iGage Maps a Successful Packaging Strategy with Univenture
Founded in 1996 as a small electrical engineering design company in Salt Lake City, iGage Mapping Corporation is today a leading maker of digital topographical maps. Its All Topo Maps are a handy tool, finding use in many diverse disciplines. Critical applications include: avalanche control, communications tower work, engineering site maps, forestry, oil and gas exploration and pipeline work, forest fire management, real estate, and search and rescue. All of its maps are sold on CDs.
Originally, the company used jewel boxes to package its products. "It didn’t take long for us to see some problems with this method," comments John ZoBell, iGage Vice President. "We quickly grew very unsatisfied with the jewel boxes’ inability to hold very many CDs. Plus, they were very fragile and didn’t hold up well."
At about that time, iGage officials attended COMDEX, the large computer and accessory products show, where they came across the Univenture booth. They immediately saw the potential Univenture’s unique products offered in filling their packaging needs.
"It was very obvious to us that the Univenture UniKeepTM CD Case would provide us with a durable package," says ZoBell. "Our customers could safely cart it around with them while out in the field. The CDs would be well protected, yet easily accessible."
The iGage team likes the fact that the UniKeep CD Case’s design allows them to fit a greater number of CDs – as well as a manual – into a package. Additionally, the Univenture packaging is available in various sizes, allowing iGage greater freedom in choosing the correct size package for virtually any order.
"iGage was insistent in the development of a larger capacity Unikeep, a CD 40 package, which at the time, we were not offering" says David Coho, Director of Sales. "We knew they were serious, when they placed an order, even though the product was still in development."
ZoBell had confidence in Univenture’s product development process indicating his company had no qualms. "Univenture had been very good at working with us and meeting our needs."
The Univenture customer service team ramped up production efforts quickly to provide iGage with the UniKeep CD Cases, which was a more functional and cost-effective packaging solution. The mapmakers felt there was too much waste with a jewel box because of the extra packaging needed to protect the jewel case during transportation and retail display. Using the UniKeep CD Case eliminated the need for the expensive and useless cardboard box. And, they correctly reasoned that users would perceive iGage’s product with greater value and functional quality because of the UniKeep CD Case packaging.
iGage All Topo Maps cover all 50 states, the District of Columbia, plus all of the US protectorates. Scaling is done in three sizes: 1:24,000 7½ minute, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000. Each state’s collection of maps is fully searchable by place name, township/range, map name, and location. They are derived from USGS digital raster graphics.
Univenture – leading the way to more sensible, cost-effective packaging solutions.
More information regarding iGage and its All Topo Maps may be found on the company’s web site at www.igage.com.