Using Natural Wood & Colour Stains!

The principal reason for staining wood boxes with natural wood and colour stains is to provide a beautiful, alternative finish to imported hardwoods, which can be expensive!

However, wood is an organic material that has variations in colour, texture and grain etc., even from the same log, which means there is not always an exact match from one wooden box to the next.

Polmac Natural Wood Stain Finishes

These variations are perfectly acceptable and indeed desirable, in order to maintain the natural beauty and character of wood, as long as they're within reasonable limits!

However, the goal is always to keep the final colour and finish as consistent as possible, which is why it's so important to visually select the wood and use the best wood stain available!

Wood comprises millions of cells (or pores) that absorb the liquid stain. The rate at which the stain is absorbed, along with other factors such as the colour of the cells, will determine the final colour, when the wood stain is applied!

The very best wood stains are intended to reveal the natural grain of the wood. This is one of the main attractions, because by revealing the grain, a beautiful, translucent effect is produced, that many people find irresistible!

It follows that the darker the stain, the more consistent the final colour will look, because darker wood stains will mask the wood grain and any blemishes more effectively than lighter wood stains!

However, grain pattern can also affect the stain matching process.

Wood pores in a piece of wood are arranged more or less consistently. It's this grain pattern, combined with the natural colour of the wood, which distinguishes one piece of wood from the next.

However, the grain pattern in each piece of wood can still vary, due to naturally occurring blemishes and the differences become even more pronounced when a stain is applied!

Other factors that influence the final colour of the wood are the way the logs are cut in the saw mill, the absorption time of the liquid stain, the age of the wood and the moisture content. 

For instance, wood that's extremely dry can absorb more wood stain than one that has a higher, moisture content, which means the colour will be darker!

Keep in mind that there are a wide range of wood stains from oil-based to water-based and these will also affect the final colour and appearance.

As a general rule, using oil-based wood stains will provide better protection from finger marks and will keep wood boxes pristine for longer than water based wood stains!

Only by removing or reducing the differences in natural colour, grain pattern, cut, absorption time, age and moisture content between the different pieces of wood can a more consistent colour match be obtained. This is key!

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Should I Use Wood Presentation Boxes To Sell My Products?

For those businesses that sell tangible products that you can pick up and touch, one of the first questions they may ask is "How do I sell my products"?

One of the best ways to sell tangible products is to use high quality, wood presentation packaging, because this type of packaging has been proved to increase sales and boost profits!

Many businesses, particularly small to medium size businesses, believe that using presentation packaging will stymie sales, due to the inevitable hike in price. "My products will be too expensive for my customers, if I buy your wooden boxes" is a typical comment!

Polmac F&M Condiments Box

However, the most successful companies know that high quality, presentation packaging adds value to the products inside, so it attracts more customers, which means they'll make more sales!

Furthermore, because of the 'added value' created, a psychological transformation takes place and customers will even be prepared to pay more!

"But my products are relatively low value and do not lend themselves to this type of packaging!" I hear you say! This may be true. Wood, presentation packaging is best used for selling high value products, such as single-malt whisky, cutlery and precision instruments etc. 

However, the perception that customers have of low value products can be raised significantly by selling them in gift sets!

In other words, by using gifts boxes, your products are now perceived as high value and will be much more attractive to potential buyers!

This is a technique that's often used in the health & beauty and speciality food industries with great success. Gift boxes are popular throughout the year and particularly on special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays and Christmas and are a great way to sell your products!

One of the special features of wood, presentation packaging is that you can easily create your own designs, to suit your exact needs, so you can test the market at little cost. This means you can try out new ideas, without breaking the bank and have more money available to invest in your business. For small to medium size businesses this may be godsend!

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Why Choose Wood Presentation Packaging?

Different wood species have different characteristics and even two pieces of wood from the same log can look and feel differently. All these characteristics added together will determine the use and appeal of wood!

Colour, lustre, texture, grain, and figure all have a part to play. When using wood, presentation packaging these characteristics are important if the products being marketed are to have maximum appeal, because first impressions are crucial!

For instance, the texture of wood may be fine or coarse and there are a wide range of colours to choose from, including red, yellow, purple, brown and orange etc.

Colour Variations In Birchwood

Among the most attractive features of some woods like birch is lustre, which is a  natural sheen, that's difficult to replicate in other materials such as metal and plastic. However, lustre can be added by polishing wood.

