Here’s just a few of recent ‘current’ phrases that are tugging at our hearts and minds hoping to capture your interest and make a sale.

What influences you today may not be the same as tomorrow.  With so many competing messages attempting to persuade you, how can you ensure your’s is the message that resonates?

Join me 12/8 as I share the insiders secrets to how to make your packaging speak human @ http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EA50D786854C

Why me? I’m one of the top consumer product packaging experts and I’ll share 35+ years of packaging expertise about what works and what doesn’t.

Best of all its free!

The MFG.com Packaging Marketplace is a game-changer. Don’t you get it? This is how your customers will be finding YOU in the very near future.

Manufacturing is the world’s largest industry. Just look around you, everything is manufactured – and most everything that gets manufactured also gets packaged. The packaging marketplace was a natural progression for MFG.com as we are laser focused on helping product companies connect and collaborate with packaging suppliers. 87% of the Fortune 100 Manufacturing companies and hundreds of thousands of small & medium sized manufacturing businesses already use MFG.com.

For suppliers, the MFG.com marketplace is the most powerful lead generation tool available, providing a steady stream of prospective customers through a variety of channels including:

- RFQ’s (HOT leads) intelligently matched to the type of work and customer profile you specify

- Search Engine Optimization so you rank high in all major search engines for the search terms important to you

- Syndication into Supplier Discovery Databases used by the world’s leading companies

- Syndication into Industry Portals and leading software applications

In this webinar, we will show you where the packaging manufacturing business is heading and give you real-life examples of how Suppliers are using the Marketplace environment to gain new customers and grow their business. You will walk away from this webinar with all of the information you will need to become a successful Marketplace supplier yourself!

This webinar will be hosted by the Packaging Diva – Mrs. JoAnn Hines!  We will leave plenty of time at the end of the Webinar to ask her any packaging related questions you may have.  The Packaging Diva offers MFG.com suppliers incredibly valuable insight and expertise in the packaging industry.

We hope to “see” you there!

Sign up today:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/589928546

This online platform gives those who have a packaging need the on-demand tools to automatically discover and collaborate with the right suppliers, securely submit RFQs and receive quotes in an online, easy-to-compare format. For packaging suppliers, the MFG.com marketplace is the most powerful lead generation tool available, providing a steady stream of prospective customers from a variety of channels.

87% of the Fortune 100 Manufacturing companies and hundreds of thousands of small & medium sized manufacturing businesses already use MFG.com. With over 200,000 members in 50 countries, expanding into packaging is a natural progression.

“Manufacturing is the world’s largest industry. Just look around you, everything is manufactured – and most everything that gets manufactured also gets packaged. The packaging marketplace was a natural extension for MFG.com as we are laser focused on helping product companies get their products to market faster and at the lowest cost. With over 10,000 packaging suppliers in the US alone, it made complete sense for us to increase our reach into this vertical, and bring our years of expertise in making connections to this vital and diverse industry,” said Mitch Free, Founder & CEO of MFG.com.

“The MFG.com Packaging Marketplace is definitely a game-changer,” said JoAnn Hines, an industry expert branded the “Packaging Diva”, “There is nothing else out there like this – where you can go to find qualified and rated suppliers based on your exact specifications and receive apples to apples quotes in real-time online. Sometimes the hardest part of launching a product is in finding the right packaging. Now it can all be sourced through MFG.com.”

Go to www.MFG.com/packaging to register for your free account.

About MFG.com

MFG.com is the largest online marketplace for the global manufacturing industry. MFG.com’s platform enables companies to intelligently connect, source, collaborate and perform due diligence with transparency and intellectual property protection. It supports virtually all manufacturing processes and industrial components, is in seven major languages, more than 50 currencies and has more than 200,000 manufacturers and members on five continents. MFG.com is based in Atlanta and has offices in Shanghai and Paris. For more information: www.MFG.com & www.MFG.com/packaging.

Today I had some interesting conversations online that had to do with business marketing and the packaging of company information.

Some very surprising comments surfaced so I decided I needed to write about it.

I’m considered the most influential social media packaging person. Over 14,000 people listen to me and follow what I have to say on Twitter alone.

twitter.com/packagingdiva

But, don’t take my word for listen to what Erin says “Wanted to say you are an idol in packaging social media world.” Thanks Erin @InlinePlastics She and I are connected through Twitter and LinkedIn.

But the most amazing thing is that people just don’t get it. I had a nice conversation with someone on Twitter and wanted to become more engaged in a conversation. Their response was go to the web site and fill out the contact form. You are kidding right!

I pointed this out and they assured me it would go to the right person. Now why would I do that when I can connect directly with the decision maker in a few seconds on Twitter. I get all my clients that way and I never fill out a contact form. What a colossal waste of time!

If fact since I knew I was going to write about this so I did fill out the contact form online. 5 days later no response. This is such an antiquated way of doing business and sends a really bad message.

Here is another social media packaging tip. Please don’t email me and ask me to respond to info @ or contact @. I want to know who you are please. I do business with real people! What’s the point if your dialogue goes into the black hole of nothingness.

Also I know you are trying to be friendly but I enjoy humor and clever repartee but I’m not really interested in whom you ousted as mayor of or the fact that you can be found @. I want and need your input but not meaningless blather.

