News & information for experts in printing and design
In an effort to make things a little easier for you in the coming year, we’re
holding our catalog pricing through 2021. So, hang on to your current catalogs, and keep an eye out for a mini-catalog with recent innovations and trending products on its way to you soon.
Sneak Peek!
Last March, most companies sent their employees home to work remotely for a few weeks. At that time not many realized just how long it would last. Fast forward to months into the pandemic and it appears many corporate employees will be working remotely for at least the time being, if not indefinitely or even permanently.
With the majority of the country’s corporate workforce in home offices, a plethora of surveys and research is underway to gauge whether this is a trend to accommodate current circumstances or if the realized benefits of a remote workforce outweigh the negatives, and if it’s enough for companies to implement more permanent work-from-home policies. Notably, the benefits serve both employers and employees. In their research, Business Insider noted that more than two-thirds of companies may have their employees work from home permanently. 451 Research found that 67% of surveyed respondents expect that their work-from-home policies will become permanent or at least remain in place for the long-term.
Better overall for everyone
With the challenge of implementing and maintaining extensive safety measures required to reopen offices safely, alongside the risk of a company outbreak, it makes sense to keep employees working from home. Furthermore, there are numerous benefits remote employees are reaping as they report being happier and more engaged. Working from home has them less stressed without the hassle of commuting, being away from loved ones and workplace interruptions. The shake up COVID-19 has caused in offices across the country has led to an overall improved work-life balance for most of the corporate workforce.
Shedding costs
It’s not surprising that companies can save a ton of gravy moving their staff to home offices. But it’s not just employers that are saving money – cost savings are recognized on both sides of the occupational equation. Employers are finding that they can do more with less real estate and studies are showing just how inefficient and costly unused office space is. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical employer can save about $11,000 a year for every person who works remotely half of the time. Employees can save between $2,500 and $4,000 annually on things like wardrobe, gas, parking, car maintenance, lunches and coffee. And that’s just working remotely half the time. The savings are even greater if the employee is able to move to a less expensive area and/or work remotely full time.
Working remotely is eco-friendly
In the early days of the global response to COVID-19, there was an immediate and dramatic reduction in traffic, congestion and pollution. The fact is, there is no easier, quicker and cheaper way to lower our carbon footprint than by reducing commuter travel. Being relieved of having to commute is a major bonus for many. Additionally, remote working has promoted a paperless culture, and gives everyone the opportunity to limit overconsumption of heating, air conditioning and unnecessary lighting.
Flexibility in hiring and getting hired
The advantages gained by both employers and employees with remote work options are tremendous. It opens up an enormous pool of talent for hiring companies, and allows job seekers the joy of location independence – living just where they want while landing employment globally.
Addressing the challenges
Like any pivot to new terrain, working from home can bring with it some quandaries. Remote employees might feel isolated and may find collaborating with others challenging. But fortunately, keeping employees happy while they work from home indefinitely may not require costly investments. As millions of office workers remain at home, the likely permanent shift to remote work that has emerged has us asking: What does that mean for the future of at-home workspaces, and how does it change what employees need from their employers?
Outfitting the remote office
Gearing up home offices means bringing together a number of tools and tactics to help remote workers not only succeed, but feel satisfied and appreciated. Home office supplies that keep staff organized and productive include items such as:
To bring some calm and comfort into the home office while keeping remote employees safe and working ergonomically means offering adaptable workstations, branded office supplies and safety products like ergonomic mouse pads and keyboards designed to minimize discomfort.
Contact with co-workers can be an essential source of support for some staff members. Companies can show appreciation for their remote workers and make them feel less isolated from their team by offering motivational gifts of gratitude and team-building promo items like:
During a pandemic, it is too easy to reprioritize and overlook employee achievements, work anniversaries and other milestones. Employees need recognition and affirmations now more than ever to stay connected and feel appreciated. Awards, full-color and engraved plaques for recognition, or customized cards that offer congratulations, thanks and appreciation where it is most needed boost morale and anchor loyalty.
Once the pandemic is behind us, all roads are leading to employees expecting the option of working from home. Giving employees that flexibility along with the tools to work where they feel most effective will benefit both productivity and engagement. In our “Remote & Ready” Booklet, we focus on outfitting the remote workforce to be successful and illustrate what companies can do to show appreciation to their remote workers, and make them feel less isolated from their team.
