Must Have Beauty Product???

Following is an except from a column in a personal care trade magazine:

Beauty Essentials
Finally, can you guess what beauty product consumers just can do without when they’re out of the house? Lipstick? Foundation? Close, but not quite.

Marie Claire magazine asked about 20,000 readers what their must-have beauty solution is at the office. Surprisingly, 48% cited lip balm as the must-have product, with hand cream a distant second. According to Marie Claire, seven out of 10 people use lip balm every day and most have three or four products at a time.

“They pull it out between one to 12 times a day, so why not a product that is so accessible and so affordable?”

Of course, some formulas are more affordable than others. Balms can be purchased at a drugstore for about a buck, or you can buy Crème de la Mer  “The Lip Balm” for $55. Most formulas are intended to moisturize lips, but some of the newer products contain mildly abrasive agents to exfoliate lips.

The popularity of the stuff has led to question, “Can you  become addicted to lip balm?” No, not in a physiological sense, say experts, but lip balm can become an emotional crutch.

“Applying lip balm soothes the lips, feels good, and is often comforting which can help deal with stress or anxiety,” noted one dermatologist.

Brrrrrrrrrr

It's not quite 127 degrees below zero, but 15 degrees below zero is dangerously cold.  Luckily we have lip balms to help keep our lips from getting too chap in this second round of "polar vortex" weather.  We can supply your business with a variety of lip balms that you can hand out to customers...they will think of you everytime they use the lip balm....hmmmm, that's better than a business card!

Jump Around...

Our lip balms are traveling again.  We made an appearance at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.  Unfortunately a resounding "Jump Around" rendition between the third and fourth quarters wasn't enough to help our Badgers on to victory.  At least the weather was nicer in Florida than Wisconsin!

This is the Season & Reason for Lip Balm

Winter officially begins this upcoming weekend, Saturday, December 21^st.  It’s also the start of Bowl Season in college football, with 35 bowl games from December 21^st through January 6^th.  Not to mention the “professional teams” have their big match-up on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2^nd.  The more intriguing discussion is not necessarily the teams slated for the game or what the final score and outcome will be?  Rather, it’s about the weather and what a possible Nor’easter might do to the eastern corridor as it prepares for the biggest game of the year. 

As preparations continue to be made for each and every bowl game, a recent Associated Press post noted that, “ticket holders entering MetLife Stadium will receive a gift bag.  Inside are a seat cushion, muffler, ski gaiters, three pairs of hand-and-foot warmers, lip balm and a package of tissues.”  That’s right—Lip Balm.  Lip balm in a swag bag.  It works for me.  Actually, you will find lip balm in many swag bags across our nation during bowl season and beyond.  Allure magazine mentioned several different styles of lip balms to be included in swag bags leading up to Fashion Week in New York City. 

So, no matter what bowl game you might be privilege to attend—hopefully in a warmer place minus the wintery conditions.  One thing to remember this season—that’s right—lip balm.  Whether (weather) the outdoor conditions are “frightful” or you happen to have the luxury of soaking up the sun.   Look for the soothing protection and comfort of lip balm. 

Now, where is my swag bag?  Oh yea, it will be at the Capital One Bowl—Wisconsin vs. South Carolina in Orlando.  I better make sure that my lip balm is SPF30.  This is the Season.    

IT'S COLDER THAN...

As we prepare for the deep freeze over the next few days, it's hard enough to smile when the temperature dips. But don't make it worse by neglecting your lips, which are especially vulnerable in winter because they don't contain oil glands.  To keep them soft and prevent chapping, keep them moisturized. And don't forget that they're susceptible to sunburn.  Broad Spectrum SPF 15 or 30 will protect your lips from the sun.

What will you give?

A simple question, yet, an impactful response.   

With so much discussion of Black Friday and Cyber Monday following a Day of Thanksgiving—our thoughts recently turned on this Tuesday to: “What will you give?”

