It’s 08 – Are your packaged products ready for prime time? Here are a few insightful tips to help you out.

There are many packaging issues afloat in the minds of the consumer.
We just came off the traditional “wrap rage” cycle that stirs everyone into a frenzy around the holidays. Be aware that it’s still an issue to contend with in the minds of the consumer. Clamshells, twist ties and difficult to open packages still get mileage in the media.

Packaging has many detractors. We are getting serious scrutiny from everyone in the realm of environmental sustainability, less packaging, more environmentally friendly packaging, save the earth packaging and so on. Every week I read about a new packaging crusade that is supposed to solve our environmental woes. But I have been researching for an upcoming presentation Sustainable Packaging – From Green To Great. The lack of new packaging innovation to solve the problem is quite distressing. Most of what I am seeing revolves around the same supplier using the same packaging materials. Unfortunately, a lot of it is smoke and mirrors that touts “green” but does not back it up with true sustainable documentation. There are a few good examples of innovation. In researching environmentally friendly lipstick tube examples, the results were woefully inadequate. “Cargo Plant Love Biodegradable Lipstick” was the only company I discover (with a great marketing story I might add).

So, I pose these questions to all product packaging developers. How green are you? Do you want to be? Do your consumers and your target demographic even care whether you are green or not? This is going to be one of the prime time packaging issues in 08 so you better make some serious strides in deciding what you want your product packaging to reflect.

Another key matter will be product security, integrity and product origination. (AKA – The Made in China Syndrome) Currently the Made in China tag is becoming a political hot button. One of the trends I am starting to see is a China backlash. Products made and packaged in China are coming back to the US. Some companies are using China Free on their product packaging as a marketing tool — and it’s helping sales.

People are reading labels AND scrutinizing them. What it says on that label will influence whether they buy your product or not. I just read that cloned meat will be coming on the market in a few years. At present, the FDA won’t require food makers to label that their products came from cloned animals. ICK!! I’d want to know from the product packaging and, I believe, so would most consumers. The point being is that any high profile package or product will be looked at thoroughly by consumers. What you tell them better be the right message and true.

Watchdog groups about and they are on the lookout for your product to make a mistake. Whether they deem you are marketing to an inappropriate market (EX: Spykes marketing liquor to children) or that your packaging isn’t telling the whole truth (Ex: McDonald’s and all the other fast food companies and fat content), it’s sure to become newsworthy and in the worst case scenario could seriously impact your business.

Consumers are fickle. What is a hot issue today may be gone tomorrow. However, in the interim if you are not on target with the right packaging message you may alienate them or force them to buy a competitor’s product because your packaging is not sending the right packaging message.

So, before you embark on any new packaging campaign in 08 understand and incorporate into your product packaging what the consumer wants to know about the product. Be sure your packaging is ready for prime time to the right consumer with the right marketing message.

Need to know whose got the latest concepts in packaging innovation? I know that’s what I do-track packaging trends and innovation and how it is going to impact your business. Get
connected with me JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva through my websites listed below or by phone 1-678-594 6872.

I package people, products and services. Get started in the right direction packaging anything by visiting any one of my websites for free advice, articles or just plain help. You can ask a question to a packaging expert too, list your packaging request, subscribe to my complimentary newsletter Packaging News You Can Use or just visit my website to ask me your packaging question. I *will* find your perfect packaging solution!

Personal Website: http://packagingdiva.com/

Corporate Website: http://packaginguniversity.com/

Packaging Help: http://packagingcoach.com/

JoAnn Hines (The Packaging Diva) work is featured in Package Design magazine, Shelf Impact, Webpackaging and many other packaging portals and magazines. In the months of Sept. and Oct. her packaging commentary was used in Chicago Tribune (2), Entrepreneur Magazine and Cision. She is recognized as one 50 most influential packaging leaders in the 20th Century and the founder of Women in Packaging.

A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a facial rejuvenation procedure aimed at improving the lower face and neck. There are many different approaches to facelifts with varying amounts of skin undermining and variability collection results. In this article, we will address some of the questions to ask with any facelift and some of the risks associated with all facelifts. As always, this is merely an introduction and all risks and benefits should be clearly explained by your physician before any procedure is undertaken.

