Remember that there are lots of considerations other than aesthetic appeal and budget when it comes to choosing the packaging for your CD or DVD. You can actually use any kind of case for your project but be ready to have some productions and shipping mishaps, delays, and big expenses. There are reasons why some packages work best with certain projects and why some industries require certain packages.
Before browsing catalogs of CD cases and choosing the first one that catches your eye, you have to know three things.
#1 You have to know your brand
Are you a fun, humorous, sarcastic, straightforward, bubbly, exclusive, or notorious? What traits do you have as a brand/individual? What other characteristics do you want to imbibe? Knowing your brand is very necessary in choosing the look of your project. Your branding should show in your product’s packaging.
#2 You have to know your market
It’s just awkward to give cheap colored cases to executives during product presentations. If you’re a ‘fun,bubbly’ company yet you are targeting professionals, make your artwork and copy bubbly but still imbibe a ‘professional’ appeal. Maintain the balance between your branding and the target market of your product.
#3 You have to know the objective of your project
What are you going to do with the CDs/DVDs? Is it for a tradeshow, conference, or for a mailing campaign? Each of these have specific cases that work best for them.
For Tradeshows and Giveaways:
Unless you are the richest man in the world, you want to spend as little as possible for your giveaways and handouts. The main objective for tradeshow handouts is to reach a lot of people. Between quality and quantity, quantity weighs more when it comes to these types of projects.
We recommend disc jackets, eco wallets and eco digipacks for giveaways and tradeshow handouts. These packages are more economical than other cases yet they won’t ruin your brand since they look decent enough to convince recipients that you’re a good company. Choosing these packages will also save you lots of time since they only require less artwork. Less production time= less money spent.
For Retail:
If you plan to sell your CDs or DVDs whether online or in physical stores, then you have to choose cases that are retail ready. These projects may take more time during production than others because they have lots of legal and technical requirements like barcodes, logos, etc. The artwork should also be given more attention since people want to get their money’s worth. You should also bear in mind that you are competing with “free” digital media so you better offer them something that cannot be downloaded- a beautiful artwork that’s worth buying.
For retail, Your choices are jewel cases and digipacks. These are the 2 cases most retail stores recommend. They find it easy to store, ship, and display. If you plan to have a custom-designed package for your album or film, then you have to inquire the retail stores if they sell albums with custom packages and how much they charge. You should also ask your distributor regarding this matter.
For Marketing Presentations:
If you plan to burn copies of your audio-visual presentation and give them to your prospects during your talk, then we suggest you put your discs in presentation folders. Presentation folders can accommodate discs, handouts, and other supplementary printed pieces. This will make your prospects happy since they won’t have to carry lots of promotional stuff separately. They may even put their other items (such as IDs, other handouts, pencils) in the folders.
For a Mailing Campaign:
Self mailers and eco-wallets are the best choices for mailing campaigns. These packages comply with the strict regulations imposed by the post office. If you mail in these packages, you will have no additional fees for processing because it is their standard for mailing discs. They charge no additional fees because these cases are compatible with the post office’s automated system.
I hope this article will help you decide the best case for your project. Just hit us up if you need some advice. Good luck!
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD/vinyl and merch company in LA.
