Wine Bottle Labels

My garage floor needs sealing — but how do I do that? The floor of your garage is regularly exposed to intense corrosion and deterioration due to road salt, oils, and other auto fluids. Sealing your garage floor reduces dust and makes sweeping and cleaning easier. A clear acrylic concrete sealer protects the concrete in your garage from damage and stains. Also, these same sealers can be used on concrete walks, driveways, or as a primer under acrylic and polyurethane floor paints. You should use caution when and where you apply a sealer, because they can not be applied over paint or other coatings.

In order to do the sealing yourself you will need several tools and materials: protective clothing, goggles, neoprene rubber gloves, a stiff brush and a bucket, a paintbrush, a cartridge-style respirator with organic-vapor and small-particle filters, a paint roller with extension handle and tray, medium nap roller cover, a concrete degreaser, and, of course, some concrete sealer. Usually 1/2 gallon of sealer covers approximately 100 square feet.

Before sealing, you must clean the floor, as it must be free of dirt, grease, and oil. To do this you should use a stiff scrub brush to apply cleaner and concrete degreaser according to the instructions on the labels of those products. Allow the solution to lie on the floor for 15 to 20 minutes (more for stubborn stains) after you finish scrubbing. After this, you should rinse the floor thoroughly with clear water. You may need more than one application — possibly several.

Some concrete sealers contain hazardous chemicals that are harmful to the skin and eyes and the vapors are not safe to breathe. The vast majority, however, are acrylic. The best way to avoid damage to your eyes, skin, and lungs is to wear protective equipment including goggles, neoprene rubber gloves, and a respirator with both organic-vapor and solid-particle filter cartridges. During the process of sealing the floor you must continuously ventilate the garage. Open all doors and windows — using a fan would also be a great idea.

After cleaning and drying the concrete, it’s time to apply the sealer. You should test the sealer in an inconspicuous area before applying it. If there is any uneven density in the concrete, it may result in a light/dark appearance that you may or may not find objectionable. Using the medium-nap paint roller with the extension handle is the easiest way to apply the sealer. Start in a rear corner, and continue to work your way out of the garage. Before doing anything else, you must allow the sealer to dry as indicated by the instructions on the sealer bottle, usually for a few hours. For a driveway, the procedure is essentially the same, but it is quicker to use a garden sprayer to apply the sealer if you are applying it to a large driveway. You should act with extreme caution not to over-spray onto other material due to the high risk of staining.

Daniel Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/sealing-a-garage-floor-92175.html

A label is an identity of a product. Labels are used for product identification, name tags, advertising, warnings, and other communication. There are various types of label according to materials. But Plastic label is stronger and more durable than other kinds of labels.

Special types of labels called digital labels can also have special applications such as RFID tags, security printing, and sandwich process labels.

Why use plastic label:

1. Synthetic plastic label is strong and durable, even in extended exposure to sun, heat, cold and wind. It withstands extreme temperatures (from -100°F – 270°F, -56°C – 104°C)

2. Water and chemical resistant for harsh environments and resists tearing, puncturing and weathering.

3. Can be sewn or glued without losing strength.

4. FDA direct food contact approved. Resists fading for long-lasting colors.

5. Resists rot and mildew, perfect for outdoor use

6. Reasonably priced and easy to print

There are various types of synthetic labels such as-Recyclable, Apparel Tags & Labels, Automotive Labels, Barcode Tags & Labels, Brick Tags & Labels, Carpet Label (Sew-in), Chemical Drum Labels, Compliance Labels ,Law Labels, Pharmaceutical Labels, Pressure Sensitive Labels, Weather-Resistant Labels, etc.

Uses of different types of synthetic labels:

Data flex Synthetic label: This is the only synthetic label you can use with an inkjet printer – and it’s weatherproof too! The ink doesn’t run, because the softer porous surface of the label absorbs the ink. Because of its flexible nature it’s available in a limited number of shapes.

Starburst Synthetic Labels: Starburst shaped labels are used for displays – in vibrant fluorescents and colors, soft tints, or cool whites. Use gold or silver foil stars for school merit certificates.

Oval Synthetic Labels: Oval labels can add an interesting touch to your project or product. They are ideal for labeling such things as cosmetics.

Bottle & Other Synthetic Labels: You can use this label on bottle. These labels are designed to look right on bottles. bottle labels are available in every material and every color.

