One of the benefits of selling labels — all types of labels — is that they are among the few printed products that cannot be replaced with digital versions. You cannot replace a warning label on a toxic chemical with a QR Code leading to an online video, for example, or the security tape spanning the edge of a electrical panel with a digital watermark. There are some applications for which a physical label — including high-profit labels — will always be required, making labels one of the most stable product categories to sell. Because these labels also require a high level of expertise, they are also highly profitable to sell.
Here are 9 types of high-profit labels that you should be familiar with so that, every time you walk into an account, you can have an eye out for new, profitable opportunities.
1. Warning Labels
These are labels that, as their name indicates, warn people of potential dangers or hazards. Most often, we see them on products that contain harmful chemicals or that could be dangerous if used incorrectly. Warning labels could be something as “simple” as a skull and crossbones on a bottle of rat poison to a highly technical GHS label applied to a chemical storage tank that needs to remain legible for three months submerged in seawater.
What are important questions to ask when selling warning labels?
- What type of danger or hazard needs to be conveyed?
- Who will see the label? Will it need to be visible from a distance? Up close?
- What is the size and shape of the label?
- What is the substrate onto which the label will be applied?
- How long does the label need to last?
- What governmental regulations (if any) need to be met?
Warning labels can be sold into a wide variety of vertical markets, including but not limited to:
- Automotive (anti-freeze, brake fluid)
- Chemical production and storage
- Household cleaning supplies
- Lawn and garden products
- Medical and dental offices and laboratories
Next time you’re in one of your accounts, look around. What products are they producing for which you could be selling warning labels and aren’t? Can you consolidate their business so that they are using only one supplier — you?
2. Security Labels
These labels are designed to deter theft and help businesses keep track of inventory. Examples include holographic labels, which are extremely difficult to replicate; tamper-evident VOID labels that, if removed, leave the word “VOID” behind; and self-destructing labels that shred when removed, leaving tangible evidence of tampering. Security labels may also contain barcodes or other tracking information that can be used to identify the product if stolen.
Security labels are often used in retail settings to reduce theft, but they can also be used for many other applications, such as keeping track of computers, printers, and other equipment in office environments, and application to rented or leased products (such as tools and construction equipment) to ensure that the correct tools and equipment are returned and in the contracted condition.
What are important questions to ask when selling security labels?
- What type of security do you need the label to provide? Anti-tampering? Anti-counterfeiting? Anti-theft?
- What is the size and shape of the label?
- What substrate will the label be applied to?
- How difficult should the label be to remove once it is applied?
3. Prime Labels
Prime labels are applied primarily to packaging (including bottles and cans) to identify and market the product and to promote company branding. These products are ordered by the marketing department and can be as simple as a company logo or as complex as a multi-color, embossed labels with special finishes.
Because prime labels require an understanding of four-color (plus) process, brand colors, and a variety of coatings and finishes, they are more akin to commercial printing than they are the types of labels most distributors are used to selling. While this might seem intimidating for some distributors, prime labels are worth learning about because they open the door to a new world of opportunity—an entirely new department within your accounts (marketing) and all of the new products that this relationship brings.
If you are already selling other types of labels into an account, the ability to sell prime labels gives you the opportunity to offer to bring all of that account’s labels under one roof.
4. Weatherproof Labels
These labels are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, such as high winds, rain, and snow. (These labels are a subset of durable goods labels.) Weatherproof labels are used on products that are sold outdoors, such as lawn and garden equipment, or that are exposed to the elements, such as boats and RVs. Clients can also use waterproof labels to help keep track of their inventory.
What are important the most important questions to ask when selling waterproof labels?
- What weather conditions will the label be exposed to?
- How long is the label required to last? (Waterproof labels can last for years if properly cared for.)
- What is the size and shape of the label?
- Where will the label be applied? Products? Packaging? Signage?
What types of businesses need weatherproof labels? Any business that sells products exposed to the elements. Start by targeting industries such as:
- Outdoor recreation
- Lawn and garden
- Boating
- RVing
- Hiking and camping
- Growers
- Nurseries
- Landscapers
- Companies shipping products via UPS, FedEx, or other delivery services.
5. Equipment Asset Tags
These tags are used to track and manage equipment assets. Asset tags often contain barcodes or other tracking information that can be used to identify equipment that has been lost, stolen, or misplaced.
Who do you target? Any business that owns or manages equipment. This includes, but is not limited to, companies in industries such as:
- Construction
- Warehousing
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
- Rentals
6. Drum Labels
These labels are used to identify drums and other containers that hold hazardous materials. Drum labels often contain warnings about the contents of the container, as well as the name and contact information of the company that owns the drum. These labels are required by law and are highly regulated. Drum labels are also highly technical products that cannot be sold by just anybody. Getting the right match between the type of container, the label material, and the adhesive is like putting together a puzzle. The good news is that, when working with Wise, you don’t need to know the the chemistry required to produce a great drum label. That’s our job. You do the selling. Then leave the rest to us.
What types of businesses need drum labels? Any business that uses drums or other containers to hold hazardous materials, including:
- Chemical manufacturing
- Oil and gas
- Hazardous waste disposal
- Mining
7. Placard Labels
Sometimes there are substrates that are just plain hard to attach a label to. Totes for automotive parts or trade show booth components come to mind. If you try to use a regular label on these surfaces, they will fall off. You then have two choices: cover that offending label with super sticky tape or use a label with adhesive aggressive enough to adhere firmly. The latter, while fixing the problem in the short-term, has a downside. Highly aggressive adhesives tend to leave a residue that is very difficult to remove.
Your accounts are most likely very familiar with this sticky residue. What they may not be as familiar with is the solution to this problem, which is the placard label.
Placard labels have a very aggressive adhesive that will stay attached to pretty much any substrate for an extremely long time and are designed so that someone can place another label on top — and that label can be removed and replaced as many times as desired. If a client has a tote headed to a trade show, for example, they place the label over the placard label for use during that show. When the show is over, they remove the over-label, and when they are ready to use the tote for another purpose, they place a new label over top of the placard label and they are good to go.
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Click here to read our case study on placard labels.
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8. RFID Labels
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID labels have tiny computer chips and antennae that communicate with an RFID reader using radio waves. The RFID tag contains information about the item it is attached to.
RFID tags are used in situations in which the company needs to track and manage inventory. For example, a company that manufactures tires may place an RFID tag on each tire. The company can then use a handheld reader to read the tags, and the location of each individual tire can be individually tracked. RFID labels can also be used for security purposes to deter theft and help companies recover stolen property.
What types of businesses need RFID? Any business that needs to track, monitor, and manage inventory. This includes companies in the following industries:
- Construction
- Warehousing
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
- Retail
9. Barcode Labels
These labels are used to track and manage inventory. They contain tracking information that can be used to identify the products if they are lost or stolen. (Think “RFID labels without the RF.”)
Barcode labels can be applied to every type of product on the market today. As just a few examples:
- Food and beverage products
- Electronic devices
- Clothing
- Books
- CDs and DVDs
- Auto parts
- Package shipments
For these labels, like so many others, proper sizing and clear printing are essential to avoid any errors during the barcode scanning process.
This does not exhaust the different types of labels that are out there to be sold, but it should be a reminder that labels are a very diverse group of products. Every account needs some or all of these label types, and if you are selling one type into your accounts, you may very well be able to sell one or more of the others, as well. So be proactive and creative about seeing how many types of labels you can sell into each of your accounts . . . and be sure that you aren’t leaving money on the table.
Need some ideas? Contact us and let’s talk about it!
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