Figure is the pattern on the surface of the wood that can come from variations in colour, grain and irregular growth characteristics.

Grain describes the orientation of the fibrous elements on the surface of wood and can be anything from straight to wavy!

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses linden wood extensively to manufacture it's wood, presentation boxes because it's a soft, white wood, with fine grain character, so it's ideal for staining purposes, giving a smooth, even finish every time!

Wood is a beautiful, natural, organic material that provides exceptional value, is uniquely sustainable and adds warmth and character that many people find irresistible!

When using wood, presentation boxes to market products, a high quality wood finish creates a 'magnet' like effect that attracts more customers, which means more sales are generated! Isn't that what we all want?

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Presentation Packaging - Logos, Branding & Identity!

When products come in customized presentation packaging, it's crucial the packaging is branded with a company logo.

The logo represents a contract with your client, letting them know what they can expect from your offering. It also differentiates your company from your competitors, so customers are more likely to remember you!

Your logo is a reflection of your brand and the presentation packaging you use should always display it in a prominent place.

Printed Logos

When using presentation packaging, there are a number of ways a branded logo may be applied. Three of the most popular methods are metallic foil blocking, screen printing and infill laser etching.

Metallic Foil Block Printing
In metallic foil blocking (sometimes described as hot foil stamping) a pre-heated metal die is stamped over a thin, coloured metallic foil onto the substrate.

Metallic foil blocking is one of the most economical way of applying a permanent, printed logo. However it should be kept in mind that the stamping process may lead to some loss of definition, if the design is particularly intricate.

Silk Screen Printing
Screen printing is also an economical method of printing and is an ink process which is suitable when fine definition is required.

Coloured ink is wiped across a fine mesh or 'screen' that's stretched over a frame and to which a stencil is applied to block off the non-printing areas. If more colours are required a separate screen is used.

Infill Laser Etching
Laser etching is a process that uses a computer controlled laser beam to permanently cut or 'etch' a logo onto a substrate like wood.

The laser etching may be left 'raw', or filled with a special paint to provide a more vibrant colour finish.

Laser etching can be a more expensive printing method because it's a slow process. The larger the logo, the more expensive it will be. However, the effects can be truly stunning!

A logo helps consumers remember a product and the purpose is to increase sales by making that product more visible and desirable. In today's competitive market, if consumers recognize a logo as a mark of quality, then they are more likely to purchase it and come back for more, time and time again! Isn't that what we all want?

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Premium Quality Presentation Packaging Can Boost Profits!

Many companies fail to understand that it's not just their product/s that encourages a sale but it's also the way they're presented, because this plays a crucial role in the decision making process.

In today's highly competitive market where products are often very similar, even the smallest details can make the difference between a sale and a non-sale!

The presentation packaging used is a representation of the product and the company that supplied it. First impressions are important and if these are unfavourable it can be an upward struggle from then on to sell the product.

Polmac (UK) Ltd Hand Chisel Box

However, a favourable first impression should always be reinforced by the second impression, that occurs when the packaging is opened. If the second impression is negative, then all the good work can quickly unravel.

This is why the internal finish/ restraining arrangement for the product/s should also be well considered.

For instance, if a high specification, set of hand chisels are left loose in the bottom of an otherwise well constructed, wood presentation box, the overall impression will be unfavourable.

However, if a special, moulded tray is inserted, where each chisel has it's own place, providing a neat, well considered solution, the overall impression will be favourable!

When it comes to presentation packaging there are three important considerations...

Firstly, if the product is supplied in premium quality presentation packaging, it's natural for customers to assume that there is something of value inside, even before the product is seen and/or used! This provides the 'hook' that may compel the customer to investigate the product further.

Secondly, premium quality presentation packaging can make a customer believe that the product inside, is better than it actually is, which may encourage a stronger buying response. In other words the presentation packaging is raising the 'value' of the product/s inside and encouraging the customer to make a purchase!

Thirdly, because careful attention has been paid to the overall presentation, the customer may see the entire package as high value and therefore psychologically will be prepared and ultimately happy to pay more. This means premium quality presentation packaging can boost profits!

People are often told to dress the way they wish to be addressed but most of the time business is conducted in the opposite way. Customers can and will form opinions about a company and its product/s, based upon the way they are presented.

When presenting a product every detail matters because if you get it wrong it can easily ruin a sale and the future opportunities that may be available, even if the product is better than a competitors.

