1. Direct mail

If your products are going to be mailed out, a cardboard disc mailer is your best bet. It eliminates the need to have an envelope and it fits the disc inside snugly. There are a couple of options, a square cardboard mailer and a postcard size mailer.

Postcard size mailer

5"x5" square mailer

2. Promotional / Product disc

When the disc is meant to be given out at an event, or fitted inside another product’s packaging, such as electronics, we recommend going with something that is light but still attractive. Cardboard jacket and cardboard wallet are both good options, as well as clear plastic sleeve. It reduces the shipping weight, and is effortless to be passed around at an event.

jacket in recycled cardboard

6 panel CD wallet

3. Retail

As for selling in stores or online, many customers will opt for the traditional jewel case for audio CDs, or Amaray-style for films. There are now many great alternatives that looks good on store shelves and retail-friendly. CD discpaks and DVD discpaks are popular choices because they offer additional printing space for graphics and information and the cardboard and tray give a premium look.

4P DVD discpak

4P CD discpak

Wallets and dot paks are a popular choice among those who are eco-conscious. They all have a wide spine for maximum visibility on the shelf, and are 2-3 times lighter than plastic cases.

4P CD wallet

6P DVD discpak

4. Custom / Multi-disc set

If your goal is to create a special edition, or box set, that’s when the real fun begins! From types of stock, coatings, print effects, to special die cuts, everything can be customized to fit your widest dreams. Here are a few examples:

3-disc DVD set in eco-friendly dotpak

3-disc CD set in eco-wallet

5-disc audio CD set in eco-wallets and slipcase

4-disc CD set in discpak with booklet

For more inspirations check our product gallery or facebook page . Go to a record store, or wherever products similar to yours are sold, look around other packaging to get ideas. Think outside the box, less is more.

What are some of your favorite and most innovative disc packaging you have seen?

What strikes me is the similarity between books and CD / DVD covers.  When we are browsing titles online or in stores, the cover design is what draws you in first, even before you have a chance to listen to the music, watch the content or even to read the name.

The question that you as the content producer have to ask yourself is how you would graphically represent you, or your product on print? The cover should embody the project, here I have a few ideas to consider:

1. Paintings, illustrations: if you had any print art created that reflects you the artist or the product, it will be a great starting point.

2. Photos : a picture is worth a thousand words. Portraits or scenery images that capture the essence of the project will work wonders. With a little bit of help from Photoshop, it will add the extra flair that you wanted.

3. Logo and type: let’s say you do not have any painting or photos, is there a logo or type that is used on your websites, business card or other marketing materials? The consistent use of the same logo and iconic text can also be a great cover. Adding  foil color, emboss, spot UV or playing with texture will transform an ordinary logo into amazing.

image on the CD digipak cover is printed with blue foil

On another note, make sure you are happy with how the cover looks as a thumbnail since that’s the size you see in online stores etc.

As Chip Kidd said, great art can be great business. A great cover can be the start of a successful project.

As a content producer, how much weigh do you put in designing the cover? Share with us what have worked for you in the past?

Ariel Hyatt’s social media food pyramid is an excellent and well-organized list of social media to-do list, with different social media tools and tasks grouped in order of importance and frequency, in the following categories:

1. Direct Engagement: converse with people consistently using Facebook, Twitter, blog comments, Tumblr, Youtube comments and foursquare / Facebook Places.

2. Shine a light on others: recognize others in front of new potential fans and followers and help them get known by quoting them on Facebook or your blog (as I am doing here)

3. Curate Content: select the content you like and share it to your community by using a RSS reader.

4. A picture says 1,000 words: use visuals strategically to draw attention, with tools like Instagram, Twitpic, newcomer Pinterest is gaining a lot of momentum lately as well.

5. Shining a light on yourself: i.e., self-promotion, while we would love to talk about ourselves all day everyday, do this sparingly. Inform your fans about any important release, event, new product offerings, and with a clear call to action.

In the past I find myself asking how much time I should be spending in each portal, and how often, and what type of content to post, after all, everyone seems to have their favorite sites too. Here’s what we have discovered:

-  Facebook has become a source of information, where people go to get the latest news and info about anything that they care about daily

- Visuals, videos and quotes engage more effectively

- there is no bad press, being present is more important

The social media pyramid definitely breaks it down into smaller easy-to-digest pieces that anyone can start engaging their audience today.

How are you spending your time on social media marketing? Share in the comments below on what works?

Image courtesy of Ariel Hyatt

1. What is your inspiration for the Bindlestiffs DVD design?
The Bindlestiffs series is about a family circus and the struggles and hard work it takes to keep the show running.   I figured a grungy, vintage style circus poster might work, with some political elements as one of the ad campaigns for the show was to vote Kinko, the clown, for president.

2. What are some of your favorite techniques to make the title or the marketing message pop?
The title should always be clearly visible, and we wanted to make sure that each of the characters in the show were represented by demonstrating one of the acts they participated in to give the potential buyer an idea of what the series is about.