We’re here for you
To make sure you’re giving your customers the information they need and to help them outfit their remote workforce, rely on us as your go-to resource for ideas and innovation. Navitor has ample options, ideas and support, and offers free content and marketing collateral for distributors like you that you can use as your own. Navitor members also have access to exclusive, more-detailed materials such as a social toolkit for each of the largest industries in need today, customizable eBooklets where you can add your own name and branding, and even the actual slides to the webinars we produce containing links and additional resources you can use with your customers.
It’s snow joke – we are in for a holiday season unlike any other we’ve been through. The traditional merriment we look forward to each year involves eating, drinking, and singing together in a cozy room … all among the highest risk scenarios for transmitting viruses. It’s pretty unlikely we’ll see shoppers lined up before sunrise for Black Friday deals, or rushing to crowded stores for last-minute gift buying. No matter the circumstances, this is the time of year when retailers and other businesses start to mull over their holiday plans and prepare for what promises to be an unprecedented holiday season. How will the pandemic affect what has traditionally been retailers’ busiest time of year? Rest assured, we have some ideas around what can be expected. If unprepared, yule be sorry … but by preparing for what’s to come and offering innovative ideas and options, yule be sleighing it.
Where the holiday dollars will go
Money typically spent on heavily attended parties and festive gatherings, travel, and enormous grocery bills for huge dinners instead will go toward gift-giving, albeit with some differences. Experiential gifts like concert and event tickets, restaurant gift cards, and massage certificates are out, while popular merchandise categories – things you can hold in your hands (after sanitizing, of course) – are in.
Shoppers starting early
Gift-givers will be coming out of quarantine as holiday shopping season starts earlier than normal. Opting to shop during less volume-heavy times, consumers are likely to buy sooner rather than later in order to avoid crowds and to make sure the items on their lists are even available. From a shopper’s standpoint, one of the biggest challenges during the pandemic has been product availability. Supply chains are compromised and inventory is low. Making matters worse, deliveries take longer than normal because as the volume increases, shipping delays only get worse. To avoid out-of-stocks and account for anticipated shipping delays, shoppers will be starting early.
Business gift-giving
Businesses reaching out to customers and employees at the holidays this year will opt for cards and gifts as alternatives to dinners and parties. In order to show their gratitude and appreciation for the loyalty of their customers and employees over the past year, corporate giving will likely be at an all-time high. Branded promotional products are sure to be in high demand as businesses manage their customer and employee gift-giving from a distance.
Retail shopping holiday makeover
Without question, COVID-19 has transformed the retail shopping experience. The holiday shopping season will look quite different this year as retailers find themselves mired in the coronavirus. Here are some of the changes in store for us this year:
Stand-out products
With all the social and shopping changes brought about by the pandemic, there are still innovative products in high demand. Some of the top holiday options include calendars, greeting cards, glitter stock items, custom packaging, promotional products, custom gift wrap, labels, face coverings, holiday signage, direct mail, and much more. Communication and information exchange are not the only things going contactless this holiday season: Expressing gratitude and thanks will be done through gift-giving and showing appreciation without the typical holiday get-togethers.
The takeaway
To really make an impact this year, make sure you’re giving your customers the information they need – and preparing early is critical. Have your stocking stuffed full of ideas your customers will love (from head to mistletoe). Even though most hugs will be saved until next year, we’re still here to help you navigate the 2020 Holiday Season. We’re your go-to resource with ideas and innovative ways to work through the challenges you’re facing and uncover the opportunities this shopping season brings. For some great options, check out our online booklet Reinventing Holiday Traditions in the Next Normal.
What a remarkable and unprecedented year it has been. As 2020 comes to a close and we head into cold and flu season, it is unclear whether COVID-19 will persist at its current pace, if there will be an onslaught of smaller outbreaks, or if a larger second wave is on the horizon. To further compound matters, flu season is right around the corner, generally lasting through January. This overlap has many concerned – are we facing a double whammy? Or will social distancing and our new hygiene habits stave off the spread of influenza this year? Either way, we are in for an interesting season, and because this flu season may be quite daunting, there will likely be a lot more customers looking for products to prepare for it.
Time to have the conversations
We may be looking at a different and broader purchasing season this year as businesses gear up for flu season amid a pandemic. Because of that, it is high time to discuss readiness options with your customers. Checking in with them and offering products and solutions to help them prepare for what’s to come may ultimately lessen the impact, one community at a time.