The most successful companies know that if a product is delivered in high quality presentation packaging, customers appreciate it and they'll more often reward you with their custom, loyalty and future business.

The attention to detail that premium quality presentation packaging represents will enhance a company's image making them appear more trustworthy and if a customer trusts you, they'll do business with you. Isn't that what we all want?

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Generating New Business With Corporate Gifts - 3 Essentials!

One of the best ways of showing your clients that you value them is to send them a gift. A thank-you card or a phone call is fine but a gift with your logo on it, is a permanent reminder of YOU and your company!

If done properly, corporate gifts can be an important part of marketing your business, because it can strengthen relationships with key clients, create goodwill and promote your company's image. It can also be used to reinforce other elements of your marketing strategy such as advertising and sales promotion.

F&M Single-Bottle Branded Wine Gift Boxes

There are huge benefits in corporate gift-giving and it's a marketing tool that's on the rise. However, there are 3 things you need to consider, if the process is to be successful ...

1/ Marketing
The first is to decide where your gift-giving fits within your overall marketing strategy. This ensures that your plan is focussed, creative and effective.

2/ Objectives
The second is to decide the objective. What do you want to achieve? Is it to thank the client for their business, creating brand awareness, boosting the company's image or promoting a new product or service?

3/ Culture & Ethics
The third is to establish the cultural and ethical norms that you need to consider? Many companies in the UK and abroad have rules about receiving gifts and observe certain cultural and ethical norms! These must be adhered to if you want to avoid a disaster!

Corporate gifts come in all shapes and sizes and can comprise a fountain pen, a simple bottle of wine or champagne, or a food hamper, depending on the client. However, one important principle is that the gift must always be good quality.

The quality of the packaging which will reflect the value of your relationship with your client must also be good quality, because first impressions count! If you include a personal, hand-written note so much the better, because personal touches like this are very powerful.

The packaging can comprise a large round or square hamper box filled with treats that are designed to be shared, to smaller, more personalized gifts such as single-bottle wine and champagne boxes, allowing you to mark a significant relationship.

Many companies stay connected with their clients via email, or direct mail to grow their relationship and encourage future business. Valuable benefits come from this constant contact, or 'drip campaign' and the same principle applies to corporate gift-giving. If it becomes a regular event, the bond with your clients become stronger and stronger.

A properly timed and appropriate gift is one of the most effective ways of emphasizing that your client relationship matters. The client will appreciate the gesture and reward you with their loyalty and custom.

The main recipients of corporate gifts are existing and potential customers and it's been found that the most effective times to distribute gifts is at the launch of a new product or service at Christmas and/ or the New Year.

However, the key to the successful corporate gift-giving as a marketing tool is in adding value to the product or service you offer.

Corporate gift-giving is a serious business. As part of a well considered marketing strategy, it can enhance important client relationships and your company's image, create goodwill and become a cost-effective means of generating new business for the future!

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When It Comes To Packaging Perception Counts!

Most low-value products are sold in simple, basic paper or cardboard packaging that does very little for the product itself, besides telling you what it is.

The reason is of course cost. Providing an expensive presentation packaging solution to a low value product makes no economic sense, as it will more than likely result in a loss.

However, if you put together a number of low value products in a good quality presentation box, such as a wood presentation box, then you can turn that perceived low-value into high-value and reap the benefits! 

Polmac F&M Condiment Presentation Box

When low-value turns to high-value, the customer's psychology begins to change. What they see is not a number of low-value products in a high-value presentation box but a high quality, total package.

They see something they'd be proud to purchase and which they'd enjoy sharing with their friends and family.

Therefore, they'd be thankful to YOU for providing a packaging solution that they can admire, which means they'll reward you with their custom and loyalty and probably make many repeat purchases.

Today's marketers see a big opportunity in providing innovative presentation packaging solutions into the mix of  low-value products, to boost sales and increase profits.

The presentation of low-value products, so they're perceived as high-value products has become part of the daily shopping experience across a wide range of products in the commercial environment. Think of food products such as condiments and chocolates and health & beauty products such as soap!

Increasingly, customers interact with high-quality, customized, presentation packaging each time they make a purchase. For manufacturers and suppliers this is good news because customers are always prepared to pay more for high value products.

High quality, presentation packaging for low-value products can boost profits, lower costs and make them more easily available. It can also enhance product branding, which means manufacturers and suppliers can drive sales forward and make their low-value products move a lot faster!

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