Well, our staff here at Alliance Packaging Group, Inc., was quick to answer and responded through action on that very important question.  Through Tuesday, December 3, 2013, our efforts and community involvement reaches locally with useful lip balm samples and donations to the Saukville American Legion and a local bank to share with participants at an annual run/walk.  On a larger scale, our products, (i.e. – lip balms, hand sanitizers and sun screen) were included in care packs that are often shared with the homeless in Milwaukee through the tireless work of Mr. Bob’s “Under the Bridge” program—which was started back in 2007.  In addition, we continue to support the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Balance Inc., North Texas Rehabilitation Services, Ozaukee County National Night Out, Advocates of Ozaukee County and Celebrate Grafton, Family Sharing of Grafton and Saukville Community Food Pantry.  Yes, a small sampling of giving back, but, on this #GivingTuesday™, it is our way to make mention on how WE GIVE and IMPACT our communities. 

What will you give? 

Have a great #GivingTuesday—EVERYDAY!

Used to be Lincoln logs, now it's LinkdIn blogs

Blogging about the blog itself today.

We quietly are celebrating our 5000 visitor to our blog.  This milestone as encouraging while disconcerting.  Encouraging because we are capturing some eyeballs in this experimental stage of using the medium to deliver a message.  Disconcerting in the lack of a focused voice for this blog.  We are as spinning top and you never know where you will land.

We started to blog with out a road map but rather an inclination.  As big believers in road maps and goals, it was hard to suggest an achievable or believable goal.  Maybe by 6000 visitors we can sort it out and develop a plan.  In the meantime as we once played with Lincoln logs, we now play with LinkedIn Blogs!

The Pied Piper

It is OK to be MADE in th USA!

Made in USA Makes Comeback as a Marketing Tool

01/22/2013

Oliver St. John
January 21, 2013

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It's becoming downright American to make stuff in America.

Small manufacturers, craftsmen and retailers are marketing the Made-in-USA tag to score do-gooder points with consumers for employing stateside, says Margarita Mendoza, founder of The Made in America Movement, a lobbying organization for small manufacturers.

It's working: Over 80% of Americans are willing to pay more for Made-in-USA products, 93% of whom say it's because they want to keep jobs in the USA, according to a survey released in November by Boston Consulting Group. In ultra-partisan times, it's one of the few issues both Democrats and Republicans agree on.

When considering similar products made in the U.S. vs. China, the average American is willing to pay up to 60% more for U.S.-made wooden baby toys, 30% more for U.S.-made mobile phones and 19% more for U.S.-made gas ranges, the survey says.

Now Wal-Mart wants a piece of the action. The behemoth, embroiled over the past year with worker protests and foreign bribery investigations, pledged recently to source $50 billion of products in the U.S. over the next 10 years, says Wal-Mart spokesman Randy Hargrove. They're not alone. Mendoza says both Caterpillar and 3M have also made efforts to source more in the U.S.

"Regardless if this is a PR ploy or not, it doesn't matter. A lot more people will look for the Made-in-USA tag," she says, adding that, considering Wal-Mart's size, $5 billion a year is only "a drop in the bucket," for the retailer whose 2012 sales reached almost $444 billion.

Kyle Rancourt says his American-made shoe company, Rancourt & Co., hit it big as concern over U.S. jobs mounted when the recession hit in 2009. But he says he lies awake at night worrying if Made-in-USA is just a passing fad.

"It's inevitable that times will change," Rancourt says. "But I am still holding out hope that this has become a core value of our country."

Mendoza says that if buying American turns out to be a passing fad, the country is in trouble.

"If they don't understand the economic factor, we need to pull on their heartstrings," she says. "The thought of having a country like China taking over, that alone is bone-chilling."

But do folks care enough about U.S. manufacturing jobs to permanently change the way they shop? David Aaker, vice chairman of brand consulting firm Prophet, says the companies that get the most credit for being American, such as Apple and Cisco, don't even source products in the U.S.

"I don't think it matters unless it becomes visible," Aaker says. "The most common way for that is if something bad happens, like if Nike gets some press about conditions in factories overseas."

But Rancourt says his customers believe foreign-made shoes lack the soul of their American counterparts.

"There's hundreds if not thousands of workers working on those factories. They do one specific job, maybe put an eyelet into a specific place," he says. "They don't have an idea or concept of a finished product and how that should look."



Just watch out for phony Made-in-USA claims. It's illegal to claim a product is U.S.-made unless both the product and all it's components are sourced in the U.S. Even products that could imply a phony country of origin with a flag or country outline are verboten. Julia Solomon Ensor, enforcement lawyer at the Federal Trade Commission, says the FTC gets "several complaints each month about potentially deceptive 'Made-in-the-USA' claims."