Topics to get ready for
Sure to be front and center this winter are the differences between COVID-19 and the flu, and COVID-19 and the common cold. Posters, signage, decals, postcards, flyers, and envelopes will lend a hand in informing the public about what’s what. Similarly, many will need to communicate flu shot information, including companies offering flu shot programs to their employees. All public access areas continue to require social distancing products, and will certainly be emphasizing the importance of hygiene and sanitizing. Additionally, with a second potential shutdown looming, retail stores trying to lessen stockpiling will need signs, banners, and decals reminding folks to take a limited number of essential items. Nonprofits, governments, and other agencies will need products and communications informing people of where they can get ahold of emergency services and supplies. As hospitals and clinics approach maximum capacity, their need for materials increases as patients increase. There is also a new topic on the block: screening supplies. No more rushing off to work or rushing kids off to school with the sniffles – there will be more hesitation, more mindfulness, and symptom screening.
Who’s buying?
The current circumstances are opening new areas of “who’s buying” and “who’s interested.” Undoubtedly, the employers in the community, retail shops and stores, governments, nonprofits, schools, healthcare, manufacturers, banks, insurance, financial institutions, and more will need readiness products and communications solutions to help gear up for the next five months.
How can you help?
Start having conversations with everybody you can think of. No one is exempt from what the world is experiencing right now. Helping your customers and prospects solve their challenges centered around informing, directing, notifying, and protecting makes you an essential piece of the puzzle. We have created templates with specific cold and flu messaging that may help get some ideas in front of your customers as well.
Next steps
Are you ready? We are. And we are here for you. Navitor has a plethora of options, ideas, and support, and offers a free content page for distributors like you. We have over 100 pages of ideas, products, text, and imagery that you can use as your own. The solutions benefit top industries in need of new, important and often urgent messaging. Navitor members have access to exclusive, more detailed materials such as a social toolkit for each of today’s most predominant industries, customizable eBooklets where you can add your own name or branding, or even the actual slides to the webinars we produce complete with links and additional resources you can use with your customers.
Whether you are shopping online or in an actual brick and mortar store, retail and virtual shelves are jam-packed with products. A major factor in determining the success of these products is the packaging. Packaging delivers one more brand message to consumers in the final stage before purchasing. A quality product is table stakes for repeat buying, but how much weight do you think packaging holds in that equation? More than you know. To break through the clutter of hundreds of other competing products, it pays to be different. We’re talking about being innovative and unique in order to get a product noticed. Packaging builds brands and gives a product personality. First impressions count, and even if we don’t want to be judgy, people do judge a product by what it comes in.
Grab attention
Let’s first look at ways to capture eyes in the aisles. Today there are a plethora of standard paper stocks as well as unique textures and specialty paper options in a wide range of weights to help differentiate the package. High-quality cartons that stand out with innovative printing and finishing methods while meeting product specifications and adhering to brand standards generate more attractive packaging and lucrative results.
Be recognizable
Consumers form an opinion about a brand the moment they see the packaging. Make it count. And once noticed, it’s vital that consumers can easily determine what the product is and make any brand associations that are important to them. There are both traditional offset and offset-quality digital printing methods that upgrade your branded packaging to a branded experience. Bring together quality print with premium materials for full-color impact and memorable outcomes.
Elicit emotion and action
Create awareness and excitement while showcasing elements significant to the brand and its mission. Maybe it’s quality, maybe it’s conscientiousness. Perhaps crisp folds, perfect sizing, strength or possibly flexibility makes the brand statement. It could be choosing to use certified recyclable materials, such as those endorsed by the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) or SFI® (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), which are sourced from the highest available percentage of post-consumer recycled content from local mills. The power of great packaging gives a perceived image and value to the product. How it looks provides for better experiences and raises its profile.
Add a little extra
Custom finishes and coatings add pizazz and pop to retail packaging. Processes like debossing, embossing, foil stamping and spot color printing transform the appearance of products on the shelf. Finishing processes such as UV gloss coating, spot UV, soft-touch lamination, aqueous satin, and gloss coatings, intricate die-cutting, and raised UV give it a snazzy, polished look. These extras highlight design elements, elevate the tactile experience, and add dimension.
Set yourself apart
It’s not the complete package until it’s the complete package. Including related products such as labels, inserts, bottleneckers and hang tags rounds out a comprehensive, well-branded and highly visible product package solution. Tapping into the creative inspiration of organizations like the Retail Packaging Association, and working with consultative partners that bring comprehensive solutions and marketing savvy to packaging programs is your best bet.
