seal to cap it all. To access the contents, one has to break the seal which cannot be resealed. This makes it an ideal option for mailing items that are eyes only. The secure envelope when sealed is water proof and is also air tight; none of these can either go in or go out. This attribute makes the bubble envelope ideal to package items sensitive to liquids.

The metallic bubble envelopes add a lot of aesthetic value to the envelopes. The metallic envelopes are available in many attractive shiny colours. These envelopes are very appealing and can be used to send gifts. The metallic cover also reflects off heat or conducts it away thereby making the envelope a good option for packing heat sensitive objects. The metal also conducts away electric charges that may damage electronic gadgets.

 

In today’s cut-throat business environment, fine margins separate winners from losers. You and your competition probably offer the same quality of product to the same target market. What will determine who gets the order and who is left with dead stock? It’s the little things; the impression you make on your customers when you communicate with them. One of the ways you communicate with your clients, albeit non-verbally, is the way in which you present your product to them. Are they getting a positive or negative image of your company as they unravel the package you’ve delivered? Or are they immediately struck at how cheap and tasteless your effort at packaging is?

To avoid such negative signals being sent to the people who matter most to your enterprise, spare a thought to how you package your goods. Coloured tissue paper is a simple, pocket-friendly way of making your product packaging captivating. Instead of handing your customers their shoes in a plain box, why not put them in a gift bag and then topping it off with coloured tissue paper to give the package a flowery appeal? You could alternatively shred the paper into strips and fill the box with them. For items of clothing and other oddly-shaped items, you could use coloured tissue paper to create a large sweet-style wrapping.  

 
More and more businesses seeking to establish an online presence so as to not only announce their presence to potential customers, but to sell to them directly. With an Internet connection, shoppers can browse through the websites of vendors, see what they like and purchase it right away. The items are then shipped to them securely and depending on how far they are from the seller they can have their parcels within hours or after a couple of weeks. 

Though some vendors don’t appreciate this fact, the way they package their customers goods can go a long way to determining whether the recipient will place another order from them or not. Something seemingly trivial such as using substandard packaging materials can cause a buyer to cross your name from their list of preferred vendors. So how can you achieve the opposite effect; use your packaging to promote your brand?

Right off the bat, you don’t need to sacrifice your profit margin buying needlessly expensive packaging materials. Remember the aim is simply differentiating your brand from your competitors’. For instance, instead of going for coloured metallic bubble wrap, why not protect the item by using coloured tissue paper which rhymes with your brand colours? However, even as you do this, make sure the product has adequate protection and that there is little risk of it reaching the customer damaged. The key is to combine functionality with uniqueness.

You could also think of making customised packaging supplies with your logo printed on it. This will give the buyer the impression that you take them seriously and that you’re an established brand. Don’t think of this packaging as an expense, think of it as an investment, as an essential part of your marketing budget.     

 
As a vendor, you always want to make sure that your products are received by your customers in the condition you sent them. This is reason enough for you to invest in packaging materials that will keep the product safe from bumps and scratches, or more serious damage while in transit. When the product in question is something as fragile as a CD or glass photo frame, the case for adequate protection becomes even stronger. 

Consider the question from the point of view of your customer. What will they think when they receive their CD with scratches on its case or their jeans in a box that is so mangled they couldn’t tell its original shape? Of course it will paint your company in a very poor light. If you fail to receive another order from this customer, regardless of the quality of your product, you’ll have no one but yourself to blame. If the customer really is king, they must receive their goods in royal condition and in packaging that reflects their importance to you.

In taking the time and spending the money to package your products well, you’ll also be saving yourself the potential loss you would incur if the product got damaged in transit. Since the customer didn’t receive it, or received it and returned it to you, you’ll have little choice but refund them and shoulder the loss.

If the product in question is food, secure packaging will not only create a good impression, it will impinge on the wellbeing of your customers. Secure packaging that keeps out bacteria and other contaminants can help you avoid a court case and the bad publicity that goes with it should a customer suffer food poisoning and decide to seek legal redress.

When delivering products to customers in far-flung locations that will require you to rely on the postal services, packaging your goods securely is a must. You don’t  know how the parcel will be handled between your post office and the recipient’s post office so you need to do your bit to make the package as taut and protected as possible. 