The amount of aging in the face and neck and patient expectation of results will dictate the Victoria’s Secret of facelift performed. Generally,incisions for facelift procedures are performed in a way which, when healed, are barely perceptible. There are several options for incisions and it is important to ask your physician where the incisions will be – especially if you have previous surgery in the facial area. Any incision can be expected to be red for a time period – sometimes even several months – though they can generally be covered by a hairstyle or makeup after a time period. Be sure to mention to your physician if you have a history of healing abnormalities, especially keloid formation, as this can occur again after facelift surgery.

Bruising and swelling are variable after face lift surgery. Generally, the more extensive the facelift, the more bruising and swelling that occurs. The good news is that all bruising and swelling goes away. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking aspirin, other prescription blood thinners, and any herbal supplements as all of these can increase bruising.

Numbness can be expected for a time after facelift surgery. The numbness is in the area operated on and sometimes the ear as well. This is generally temporary though it can be permanent. Most, if not all of the nerves will regrow though it can take several months for sensation to return to normal. This is feeling only and does not affect the smile or other facial movement.

Depending on the extent of the facelift that is done, there is a variable risk of injuring the nerve which provides movement to most of the muscles to the face. Again, this can be temporary or possibly permanent. Even with the most extensive facelifts though, the risk is only a maximum of about 2% of the time. It is very important to speak with your surgeon about your risk of nerve injury before undergoing the procedure.

There is a possibility of changing the look of the ear as well. Depending on the facelift technique used, the ear may be pulled forward or down, though this is rather unlikely. At times, even with the best of procedures and technical operations, there is a chance of scarring which creates an earlobe which is attached to the side of the face, referred to as a pixie ear. This can be easily repaired with an additional procedure after the original facelift has healed.

As mentioned, it is very important to discuss the risks and benefits of any procedure with your surgeon before you proceed with that procedure. Be sure to tell your surgeon about any prescription or over the counter medications you are taking – including herbal supplements – as these can affect healing.

Dr. D.J. Verret is a facial plastic surgeon in Plano, Texas. He specializes in facial rejuvenation including facelifts, brow lifts, midface lifts, non surgical options, hair restoration, and rhinoplasty. His office is in Plano but he serves Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, and all of north Texas. He welcomes patients from national and international venues.

For more information about Dr. Verret, please visit his web site at http://www.innovationsfps.com or call toll free at 866-972-3223 for more information.

It was always believed that no eyewear could be made without the use of hinges and screws. Also it was believed that no eyewear could weigh amazingly, awesomely, unbelievingly…1.8 grams ONLY.

But the introduction of Titan Minimal Art Eyewear, in the last decade, a brainchild of designer Gerhard Fuchs and Silhouette Eyewear, eliminated all these notions.

Gerhard Fuchs started his research in the starting of the last decade. He wanted to reduce or eliminate the use of hinges and screws in the frames. Surely, a drastic reduction in the weight was on the mind. As a result, he, alongwith his research team, came up with the first design of Minimal Art Collection in 1992.

The temples were of course hingeless, however, the lenses were connected with a bridge. He had used copper alloy for this highly weightless eyewear.

But the invention of Gerhard Fuchs soon received a serious jolt when the consumers complained about the frequent occurrence of material-related problems. Despite taking it as a setback, the designer started searching for another potential options.

Much to the amazement, they discovered a very unique and super-elastic alloy of titanium in Japan. This discovery led to the end of material related problem, and opened the doors of a newly revised, comparatively lighter, corrosion free and durable eyewear.

Thus, in 1997, the company launched its first titanium frame series. They called it Titan Next Generation Series. It was available in “hinged temples” model.

Then, in 1999, the existing model gave way to the first screwless, hingeless and highly awaited titanium frame series weighing only 1.8 grams. The collection was named as The Titan Minimal Art.

This new “weightless” phenomenon was taken by the enthusiasts with both arms stretched wide and forward. So far the company has sold around 5 million units of Titan Minimal Art Glasses. Its collection has a range of more than 50 colors and shapes.