It sets a bad example. Mendoza says the U.S. needs to let kids know it's OK to work in manufacturing. "Not all children are going to grow up to be dentists, and lawyers, and investment bankers."

A Real Snow Bird

Rare sighting this morning outside the Pied Piper window, a Snow Bird!  Look carefully in the middle of the photo, a small nest with a little snow bird resting peacefully.  And you  thought they had all escaped to the South or South West for the winter!  Not sure what the lab can come up with to protect that little birdie form unwanted sun!
The Pied Piper

Steel Drum Beat

Drum Island!  We make sweet music with our drums. We tap out the rhythm of American Made Products every day here in Wisconsin.  The song of Industry rings out from the sound of the steel drums in use.  We cool them, we heat them, we save them, we savor them.  They store all the secret and not so secret ingredients of our stock in trade.

The Pied Piper

Alliance is on Fire!

Alliance Training Sir
Army Training Sir

We had select office and plant people go through Fire and Extinguisher class yesterday.  And the grand finale was real fire fighting training.  You can see that on a cold and blustery day, we got after it!

So rest assured that while we keep things cooking on the inside, we are emergency ready. We have hot products and cool people!

The Pied Piper

Supply and Demand in Youth Sports

SGMA Study: Basketball, Baseball, & Swimming Have Highest Percentage of ' Core' Participants
SportsOneSource Media     Posted: 9/6/2012

The forces of supply and demand are having a major impact on team sports in the United States. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association's (SGMA) annual participation study on team sports - U. S. Trends in Team Sports (2012 edition) - the number of 6-17 year old children that want to play youth sports is on the rise while overall play in local youth sports leagues is decreasing. This SGMA study indicates that there is a shortage of available facilities and local recreation leagues (a supply issue) and there has been an evolution for team sports, such as basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball, into a tournament and 'showcase' based model that puts less importance on regular, local league play (a demand issue).

"The importance and significance of team sports in our lives in the U.S. has never been greater than it is right now and this was reflected in the record number of Americans who watched the Olympic Games on television this summer.  Our national interest in the U.S. Olympic teams that competed in basketball, soccer, gymnastics, swimming, and track & field was substantial, to say the least," said SGMA President Tom Cove. "While interest is high in team sports, overall participation in 19 team sports actually declined from 2010 to 2011.  It would be great if many of the spectators actually decided to participate as well!"

THE GOOD NEWS

According to SGMA's U. S. Trends in Team Sports, the team sports which have had strongest gains in overall participation since 2008 are lacrosse (up 37.3%), rugby (up 30%), gymnastics (up 21.4%), ice hockey (up 13.9%), beach volleyball (up 10.6%), and ultimate Frisbee (up 9.6%).  Among the 24 team sports in this study, baseball (69%), basketball (67%), and swimming for competition (64%) have the highest percentage of 'core' participants, which are those who are the most committed, in terms of playing days, to their respective sport.  

"Team sports are actually getting a boost from adult females (age 18+) and among young females (age 6-12).  On the other hand, fewer and fewer adult males (age 18+) are playing team sports and those that do play are not playing as many sports as they have been in the past," said Neil Schwartz, director of business development for SGMA Research.

SPENDING MONEY ON TEAM SPORTS
In U.S. Trends in Team Sports, there is a section that reports on consumer spending on team sports.  The results are revealing:

Equipment Is Key.  U.S. consumers were less likely to report cuts in spending on sporting goods equipment in the 2012 survey than they were in the 2011 survey.

'Niche' Sports Spur Spending. At least 40% of the participants in field hockey, ice hockey, roller hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling reported an increase in equipment spending in 2011.

Spending This Year.  Nearly 40% of team sports participants plan to increase their spending this year on 'travel to take part in sports/recreation activities' and 'team sports outside of school.'

OUTSIDE INTERESTS
In U.S. Trends in Team Sports, a survey was conducted among team sports athletes to see which sports and activities - outside of their main team sports - interested them.  

