Question

Topic: Strategy

Packaging!!!

Posted by AdamL on 3/11/2009 at 9:12 AM ET 125 Points
Hi All,

I'm a long time feed reader, however first time poster.

I'm trying to get some data on packaging buyers (buyers who purchase packaging for their respective products and shipping etc) for a work project. Namely who they are, industries in which they operate and some buyer behaviour metrics, ie seasonality and purchasing influences.

There's the obvious:
Technology
Pharmaceuticals
FMCG
Importers/exporters
etc etc...

I guess what I'm looking for here is a point in the right direction. I’m more than happy to spend the hours trawling through information.

I'm looking at purchasing a list from a data company but I'm not too sure (neither are they) if they can really provide what I'm looking for.

All help is appreciated




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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 3/11/2009 at 9:36 AM Accepted
    Adam,
    Most people neglect to think of the wholesale distribution industry as a major user of packaging. They are located virtually everwhere. And, it would be my guess the list would be hard to find.

    However, one suggestion would be to find a list of people who are large shippers with UPS and other package good companies.
  • Posted on 3/11/2009 at 11:03 AM Accepted
    Hi Adam, What type of packaging are you looking to sell? There is anything from your standard brown shipping box to completely custom designed packaging, made to fit a specific product for retail display. Depending on the type of packaging a company is using, there are going to be different factors to consider.

    Any manufacturer of hard goods is going to use a lot of packaging. They will need packaging for the actual product as well as something to ship it in to their retailers or wholesalers. The type of product they make will depend on the type of packaging they are looking for. Someone who makes tools is going to need packaging that is extremely durable and can hold large weights as opposed to a manufacturer of glass products that will need more protective packaging with dividers to ensure each item is secure and padded. Then there are companies like toy manufacturers who will need their individual product packaging to be colorful and attractive to grab the attention of children.

    You could come up with an extremely large list of packaging users however the way you market to each is going to be extremely different depending on the category they fall within.

    (A couple other industries could include Apparel Manufacturers and Food Wholesalers.)

    Hope this helps!

    Rebecca
  • Posted by AdamL on 3/12/2009 at 5:03 AM Author
    Hi Frank,

    Thanks for coming back. Yes I do agree, wholesale distributors is an area that I hadn't thought of. I'm based over in Australia and I see you've got extensive experience in wholesale distribution. Is there any pointers you could give me interms of marketing to them? Or any other advice you could give?

    thanks again,

    Adam
  • Posted by AdamL on 3/12/2009 at 6:02 AM Author
    Hi Rebecca,

    We can supply everything from cartons (brown boxes) through to totally custom packaging styles, board grades, external/internal dimensions and various other manufacturing variables.

    I see what you mean in terms of marketing to each sector. I guess what I'm trying to achieve here is to really ascertain who it is that I'm marketing to and then begin the process of drilling down through the frameworks to understanding each sector.

    Information on marketing packaging products to even the major markets seems hard to come by - wine and beverage, fruit & produce, meat, seafood and poultry, grocery etc..

    The scale of the project seems quite large at this point, so I think im going to have to focus my direct activities on a few key areas (TBA) and then probably look at search strategy to pick up the shortfall in the interim, unless you have any other suggestions?

    Thanks for your efforts

  • Posted by AdamL on 3/12/2009 at 6:03 AM Author
    Hi Rebecca,

    We can supply everything from cartons (brown boxes) through to totally custom packaging styles, board grades, external/internal dimensions and various other manufacturing variables.

    I see what you mean in terms of marketing to each sector. I guess what I'm trying to achieve here is to really ascertain who it is that I'm marketing to and then begin the process of drilling down through the frameworks to understanding each sector.

    Information on marketing packaging products to even the major markets seems hard to come by - wine and beverage, fruit & produce, meat, seafood and poultry, grocery etc..

    The scale of the project seems quite large at this point, so I think im going to have to focus my direct activities on a few key areas (TBA) and then probably look at search strategy to pick up the shortfall in the interim, unless you have any other suggestions?

    Thanks for your efforts

  • Posted by mktgcbb on 3/12/2009 at 11:03 AM Member
    If you wanted to start in one marketing niche, you might try direct mail catalogers - consumer or b2b. They're pretty easy to find and since they typically do not have a retail location, they are shipping nearly everything to their customers. Because their shipping needs match their orders, they'll already have a forecast of what they need for packaging. Many times they're shipping from one location. Standard boxes may not be as lucrative as custom product packaging but it's also much simpler. These outfits might need both. The largest catalogers probably have hefty discounts with big suppliers -- but even a small DM outfit is doing considerable volume. Of course, you may want to find one big client rather than focusing on selling to smaller accounts. . .just a suggestion that might be more manageable to get started right away. Good luck!
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