These eyewear. and sunglasses got a variation of takers. Many of them are Hollywood celebrities and even NASA astronauts.

Hence, it is quite clear that how this “lightest” range of glasses has made our perception changed we had about eyewear fashion. Definitely, it has set a new standard and benchmark in the field of eyewear innovations.

Buying of hand bags can be funny and tricky. To see click on Exploring Fashion…

They sound like characters from an action video game – Orange Monster, Black Samurai, White Knight – but in fact, they’re three of the hippest watches made by Seiko and are much sought-after by wealthy enthusiasts and collectors, particularly in Asia.

This may come as a surprise, but Seiko watches are gaining an image as hip and collectable. In many parts of the world, the Seiko watch brand has been seen as reliable, but unremarkable. But look closely and an exceptional story begins to emerge.

Seiko burst onto the international watchmaking scene in 1969, when it caught off-guard and almost destroyed the Swiss watch industry with the launch of the Astron, the world’s first battery-powered quartz wristwatch. The Astron was more accurate and durable than the hand-wound mechanical Swiss watches costing several times as much. Overnight, demand for mechanical watches plummeted.

Many watchmaking innovations over the past three decades are probably due to Seiko: the first quartz watch; first quartz LCD with six-digit display (hours, minutes and seconds); first calculator watch; first quartz with day and date; first quartz chronograph (date, stopwatch and alarm); first TV watch; first thermic quartz watch (powered by the wearer’s body heat); first kinetic quartz watch (powered by the wearer’s movement)… and the list goes on. Seiko watches have been at the center of watch evolution, and its influence extends far beyond watchmaking: the LCDs in your clock radio, microwave oven or CD player all owe a debt to innovations made by Seiko.

Seiko, in fact, has been the innovator of so many industry “firsts” that it’s difficult to name them all. Recently, for example, was the 40th anniversary of the first quartz chronometer, launched at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Used to time marathons, it brought unprecedented precision to sports timekeeping, being accurate to within 0.2 seconds a day. Just a few years ago saw the 10th anniversary of the world’s first kinetic chronograph, the quartz watch powered by the movement of the wearer’s wrist, thereby eliminating the need for a battery. To celebrate the event, Seiko launched the Arctura Kinetic Chronograph, which takes kinetic movements to a new level of precision, being accurate to within 15 seconds per month.

While innovation and continuity rarely go together, Seiko has both. The company, founded in Tokyo by Kintaro Hattori in 1881, is still a family business. Although part of the business is a publicly traded company, the current president of Seiko Watch Corporation is the founder’s great-grandson, Shinji Hattori, who is also the nephew of the current honorable chairman.

Given Seiko’s history of producing revolutionary products and ideas that are emulated everywhere, you might expect that it would enjoy a reputation similar to that of Apple or Sony. Yet many people don’t few even realize that Seiko is the world’s leading manufacturer of watches, selling over 14 million watches annually. It also annually sells more than 350 million quartz movements to other watch makers. Here again, Seiko has revolutionized the watch making industry. Previously, only Swiss and Japanese companies could make reliable watches. But now anybody can simply add a dial, case and strap to a Seiko quartz movement and sell it under their own brand name. Although it doesn’t want to name companies it provides movements to, Seiko’s quartz movements are at the heart of many watches sold by some of the biggest name brands in fashion and sports.

Seiko doesn’t really get the respect it deserves. The product quality is phenomenal, but there’s a misperception of their brand.

Some people believe Seiko offers too many budget-price models. Cheap, in the public’s mind, means poor quality even if that’s not the case. Also, Seiko’s watch designs change too often. Some of the best Seiko watch designs never get the chance to develop a following, whereas the best Rolex or Omega watches stay in production for 20 or 30 years. For collectors, it’s a problem, and collectors add value to brands.

One Seiko executive recently stated the company is in the process of refining its brand. “We have very strong brand awareness, with around 70 per cent recognition of Seiko as a watchmaker. But there was some confusion about the brand. The company’s pioneering history, our dedication to producing elegant watches, wasn’t really understood. We’re proud of the company, so we decided to streamline and focus the branding, and emphasize our legacy.”