1.    75% of all cheerleaders have no other athletic interests;
2.    34% of basketball players enjoy working out with weights;
3.    28% of baseball players like bicycle riding;
4.    Golf is most appealing to baseball players and roller hockey players;
5.    Tennis is most popular among grass volleyball players and indoor soccer players.

LISTEN TO THE LEADERS OF TEAM SPORTS
This edition of U.S. Trends in Team Sports features Q & A interviews with four individuals who play a prominent role in team sports in the U.S.  They are Scott Hallenbeck, executive director, USA Football; Stephen Keener, president/CEO, Little League Baseball International; Jon Butler, executive director, Pop Warner Football; and Kevin Davis, president/CEO, Bauer Hockey.

Scott Hallenbeck says USA Football is constantly looking at how the game can be enhanced and improved.  In a nutshell, Hallenback says preserving the status quo is never the option at USA Football.

"Football has thrived for decades. It's notable how strong the game is, although there are so many ways that we are improving it, particularly in coaching education. The sport must continue to evolve. This is happening," said Hallenbeck.  "We have the only nationally accredited coaching education program.  Coaching education and instruction have become an important part of youth football. Ours incorporates video, quizzes, 3D visualization, and other tools that add practical value. We have more than 30,000 coaches who come to us individually each year. They genuinely want to get better."

At Little League Baseball, Keener says it's important that, as young children, promising baseball players should not focus their athletic talents just on the game of baseball.

"We try to educate parents that everything we've heard tells us that specialization at such a young age is not necessarily a good thing,
"said Keener. "For instance, in warm weather locations kids are being provided opportunities to play baseball year-round and they get burned out. They'll be healthier long-term if they diversify."

At Pop Warner, Jon Butler says his group is well informed on the issue of concussions and is doing everything in its power to keep players as safe as possible.

"In 2010 we established the Pop Warner Medical Advisory Board, led by physicians with expertise in neuromedicine and sports safety, to ensure that Pop Warner stays at the forefront of new health and safety issues and any medical developments that may affect our young athletes,"said Butler.  "In June we announced two new rule changes for the 2012 season that address the type of contact and amount of contact allowed in football practice - a first at any level of the sport."

While Bauer is having success in the marketplace, Kevin Davis says his company does not take that success for granted.

"With Bauer we have 60% market share in ice hockey helmets, and with Cascade we have 80% market share in lacrosse helmets'so safety is our responsibility," said Davis.  "We treat each season like you rent your market share. We approach everything from a relatively humble basis. There's a consumer and a customer, and you have to earn that business every season."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Listed below are some newsworthy excerpts from this edition of U.S. Trends in Team Sports:

A Young Foundation:  Competitive swimming has the highest percentage of 'core' participants who are 6-17 years-old, as 84% of all 'core' competitive swimmers are in that age group.  And, 70% of all swimmers are in the 6-17 year-old age group.

School Is Cool:   Cheerleading has the highest percentage (77%) of 'core' participants who are engaged in an activity through either school or college.

Girls Rule:  There are seven activities where more than 50% of the 'core' participants are female - cheerleading, field hockey, gymnastics, fast-pitch softball, swimming for competition, court volleyball, and grass volleyball.

The Mature Crowd:  Beach volleyball has the highest percentage of 'core' participants who are between the ages of 25 and 54 - 64%.

Money Matters:  The two sports where the largest percentage of participants comes from households that make more than $100,000 a year are field hockey and swimming for competition.




Those are the facts as we see them.  Want to support your teams and young athletes?  FACE PAINT!
Want to protect your precious assets?  SPF 30 for the outdoor sports!
We make them both.
The Pied Piper

What flavor are your lips?

I was sorting through some lip balms at my desk and ran across these two that were done for a client to be given away at a state fair.  And I go to thinking about the various flavor lip balms we have done lately.
Beer, Butter, Cream Puff, Pecan Pie, Pickle, Vodka, Pine Tree, Tea Tree, Mint, Peppermint, Tangerine, Vanilla, Blarney, Bacon, Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Orange Truffle, Cocoa Noir, White Chocolate Chai Tea, Plain, Banana Cream Pie, Cherry, Mango, Passion Fruit,Strawberry, Cranberry, Lemon Twist, Root Beer, Green Apple, Blueberry, Hibiscus, Grapefruit, Blackberry, Watermelon, Margarita, Mustard and Ketchup are just a few of the flavors that have been cooking around here.