Media – CD/ DVD Synthetic Labels: It is used on CDs, DVDs, Audio cassettes, Video tapes.

The cost of synthetic labels is not that much greater than paper but often gives a better finish as well as being longer-lasting. These labels can be plain or printed and are produced in various formats such as rolls for thermal transfer printing and sheets for laser printing.

David Worgan
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/usages-of-plastic-or-synthetic-label-714663.html

Bottled water, a multi-billion dollar industry, is growing rapidly. Today more people, approximately 68 percent of consumers, are drinking bottled water. Because of this, bottled water sales are increasing to the tune of nearly 10 percent per year. Americans consumed 8.25 billion gallons in 2006. On average, consumption increased by over 2 gallons per capita to 27.6 gallons.

Many consumers use bottled water thinking it is safer than tap water, which is not necessarily true. The truth is many bottled waters, approximately 25 percent, are nothing but tap water that has been processed and packaged.

Many bottled waters are high in quality, and yet, bottled water may not be the safer alternative. Fact is, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA regulations are similar to the Environmental Protection Agency regulations on tap water. Currently, the EPA only requires testing for 114 contaminants of the 260 contaminants detected in tap water. The regulations on bottled water are lacking in many respects. For instance, bottled water which is processed and sold in the same state may not be regulated at all.

The Natural Resources Defense Council recently completed a study on 1000 bottled waters and found that 17 percent exceeded unenforceable sanitary guidelines for microbiological purity. They also concluded that most bottled water is no cleaner or safer than tap water. Some bottled waters were found to contain chemical or biological contaminants. 40 percent of the water tested was found to be of good quality.

The source of bottled water comes into question also. Do not be misled by the advertising. The question is – is it really from a sparkling mountain stream, a local tap water supplier, or from a well? Read the fine print on the label. If it states “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system” the source is derived from tap water. Just because the label has a picture of a mountain stream does not mean that was the source.

For example, the NRDC located a bottled water company which produces bottled water from a well located in the middle of an industrial warehouse facility and next to a state-designated industrial waste site in Millis, Massachusetts. The bottled water produced from this facility was found to be contaminated with industrial solvents including trichloroethylene at levels above EPA and FDA standards. At least one of the brands produced there displayed labels with a picture of a beautiful lake and mountain scene.

One thing for sure is, no matter what the source, if water is not properly treated for bacteria and filtered for contaminants it is not safe to drink.

Bottled water is expensive, averaging approximately $2.85 per gallon. The smaller the bottle, the more expensive it is by volume.

More money is spent on packaging, labeling, and marketing of bottled water than the production itself.

Point of use water filters are a more economical, cost effective, and convenient choice. High quality water filters can reduce many contaminants of health concern to a high degree, are more convenient, and produce better drinking water than most bottled water.

For more information concerning our drinking water

see the water today page at http://www.supremedrinkingwatersolutions.com

Other sites of interest are:

http://www.epa.gov

http://nrdc.org

http://cdc.gov

http://ewg.org

Patti Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/bottled-water-sales-soar-137367.html

The human body needs hydration 24/7 to stay healthy, fit and vivacious. It’s not just about quenching thirst; water also flushes out the harmful toxins that accumulate in our body throughout the day. But consumption of water has taken a new turn with the market-capture of bottled water about a decade ago. There was a time when tap water ruled. But gradually, as people became more health- and brand-conscious, bottled water replaced tap water.

Bottled water is nothing but spring or mineral water in sealed containers. People generally assume that bottled water is safer than the municipality tap water. It’s in fact true to a large extent as bottled water manufacturing is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any evidence for providing adulterated or misbranded products can result in serious consequences for the manufacturer.

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has reported a record consumption of bottled water recently. Given this huge demand, it’s no wonder that you’d now find bottled water in almost every supermarket, convenience store or in a vending machine. And what’s more interesting is the war of the brands in this industry all raring to topple the other off to get the dollars themselves.

Branding is a part of our everyday lives, be it sports, publishing, event management, tours and travels or anything. Bottled water is no exception. People tend to go for reliable and well-known brands to ensure safety of their water, or in other words, they drink their brand. And that’s the norm today!

To take the saga of bottled water consumption a step forward, a new business is doing the rounds—the business of producing custom labeled bottled water. It’s nothing but creating your own brand. At work, after a sweaty workout or just about anytime, men and women would reach out for their favorite brand. It’s then that a custom label comes into play.

