Unwrapping home

Full service from the Black Forest: ‘One idea ahead’ from project launch to door 24

Radio stations Hitradio Ohr and Schwarzwaldradio are presenting their new Black Forest advent calendar as yet another heartfelt declaration of love for their homeland. Packaging specialist Karl Knauer is responsible for producing, packaging and shipping this exceptional and remarkably large ‘broadcast format’. As a full-service partner, Karl Knauer is delivering every single step from a single source, fully in line with its motto ‘One idea ahead’ – and, naturally, it hails form the Black Forest too.

An advent calendar that no Black Forest enthusiast can resist
It’s not just the impressive dimensions of 48 x 39 x 14 cm that makes this advent calendar irresistible to every Black Forest enthusiast. But above all else, it’s what’s inside that makes the purchase worthwhile. More than 40 small and large surprises – a selection of culinary delights, premium care products, regional beverages and hand-picked accessories – have been personally curated by Markus Knoll (Managing Director and CEO of Funkhaus Ortenau), reflecting the diversity of the Black Forest. The fact that this advent calendar truly contains an amazing abundance of Black Forest treasures is evident from its impressive weight of 6.5 kilograms..

24 doors, one contact
From concept design and development, to construction, production, finishing, packaging, right through to the online shop and shipping – at Karl Knauer, every detail fits together seamlessly from initial idea to final delivery. The expertise of the experienced packaging specialist proves invaluable, particularly for complex projects such as custom advent calendars. Over 40 individual products from different product categories must be carefully sorted, positioned, secured and prepared for shipping during the co-packing process for this order. ‘Projects like this are far more complex than they might appear at first glance. It’s not just about designing packaging that safely protects the contents, but also about bringing together the different components of the calendar, organising material flows and considering logistics – right through to the end customer,’ explained Tobias Munz, Key Account Manager at Karl Knauer. Karl Knauer’s strength lies in the seamless interaction between the different production areas and employees. Whether dealing with manual assembly or mechanical support – in a well-coordinated team, everything flows together in one well-coordinated process that never loses sight of quality or timelines.

Running smoothly – on the radio, at Karl Knauer and for the end customer
To ensure that customers receive the advent calendars safely and on time, Funkhaus Ortenau uses a Karl Knauer service that’s becoming increasingly important for complex shipping processes: dropshipping. Here, an external partner – in this case, the Black Forest-based packaging specialist – handles storage, packaging and shipping. With a flexible logistics process that anticipates needs and adapts accordingly, Karl Knauer regularly fulfils challenging orders – even when products are delicate and the pressure to meet deadlines is high.

Sustainable design, regional production – and ‘one idea better’
The advent calendar is 100% recyclable. ‘We don’t see sustainability as an add-on, but rather as part of every single step – from materials and design to delivery,’ explained Tobias Munz from Karl Knauer. ‘A growing number of customers appreciate this approach. And we’re happy to demonstrate that “one idea better” also translates into a method that’s more sustainable, more thoughtful and more responsible.’

So production, packaging and shipping of the calendar take place consistently on a regional basis – right here in the Black Forest. Funkhaus boss Markus Knoll summed up the situation perfectly: ‘You listen to the radio. But you have to live and breathe your homeland. You have to enjoy and nurture what’s there. Home is something you can see, smell, taste and feel – and anyone who receives our Black Forest advent calendar will be able to use all those senses. Wherever they are in the run-up to Christmas.’