The durable labels you produce must last the lifetime of the products or processes they serve. They may be subjected to harsh conditions or scrutiny during those periods. But a well-prepared, well-constructed durable label stands against all these challenges — a reassurance to your clients who depend on them.
In these ways, your durable labels are a lot like your business. Just as your clients depend on the durability of your labels, your clients want lasting confidence that they’ve chosen the best partner in you.
Differentiating your durable labels through premiumization
Companies that buy durable labels for their tightly managed products, containers, equipment, or components can tell you their exact conditions of use so you can propose materials and costs. For the converter’s part, they need a deep understanding of how the right adhesives, substrates, varnishes, or other media will combine to deliver on those specific needs.
The question then is, how can premiumization — providing an exceptional product that your competitors can’t offer — become part of the production of your durable labels? Although each client’s durable label requirements may be predetermined, several factors within your control will make your durable labels more desirable than others.
Three ways your durable labels can stand out in the market
If you want your product to stand out, a deep understanding of your clients’ requirements can give you a tremendous jump start. You should be willing to share more information with them, personalize their relationship with you, and improve the ways you source and manage your media and equipment. Here is a closer look at how to deliver on those goals.
1. Engage in higher quality client discovery
Flaws in durable labels can have greater consequences than those in other types of labels. As a result, a deeper discovery is that much more important when working with clients. This is an area where durable label converters can differentiate themselves from competitors.
Specifically, they can begin by achieving a deeper understanding of their clients’ industries. Clients may be able to share their durable label specifications, but they may not always disclose their own unique challenges and goals directly. Yet understanding these aspects is the best way to ensure the information that you share fits within those contexts and demonstrates a deeper appreciation for their unique needs.
For example, a freight truck manufacturer may share specific requirements for component labels that hold up against arid desert conditions. They may not share that they also have ambitions to prepare their components for cold or wet conditions. Visualizing this possibility and preparing your own operations for those requirements demonstrates a devotion to your clients’ existing and future needs.
2. Take a boutique approach to servicing your clients
The term boutique, borrowed from the retail industry, describes a company that offers specialized, high-margin products and services to a more discerning customer base, often through personalized customer care. Durable labels are high-margin products themselves, and although you may work with a wide variety of labels, your durable label customers will benefit from a boutique approach.
As described, converters that thrive in these areas are usually highly familiar with unique segments of manufacturers. They stand out when they gain a reputation within those segments as the go-to converter for their requirements and for addressing certain business goals—such as minimizing costs, optimizing business outcomes, and maximizing efforts associated with meeting requirements that help mitigate concern.
After all, manufacturers’ durable label needs can be varied and highly specific. Much like a retailer of boutique products, converters must understand and have access to the latest adhesives, substrates, inks, and other materials, ensuring they become not just a vendor, but also a curator based on their clients’ unique business needs. This includes their choice of label press, where the right equipment can deliver the unique color quality, text resolution, readability and durability to meet clients’ existing and future business goals.
3. Improve your quality of care when managing media and equipment
Just as your clients establish criteria for the quality and hardiness of your durable labels, you must also establish criteria for those labels’ materials. That means deepening relationships with your own vendors, as well as improving the conditions under which you store and maintain your media and other materials before use.
Converters can greatly differ from one to another in terms of how they store their media. Because media often can remain unused for long periods of time, adhesives can begin to melt or ink quality may deteriorate if stored in poor conditions. Adopting best practices in this area based on your vendors’ suggestions and disclosing this information to clients can differentiate you from your competitors.
Become a more durable company
You can become a converter that provides clients with clear, positive answers to their most complicated questions. You can also be ready to deliver on those promises, through a deep understanding of your clients’ needs, closeness with your own vendors, and confidence in your own equipment and facilities.
Epson provides durable and versatile digital presses to meet these ends. Converters can execute print runs of all sizes, helping to maximize quality and control while minimizing waste. This way, you can assure your clients you’re the right partner for their durable label needs.
Want to learn more? You can visit Epson.com/SurePress any time or speak directly with an Epson SurePress expert by calling:
Western U.S. (818) 620-2730 | Central U.S. (630) 710-6005 | Eastern U.S. (615) 585-9058
