​These days, consumers know more than average about logistics and supply chains. And not for a happy reason either -- there have been shortages of products and supplies of all types since the beginning of the pandemic, and it could be months before the market begins to loosen up. The paper and print industry is no exception.
 
But we're not here to give our customers the bad news -- we're here to offer solutions and strategies for both short- and long-term success in print marketing and packaging.

​Consumers crave an immersive experience, and what is more immersive than reality or—the latest in innovative product packaging—augmented reality.
 
With the click of a photo, shoppers can transform the otherwise ordinary packages in their hands into epic visual stories that have the power to reinforce brand identity, spice up plain paperboard and brown boxes, and familiarize consumers with the product in their hands.

​The humble beverage box has a great big job. With continued emphasis on direct-to-consumer and online sales, wine, spirits and beer packaging must tell a story from the pages of a catalog, on social and websites, as well as jump off the shelves at member warehouses like Costco and tiny corner markets. All that, and the package must ensure the beverage arrives home in perfectly drinkable condition.

​We can all agree on the winner of this pandemic -- pets.
K9 Magazine reports that “Covid-19 surged the trend for pet ownership with 12% adults with children under the age of 18, adopting pets because of the pandemic, compared with 8% of all adults. 

In the December issue of Brand Experience Packaging Magazine, Carlson Print Group shined the light on its new Specialty Print Kit that inspires designers and elevates brands. High-end techniques and finishes that were once cost-prohibitive are now available to businesses of all sizes that want to entice new customers or dazzle current ones. Created with eco-friendly paperboard, Carlson’s premier packaging options meet the consumer preference for light-on-the-Earth boxes with heavy-on-the-fabulous finishes.

​Carlson Print Group will be awarded eight honors for excellent and innovative print projects at the Print Industry Midwest 2021 Star Awards Banquet on June 17 in downtown Minneapolis.
 
CD Packaging for “Heartbreak Weather,” the second studio album by Irish singer Niall Horan, garnered Best of Category in T-2 Media Packaging. This award signals a level of craftsmanship unsurpassed by any other entry in the category. 

​Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO provides the definitive advantage of high quality, color consistency, embellishments, speed, and quick changeovers.
 
Carlson Print Group is utilizing its new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO press as its centerpiece work-horse machine in the quest to elevate packaging design and printing. It provides customers with the definitive advantage of high quality, color consistency, embellishments, speed, and quick changeovers.

​That box your lipstick comes in? Sure, it’s for shipping and shelving. But -- most importantly -- that box sells the lipstick inside.
 
Whether playful, intriguing, or luxurious, the outside of the package reflects the product inside. The perfect package design for your personal care brand is one that immediately expresses its identity and value. Four concepts are trending strong in 2021.

​Candy and confectionery packaging come into focus around Valentine's Day, but companies strive to make their product stand out year-round. And with more delicious competition from boutique and premium snack makers every year, it's the packaging that sets the best apart.

Video and board game packaging is crucial to sales and setting customer expectations
As long as there have been people, there have been games. Of course, game packaging came along much later with the advent of the retail environment and then the online marketplace. Today, the box the game comes in is as essential to the buyer experience as the game itself.