Print is not Dead. Print is Kickass. How custom packaging can help small businesses kickass.
Inspiration: Jeffree Star Cosmetics Shipping Packaging for Velour Liquid Lipstick Color Sagittarius
First order of biz: The Velour Liquid Lip Color Sagittarius is listed as sold out on Jeffree’s site. But, I found it available out on google. Check one of these retail links. To shop a color more fabulous for you, shop the collection here. Learn more about who Jeffree Star is, on his About Me page. Jeffree is one of my favorite beauty fashion YouTubers and social media badasses. Love the brand. Love the attitude. Love the whole damn package.
Jeffree says, “I hope you all enjoy the pink blood, sweat, and tears that go into every product I make! My brand is for anyone who’s fearless enough to be their own person. Let’s inspire each other to stay true to who we are and have fun doing it!”
Why I think Jeffree Starr's packaging is Kickass
I am a Sagittarius. Bought it for myself for a birthday present and it arrived ON MY BIRTHDAY. Bonus, kickass points. Seriously even THE TAPE on the shipping box was on brand. The hot pink box is not just on brand, but on function and gets the pop in the mailbox. Opening it was a beauty experience. Just feels like a luxury brand when they carry it out all the way to the customer’s in-hand experience. Metallic, nuff said. Red is THE NUMBER ONE color for women now and forever. It is the power suit, power lip, sexy dress, hot car… If major retail companies are making washing machines and appliances in red to boost sales – listen.The branded tissue is not just a color blast, it tells me they care about their products and care about whether or not it gets to me in the best condition. Jeffree is all in on the give-a-shit factor. They bubbled wrapped A LIP GLOSS. They give a shit about whether or not you get a completely 100% beautiful product and your experience with their product from the moment you get it.
How small businesses can apply the Kickass and create their own creative package design
If women over the age of 35 are in your demo, ask yourself how you could be using the power of red? Like my momma always said, “Piss poor presentation will get you no where.” I can argue further, that it can actually hurt you. B2B businesses can get too businessy and well, lazy. Admit it! I do too. We all do. We’re fricken busy. We send stale emails for thank yous and canned holiday cards, blah blah blah. BUT, because we are all guilty of it – just think of how you can kickass with just a few personal touches? Send a personal branded thank you note. Send a polished proposal. Get what I am throwin’ down? The billion dollar DIY craft community has made it impossible for us to NOT get branded.
Easy to get DIY packaging supplies and small-batch custom printing resources
Logo up anything and everything. Two words: Avery Labels. They have every label you could need to smack a logo sticker on just about anything. As short as 3 years ago, you were screwed and stuck to high budget options. NO MORE. Avery does every shape and they all work with home/office printers. You can even get vinyl and water proof, print to edge… Insane.
Custom packaging tape. Yes please. Thanks to companies like Sticker Mule small businesses can now purchase 100ft rolls of logo, brand message full-color tape for a few bucks. What a fabulous way to pop out of brown box drab. Psst. Sign up for their newsletter and follow them on social for oodles of sick deals on all things stickable.
Stationary stores are everywhere: You can get ready made boxes, gorgeous shipping containers, beautiful cards that work with your home/office printer..the works. If you are in Denver, CO - my favorite source is the Donahue Paper Emporium
Custom logo rubber stamps: Damn, back in the day, you had to go to a specialty store to get an expensive rubber stamp of your logo. Let’s be real, the quality was a liiiittttle iffy back then too with the fine lines etc. Now you can get them online in a jiff and stamp everything and anything. Check out the StampMaker.com and get one. You never no when you will need it.
Custom Tissue Paper: I have not used this vendor yet Noissue, but I dug around the Google 1 search results and they offer good rates and smaller quantities and have good reviews. They only have support via email, but most companies offering smaller quantities don't have phone support.
