SF Global Sourcing

Intellectual Property Marketers: More Channels of Distribution Sell More Product

rsoadmin — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:55:11 +0000

SF Global Sourcing CEO Steven Feinberg explains the importance of offering consumers choices in terms of how they purchase your intellectual property products — whether it be from a series of discs or a download. Read his article which appears in the latest DirectAvenue Newsletter here:

http://www.directavenue.com/pages/newsletter_page2.html

Thinking Outside the Box

rsoadmin — Wed, 30 May 2012 17:15:23 +0000

SF Global Sourcing CEO Steven Feinberg weighs in on the opportunity that the box you actually ship in can play in creating a favorable first impression. The article appears in the latest Direct Avenue newsletter, The Quarterly DirectConnect and can be read here:

http://www.directavenue.com/PAGES/newsletter_page1.html

Create the Complete Package

rsoadmin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:44:18 +0000

Read this compelling article on the importance of packaging in rounding out a total offer written by SF Global Sourcing CEO Steven Feinberg, in this month’s Electronic Retailer magazine:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/ERAM0212/index.php#/26

Create the Complete Package

A Letter From the New Chairman of the Electronic Retailing Association

sfgsadmin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:27:37 +0000

SF Global Sourcing CEO Steven Feinberg kicks off his year as Chairman of the Board of the Electronic Retailing Association with this appeal to the direct marketing community entitled, “An Invitation to Shape Your Industry’s Future.” It appears in the September issue of Electronic Retailer magazine and can be read here:

“An Invitation to Shape Your Industry’s Future“

Choose Your Team Wisely to Avoid Partners in Crime

sfgsstaff — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:56:37 +0000

SF Global Sourcing CEO Steven Feinberg’s latest article appears in the July edition of Electronic Retailer. Discover why it is imperative that you choose the right partners in order to avoid the epidemic of counterfeiting that plagues many marketers in this article entitled, “Choose Your Team Wisely to Avoid Partners in Crime.”

Your Packaging Is Your Brand

sfgsstaff — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:45:43 +0000

You only get one chance to make a great first impression, so it is essential that direct marketers make a lasting impression with their packaging. Simply put, the days of shipping products in a plain cardboard box are over, because our maturing industry now competes equally in every way with products distributed at retail. Packaging is a unique opportunity to strengthen the bond between marketer and consumer and should be approached with the same care as product design, manufacturing and every other component of an offer.

Great Packaging
Following are reasons why stellar packaging is important to your brand image.

Nurtures brand affinity. Think about how quickly as a consumer you make a snap decision as to whether you like what you see in a product. You want that first impression to be one of delight.

Creates higher perceived value. Frankly, some consumers have a bias against TV-advertised products because some have been chintzy. Elegant or clever packaging, managed with economy, is a way to overcome this prejudice and arouse good feelings about a purchase.

Engenders trust. Many marketers have moved beyond one-off items in favor of continuity-based relationships built on trust. Smart packaging helps build that foundation immediately.

Gets you retail ready. The window between exclusive TV offer and a product’s appearance at retail keeps getting narrower. Smart packaging prepares you for retail and facilitates efficient inventory control because the same package can be sold across all channels.

These packaging truisms are relevant for all categories from beauty, to fitness, to intellectual property. Therefore, work with your packaging expert as early as possible and ask these questions: What sort of investment in packaging weight, presentation, colors and finish is appropriate? What will foster the best initial impression and fortify your brand? Is your package also going to be your shipping container? If so, what kind of materials will withstand transport? These and other considerations should be decided carefully.

For example, one marketer of educational products we collaborated with was employing a cheaper, yet inferior, design that would tear and fail to hold contents in place. The tray was redesigned so that the items were secured and a lighter, yet stronger, cardboard was used. The marketer knew if he could get the consumer to use the product immediately, he would reduce returns. Armed with this insight, step-by-step directions printed directly on the box replaced a pamphlet and helped accelerate usage. Finally, the new design featured a smaller footprint so it fit snuggly into a cardboard box for direct shipment, yet could also serve as a retail item where space is at a premium.

This story exemplifies why marketers should reconsider their product’s physical presentation. We all know the joke about the child opening a product and then playing with the cardboard box it came in, but that is not behavior any marketer wants to encourage in their adult consumers. Our objective is to thrill buyers so they come back for more. That goal is best served by packaging that is wrapped in careful thought, rather than something regarded as an afterthought.

Originally appeared in the March 2011 issue of Electronic Retailer magazine: http://www.electronicretailermag.com/er0311_ccss/

Steven Feinberg is the CEO of SF Video (www.sfvideo.com) and the chair-elect of the ERA Board of Directors. For over 20 years, SF Video has specialized in CD, DVD and Blu-ray duplication, innovative packaging solutions and global product sourcing. Contact Feinberg at (800) 545-5865 or at steven@sfvideo.com.