 
Let’s start at the beginning; what is a brand in the first place. Contrary to what many think, it is more than just a company logo, or the colours you see on the package of the product. Marketers will tell you that your brand is the promise you give the world as a business. It is the totality of things that come to the minds of consumers and the world at large when they see or think of your product or company. The thing that sets you apart from other companies who sell the same kind of goods or services. For instance, whenever the name Apple is mentioned, the notion of high quality, highly user-friendly consumer electronics comes to most minds. 

Forming your company brand is therefore more than just a matter of contracting the most brilliant graphics designers to craft your logo or getting the most savvy web design firm to do a sexy website. It is delving into your company objectives and defining the things that set your offerings apart from those of your competitors. How do the unique features of your products provide value to consumers? After this organisational soul searching, you need to take your research to the streets and find out what the market really thinks of your firm and your merchandise. Also find out the qualities they desire to see in your products and what characteristics they ideally associate with a great firm.

Armed with your findings you can now define your brand. This means narrowing down the key messages you want to communicate about your brand to the world. With this you can develop a punchy tagline and then come up with colours that capture this message. Incorporate this in the design of a captivating logo and a user-friendly website. The key to an effective branding campaign is not so much fancy graphics as it is consistency. Let your message and your colours be consistent. 

 
While anyone can have an ecommerce website built or have a store on eBay where they can sell their wares, this alone is not a guarantee of a steady stream of buyers and success. Many people ‘open’ ecommerce stores only to shut up shop a few months later when they realise that they’re spending much more on hosting and other such expenses than they’re selling. There are some common mistakes that lead to this inevitable decline and some of them are listed below.

Have you defined the scope of your business? It is unreal the number of people who dive into the ecommerce waters simply because they’ve found something to sell that they think is in demand. When demand for that product slows, they jump to another product, sometimes unrelated to what they were stocking initially. They fail to realise, as they spread their capital across a wide range of products, that their visibility online is reducing. This is because Google and other search engines cannot associate them with a particular set of keywords.

Another common mistake is setting up a website and not having a clear marketing strategy to give it visibility in the eyes of potential clients. Of course marketing means money and in spending this money, you should give yourself the assurance that you’re reaching prospective buyers. For this reason you should not put all your marketing eggs in one basket. Try and use as many channels as possible to attract traffic to your site; social media platforms, blogs, sending emails etc.

The last thing you or your brand needs is the reputation of having a site that constantly hangs or is extremely slow. You therefore need to ensure that you have the best quality of hosting you can afford. This is an area you can ill afford to scrimp on.   

 
History shows that man is a very enterprising creature in all his dealings. Being a social creature too, he will do his utmost to reach other people near and far to accomplish his desires. In his interactions with his fellow beings, man is frequently involved in the sending and receiving of physical items. Through time, we see that man has evolved in the way he has handled the transfer of a variety of items. Most importantly, we see that man has come up with better, safer, and more convenient ways to package items for transfer. One of the major breakthroughs in this evolvement is the introduction of plastic mailing bags. The plastic mailing bag has proved to be a preferred method of packaging and its significance as a packaging option does not seem likely to abate in the near future.

Plastic mailing bags have huge advantages compared to other packaging solutions. One of the major advantages is that they are very affordable. The bags are made from a tough material made from polyethylene. This material is in most instances toughened to withstand high temperatures such as that of boiling water. The tough kraft plastic is also so tough such that mild pokes cannot penetrate and damage whatever contents are in the bag. The bag is strong enough to withstand forces that may cause the bag to tear. Packages will often be subjected to compression forces which may cause bursting; plastic mailing bags are resistant to these forces. Most of the bags are made seamless to make them even stronger.

Another big advantage of plastic mailing bags is that its plastic does not react with water and many other liquids. This means that the material will therefore not get damaged if exposed to the liquids as most other materials will, e.g. paper. This is a great advantage given the extreme environments that the mailing packages are exposed to during transit. In the same vein, the tough plastic will not allow water or vapour to pass into or out of the bag. Therefore one will not lose packed liquid and in a case where one has contents sensitive to wetness, one can be assured that no wetness will seep in. These qualities make the mailing bags a favourite in storing and transporting foodstuffs such as fish. One can pack fish into these bags and ice cubes can be added to preserve the fish. No odour will seep from the bags as the bags are also air tight.