3. What is your suggestion if the main photo is taken poorly – blurry, pixelated, out of focus etc?
Improvise.  In this case we did have both high and low-res images for the cover.  The main image was a high-res photo, the rest were low-res video captures.  So I gave all the images a few Photoshop filters and hand-drawn outlines to essentially create a new set of images that all worked together as a family and that suited the design style I was going for.

4. Can you offer some tips on basic design for a beginner?
Have more than one idea, browse the internet and/or magazines for inspiration, research the product you are creating artwork for, and put all your thoughts and ideas into the design.  It’s also always good to have people to bounce ideas off of in case you get stuck.

5. What questions to ask a printer before submitting an artwork?
What kind of paper stock do you offer?  Do you do spot varnish?  How do you want the file set-up for spot varnish?  What file format is best (PDF, AI, PSD, etc)?

To learn more about the Bindlestuffs, visit http://www.thebindlestiffs.com/ and check out more of Sydnee’s work on her website.

Here we have a few examples that compare with the final print from the pdf proof, viewed from monitor. It shows you how drastic the reverse board changes the artwork, and how you can make the best use of this interesting stock (click on the images below for full-resolution photo):

1. Color: The main reason why reverse board is so special is that it makes colors look muted, washed out for that ‘vintage’ look. It is especially more visible with darker tones.

2. Fine details: As you can see from these examples, reverse board printing works best with images with high contrasts and definitive boundaries. If the object of the image blends in with background with no clear definition, it will lose even more details on reverse board. Illustrations, images applied with various filters will work best in this case.

3. Hard copy proof: When it comes to reverse board, it is the best to see a hard copy proof before to running with production. You may be surprised by the way your print comes out otherwise.

Touch it! Don’t judge the print effect of reverse board with what you see here. Always get a sample to get a true feeling of the texture of the paper material, you will see why this is quickly becoming one of our most popular options!

Recently another client came to us wanting to do something that mimics and old vinyl jacket but they want a spine so it is visible on shelves. We use an standard 4 panel wallet template, and added a knockout in the middle of the inside panel. Both ends of the inside pocket are open so the disc can be taken out from either direction.

The client also went with a vinyl CD which has grooves that look and feel just like that of a vinyl’s. The result is an ultra-cool CD packaging that reminds you the good days of vinyl.

Have you seen one of these barcodes like the one here? More and more they are popping up on product packaging, business card, magazines. These QR / 2D barcodes can be read by cell phones with scanner apps installed. It redirects the user to a web URL that is pre-programmed on the code on a web browser. The possibility is endless – you can point it to a home page, software download trial page, portfolio, and more, all without typing in a single character into the phone.

Let’s do a test with the barcode above, download the app for your phone from http://gettag.mobi , take a picture of the barcode, and it should take you to our blog page. Pretty cool eh?

Do you have any experience or questions with QR barcodes? Post them in the comment section below!

iPod/cell phone skins

For the special edition of the release e=MC2 by Mariah Carey, a custom iPod skin matching the album cover was bundled with the CD, and the special edition sold 500,000 copies. While iPod skins are generally sold for around $10 a piece, when purchased in bulk for promotional purpose, they can be custom made for alot less. This is not only a great memorabilia item for fans to keep, it makes great economic sense as well – the iPod skin has a much greater perceived value than the actual cost. You may even raise the retail price to offset the cost of the free gift.

Compressed tees

The first 5000 DVD copies of the movie Paranormal Activity came with a compressed t-shirt in the shape of a DVD case. Compress tees is completely unique from start to finish. Starting with a t-shirt, your graphic is silkscreened onto it and then the tee is compressed under tremendous pressure into the solid custom shape of your choice. The actual cost of a compressed tee is about the same price as a silkscreen tee with 1 or 2 color imprint. Again the higher perceived value of the item will help bringing in more sales because customers’ thinking that they are getting a better deal by paying a little more with a free gift.

Check our special on compressed tees

Mp3 or video download card

If you or someone you know are web-savvy, this maybe an easy and effective way to entice CD or DVD sale. Include a unique download code on the CD/DVD packaging that will allow fans to to download b-sides, music video, interviews, trailers from your website. In the process you may also capture fans’ contact info. You may need help from your webmaster and a printer that can print unique codes on business-card type printed products.

Bumper stickers / stickers / temporary tattoos / magnets

If the previous items areout of your purchasing budget, the items here in this last category are for you. They have been quite successful and frequently used as added value for retail CD/DVD. The great thing is that they are light and can be inserted into any package. The key to success is a compelling, memorable and eye-catching design. Think of how many times you have seen the Apple sticker on the back of a car, a backpack, or a desk. They are extremely budget-friendly and fun for a larger audience.

Check our special on temporary tattoos

For more free gift with purchase ideas, check out our promotional items database, and let us know any past experiences you may have in the comment section below!