<<I just ousted @X as the mayor of Zanoni & Facincani on @foursquare! >>

Seriously who cares?

Social media is about providing helpful info so you can be at the forefront of someone’s list when they need your help. To do that you need to provide value in your conversations. Its Ok to have fun while you are doing it. One of my most popular packaging tweets was about a corrugated boat and will it float.

There are two sides to every packaging story and what’s going on behind the manufacturing and distribution scene that no one ever considers. Packaging is under attack and in most cases unjustly so. Plus there is a big contingent against any type of packaging. Simply put, no packaging is n impossibility unless you want to regress your lifestyle about 100 years.

Packaging had evolved from simple vessels that stored and protected food and beverages to the sophisticated packaging we see today. Depending upon the culture the packaging needs change. The more sophisticated and affluent the society the more packaging that is consumed. As income grows so does discretionary spending. Increasing demand for goods and services requires more products and packaging.

The media loves to criticize packaging. Phrases like the great “garbage patch” and “wrap rage” incite consumers into frenzy against packaging.  As we move forward in the coming years packaging needs to be reconsidered from all aspects. Yes, it does contribute to 1/3 of the garbage in the landfills. Yes, many products are over packaged and the packaging can and should be reduced. Yes, the packaging industry needs to do a better job in resolving packaging problems and creating waste.

We need to look at packaging from a different perspective. Keeping all the primary functions in place: transporting, protecting, containing, securing, educating and informing the consumer about what’s inside. Yet, at the same time keeping awareness about what we can do to lessen the societal impact of packaging.

People want goods and products convenience isn’t going away, so how do we marry the two?  Let’s consider the issue: consumers still want convenience yet at the same time less packaging an products packaged in more eco friendly materials.  It’s up to the manufacturers and GPG companies now to solve the issue.

I’ve written before about the 6 R’s of more environmentally friendly packaging: Reduce, refill, reuse, repurpose, renew and recycle @ http://packaginguniversity.com/blog/2010/02/12/packaging-%e2%80%9cgreen%e2%80%9d-for-valentine%e2%80%99s-day/.

But this is just the beginning of rethinking the packaging paradigm.

What would you like to see or suggest that packaging companies consider?

More eco friendly materials;

Less over all product packaging;

Goods and services produced closer to home;

More paper less plastic;

More bio plastics and less of other materials;

Packaging that solves more problems?

This is just the beginning and with consumer support the packaging industry can solve these problems. So before you put on the gorilla suit for people against packaging give us your thoughts, ideas and suggestions about what you would like the packaging industry to implement to marry consumers wants and needs with today’s contemporary packaging.

Consumers are fickle and one bad packaging experience can turn them off from buying your product. This session will cover how to translate a bad packaging consumer experience into a successful outcome and how innovative packaging can sway a consumer’s purchasing decisions.

Learning Outcomes:

• How to turn an unhappy consumer into a satisfied returning customer through packaging.
• How creative packaging can build consumer loyalty.
• Why having the right packaging is more than just appearance.

Bonus:

Guest panelist sharing Disney packaging experiences.

Adam Spriggs from
Tailford Mitchell
830 N Summit St
Toledo, Ohio 43604
P 419.843.8852 x209

Details:

Tues, Apr 20 Disney World Swan & Dolphin , Lake Buena Vista , FL, 4:00-5:00pm
Register @ http://NCOF.com

Who Should Attend

People who are responsible for key areas of direct commerce operations, including Managers, Directors and C-Level executives in:

• Automated Systems
• Business Development/Business Solutions
• Call Center Operations
• Carrier Relations
• Channel Sales
• Customer Service
• Distribution Center
• E-commerce
• Fulfillment – Internet, Merchandising, Marketing
• Inventory Management
• Logistics
• Manufacturing/Production
• Material Handling
• Operations/Operations Strategy
• Protective Packaging
• Purchasing
• Retail
• Sourcing
• Supply Chain
• Transportation Management
• Warehouse Management

The Packaging Diva is proud to be sponsored for this event by WorldLabel.com

Worldlabel is a label manufacturer of Blank Label Sheets for multifunctional labeling applications including address, mailing, shipping, CD and media labeling, as well as general business office labeling requirements. Our labels are designed to format with label templates you are currently using in your popular label software and templates sizes, Windows® Mac® and Linux programs. Non-curl jam-free 8.5″ x 11″ label sheets with an emulsion acrylic non-ooze permanent adhesive (unless stated removable) suitable for laser printers, ink jet printers, and copiers. Please visit http://worldlabel.com

I don’t get these articles. Truth is stores get their goods shipped to them in packaging. It’s misleading to say no packaging is involved. And get this you the consumer is paying the ultimate price for damaged goods or unsalable product because of no packaging!!

New packaging technology doubles sushi shelf life. http://bit.ly/dbQrc6

Is that a good thing? Extending the life of sushi? Who’s ready to volunteer?

The brand, the package, the story and the worldview, packaging as sales tool – http://ow.ly/16HOn

I was very excited to see this article. Its rare that someone with media clout sings the praises of packaging. Its usually the opposite that they rant and rave about the bane of product packaging.

Companies Rethink the Box: The State of Green Business 2010 http://ow.ly/17tNv

An update on some of the latest green and sustainable packaging innovations. Of course if you have been following me you know them already.