Impressively different,
never standard
Promotional products from the packaging expert:
Impressively different is never achieved from standard: this is the philosophy of Karl Knauer KG! The company is known for being highly diversified, from mechanical engineering and vegetable packaging to the multi-award-winning illuminated packaging Bombay Sapphire and even promotional note pads. It can supply not only unusual implementations of well-known give-aways like adhesive note pads, but also impressively different customisable special designs. Both in development and in production, clients benefit from the company’s many years of experience in planning, design, printing and finishing.
Developments from creative experts
The journey from the idea to the completed promotional note pad is not a long one, but a creative one: many new products are created at the request of clients looking for an impressively different promotional gift. The promotional products development specialists at Karl Knauer then attempt to make the client’s wishes a reality as extensively as possible. The company’s researchers and developers are able to make use of their many years of experience and the specialist knowledge of their colleagues in Production and Sales.
“The first step involves creating an initial small batch to check that the design is feasible,” explains Peter Werner, Department Innovation. The mock-ups are digitally printed, then plotted and bonded and glued by hand. The production process is directly optimised and adjusted in consultation with Production.
This is then followed by pilot runs: tests that involve the entire production process being run through. After further minor optimisations, there is a final review of production costs and the new product is added to the portfolio. This is how the team creates a product that is not only aesthetically unique, but also completely optimised with respect to its production costs. The topic of sustainability is also taken into account: making efficient use of printed sheets, for example, can minimise offcuts.
“We give clients a wide range of options to choose from and they can always be sure that their chosen promotional product is absolutely environmentally sound and sustainably produced,” explains Frederik Zecheus, Key Account Manager for promotional products at Karl Knauer.
Individual and with special finishing
All Karl Knauer promotional products are fully customisable. This means that they can be designed in whatever way the client wishes. Peter Werner explains: “Providing special designs is no problem for us. We always try to implement what the client wants as closely as possible.” Promotional products are manufactured using high-quality offset or screen printing. Various options are available for finishing, such as hot foil embossing and matt/gloss or soft-touch effects.
A popular innovation: 3D pad with wow effect
The 3D pad, the latest promotional product innovation, was also the result of a customer request. The entire development process took only about two weeks. While Karl Knauer does supply standard products, it also provides very many products and solutions that go far beyond the ordinary. The 3D pad is one of them. The 3D pad is a classic note pad with embossing that creates a 3D effect. This analogue 3D effect can be customised in terms of both the print and the shape of the punching, thus providing a tremendous amount of design freedom. “The 3D pad,” says Michael Wieckenberg, reporting from everyday practice, “is becoming increasingly popular. At the same time, there is a high demand for all adhesive products in general. This includes adhesive pads and shaped adhesive notes as well as hardcover sets. Our classic note cube is also always popular, as an adhesive pad or a note pad.”
A growing demand for sustainable production
Karl Knauer has always been conscious of its environmental responsibility – after all, the primary materials that the company uses are natural products: paper, cardboard and corrugated cardboard. Michael Wieckenberg explains: “The demand for sustainably produced products has, of course, significantly increased in the advertising media segment in recent years. As a responsible manufacturer of packaging and promotional products, we responded to this new environmental awareness early on.”
Ecology, economy and social responsibility are the three pillars of the company’s environment policy. With its responsible procurement policy, FSC® and PEFC certificates (amongst others) that confirm the company’s sustainable orientation and the advice it offers regarding ecological product variants, it is clear that the packaging and promotional products specialist is environmentally conscious. This commitment has already been honoured with multiple awards and prizes, such as the PSI Award for “Sustainable Company of the Year 2016” last year.
Award-winning products
In addition to the PSI Award for “Sustainable Company of the Year 2016”, Karl Knauer KG was also placed in the category “Environmental Excellence” last year.
The packaging specialist won the German Design Award 2017 for the note sculpture. The individual form of the note pads impressed the jury along with the fact that the sculpture is available in two sizes and can be customised, both on the sides and on the individual sheets.
The company also received the iF Design Award 2016 for the spiral note sculpture. Once again, the jury was impressed by the real eye-catcher quality of the promotional product, with a long-lasting effect. With the dynamic spiralling, the advertising message is presented in high quality and very effectively.
