3 Expert Packaging Tips to Rule Retail Sales

Want packaging that will help you rule the retail scene?! Keep reading for 3 fresh tips from CEO of Pearl Resourcing, Emily Page, to help your brand capture consumer attention and gain more sales.

Define Your Brand and Stick to it
Higher margins and customer loyalty is about defining your business as different and valuable among the competition through your product and the visual cues in stores and on packaging that help a customer identify you.

It’s important to utilize a brand guide, so every year and season your packaging stays within the visual guidelines. A brand guide will also make your brand recognizable over time and build brand equity. Don’t design in a vacuum on a computer without considering the existing line-up, and don’t design a single product alone. If you do, you may not realize its compromise on your brand image or store aesthetic.

Brand value comes when customers recognize your brand quickly through visuals, so you must be consistent to increase your value. Consistent color pallets in a store are soothing and attractive to the eye, yet contrast attracts attention. It’s a delicate art form, best advised on by a talented brand director to set the tone. Ask your art director to create a brand guide for all packaging design and store merchandising to follow. Then your whole team will be clear how to keep consistent in their independent projects.

Photo credit: Lolli and Pops

Design with In-Store Merchandising in Mind

When selecting packaging, consider how it will all display in store before you buy. People buy gifts for themselves or others to feel special—packaging adds to their “special” experience. Take customers on a journey by curating the in-store display with themed colors and shapes. When consumers are in your store, contrasting colors grab more attention than you realize, so even contrasting colors must be in harmony within a similar color family.

Take the time before you embark on a new design and consider what is working in your store. What items sell out? What do your employees say your customers are always asking for? Design with customer requests in mind. Pick complimentary and contrasting colors to use across your entire product line to create consistency. Display products to create visual variety, with a focus on unique shapes or colors, for giftable items to result in higher perceived value and acceptable price.

Photo credit: Pearl Resourcing

Drive Customers Back to Your Online Community
You want every first-time buyer to not only love your product, but also buy from you again. Make it easy for them to find you by including your website and exact social media handles on your packaging (don’t just use the social media icons, this creates opportunities for spelling errors). Focus on a maximum of two or three social media platforms for customers to engage with you. They can learn more on your website.

Recapturing existing customers is always less expensive than acquiring new ones. Offer a coupon code to first-time buyers to encourage return online orders, allow them to familiarize themselves with your products and memorize their favorites. One sale can easily turn into two with very little investment.

Be sure to curate your e-commerce and social media experiences, so the brand story continues to impact their minds and hearts. You don’t need to post a lot, but it should be professional. The easiest and least expensive way to curate great content is to re-post fan content on social media. Encourage high-quality photo sharing by giving a discount code or free product to fans with the best photos. Or send free samples to influencers with an already clear fan following in your region, in exchange for a set number of high-quality photos you can use to get the best both diversity and social proof.

Understanding the unique elements of the retail shopping experience will help you make better branding decisions when ordering or designing packaging for your products. By utilizing these tips, you can make a difference in how consumers view and engage with your products, allowing you to achieve even better sales.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

About Emily Page: Emily has managed and launched multiple 7-figure product brands in Costco, Williams-Sonoma, Kroger, and Amazon as a Business Growth Consultant and CEO of Pearl Resourcing. She’s bringing you the expertise, resources, and mentors you need so that you can develop products and make them sell in her blog articles and her START TO SOLD YouTube channel and blog.

http://emilyannepage.com

http://pearlresourcing.net   

http://youtube.com/c/starttosold/

2 Ways to Invest in Your Business Right Now

Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in your business! Many would agree that education is the best investment you can make in yourself, your team and your business.

Education is deeply rooted in Retail Confectioners International’s (RCI) mission, which is to advance the confectionery industry by offering members the knowledge to build sweet businesses from entrepreneurial passion. For over 100 years, RCI has developed a reputation as a valuable resource for small business owners both established and new to the industry. With that said, we’re thrilled to share two opportunities for you to invest in education, (1) RCI’s Virtual Merchandising Boot Camp and (2) RCI’s 2021 Annual Convention and Industry Expo. Both events are designed to help you expand your knowledge to build an even sweeter business.

