Private label refers to products or services that are manufactured by a company to be sold under another company’s brand name. This term stretches across multiple industries, from food to vitamins to home care products. For the most part the consumer is unaware who is manufacturing the products they buy and in turn unaware that they are buying a private label product.

The most frequent way in which a consumer will have contact with private label products is at the store brand level. For many years retailers have used private label to identify a brand with a store.  Take Walgreens for example. The Walgreens brand of products are now sitting right next to the big name national brands. Consumers have come to associate the store brand product as a “knock off” or lower cost item.

What was once known as the “cheap” product; now exceeds 50% market share in some product categories. While that number might be a reflection of our economic status the past few years, it is also a reflection of how private label companies have stepped up their game to compete with the leading nationally advertised brands. Private Label used to be associated with drab simple product packaging, but it has since evolved to having better graphics and brighter colors. Now, when you look on a store shelf the only thing separating the national brand from the store brand is the name and price.

There is still a stigma that exists that the store brand is a cheaper or weaker product. I guess that means that the national brands’ advertising dollars have been well spent. However, if you take the time to sift through the ads and actually look at the product ingredients you will find that a lot of times they are exactly the same as the national brand.

Consumers have gotten a lot smarter about what they purchase. They are taking the time to compare products and research what they are buying. Store brands have also gotten smarter. They are realizing they need to step up and compete with national brands. Their product packaging also needs to stand out on store shelves. With this combination I think the private label industry can close the gap from the 25% market share that they now have to the 58% market share that consumers state they would consider spending.

In a world of choices, it’s all about which product can be the first to grab the consumer’s attention.  The packaging of a product must be able to make a connection with the consumer and stop them when moving through the store aisle. Take for example, lip balm. There are numerous varieties in numerous shapes and colors. How do you make your lip balm stand out from the rest of the competition?

Recently Burt’s Bees answered this question with the launch of their new packaging design for their tinted lip balm. The outside packaging consists of a cardboard tube made from completely recycled materials. When you slide the tube open, the tinted lip balm sits inside of it. Not only does the packaging catch your eye when sitting on the store shelf, it differentiates the tinted lip balm from its other products as well as the products of its competitors. Burt’s Bees added value to their lip balm by making the packaging unique.

The outside of the tube has a clean design and the inside tube tells the consumer what the color is going to look like. The extra packaging allows for more text and advertising space for the brand. Since the outside packaging is bigger than the other lip balms, it easily differentiates itself from the competition. This difference in packaging immediately draws in the eye of the consumer. In a market where a product only has mere seconds to catch the consumer, Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm does the job right. It reminds us of the importance of standing out in a store full of choices.

What would you do to make your product stand out?

“We wanted to bring back the glass bottle with a limited edition design that gives a nod to the product’s 135-year history,” Noel Geoffroy, Vice President of Heinz Brands said.  Geoffroy also stated that the brand wanted “to inspire memories of and relive good times from summers past.”

Heinz is not the only major brand to pay tribute to their impressive history by changing their product packaging. Coca-Cola has also been known to put their infamous glass bottle back on store shelves. The patented contour design of the bottle debuted in 1916 and is easily one of most recognized symbols associated with a brand.

The decision for Heinz to offer the old product packaging for a limited time is a great marketing idea. It not only sheds light on the strong history of the brand, but also connects with consumers on a more emotional level.

Do we all want to go back to trying to get that stubborn ketchup out of the glass bottle? Probably not. But maybe just for a summer, we can relive our childhood at a summer BBQ and share with someone the age-old secret of hitting the 57  to make the ketchup come out of the bottle faster.

This Friday there are countless groups of people that will be spearheading committees to get outside and celebrate Earth Day with some hands-on activities. But what about those of you that aren’t able to leave the office? Here are some things you can do to go green at the office not just Friday, but every day!

• Replace all incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs.

•  Print on both sides of a page and use scrap paper for inter-office memos.

• Install a water filtering system in the office to cut down on the use of bottled water.

• Turn off your computers and printers when you leave for the day.

• Bring your lunch to work in reusable containers.

• Order your office supplies from recycled materials.

• Use a reusable mug for your coffee…like your Vibrant Graphics Easy Traveler

• Put office lights on a timer so they will automatically shut off if no one is in the room.

Even the smallest changes you can make around the office can have a big impact on the environment. Happy Earth Day!

We also recognize that there are still certain jobs that are more appropriate for flexographic printing and if we feel you are bringing in this type of job, we will definitely tell you that. However, when it comes to printing high-quality customized labels; digital printing is your best option.  If your labels will not be used at the retail level, then high quality is probably not your top priority and flexo may be a better option.  Also, if you need to order in extremely large quantities then flexo may be a better option for you in this case as well.

The difference between flexographic and digital printing can be summed up in one word, plates. Digital printing does not involve any plates; instead it receives its images from a database. This results in lower minimums and a less expensive and quicker turn-around time. It also allows for printing on demand. While the set up time for flexographic takes several hours, the set up time for digital can take as little as several minutes, which means we can turn jobs around in just a few short days.

Digital printing also allows for more customized labels, or variable-data printing. With this technology, every label could be different, seasonal labels could be created easily and deciding to change your brand could be a simple decision. Variable-data printing means that things such as text, colors, images and graphics can be changed from one printed label to the next. Digital printing makes this possible without stopping or slowing down the printing process because it uses information from a database.