Until recently, regional Seiko companies sold the brand according to local tastes. But just recently the Japanese parent, Seiko Corporation, decided to overhaul its branding and marketing strategies. The company’s position is that customer perception of the brand should be the same in Tokyo, London, Paris, New York or Sydney. That means building a brand image that conveys core values, no matter what the market. Over a period of several months Seiko has revamped its public profile, from billboard and TV advertising to in-store presentation and packaging.

So far, the strategy has been successful. In line with company expectations, Seiko is gradually being seen as a premium watch brand. Not just trustworthy and reliable, but a real status brand. Technological innovation is at the heart of company, but Seiko watches have a certain refinement that they’re trying to emphasize also.

So, how might Seiko improve its brand status? Being the largest watch company, with an excellent line of products and constant innovation, perhaps Seiko could start by being a little less modest about their product.

Watch Source Guide is a comprehensive source of information about watches for enthusiasts, or for anyone planning to purchase a watch and wants to make an informed decision. Includes sections on watch functioning, maintenance, articles and more. More information on this and other related topics can be found at http://www.watchsourceguide.com

Festina, a Swiss watch manufacturer, was established in the year 1902. It is the certified timekeeper of the Tour de France. Being over 100 years old, it comes among the leading names in Europe and also a best seller in its home country. At the moment, the Festina brand carries on its heritage of fashionable European watches with a widespread compilation of stylish, handy and sporty watches for almost every occasion.

From the period of its establishment, Festina watches have carved out a niche brand by way of an inimitable persona. Shaped in the midst of the altering generations, these watches are elegant, vibrant as well as highly efficient. Theses are genuinely meant for people who breathe their lives strongly and love to cherish every single moment through the thick and thin of life.

These watches are composed of Japanese quartz movements and other matchless, inherent features. The Mecaquartz movement, a no-battery mechanical quartz movement, is another distinguishing feature of the brand. In addition to all theses exceptional attributes, a major chunk of Festina’s watches take account of sports chronographs comprising the globally advertised Road Warrior string of chronographs.

Festina also hogged media limelight in the year 1998 through a dubious reason. The team sponsored by the Festina in the Tour de France, was trapped in a doping scandal.

Festina offers a broad product range – digital, analog, chronograph, leather, stainless steel and titanium. It truly doesn’t matter, whichever model you pick, it will have a long, lasting effect on your personality. Some particular models have pitched Festina on the top of the market and almost turned it into a monopolistic brand in the watch market. Some models are extremely adored by sports enthusiasts and from time to time, the company has come up with innovative features to give them further boost.

The Tour De France alarm watches, when rolled in the market, fuelled the competition and forced other watch producer to match its level. The brand got some rave acclaim from the competitors as well. Its status received a further boost when it launched the modified version of the brand by presenting it as Festina Tour de France Alarm Chronograph watch.

For the past 15-20 years, Festina watches have created a sort of segment for itself by touching the pulse of the watch lovers. Now, it mainly focuses on the sports range due to the growing popularity of the sporting events. It has a strong team in the form of technical support which is primarily focused on the process of innovation. Sponsoring of some professional cycling events has given it a world wide reach as well as recognition.

In the terms of marketing strategy, Festina has surpassed even some leading watch makers and still holds a reputable place. For every country, it has adopted a different set of strategies. Its association with cycling events has created a vast market for it even outside Europe. US being a large market, the company adopted an entirely different strategy for the U.S. It allowed some U.S. distributors to make merry by selling the watches through the bike shops. It provided some discount as well to boost the process and is now reaping the rewards in the form of growing demand of Festina in the US.

Zai Zhu is a watch collector and a watch dealer. Visit http://www.discountwatchstore.com to learn more about wristwatches. You can also shop over 2400 styles of fine watches including many Pulsar watches, Casio watches, Festina watches, Mondaine watches, Seiko watches, Sector watches, Movado watches, Bulova watches, Accutron watches, Wittnauer watches, Citizen watches, Invicta watches, Luminox watches as well as other brand name watches such as Adee Kaye, Corvette, Croton, Lucien Piccard, Orient, Perigaum, TW Steel, Vanceur, and Wenger.