Virtual Merchandising Boot Camp
May 18-19, 2021

Get your business on track and on point with 2 half days of in-depth training where you’ll learn how to engage and connect with customers in your store, online and on social media. Retail strategists, professional store planners and the instructors of this course, Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender, KIZER & BENDER, will break down the essentials and offer a better understanding of what you need to do–and how to do it–to increase store traffic and explode your sales.

RCI’s Virtual Merchandising Boot Camp will take you through each of the steps necessary to build a merchandising strategy that gets results. During the course you’ll learn how to:

• Build a consistent brand inside your store and out.
• Set your sales floor to sell with effective visual merchandising and displays.
• Back up your brand with a successful website and strategic digital marketing tactics.
• Better understand four generations of today’s consumer.

The course will be presented virtually via ZOOM. Students will have the opportunity to interact and ask questions live with instructors. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to build a merchandising and marketing strategy that will take your business to the next level—all without having to leave your desk. Visit retailconfectioners.org/page/VirtualMerchBootCamp for complete course details. Registration is open now!

Annual Convention & Industry Expo
July 19-23, 2021 – Columbus, Ohio

If you attend one in-person event in 2021, this is the one to attend! Join RCI for the 2021 Annual Convention & Industry Expo at the Greater Columbus July 19-23.

Safely explore what’s new in the confectionery industry and take away effective business and production strategies to help you build a more successful business. Designed uniquely for the retail confectioner, this event will continue to offer attendees educational sessions, a two-day expo, confectionery tours and connection opportunities.

As part of this year’s educational programming, attendees will join the discussion with a panel of retail confectioners whose businesses have adapted or pivoted to not only survive, but thrive, despite the challenges presented in 2020 and today. Learn how they made the most of their opportunities with strategic thinking and action, as well as what worked and what didn’t.

In addition, attendees will take away effective business and production strategies with thought-provoking education on the following subjects:

• Build an Exceptional Team Through Coaching and Mentoring
• Positioned for Growth
• Nougat: An Artisan Approach

Educational sessions will be presented on Tuesday, July 20 and Wednesday, July 21. While the convention is hosted by RCI, all confectionery professionals are invited to attend. A variety of ticket packages are available, giving attendees the option to create an experience that fits any schedule and budget. RCI offers a 1-Day Education Ticket for just $225 for those looking to focus on strictly on education.

RCI will conclude the week with off-site tours of local candy businesses, which takes education to the next level. Register by May 14 for best rates. Visit retailconfectioners.org/annual for complete details on this year’s convention.

Don’t miss an opportunity to invest in yourself and your business. Focus on learning this year and watch your business benefit as a result.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

3 Expert Tips for Optimizing E-Commerce Sales

Did you know what grabs consumers’ attention in stores, is not always the same for online? Keep reading for 3 fresh tips from CEO of Pearl Resourcing, Emily Page, to help make your product stand out online and gain more new and return customers.

 
Photo credit: The Madelaine Chocolate Company

High-Quality Photos + Mock-Ups

The first thing a shopper notices online is not the packaging or the product, but the image of the packaging or product. In that sense, you must focus on the quality of your online images to convert sales.

Pay for a professional photographer to not only take the photo, but touch it up so the lighting and realism is clear. Or consider hiring a graphic designer to professionally brighten, sharpen and enhance the images you already have.

The primary product photo includes the exterior packaging with examples of the interior product fully visible on a plain white or grey background to optimize contrast. Shadows should also be minimized or eliminated. Secondary photos should include close-ups of your treats, also on a minimal background, making it clear what's included in a purchase. If you have the budget, the next set of photos should include “lifestyle” perspectives of the chocolates or candies opened or being enjoyed.

Center your product in the photo and make it as large as it can safely fit in the dimensions required for your shopping site. The closer to the edge, the larger it will appear in the search results on your site, making it more likely to be clicked.

Compare with Competition in Search Results

When consumers shop, they often use the search bar to find what they want. Imagine the search results page to be a retail store shelf. You want to be sure your packaging design and product images help your products stand out among the competition online.

Before you embark on a packaging redesign, enter search terms into a shopping platform and look at what the consumer will see when they quickly scan search results. The human eye notices color, shape, symbols and text, in that order. Both the packaging structure and artwork should utilize high-contrast colors and shapes should be bold and unique.