Wholesale/affordable print is now accessible: Stash some cash and get a few custom printed pieces that you can use a bunch of different ways. Not sure what I mean? Connect with me and I would love to help you figure it out. Vistaprint is the biggie on the block, but their quality can be a crap shoot and DEFINITELY don't order without a coupon. Got Print is one of my favorite referral printers, but you do have to know how to order print. And please, get the free sample kit:) Factory Smart is who I use for plastic gift cards and clings and they have stellar customer service to help you get set up and great rates.
Vinyl Stickers: You can use everywhere and they are waterproof, weather proof, removable, gorgeous and AFFORDABLE even in small quantities. On a folder, a jar, a gift bag, shipping box, equipment, cars, event decorations, literally on anything. And they are great for schwag handouts! Local Colorado favorite resource is Sticker Giant. But, there are a ton of resources online. National sellers I have used and I like that offer small quantities are Uprinting and Sticker Mule . TIP: Go for at least 100 and get the price break. I promise, you can burn through a 100 logo stickers faster than you think.
One word – Cricut: If you don’t know what that is, go find out. It is the hottest tool out there that can basically make every small business owner a badass branding mofo.
Check where you are on the “Give A Shit Factor” meter
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get a hires copy of your logo: Don’t be ashamed if you don’t have one on hand already, you are not alone. But, no more excuses. Stop using low res logos (and art!). They look low rent and unprofessional. Take a step back and try to see if your customer experience is buttoned up. We can all work harder on this I’m sure, but take dive into it with your team. Might even be a great exercise to do a survey and straight up ask them. B2C businesses are way more awesome at this than us B2B marketers, because we don’t necessarily have the built-in customer survey tools like returns or product reviews. Think about it. How many of your customers would “return your services” and get their money back if they could? Wow. I’ll just leave that there.
Not gonna lie. I love packaging and drive my fiance Mike bananas, because I won’t throw out anything. Won’t let him even throw out his own junk mail if I think it could be an idea to steal. I am obsessed. But, that is good for you, because then you don’t have to be. You can just obsess about watching my videos. See how I did that?
I can go down the rabbit hole on YouTube about a zillion topics, but beauty vlogs are a guilty pleasure I can spend hours and hours watching. I secretly want to wear Starr level glam every day. Not sure how it would play considering I usually rock the soloprenuer work jammies? Hmm… maybe I just need to channel Jeffree and say, “Rock the glam. See what the fuck happens. Kickass.” Eeek? Did I just drop the “F” bomb on my blog? Hell yes. That’s how I talk when I get fired up! Afterall, it’s my vlog series and I can do what I want.
Thank you for watching and reading. Forget calm and kickass on.
If you are a small business and want to level up your presentation (and aren’t offended by a few “F” bombs) give me a shout. I’d love to help you get to the kickass level with your branding. Hit me up direct at 720-638-0814 or carleen@kickassmarketingandcreative.com.
Get a dose of Jeffree in his review of the Velour Liquid Lip Holiday Collection including my color Sagittarius.
Confession! In my mind I look this cool wearin’ it.
Connect with Jeffree Starr:
Website and you can get all his social links: JeffreeStarCosmetics.com YouTube Channel: Jeffree Star My favorite Beauty Vloggers share their best How To Videos for video and social. Watch my playlist.
“Print is Not Dead. Print is Kickass.” by Carleen Clearwater, owner at Kickass Marketing and Creative. Her 25+ years of experience designing and marketing with print gives her a unique perspective on the power of print and it’s potential pitfalls. Throughout her career she has worked directly for or indirectly with magazines, newspapers and multi-media companies. She has worked with more than 2,000 advertisers, designed more than 10,000 print ads, and created more than a 1,000 pieces of sales and marketing collateral. She is obsessed with the power of print and giddy over how now it is an accessible tool for small businesses who have to max a budget. Not exaggerating, her personal collection of print and marketing ideas has grown to be more than 800 pieces – straight up like a tribble takeover happening in her office.