Many organizations, clubs, institutes and others customize their own brands today for purposes more than one—for retailing in gyms, cafes, schools, clubs, food joints, hotels, stadiums, etc. or to market as a give-away at corporate events, weddings, shows and other events. Some even order for custom labels in bottled water to start a proprietary brand in the market. Take it or leave it, a brand makes a difference. There are thousands of branded bottled waters available in the stores today; some market their fizz, while others their flavors.

But no matter where or when you grab your trusted brand, always check a few safety criteria. Never buy bottles with broken seals. Discard buying if there are materials floating in the bottle. Avoid being duped by impressive labels and always check the manufacturing date, best-before-date, chemical composition, manufacturer’s contact number, location, etc.

Wain Roy
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/drink-your-brand-the-water-order-of-the-day-145051.html

All firms need to establish a strong brand in order to effectively compete with and be distinguished from other companies similar to theirs. A strong brand allows individual ideals that convey the durability and power of the company, its products and service offerings, in addition to showing how its offering is distinctive from other products; it clearly expresses features and benefits that appeal to the marketplace and individual customers.

The companies that produce a clear statement about the strengths of their respective brands generally enjoy greater overall success in business.

A strong brand will achieve a number of results. The brand name will identify the products or services offered and will classify the quality of these offerings in the marketplace. Additionally, the core values of the product and firm should be evident and the mission and specialty of the company should be clearly defined. The net result of brand creation should be an expression of the personality and character of the firm and a representation of the quality of the product offering.

Product and Service Branding:

Branding, which is not only limited to products, allows for individual service firms to often act as aggressive branders. Successful service providers are those that identify a need in the marketplace and develop a message that appeals to the market; this message identifies how the firm is best able to add value to the marketplace.

Objectives of a product are exceedingly important in that the objective of the message is to target prospective customers on an emotional level and provide reassurance that the brand will be strong and credible and will deliver with success. After the message is successfully transmitted, the potential customer should be motivated to buy and, if the message is powerful enough, brand loyalty should be established.

Sell on Quality Not on Price:

Studies have shown that companies that compete solely on price are almost guaranteed to fail. No matter how much firms discount their prices in order to capture the sale, in a price cutting environment there will always be another player willing to reduce prices even lower to maintain the level of competition. The result of price cutting is that all firms in the market run the risk of selling below cost and, if cut rate continues, bankruptcy is a high possibility.

Companies that prosper in a market are those that can clearly distinguish their offering from those of the competition. Most effective are those that develop a clear message of the benefits of their product/service offering. Development of a clear message requires an analysis of the strengths of the firm and strategic thinking as to the portion of a market that the firm wants to capture. Following the creation of the branding message, decisions are required to promote the brand most effectively in the marketplace.

Broadcast the Message:

A brand message that is not properly delivered is a misuse of time and resources. Even the best and most efficient brand message fails if it is not marketed correctly to potential customers and businesses. Nevertheless, care must be exercised when promoting a brand because promotion is expensive and extremely unpredictable.

There are many avenues to properly promote a brand, some being more effective than others.

The options for promotion range from print, radio and television advertising to private mailers and public relations. Each of these techniques varies in price and effectiveness and generally requires multiple exposures to be successful. Many companies dedicate substantial resources to brand promotion using traditional techniques and advertising.

Public promotion budgets often represent a substantial portion of a company’s operating budget. For smaller firms traditional promotion can be a tremendous burden often producing either limited or long term results.

Private Label Drinking Water as a Powerful Brand Builder:

A new and effective method of brand promotion is becoming very popular, particularly for small to medium sized companies with limited advertising and public relations budgets. Private label drinking water has captured the imagination of those companies wishing to convey their message in clear and lasting terms. It is bottled water that includes a custom label designed to customer specifications that convey a clear message. Private label drinking water has many uses and applications, which are as follows:

• High quality drinking water with custom designed labels suggests a long lasting message without the need for various costly exposures. Prospective customers and clients often keep individual bottles for future use where the image can be viewed repeatedly.

• Private label drinking water can be best described as portable advertising that is cost effective and conveys a sustainable message.

• Custom labels can be easily modified for specific occasions.

• Additional supplies of water can be ordered for meetings, events and public displays.

• Cost is low and water offerings can be coupled with sales opportunities at sporting and other public events.

Quality is Critical:

Any type of brand message requires a concerted effort. A low quality, substandard presentation coupled with a powerful message will fail if it is perceived to be a poor quality product. This is particularly true with private label water.

