Thanks to the co-operation of the Great Finnish Book Club and Stora Enso Packaging, some 300,000 Finns get their favourite books delivered to their door in an attractive package every month.
Stora Enso Packaging Regional Sales Manager Esko Kannusmäki explains that the co-operation between the Great Finnish Book Club and Stora Enso Packaging began in 1999.
Due to a change in ownership, the printing facility previously used for books being packaged in paperboard cases was changed and, unfortunately, the new facility’s packaging machine did not accept the paperboard used for book packaging. Stora Enso Packaging’s newly introduced microflute-corrugated board and offset printing method met the Great Finnish Book Club’s needs perfectly. The structure of new book packaging was created and updated in co-operation, as the packaging had to both meet the stringent requirements set by the Finnish postal service and get the buyer to open his or her monthly reading package.
Schedules kept
According to Managing Director Sirpa Mikkonen, the product packaging for the mail order firm, which delivers 1.5 million books a year, should protect the book from the moment it is packaged until it is opened, and, if necessary, also serve as a return packaging. The elegantly printed packaging is also an excellent marketing material for the Great Finnish Book Club.
“We move our goods extensively via the postal service and remote sales channels. The customer can do business with us at the store, online or by mail order,” explains Mikkonen.
Design of the book-specific packaging begins around one month before being posted, at which time the date by which the packaging must be ready for shipment from the Ruovesi mill loading dock is specified. The exchange of information is precise, as each and every link in this long chain—from packaging design and printing to book packing and shipment—must stay on schedule so that the customers receive their books on precisely the promised date.
Continuous development
Great Finnish Book Club Logistics Manager Anna Marttila talks about the improvement in quality, delivery time and cost-effectiveness that the continuous process development of Stora Enso Packaging and Great Finnish Book Club aims to achieve.
“Our own advertising designers do the packaging designs. The packaging matches the look of our magazine’s Book of the Month article, which runs once every three weeks,” she explains.
According to Marttila and Mikkonen, the partnership has run smoothly and on time. They feel that the quality and marketing value of the packaging is excellent.
“For us, it's crucial that this co-operation is openly developed all the time, and that our partnership can function quickly and flexibly, even when changes come along. The importance of being able to react quickly in a variety of situations will be even more important in the future,” believes Mikkonen.
According to Mikkonen, both partners must constantly reflect and think about the efficiency of their own operations and processes. “This is the only way we can work more effectively together,” she says.
Great Finnish Book Club Ltd (http://www.sskk.fi/)
Founded 1969
Founded by WSOY, Otava and Tammi
Oldest and largest book club in Finland
Over 300,000 members
Approx. 1.5 million books shipped every year
In the 1970s established Finland’s first club store
Suuri Kuu online bookstore (http://www.suurikuu.fi/) and bookstores in Tampere, Jyväskylä, Helsinki, Turku and Oulu. Nine different book clubs (e.g. Hunting and Fishing book club, Children’s book clubs, Detective book club, Mauri Kunnas book club, etc.)
New service: LibriCard book gift certificates Gift certificates can be ordered online or purchased at a bookstore.
Further information: Stora Enso Packaging Offset Products Contacts
www.storaenso.com/offset