 
Different working environments call for different packaging solutions. This usually depends on the items or objects being packed, the quality of packaging that is desired, the class of packaging desired, and many other factors. For example, foodstuffs will need to be packed in packaging that is sanitized and in most cases packaging that is water proof and air tight. This is because foodstuffs will easily go bad if exposed and especially water and air will speed up the destruction. Valuable items are usually packed in packaging that is not easily broken and packaging that will not reveal the package contents. Office environments are places where a lot of paperwork is done. Memos, letters, briefs, reports, licences, and other documents will always be circulating. In such an environment one needs packaging suited for such documents; the C4 envelope is one of the best solutions for office use.

The C4 envelope has a design that is pretty much standard around the world. The design has a size of 12.8” by 9.0”. This is also the size of an A4 paper meaning that an A4 sheet can go into this envelope without any folding. The A4 is the most used size for a sheet of paper. Many documents are therefore in this size. Some documents are sensitive and folding them is not encouraged since folding creates a flaw on the sheet; this therefore makes the C4 envelope invaluable when it comes to packing or mailing such documents. One can also pack many sheets into this envelope and therefore brochures and catalogues can also go into the envelope. Due to this feature of accommodating several sheets, the C4 envelope can be used for storage packaging. In the office we at times want to put several related documents together. This helps us in sorting of documents and also makes it easier to find stuff in the office. The C4 envelope can be used as a very convenient solution.

The office will also need to mail out a lot of letters, bills, and other documents. This is usually done often and will need the management to find a suitable packaging option. The C4 envelope is a good choice since it is very cheap. Mailing costs are also at a minimum while using C4 envelopes since they are not bulky and are very light. These envelopes can also be reused severally depending on how much care they are given.
 
The bubble wrap is one of the most important packing materials ever developed. These wraps are actually made in order to ensure that the contents of our packaging materials are safe. Of course, the bubble wraps are, by themselves, packing materials. The wrapping bubbles are actually used alongside other packing materials in order to maximize protection. If you are going to package sensitive or fragile materials, it is very foolish indeed to do so without using wrapping bubbles.

Specifically, the wrapping bubbles have a variety of uses. Here are the most common application of this popular packing materials:

·       The wrapping bubbles are known as such because they look like bubbles. Indeed, technically, they are. The wrap is actually made up of thin yet strong transparent plastic sheets that have been attached to each other with air bubbles which serve as cushion. Basically, it is this bubble that gives the protection to your goods, and it is this bubbles which make the wrapping bubbles important.

As such, if you are sending computer chips and other sensitive electronic items, it is wise to wrap them first in wrapping bubbles in order to protect them against bumps. It is important to remember that microchips react negatively to bumps that there is a great danger that they will malfunction if they are not protected from these bumps.

·       Microchips are not the only ones which will benefit from the wrapping bubbles. As a matter of fact, any fragile material that will be shipped or mailed will enjoy the relative protection given by the wraps. China wares, for instance, are precious materials which are very delicate. They are precious only when they arrive in perfect shape; they become useless if they suffer even the most minute of scratches. What can protect them from scratches? Wrapping bubbles can guarantee this protection.

·       Of course, the more sensitive your materials are, the more wraps must be used. The weight is also significant in the amount of wrapping bubbles that you are going to use. The heavier your material is, the more bubble wraps is necessary. Indeed, a wrapping bubble of several layers can even protect a man from certain death in a collision.

·       Finally, bubble wrap is not only useful for packaging purposes. As a matter of fact, the wraps are even more popular as a means of enjoyment. Even as children, we have always enjoyed popping the bubbles in our wraps. This activity has never failed to make us enjoy even the simplest things.

 
Popular fizzy drink brands Pepsi and Coca-cola have always been at a head with one another in terms of popularity. Coke is an iconic brand which has had a memorable packaging journey, commonly recognised and acknowledged by consumers. Pepsi however has never been a memorable brand in the packaging stakes, their changes in bottle shape have only recently been noticed and appreciated but in the last few years their popularity is on the rise and their packaging is starting to win over more and more consumers.
Image from The Die Line
This new Pepsi bottle pack really goes a long way to standing up to its competitor. It looks a lot more attractive than the previous packaging, with a more ergonomic shape to the lower part of the bottle and a clear and minimalist label. The whole feel to this new design is far better than its clunky predecessor. It also gives the brand a more defined image, they are no longer 'the one a bit like coke' they have their own brand identity and their new packaging should go a long way in boosting them to a more popular consumer opinion.