The first level of quality involves the water in the bottle. Low quality, impure water will often result in dissatisfaction and impairment of the message, therefore, the best way to ensure high quality water is to use ultra pure water that is distilled and oxygenated for highest quality and the best taste.

Next, it is imperative that the label design look professional, address all aspects of the desired message and be configured in an attractive, noticeable design. Lastly the label must be printed using a high quality, high resolution printer on laminated water proof label stock. During the creation and printing process, quality control checks are required in order to ensure the presentation of the most effective branding message.

Creating a powerful brand is critical to the success of any firm in the marketplace. The creation process is only as effective as the expression of the brand message. Many firms can either succeed or fail as a result of the perception of their brand in the marketplace; therefore, the use of private label water is a desirable tool for brand success.

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/private-label-drinking-water-126142.html

Events are an important part of corporate life. A well planned event can forcefully convey a clear corporate message and engage participants in the respective corporate culture.

Most companies and organizations hold events for a number of reasons. Company picnics, holiday parties, new product introductions, sales and planning meetings and annual shareholder’s meetings are but a few of the occasions that mark milestones of the organization. These meetings require detailed planning and resources and many organizations elect to utilize specialists in managing events.

Event planning is a complex undertaking with the coordination of vendor delivery schedules and maintaining critical timeline requirements. In addition to the logistics involved in planning the meeting most planners develop a theme that captures the essence and intent of the meeting. The theme adds continuity and acts as a reminder of the event for the future.

The Value of the Theme

A common theme brings participants together and allows the event organizers to convey a strong message about the event. The theme is usually expressed in communication and promotional material and documents related to the event. Effective communication of the theme is critical to the success of the event.

Since there are a variety of themes to choose from for any event, care must be taken to select the best theme for the occasion and to properly communicate the theme to the audience.

Promotional Items and Quality Communication

The theme is an important element of communications. A quality message, consistent with the overall theme message of the company, is required for effective communication. One aspect of communication is the use of personalized promotional items, effective banners and unique giveaways.

These items can be designed to impart an effective message and the use of high quality personalized giveaways creates a lasting impression and reinforces the event theme.

Private Label Drinking Water as an Effective Promotional Item

Private label drinking water is an ideal and powerful way to promote an event theme. Essentially private labeling allows businesses to design and develop a label with a custom message and theme and attach that label to a bottle of healthy drinking water. A result of this process is the creation and promotion of a clear message that is tailored to the event

Because of the immediate and permanent nature of the bottled water product, consumable advertising is created that leaves a lasting message in the mind of the event participant.

Some of the benefits of private labeled water include:

• A high-quality, effective and custom message.

• Messages can be modified to reflect events like corporate meetings, new product introductions and promotions.

• Individual users often carry the water with them and the event message is further extended and promoted.

• Pure water is popular and universally accepted as contributing to good health. The message of the private label effectively reaches more prospects as use grows.

• Effective cost is low and response to the event message is immediate.

• Consumable, portable advertising creates a lasting message and impression.

What to Look for in a Private Label Water Supplier

There are a number of private label water suppliers but they vary widely in the quality of their product offerings. There are three areas to investigate when choosing a supplier:

Quality of Water

Events with a large number of participants require proper hydration with water of the highest quality. High quality water in terms of health and taste is also critical for the acceptance of the theme and event message. If the water is low quality or tastes bad then the message will fail. The best quality water on the market today is purified using a distillation/ filtration/ oxygenation process that removes all impurities, including all bacteria, and creates a light, refreshing taste.

Quality of Label Design and Production

The label is the message part of the product and poor-quality labels send a poor-quality message. Production of a poor-quality label is a waste of money and adversely affects the message and theme.

It is very important to know that the vast majority (almost all) of the private label opportunities in this country come from water resellers (not bottlers) with desktop-model “thermal” (or “thermal wax”) printing devices with a quality level that cannot compare well to even consumer-grade inkjet printing devices widely available for less than $200 at your local electronics store. These label printers are very cheap in both quality and cost, typically ranging from $10-20k depending on configuration, and are widely used throughout the private label water industry because of their low cost.

In sharp contrast, a quality label, i.e., one that looks like a top-shelf brand that you might find in your local gourmet grocery store, needs to be produced with professional-quality equipment using professional-grade printing equipment. There are three types of printing equipment that can produce a high-quality label.