The flexibility to have custom labels is among one of the biggest advantages digital printing has over flexographic. Whether you are printing 100 labels or 25,000 labels, each one can be different. This is something that flexo simply cannot offer. When printing digitally, every label could have a different barcode, different name or different date.

Besides flexibility another huge advantage digital has over flexo is quality. Digitally printed labels are produced with a higher line-screen than labels that are printed flexographic. A digital printing press can print 230 lines, whereas a flexographic label press can only print at 133 or 150 lines. This difference in line-screen equates to a big difference in the color, detail and clarity of the label. This is what makes our labels Vibrant.  Digitally printed labels are always produced using a 4-color process. This allows our customers to submit artwork using photos or multiple colors.

Along with these color and photo options, digital printing can give you press proofing and sample proofing directly onto your requested material, so you know in advance exactly how the final product will look. We can also quickly provide small sample prototypes to help you bring your next big idea to life. If you’re unsure of how the photo will look on your product label, we can show you in advance so you don’t have to wonder if you will be happy with the end result.

If you want your labels to stand out and want your product to be a ‘shelf talker,’ then digital printing is your best option. Below is a recap of the advantages digital printing has over flexo.

• Lower minimums
• Higher quality
• Quicker turn-around time
• Flexibility
• Variable-data printing
• Sample proofing
• Easily handles multiple SKUs

We are all challenged to plan for the future based on where we are and where we want to go. And those who haven’t been able to plan out their direction make New Year’s resolutions and hope they can meet those commitments; which most don’t because of the lack of commitment on their part.

Vibrant Graphics didn’t need to make resolutions, or need to use ‘luck’ as a growth tool because we know where we are and where we are going to accomplish our vision. “Within the next 5 years Vibrant Graphics will be rated as one of the premier product label printers in North America by becoming known for providing reliable, repeatable and highly customizable product labels that are scaled to add value to each individual customer’s needs.”

Over the past year we had focused on developing a customer support team that remains highly responsive to our customers, and our services are now said to be reliable and repeatable. That positive feedback from our customers has provided us the foundation of fulfilling our vision.

This year I’m excited to share with you that Vibrant Graphics is well prepared to expand our product and service solutions to a broader market base as we move forward in 2011. We are looking forward to adding new equipment and additional staff in the months ahead that will assure our customers our commitment to remain their long term strategic partner.

Every step we take at Vibrant is done with intention with the expectation our customers ‘feel’ the value we bring to the business partnerships we have established. And we are also committed to continuous training and education for our employees to ensure that our customers are receiving the best and most current product knowledge and service application available.

Thank you to all our customers for the opportunity to continue to serve you. Our success is only tempered by the hard work we have been doing on your behalf to make your business successful. Mark Twain summed it up best: “Success only comes before Work in the dictionary.”

To read the code, download a barcode reader app on your smartphone. Next, point your camera phone toward the code and it will instantly connect you to a landing page. It’s that easy! If you are looking to create a QR code, there are websites that will do it for you, such as createqrcode.appspot.com. Once you have created the code, right-click and save it to your computer. Then insert it into any document just like you would any image. Once the code is made you can resize the image, but it must remain square. Also, be sure not to crop away the white boarder. It is needed to be recognized as a code by a smartphone. Make sure the code stays black and white. Print it on either white paper or any paper that is light enough to contrast with the black square. It is a good idea to test a code you create with your own smartphone just to be sure it works properly.

Are you still wondering what all the hype is about?

Ways to use QR Codes on your product label:
- Discount Coupons
- Product give-a-ways
- Contest awards
- Upcoming events you are involved in
- Link to a menu
- Link to a website
- Link to recipes or serving suggestions
- Link to an online owner’s manual
- Product details
- Link to a video

Imagine you are having your in-laws over for dinner. You go to the grocery store to start picking up what you need. Steak is on the menu. As you head towards the meat department and browse the different options you notice a QR Code on the packaging of one of the steaks. You pull out your phone and scan the code. It immediately takes you to a list of wines that are recommended for pairing with that steak. You pick up the wine and your dinner is a great success. Your in-laws are impressed with how well your choice of wine goes with the meal. You accept the compliment…they don’t ever have to know!

QR Codes are a great fit for product labels. They are expected to gain even more momentum in 2011. Don’t get left behind! Create your QR Code today and start offering more information and incentives to your customers.

• Streamlined – Digital printing gives you brilliant results without the cost of plates or set-up waste.
• Unique – Vibrant images that are 100% variable – each label can be different.
• Consistent – Accurate color matching. Each time. Every time.
• Durable – Laminated construction gives your product long-lasting appeal.

We are excited to bring “the Vibrant-way” to our customers because it is so consistently accurate, that we are able to provide  product on time and on budget. Each time. Every time.

A Microsoft Tag (MS Tag) is a two-dimensional barcode.  Once the MS Tag is scanned on a mobile phone, customers can be connected directly to you. 

• Product information
• Discount Coupons
• Product give-a-ways
• contest awards
• upcoming events you are involved in
• Window shopping
• Menu Signage
• Link to a website
• Anti-counterfeit security tags