The fine art of finding your personal taste in lips is always a work in progress!  Let me know what you would like to taste!  Yesterday someone wanted Buffalo Sauce lip balm...and so it will be!

The Pied Piper.

The smash hit video...Everybody's free to wear sunscreen! Watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ&feature=player_embedded

The Pied Piper

Caught Red Handed!

This is our batching area and you can see the tank in front with the red on the edge.  This is a fresh batch of red Face Paints that are being filled this week to put into stock.

A separate batch will be made for all of these colors.  As a new product introduction this year it has far surpassed our expectations!  So when the next big event happens-be ready.  So far these paints in the small .1oz tubes have been used by grade schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges.  They have been used by summer camps, parades and as giveaways for a variety of events.

Need Paint?  Send me a note and I will direct you to one of the suppliers that carry it...
The Pied Piper

A vast vat bath

As I wandered back into the batching area before the heat of the day kicked in I saw Chris heating up the area anyway.  Steam in the air and steaming soapy water pouring out of one of the tanks as clean up was underway.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness!

It is vital to have equipment total clean and able to pass inspection before they put another group of ingredients into the tanks and vats.  It is what you do on a Friday morning at 6:00 AM.

The Pied Piper

To hot to handle?? To cold to hold?

If wonder what it is like to work in a batching area cooking secret recipes for the hot fill lines in a factory and the outside temperature nears 100 degrees Fahrenheit, wonder no longer....

HOT,HOT,HOTTER, HOTTER, HOTTEST!

I give the boys in batching, Chris and Lee, a lot of credit for standing in and making us tick.  Way to go boys!

Unfortunately my office is air conditioned and I don't get the benefits of overheating and sweating all day.
But blogging is thirsty work so it is iced tea time!
The Pied Piper.

Avid golfer, Undisclosed handicap.

Saukville, Wisconsin,1/27/12

USGA Woman’s  Open, Blackwolf Run and Alliance Packaging Group take sun exposure seriously!

Alliance Packaging Group is the authorized manufacturer of SPF Lip Balm, SPF Sunscreen and SPF face Stick for the USGA Woman’s Open at Blackwolf Run,the Kohler, Wisconsin golf course.  APG an FDA approved high quality Lab and manufacturer is pleased to be the providing these logoed items for the tournament.  The host club, the USGA and authorized vendors will be selling the collectable items at the event, July 5-8, 2012.

Alliance Packaging Group is a premier manufacturer of lip balm, body and skin care products specializing in formulation and private label products, Alliance Packaging Groups CEO Linda Kamal , an avid golfer with an undisclosed handicap, said “we are so pleased to have been allowed to make our products for this premier event, especially as it is so close to our manufacturing facility.  The hands free face stick will certainly be favored by the players as a way to apply needed sunscreen without using their hands.”

Alliance Packaging Is also celebrating State of Wisconsin recognition as an official Woman Business Enterprise.

The Pied Piper

Playing with steel drums

Chris and Lee have been playing with steel drums in the back.  Not the musical kind but the 55 gallon of materials kind.  As I wandered through the storage and batching area I noted over 200 black and blue barrels holding somewhere between 5000 and 10,000 gallons of raw materials. 

What are in those barrels?  The basis of much of our creation and manufacturing!  We have barrels upon barrels of things like Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Tea Tree Oil (special stainless barrel for that) and Olive Oil.

Those drums may not be the kind you can play but they are sweet music to us...we make our lip balms, sunscreens, lotions and oils form those drums.
The Pied Piper

The life of lips.

Let’s talk about lips.

You can give lip service, leave lip prints, chew on them, kiss them, lick them, like them, bite them, paint them, cut them, pinch them,.. lips can chap, age, weather, crust, burn, crack, bake,  brown, balloon, swell, sing, swallow, push, beckon, blind, warm, wet, whistle, sigh, sunburn, smile, frown, gape, spit,  sneer, snarl,  smirk, moisten, pout, purse, plump, cool, dab and be injected amongst other things.

And what is the best thing you can do for your lips?  Apply lip moisturizing balm on a regular basis and get them kissed on a regular basis!

Lip Balm in lots of flavors!

The Pied Piper