These feelings will only grow as companies become paperless and nearly all correspondence (business or otherwise) is conducted virtually. This, I think, leaves your sample boxes as the perfect vehicle to not only show the beautiful, chic branding but to surprise clients with a reminder of the Belu's human side, the people working there that really care about what they are doing.
Instead of clients seeing these samples as a sales push, I think that they can be seen as a gift. In a similar strain to the gifts Belu provides to and through Water Aid - you can "gift" your clients water, knowledge and hopefully a clean conscience once they start stocking Belu.
Presentation Options
With each of these options I hold the idea in mind that the client knows that their sample has had time taken over it and been handled by someone at the company. This I hope would give the impression that is a gift that has had care and time given to it, to make them feel special, not just one of 100's receiving it a carbon copy pack.
In detailing these below, I do not envision them all working simultaneously but picking a few that work well combined.
Stamp
-A customised stamp with Belu's logo and tag line is not only a way to give each box a clear brand but also a personal touch that can be consistent and quick.
The stamp can be designed and purchased from English Stamp, the inkpad also (I believe Navy or Purple may be a colour match)
The custom wood handle stamp costs £16.00 and would be a one-off cost with the inkpads costing £10 each time.
All of their stamps are made in Dorset and they use hardwood English mounts from a sustainable source. The stamps themselves are made of polymer, not natural rubber. Compared to natural rubber, the process uses around 95% less electricity to manufacture and produces about 67% less waste material.
Ribbons
- This is a very clear representation the gift idea that I am trying to carry through. Also, I believe a ribbon would draw the attention of whoever receives the sample and make them take time to undo it instead of putting it to one side. This would hopefully keep them intrigued and as such investigate inside, looking at the impact report and bottles perhaps more so than if there was no "ritual" involved in opening the box.
This natural jute string from Papermash I think would look very natural and understated, in keeping with the ethical and eco-friendly ideaology carried in Belu's messages (e.g.not using any possible harmful dyes)
From an aesthetic point of view, this natural colour will be good in making any Belu logos or colouring stand out - 30 meters of string costs £2.85.
For a more polished finish, this personalised ribbon from Signature Ribbon could be designed to the exact Belu blue or with the logo on it. This could be in lieu of of any other branding on the box making it a quick, stylish and effective way to present the samples.
Swing Tags
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| *Photograph sourced & edited from Lovely Tape* |
-100% recyled and uncoated swing tags can be bought from A Local Printer (a certified eco-friendly UK company) and either printed with a Belu logo, personalised with a stamped logo or even be written to whoever the contact you have been corresponding with or know you want it to go to; 1000 tags can be purchased for £60 with free delivery.
All of their swing tags are printed with either vegetable oil based inks or eco-friendly toner.
Stickers
-Incorporating stickers as a decoration or sealing method is a speedy and consistent way to brand the boxes (much like the stamping) although less personal.
However they are a good way to utilise the space on the outside of the box to deliver our messages. People that perhaps might not read to the end of the impact report will know at least one thing about Belu, even if they don't open the box!
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| Example 1. |
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| Example 2. |
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| Example 3. |
90 x 90 mm square stickers can be purchased from A Local Printer with up to 5 different designs for 1000 for £67 with free delivery.
- Moo also print high quality stickers and 12 different designs can be used to create packs of 50 84 x 55mm stickers for £19.19 each (incl. VAT). However, Moo does not mention their stance on eco-friendly printing that A Local Printer does.
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| Example 4. |
- If you did not want to have such bold writing on the box, or wanted only the Belu logo stamped on the box, you could produce a simpler sticker (as above) just as on the background of your website and the images in the impact report. These could be seen as a sort of "signature" on the swing tag without having more writing detracting from the logo.
Box Options
- This 'BX40' box is from Eco Craft a UK based company providing a wide range of recycled box and stationery options.
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| Size: 305 x 216 x 57 mm PRICE: for 50 or more packs/items = £0.60 each (Including VAT) |
This box specifically is made from 95% recycled materials and does not need glue for construction meaning it can be easily assembled and dissembled for recycling again. Whilst it will still accommodate the sample, it is slightly smaller than the box you are currently using meaning less void fill will be necessary to protect your bottles.
- A second option in this category comes in the form of AB4K, a brown kraft 2 piece pop-up box from Tiny Box Company; This is a company created by one woman in order to provide ethical packaging for herself and others.
This box is made of 100% recycled materials and is slightly bigger and cheaper than the above.
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| Size: 430x 280 x 64 mm Price: 300+ units : £0.52 + VAT each |
Both these boxes would most likely need to be secured with a ribbon or tape for ensured closure.
As tape was not a main presentation idea, I have listed it here instead of above:
- Tape
This Washi Tape looks like the correct hue of blue to seal up a Belu box, the cost is £2.90 for 15 meters. I envision the tape being used to look like a "flat ribbon" with a stamp on the box itself.
High End / Gift Box
- This fully recyclable 'Eco Kraft' box is available to buy from Foldabox who are based in Maldon (so not too far for the boxes to travel!)
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| Size: 300 x 212 x 87 mm Price: 1 carton of 24 = £72.00 (Including VAT) / £3.00 per item |
This box is sealed with a magnetic closure in the front flap leaving us able to choose our embellishments purely on aesthetic reasoning which would leave a wider choice rather falling to some of the limits of practicality. Similarly to the above, this box requires no glue for construction and can be disassembled for recycling or storage.
Although the pricing on this box is a little higher than others, Foldabox offers discounts of between 5% and 10% depending on whether you spend £450 or £650 (excl. VAT & carriage). The discounts codes are as follows:
bigorderdiscount = 5%
reallybigorderdiscount = 10%
In addition to this, they also offer an automatic 10% discount for charities, the discount code which can be obtained by contacting Fiona@foldabox.co.uk
- These bespoke boxes from BoxMart were very appealing due to their "gift box" look, sturdiness and high end finish. Also the offer of a bespoke service means a logo could be added to the box and save time with someone having to brand each sample package.
It seemed to me though that you were already using this type of box and instead of offering this up as a new idea, that an option would be to continue buying the boxes from WBC. This means that cost, size and practicality are not called in to question and we can concentrate on adapting the finish of each box being sent out.
Mailing Boxes
-With the exception of the Foldabox option, I believe all the boxes would fit in to your current protective outer packaging.
-For the Foldabox box, this outer packaging from Defendapack is purpose built for it and so fits perfectly. For a box of 24 the cost would be £28.63 (incl VAT) and free shipping.
Void Fill
-Tying in with the natural colours of the boxes, swing tags and other presentation options, I have found this natural wood wool from Bag 'n' Box Man to use to protect the bottles. I think that this will compliment the bottles and look better than shredded paper which can sometimes clump together under pressure.
It can be purchased for £5.76 (excl. VAT) for a 1kg bag and the Bag 'n' Box Man has a well detailed environmental policy.
- For a slightly less expensive option, this biodegradable and recyclable Shredpak shredded paper from Shredhouse can be purchased at 10kg for £37.50. I think on this occasion the "cream" would be a more attractive choice than the "natural", but there are a few neutral colours to choose from which you may prefer.
- The final option for void fill is slightly off kilter but as it was such an interesting take on this area I felt that I should include it. Leavs Packaging grow produce on their farm such as maize and incorporate this with other things to create a wholly natural void fill. Flowers, popcorn and leaves make up this colourful, natural and forward-thinking product.
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| Popfil Amaizing Extreme |
There are 6 different fillers and they range from £22.25 - £41.75 for 10 kg.