1. Rotary offset lithography;

2. Flexography; and

3. High-quality digital presses.

For most smaller runs (under about 10,000 units), digital equipment offered by Heidelberg or HP is the most cost effective solution, but instead of $10-20k, the minimum equipment costs for these professional solutions range from $750k to $1.25M per station.

These facts are very important to understand when choosing a private label bottler – because those who sell low-quality labels would have you believe that nothing better is available because of the short runs required by private label customers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In order to succeed, your label must be professionally designed and produced with high-quality materials using a printing process that renders a high-quality result. Waterproof lamination is also required for long lasting labels. This is easily achieved for an affordable unit cost using the right equipment for the job.

Quality of Customer Service

The design and production of private labeled drinking water is complex and requires intense interaction between the customer and supplier. Communication and a culture of customer service excellence is a prerequisite to the creation of an effective theme message and a successful event. Without a significant commitment to customer service on the part of the supplier, the impact of the theme message will fail.

Choose a quality supplier to help develop and communicate your message and to create success for the corporate event.

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/private-labeled-bottled-water-and-event-planning-126852.html

Almost every company discusses, at length, the need for customer service and the significance of supplying true excellence to its customers. However, very few actually follow through with what it takes to attain this excellence. This is particularly true in the bottled water business since not all providers share the opinion that customer service is of the utmost importance in any business.

The bottled water industry services a wide customer base with numerous companies and individual clients. The industry is characterized by a small number of very large firms and a substantial number of relatively small consumers with specific geographic niches.

The Nature of the Business:

The bottled water business consists of the manufacturing and delivery of spring or purified water in small packages or large containers such as 5 gallon bottles. The product is delivered directly to the customer’s site in either company owned delivery vehicles or through common carriers.

Each individual bottled water company provides an implicit promise to its customers that it will manufacture the highest quality product and deliver that product at the agreed upon time.

Many, Many Customers:

The customer base in the bottled water industry is very diverse and ranges from individual consumers with single bottle requirements to large multi-cooler business accounts with significant water needs. Each client has its own specific requirements, which are met by the company providing the services and product.

The Customer Service Promise and the History of the Business:
In the past, various bottled water companies have focused on process rather than customer service. Many firms acted on the belief that the delivery of a superior product completed their obligation to the customer.

However, the customer service promise includes much more than a simple delivery of a quality product and requires additional services such as on time delivery, proper pricing, responding to additional delivery requests and other specific needs. One of the most important customer responsibilities is the ability to communicate their concerns not only to the customer service departments, but also to the heads of each company.

Current Status of the Industry (The Unfulfilled Promise):

Although the bottled water industry may seem rather simple, in reality, it is a very complex business. High quality water must be produced and delivered to the customer’s location on time and as ordered. Often enough, customer requests change without warning, which is one reason why flexibility is important to the success of the bottled water company.

Frequently, the water needs of the customer exceed original expectations, which causes for shortages occur. However, in order to avoid such a situation as this, the supplier would have already invested in the communication and stock infrastructure to meet all of its clients’ demands.

For those suppliers who private label water as a means of customer advertising, the design, printing and durability of the label on the bottle is a critical factor. Therefore, companies creating labels of lesser quality in the design and printing of the labels clearly provide a substandard product to their customers.

Communication and the Customer Promise:

Many bottled water suppliers neglect the reality that proper communication channels serve as the basis for fulfilling the customer promise. An overall reliance on voicemail and/or e-mail, an inability to respond quickly to customer needs and the absence of true customer service assistance has created a negative impression of the industry for many customers.

A proper communication system has many technical elements but it should begin with a willingness to include human contact in the communication link. No customer enjoys being dropped into the voicemail void, therefore, the bottled water suppliers that continue to prosper are the companies that uphold the customer service promises and guarantee personally answered customer service calls, which they promptly use to respond to client inquiries and concerns.

Accept Responsibility and Do What It Takes to Provide Customer Satisfaction:

There are many excuses for failure to perform but the bottled water suppliers who are truly world class are those who accept responsibility and persevere with their customer satisfaction guarantees. This often includes obtaining little or no profit on a particular transaction in order to fulfill the customer service promise.

Size is not the determinant in the customer service equation. Often, smaller companies are ready, willing and able to better fulfill the customer promise.

Look for a supplier with a track record of not only achieving the customer promise but also one with a history of fulfillment of the promise.

Marcus Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/customer-service-and-the-bottled-water-industry-126931.html