The WHY, HOW, and WHAT of Berlin Packaging

There are over 25 million businesses registered in the United States. Only 20,000 take in more than $100 million in revenue (less than 0.1%) and an even smaller fraction reach $1 billion in revenue. Building a large enterprise that can support and reward many employees and customers is rare. This paper shares ideas on why some companies thrive much more than others and why Berlin Packaging has been able to excel in the packaging industry by embracing a Greater, Faster spirit.

By: Berlin Packaging Specialist
Date: October 28, 2019

Greater, Faster spirit

The best companies send a clear beacon of WHY they exist.

Some companies are able to capture the hearts and minds of consumers. Consider these leaders and what they stand for:

Corporate Leaders

Each of these companies communicates WHY they exist. They share their passions, and they draw in customers and employees that share these passions. Listed above are ad slogans, but behind the marketing lies real culture and beliefs.

The WHY is more important than WHAT is sold or HOW it’s offered.

To stand above others, the best companies succeed not because of WHAT exactly they sell or HOW they go to market. Instead, the best companies win because of the thought and energy they put into their WHY and how that WHY rings-true with the marketplace. Sure, Apple sells computers, phones, and music, among many other things. These items and systems have great processing power, are beautifully designed, and are easy to use. But there are many other companies that sell even more powerful computers or phones with larger, even more beautiful screens. And Southwest flies over 100 million passengers every year between almost 100 cities. Their flights are affordable and on-time. But there are many other airlines serving these and many more cities.

So what makes Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world and Southwest the only airline that’s been profitable for more than 40 consecutive years? Apple and Southwest are different in that they are clear in their WHY. Apple challenges the status quo; they appeal to those who imagine new futures and also think differently. If Apple were to make televisions or automobiles, there would be people who would line up to buy them because Apple’s WHY resonates with them. It’s not about WHAT Apple sells; it’s about WHY they do it.

SouthWest

The same is true with Southwest. Southwest’s WHY is focused on the democratization of air travel. Every person deserves a seat and respect; every person deserves love. This has struck a chord with many people who show their love and loyalty back to the airline. The best WHYs are truly emotional, visceral, and clear. They capture a crisp feeling, they inspire you to action, and they may give you goose bumps.

The best WHYs act as beacons to customers, employees, and suppliers. WHY needs to be authentic. People can see through marketing mumbo jumbo and half-truths.

Winning with WHY requires walking the talk every day.

Berlin Packaging’s WHY is to help you be Greater, Faster. Berlin Packaging is dedicated to those who:

  • Aim to dominate and blow through obstacles; are unstoppable.
  • Want to achieve more.
  • Want to succeed, ascend, elevate, and get more out of their business and their lives.
  • Are uncomfortable with the status quo.
  • Are proactive about change.
  • See the world through optimistic lenses.
  • Feel that anything is possible with the right approach and effort.
  • Want to control their destiny.
  • Expect more from those around them.
  • Are often pleased but never satisfied.

Winning with WHY

This WHY is unique in the packaging industry. No other company starts with an emotional beacon. The packaging industry is obsessed with WHAT.

This isn’t inspiring. Instead, we wear our intent on our sleeve, and we’re proud to help businesspeople and companies succeed. We are like a fierce boxer, a hungry shark, a performance jet, a determined mountain climber, or a speeding train. We are unstoppable. We are a juggernaut. We attract employees that derive joy from building businesses and striving to accomplish great things. We want to attract customers and suppliers that share our same mindset.

Ultimately, we deliver all of this through our WHAT.

We provide packaging products and services for customers of all types across all industries. Our WHAT includes:

  • Living our customer-focused mission.
    • We aim to increase the bottom lines of our customers.
    • Packaging is just the currency we use to do this.
  • Being a Hybrid Packaging Supplier®
    • We combine the best elements of manufacturers, distributors, and income-adding service providers into a differentiated business model. See more at HybridPackagingSupplier.com.
    • We quantify our value and walk our talk.
  • Engaging a superior team with Anything is Possible® and Customer Thrill mindsets.
    • We invest heavily in recruiting the right traits and training the right skills.
    • We abide by a HR strategy that motivates and rewards our employees for excellence.
    • We instill a customer-experience focus in everything we do.
  • Leveraging our supply chain experience and deep network.
    • We have tremendous purchasing clout to drive down costs.
    • We specialize in inventory management so our customers don’t have to.
    • We appreciate the importance of speed and reliability in winning in the market.
  • Operating robust systems that underscore a passion for precision.
    • We have invested in a world-class Oracle software system that’s so valuable we call it Fortitude.
    • We became ISO 9001 Certified in 2004.
    • We support our WHY with a well-tuned HOW.
    • We’ve cultivated our Greater, Faster mindset for over 30 years. We’ve built our HOW to support and fuel our WHY.

We allow our customers to control their destinies and become Greater, Faster by:

  • Broad product offering.
    • More than 35,000 SKUs.
    • Custom packaging, graphic design, and brand strategy from our Studio One Eleven design division.
    • Specialty product solutions, including Dangerous Goods UN-packaging, and Qorpak lab supplies.
    • BerlinPackaging.com convenience.
  • Relevant to your needs.
    • Wide array of industry experience and packaging knowledge.
    • 100+ locations so we’re close to you.
    • Lower total system costs.
  • Superior service execution.
    • 99%+ on-time delivery every month for 14+ years, with more information at 99PercentOnTime.com.
    • Dedicated Quality team that advocates for you.
    • Customer touch points infused with our focus on POKER service (Proactive, On-time, Knowledgeable, Easy to do business with, and Responsive).
    • Leading Net Promoter score.
  • Business partnership.
    • Consulting and financing to help you unlock growth and profits.
    • Quantified value through semi-annual Business Reviews.

Are there learnings here for you and your business?

WHY does your business exist? WHY do you get out of bed in the morning? Are you communicating this as a beacon to your customers and employees? What about your supply chain partners? Do they share the same passions you have? Focusing on your WHY is simple to grasp but hard to get right. Driving to an authentic, emotional, powerful statement of WHY can help you re-focus your business and catalyze a fresh look at WHAT you offer and HOW you do so.

Learn more about the power of WHY.

Simon Sinek made a thought-provoking speech at TED Talks. See it here: TED.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html. You can learn more about Simon and his approach at StartWithWhy.com.

Transform yourself with Berlin Packaging.

Berlin Packaging is not for everyone. But if you are hungry to be Greater, Faster, then we are ready to begin. You can learn more about our HOW and WHAT at BerlinPackaging.com. Give us a call to experience our spirit and unique attitude. You can reach us at 800.2.BERLIN.