Make design the focus of the packaging
Better packaging design sells more products. That’s the bottom line. It’s in the innovation where packaging can accomplish all of what we’ve covered here. Brand managers and package designers spend countless hours exercising their creative chops to develop the right look for their products. The packaging and unboxing presents an experience for the consumer that adds to the product’s appeal. Organizations like the Paperboard Packaging Alliance (PPA), dedicated to promoting the benefits of paperboard packaging, recognize the importance of certain products, and influence preference for these materials in packaging design and selection. Companies that put innovation principles to work and rethink the design of their packaging create magical moments when consumers first spot it when they pick it up and feel it — all the way through their unboxing experience.
The takeaway
Opportunities for packaging innovation can be driven by pivots in consumer behaviors, attitudes, and interests, as well as other macro trends in the marketplace. But true innovation comes from blending consumer desire and product usability with production feasibility and brand voice. Sprinkle in cool packaging options and embellishments to ultimately connect brands with consumers and create moments that matter.
Our expertise, your value-add
We’re here to walk you and your customer through the process of designing and ordering standard or custom packaging. With our innovations, our Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) membership, and our experience in diverse industries, we are an excellent resource for creative packaging solutions that meet your customers’ needs. It’s this innovation and experience that allows us to deliver The Best Packaging Experience in the industry.
Looking for inspiration? We provide finished package samples for a number of strategic markets to inspire you and your customers. Request a sample kit. The best place to start is by contacting your sales rep. If you’re not sure who your rep is, give us a call at 866.628.3290. We’re here to answer any of your questions.
No question, voting will look different this year than in the past. Election safety needs have changed dramatically due to COVID-19. Some people are apprehensive about voting in person. Understandably, Americans are looking at all the different ways they can vote in this coming election. Voters and poll workers alike need assurances they can vote and volunteer safely. Putting voters and poll workers at ease with information and safe polling places calms fears and streamlines the voting process. This year you can expect to find more directional signage guiding the traffic flow in and out of polling places via eye-catching wall decals, floor decals, A-Frame signs, sail signs, and stencils.
Communication to voters
In the weeks leading up to the election — this year more than ever — reminding voters where, when, and how they can cast their ballot is necessary. There are many questions on the minds of a large majority of voters and direct mail is a tried-and-true way to communicate with such a mass audience. Not only do politicians rely on direct mail to sway voter opinion, election, and campaign offices trust its reliability to reach voters and encourage election participation. Contactless communication tactics get the message across from a socially distant and safe spot such as door hangers, window decals, and bumper stickers. Large format banners and sail signs announcing early voting and ballot drop off locations draw the attention of voters.
Understanding all the options
Thankfully there’s more than one way to cast a ballot this fall. Each state plays by their own rules, but most include a registration process, offer early voting, absentee ballots, in-person voting, and drop-off voting. USA.gov’s navigation-friendly site is a reliable resource for answers to common and general questions about voting in the United States. To get specific on what options each state offers, FiveThirtyEight has compiled and colorfully illustrated a frequently-updated state-by-state guide to voting in the age of COVID-19. Posters with these options in local libraries, government offices, and recreational facilities will spark higher voter turnout in the community.
Absentee and mail-in voting
The system has its 15 minutes of fame this fall is absentee voting. The terms absentee voting and mail-in voting are often used interchangeably. Absentee ballots refer to ballots that are requested and then mailed when a person can’t vote in person. Mail-in ballots refer to the ballots in the context of policies that allow people to vote by mail. However, some election officials have started using the term “mail-in ballots” or “vote by mail” as states expand absentee ballot eligibility during the pandemic to include people who aren’t actually absent from their precinct at the time of voting. At least 35 states have changed their mail-in absentee voting policies, allowing all voters to apply for an absentee ballot in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Candidates and local governments are using direct mail to get the word out on a mass scale to inform people of the options available to them.
Ballot drop-off
Some states and localities offer ballot drop box locations where voters can drop off absentee and mail-in ballots in sealed and signed envelopes. Some supervised, others unsupervised with security cameras, most have requirements for where they must be located, how many a county must-have, the hours they must be available, and specific security standards. Residents can find useful voter information for their state and region at U.S. Vote Foundation. Each drop-off voting location should be clearly marked with signs and banners giving arriving voters clear instructions throughout the process.
In-person voting
Of course, there will be those dedicated and determined voters that either enjoy the process and prefer to partake on-site, or question whether their vote will be counted if it isn’t cast in-person. For the legion of in-person voters, attracting them to and informing them at the polling place will be essential this election season.
