Situation Summary
After meeting with a prospective customer at the ILMA ENGAGE conference in San Diego in April 2019 to discuss printing private labels on-demand, they expressed the need to have full color, print-on-demand labeling capability for a new business as well as for current lines of business. The prospective customer was applying labels to large containers by hand and auto-applying product labels to small containers.
Previously, they ran pre-printed labels through a single-color, Zebra thermal transfer printer to add variable data. This method, while workable, had built-in limitations such as high minimum order quantities and long lead times for pre-printed labels, and no graphic or marketing flexibility for new product labels and private label marketing samples. Challenges associated with adopting a full color print-on-demand solution included identifying label generation software with the capability to import label data and ERP content.
Challenges
- Label generation software and ERP connectivity
- Marketing and Operations teams requiring CMYK mock up label roll samples to present to private label prospects
- Label cost analysis for various label materials and per-print costs for different private labels for negotiations with new private label prospects
- March/April 2020 implementation schedule for acquired business
- COVID-19 lockdown during implementation
Solutions and Success!
- Brandywine provided an on-site Epson C6500A printer demonstration of Brandywine Prime™ product labels (glossy paper) and BS5609 synthetic Poly-Twin® EP™ highly durable film label stock – C6500A prints on both media types.
- Brandywine coordinated technical resources for BarTender labeling software allowing label art content integration for private labels.
- Brandywine provided ink and label production cost comparisons using Epson’s ink cost calculator so customer could present their private label customers and prospects with value choices.
- When COVID-19 travel restrictions occurred in March 2020 during customer implementation, Brandywine delivered virtual printer installation support and training.
- Customer successfully implemented two Epson C6500A printers March 2020 and added a third C6500A printer in June, replacing their Zebra thermal printers. They are now processing orders for private label customers on both Brandywine Prime™ Glossy paper and BS5609 synthetic Poly-Twin® EP™