If you only sell products on your website, consider how each item looks on your own site as customers browse or search. Are product flavors or callouts clear enough that a consumer is able to distinguish differences between each of the items listed? If you sell on other e-commerce sites the same is true—if all chocolate boxes in the category are white and brown, how can you stand out so consumers notice and evaluate your product over the competition? Choose bold colors and unique shapes—adding a bow or incorporating a photo with a different placement of your chocolates will draw the eye.

Use Secondary Packaging to Grab Attention

Oftentimes online purchases are decided based on the product images on your website. After an order is placed, your brand may go unthought of until that lovely unboxing moment, when the customer opens the package upon arrival. Additional packaging is a billboard for advertising your other products, telling your brand story or inviting them to engage with your larger community of fans online.

Printed inserts can provide a quick reminder to get customers back to your website and to engage on your social media pages. Custom tape on the outside of the box reminds them of the inspiring story of your brand or product. Although there is extra cost involved to print secondary packaging elements, these elements can increase sales volume and help you capture repeat sales. Consider secondary packaging as a marketing expense instead of a packaging expense to keep existing customers coming back for more.

Selling your confections is an art form in itself and there are unique elements of the online shopping experience that influence best practices in packaging design. By utilizing these tips, you can make a difference in how consumers view and engage with your products, allowing you to achieve even better sales.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

About Emily Page: Emily has managed and launched multiple 7-figure product brands in Costco, Williams-Sonoma, Kroger, and Amazon as a Business Growth Consultant and CEO of Pearl Resourcing. She’s bringing you the expertise, resources, and mentors you need so that you can develop products and make them sell in her blog articles and her START TO SOLD YouTube channel and blog.

http://emilyannepage.com

http://pearlresourcing.net   

http://youtube.com/c/starttosold/

3 Sweet Ways to Celebrate May Day

Welcome the arrival of spring by celebrating the sweet traditions of May Day! May 1st has been long recognized by cultures around the world, marking the return of spring and symbolized by bright colors and fresh flowers.

3 Sweet Ways to Celebrate May Day

May Day Baskets

During the 19th and 20th centuries, May Day baskets were made of paper and filled with flowers, candies and other treats to be hung on the doors of friends, neighbors and loved ones on May first. The tradition was to knock on the door, shout “May basket,” and then run (nationaltoday.com)—while many of us are still practicing social distancing, we can't think of a better way to connect with loved ones and friends.

May Day is a great opportunity to encourage customers to creatively gift your confections. Below is inspiration to create your own sweet May Day baskets. Click here to download a cute, printable May Day Basket template. The blog, Skip to My Lou, has shared loads of simple ideas for making your own May Day baskets.

Photos: Skip To My Lou, Regina's Candies, Oh Yay Studio

Candy Bouquets

May Day is often represented by bouquets of fresh flowers, but with a few supplies you could make paper flowers featuring your confections. If you have individually wrapped candies, like foil-wrapped truffles or caramels or taffy wrapped in wax paper, put your own sweet spin on this Candy Bouquet by It’s Always Autumn. All you need is crepe paper (or tissue paper), a hot glue gun and sucker sticks.

ItsAlwaysAutumn.com

Maypole Dance

Although the origin of the maypole is unknown, this tradition is thought to date back to medieval times when people would dance around trees with bright ribbons as a way to welcome good crops (nationaltoday.com).

Invite your social media followers to submit fun photos or videos of their families and friends doing their own Maypole dances for a chance to win free treats in return for the ensuing smiles and laughs.

This age-old tradition of celebrating new life, nature's bounty and the sweet surprises it can bring may be just what people need to warm their hearts and put a smile on their faces.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

5 Questions About Colored Cocoa Butter Answered

Using colored cocoa butter is a great way to add detail and pops of color to your chocolate confections. This week Tomric System's Chef Brian Donaghy shares the basics of using colored cocoa butter and answers five common questions that he gets asked all the time.

