How to Brief a Supplier for a Luxury Box

This is because a short, vague pitch usually results in a poor box. Not because of the supplier's fault, but because they had to fill in the holes with their own suppositions. Most packaging that came in feeling not right, just wasn't right in the first place. Let's look at what should go in the brief to make sure the box you get is the box that you had in your mind.

Don't Get the Box First, Get the Product First!

The most frequently made briefing error is to talk about the packaging before talking about the content. Talk about the product first, for all the rest follows.

Provide precise measurements, such as the dimensions of any cap, lid or protruding part. Describe the mass, and tell what the object is made from. If it's delicate, indicate where. A supplier that is familiar with the product can recommend structures you may not have thought of.

The following is a brief that begins with:

• Proper dimensions including protrusions.

• Weight of the finished product.

• Materials and any critical points.

If possible, send the actual product to be sampled. When it comes to conveying a product to a supplier, there's nothing like the real thing.

Explain What the Box Does.

Three items of packaging are different: retail shelf, shipped parcel, press gift. Suppliers need to be aware of which one you want.

Retail box should have considerations for display. A box that is to be shipped must be able to withstand stacking and handling by itself. A gift box or press emphasises the unboxing moment. It significantly influences the downstream decisions when Luxury Boxes get specified differently depending on which of these applies.

Your supplier will need to know if it will be:

• On display in a store.

• Sent out separately to the customers.

• Given as a gift or publicity item.

If it is more than one of these – state this. There is much mixed use and it has an impact on the specification.

Specify Quantity Honestly

The most important quality in driving down pricing is probably quantity and it also has an impact on the manufacturing methods that are suitable.

Give a realistic number rather than an optimistic one. Get quotes at several quantities to assess breaks. Also share whether this is a single use or a reorder as this can influence the tooling used and may alter the economics.

When writing a short, include in your short:

• An accurate quantity estimate.

• Options for alternative volumes.

• If you think you're going to reorder.

It's better for everyone to be honest about a small initial run than to order a ton more than necessary.

Write a Description of the Feel You Want.

Where briefs typically start to fall apart. They give exact dimensions and sketch the look they want to achieve with them, but then wonder why the things turned out different.

There are words that are used interchangeably, such as premium and high-end, and they have different meanings to different people. Be concrete instead. Decide if it's going to be weighty or light, warm or sleek, minimal or decorative. Use reference brands you like the packaging of, because this is quicker to convey than words.

Use the sense of touch to communicate how it feels:

• Concrete descriptions, rather than adjectives.

• Use their own examples to illustrate the principles.

• Specific thing you don't like.

Sometimes it is much better to tell a supplier in a clear way what you do not want than to tell him/her what you do want.

Make Sure You Understand Your Budget.know Your Budget.

A few brands try to conceal their price and see if they can get a better price. It tends to have more adverse consequences.

A supplier that's familiar with your budget will be able to guide you to the options that are most important to you within that budget. Without that information they either quote too high, and miss the job, or quote too low, and cut out whatever they deemed as important to you. Luxury Boxes come with several decisions and budget is the deciding factor.

Share your budget as:

• A target that makes sense, per unit.

• If applicable: Total project budget.

• What's important to you?

The useful and the true one is the last. If something were to give, what would you say?

Cover the Practical Constraints in a Natural Style While Preserving Its Meaning.

Don't send a follow up email after quoting; deadlines and logistics are in the brief. It's not something they pretend to be.It's not something that they make up for.

Provide a timeframe and indicate if it is a definite date or not. Tell the driver where the boxes are to be dropped off and if you have a place to store them. Include the dimensions if the packaging needs to be compatible with an existing carton or retail display.

Include practical details such as:

• Deadline and whether it is absolute.

• The location of delivery and storage.

• Any existing constraints to fit.

The choice of the finish varies with the deadline. Suppliers must be informed of that early on.

Offer Opportunities for Student Questions.

A brief is not like a letter you send once, it's a conversation. Questions asked and information given are equal.

Determine the recommendation and reasoning behind a board. Construction – ask them what they would do with the insert. Discuss with them their suggestions on changes to your specification. A supplier that responds to those well thought-out questions is worth their time. If someone just says, “Yeah,” they are not getting into the problem.

Useful questions include:

• What board would you recommend?

• What would you do to the insert?

• What do you want to change here?

The replies to those questions will give you an instant feel of whether you are dealing with a real manufacturer or just a ‘take it or leave it' taker.

Final Thoughts

The very first sentence of a good brief should be about the product—not the packaging—but packaging size, weight, and fragile points will determine much of the rest. It provides an explanation of its use as the box is different in retail, shipping, and gifting.

It provides an accurate amount and an actual budget, allowing the supplier to guide you wisely and not randomly. Clarifies and specifies the desired ambience through references and dislikes, not through the use of vague adjectives. It includes deadlines and delivery requirements from the outset, as they dictate what is really possible.

Then it asks questions. When it comes to Luxury Boxes, there are a lot of decisions that go into it and this is a part of its value that you are purchasing. Be succinct, ask direct questions and always ask for a sample before committing to a full run. The extra time required to write a good brief is worth more than it takes to write!