COVID-19 has added new twists to an already complicated election year. Voter turnout could be abysmal given social distancing constraints and other pandemic-driven restrictions. In order to understand all the voting options and have assurance that it is safe to cast their vote this year, voters need communication, communication, and more communication. We’re dedicated to providing health and safety readiness products that support communication, inform voters, and prepare polling places leading up to and through Election Day. For election season safety product ideas, follow this link to polling place health and safety readiness products in the age of coronavirus.
We’re committed to keeping your business going and continue to update our health and safety measures across our facilities. As stay-at-home orders lift and reapply, as companies open and close, we know these times are excruciating. It is our commitment to keep operating, to be the least of your worries.
Resources for Distributors
Over three months ago, we assembled resources together to keep you updated on plant statuses and product ideas. Over 10,000 distributors sought out these resources.
Recently, we just launched a new Comeback Solutions resource page on Navitor.com where we have free tools to use with customers plus hundreds of member-only tools as well. Each week we send an email update to our members with company updates and more.
Health and Safety in Manufacturing
We have a designated Incident Response Team to consistently monitor worldwide health conditions and adjust company policies accordingly. Implementing the guidelines provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we’ve rolled out sanitation measures and preventative hygiene practices in each of our facilities.
We’re committed to serving you – here are some of the tactics we’re using to keep our facilities safe:
The safety and well-being of our employees is critical to supporting your business growth and the promises you make to customers. Our commitment is to continue to bring you high-quality products and ideas for how to help support your community throughout the stages of this pandemic.
At Navitor, we care deeply about our employees, customers, and our communities. To safeguard the health and safety of our employees to ensure you receive what you need to keep our communities safe, we wanted to share our protocols and procedures. We will continue to monitor and review guidelines and recommendations and will adjust plans as necessary. We believe our distributors have made and will continue to make a major impact on the overall health of our local communities across the nation because you have access to a wide range of ideas and solutions for restaurants, retail establishments, schools, hospitals, and more.
The following is a summary of COVID-19 Prevention Practices that we are currently following:
We know that architectural signage projects are different than a regular print order due to the custom nature of the product. It can be a complex process to audit an existing building’s signage and determine what additional signage is required to meet ADA laws or reflect a company’s new brand image.
That’s why we partner with you from the first call to the install.
Working for You
As with any big project, budget and on-time completion are at the forefront of our discussions. Our experts will collaborate with you to present different options at various price ranges. Starting with a site audit, our team will assess the current situation and help create the future vision. Following the completion of the job, we provide a signage report that can be used for reorders.
Inspiring Creativity | Transforming Spaces
A blank piece of paper can create anxiety for a client. We have tools available to spark creativity and aid in the design process. Our Architectural Signage & Visual Graphics Solutions catalog offers:
Whether it’s temporary or permanent, architectural signage is critical to establishing a company’s brand. From a practical restroom sign to a feature wall recognizing donors, your options are limitless.
Tap into Our Expertise
We’re here to walk you and your customer through the process of ordering architectural signage. With years of experience in diverse industries, there is an excellent chance we’ve worked on a project similar to what your customer needs. It’s this experience that allows us to partner with you to bring a creative signage solution to your customer.
The best place to start is by contacting your sales rep. If you’re not sure who your rep is, give us a call at 866-628-3290. We’re here to answer any of your questions!
The sun is shining, the temps are starting to rise and it’s time to head outside! Ok, that’s not exactly the case here in Minnesota but a dreary snow-filled day is no match for outdoor labels.
Luckily, Label Works has top quality options to meet all your outdoor label needs. We offer 1 to Process color printing on 8 standard outdoor stocks, including a removable stock option – perfect for labels that are not intended to take permanent residence on a surface. Plus, we also offer our new, reflective stock. This stock bounces the light back to the source, creating high-visibility in low-light, dark or poor weather conditions.
A free, gloss lamination is provided to our outdoor labels to protect them against moisture, scratching and outside elements while adding an extra sheen to enhance your label design. Looking for the added protection, but not a fan of high-gloss? We have just the thing! Our matte lamination provides the same great barrier against the elements…plus, it’s the perfect choice for labels that need to be written on.
Yet another option for protecting outdoor labels from fading and cracking is our sunscreen lamination. It protects labels by combating UV rays and may extend the fade resistance of some inks. It might not smell of coconut, but it sure works wonders to ward off those pesky and abusive sunrays!
But don’t let the name deceive you…these labels are great for indoor items that just need a little extra protection. Think freezer labels, shampoo labels and any other label that may need a shield from the elements.
How can we meet your outdoor label needs? Click here to get started or contact us at 1-800-522-3558 or customercare@labelworks.com to chat about all we have to offer for outdoor labels and more!