Since Chef Brian first learned how to use colored cocoa butter with chocolate confections in a master class taught by Norman Love of Norman Love Confections in 2002, colored cocoa butter products have improved and the techniques have exploded exponentially. The process, however, is still fundamentally the same: (1) an emulsion of fat- soluble color and cocoa butter is applied to the inside of a mould (2) the cocoa butter is allowed to partially crystallize (3) tempered chocolate is placed in the mould and the chocolate and cocoa butter crystallize together, so when the chocolate piece is unmoulded it has shine and color. The process is fairly simple, but requires a process.

What equipment do you use? “I use an Iwata Smart Jet airbrush compressor set to around 50 psi and Badger 250 airbrushes and I use separate airbrushes for each color. A laser thermometer is another “essential” tool for this process.”

How do you temper cocoa butter? “I melt my cocoa butters to 93° F/ 33.9°C and then seed them with cocoa butter "silk" from my EZ Temperer.”

How do you achieve an even layer of colored cocoa butter?

“Prior to spraying in the mould, I always spray away from the mould first—this ensures that the cocoa butter is spraying correctly.”

What’s an easy method for taking your airbrush technique to the next level? “I have taken to masking my moulds so that the color does not coat the entire mould—this makes for an interesting effect.”

How do you make colors pop against chocolate? “Spray white colored cocoa butter last to ensure that we can see the colors in dark chocolate. For some colors, like red, I will spray black last, because it creates a beautiful finish.”

Whether you’re interested in using colored cocoa butter for the first time or you’ve already perfected your techniques, we hope this post helps inspire you to take your decorating skills to the next level.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

10 Business-Related Podcasts to Inspire You

 

When is the last time you invested in education for you or your team? It’s so easy to get lost in the details, as you scramble to complete daily tasks before the sun sets. Even if you crave the opportunity to learn, it can be difficult to invest your time when it always seems so limited. Podcasts are an easy and quick way to gain valuable insight for really any aspect of your life.

“Packed with expert interviews, fascinating conversations and creative content you can absorb while commuting, waiting for a flight, or running on a treadmill, entrepreneur podcasts are fast becoming a go-to for top leaders,” as stated in an article on Inc.com.

Below is a list of 10 business-related podcasts that we think you'll love as much as we do!

1. The Brendon Show, by Brendon Burchard
As one of the world’s leading high-performance coaches, Brendon Burchard shares tactical training on how to achieve your highest potential. 

2. EntreLeadership, by Ken Coleman
EntreLeadership offers weekly interviews with today’s top thought leaders designed to help you grow, develop your team and provide inspiration to boost your bottom line. 

3. The Tim Ferriss Show, by Tim Ferriss 
Tim Ferriss examines habits of high-performing people to extract the tactics, tools and routines that listeners can apply to their lives or businesses.

4. The Marie Forleo Podcast, by Marie Forleo
From business, marketing and career advice, to tackling failure, disappointment, fear and philanthropy Marie Forleo shares advice to help you build a life and business you love.

5. The BizChix Podcast, by Natalie Eckdahl
Learn how to master your mindset, grow as a leader, refine your strategies, build your team and gain visibility in your industry.

6. Rise and Grind, by Daymond John
In-depth conversations with highly successful people from all different industries about how they conquered their goals.

7. Online Marketing Made Easy, by Amy Porterfield
Expert interviews, mini execution plans and intimate behind-the-scenes secrets all tied together to make everything you listen to as actionable and profitable as possible.

8. Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leader Series, hosted by Stanford University
If you're partial to academic thinking and want to learn from highly successful entrepreneurs, this podcast is packed with serious value and knowledge in one-hour chunks.

9. The GaryVee Audio Experience, by Gary Vaynerchuk
Media mogul and entrepreneur advocate, Gary Vaynerchuk, shares a combination of keynote speeches, interviews about business and marketing plus motivational advice.

10. Business Boutique, by Christy Wright
For women interested in starting and growing their own businesses, this podcast features deep dives on topics like marketing, selling, social media, pricing and more.

Start listening now! Access podcasts for FREE using your computer, Apple or Android device. Most podcasts have a website where all their episodes are available to listen to anytime. Otherwise, look for the pre-installed Podcast app on all iPhones or download a podcast app, such as Spotify or Stitcher, if you have an Android device.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.