Description

When I first opened my ride operation I created a cup that had our balloons, the Balloonist prayer, the company logo, Website and phone number on the cup.  It cost me an arm and a leg!  The minimum order for a run of cups is 50 cases.    That was 25,000 cups.

The 10 oz Frosty Flex cup is fantastic for after flight celebrations (as you know).  I used mine as a great marketing tool also.  We gave them to every passenger and even if they left them at a restaurant or at the hotel where they were staying, our website and phone on the cups was still working for us.

The process is a challenge but here is what is involved:

The quantity of a minimum run is what keeps most from getting their own cup.  Years ago there was a cup that was widely used in the balloon world.  The “Gentle Winds & Soft Landings” cups were discontinued and that was when I created the first Balloons-andBeyond.com cup.

A minimum run is a 50 case run.  It costs me $8,000.  I get about 4550 up front from the balloons who are on the cup, then I make a substantial investment myself.  My return comes over time as we sell the extra cases, (and the gratification when I see one of the cups at an event somewhere).

When I create a custom cup I get 14 balloons together to create a custom cup run.  Each person agrees to pre-purchase a case of cups.  I charge 325 a case for the 14 balloons that are on the cup.

Once I have 14 balloons who have purchased a case of cups I sit down and digitize their balloon.  This process takes between 8-12 hours of work.  I carefully trace every seam in the balloon and create a digital version of the balloon.  Once I have the balloon completed I send a copy of the digitization to the balloons owner to use in any other advertising they wish.  T-Shirts or patches or pins or stickers or any application where they need a good digital version of there balloon.

Then I create a spreadsheet of all the colors used in the 14 balloons.  The cup printing process only allows for 6 colors, so making the blends and gradients to match the balloons is a chore in itself.  I go back over all the balloons and try to consolidate the colors into as few primary colors as I can and start the process of matching Pantone shades.

Once I have the colors whittled down into as few as I can I submit the file to the Graphics Department at the Cup Manufacture.  They then do the 6 plate color blending to create a proof for me.  I look over the proof and point out any small issues that I see (or big ones if there are any).  Then I submit my list of glitches for them to fix.  Sometimes this process becomes rather contentious since I am trying to get the best layout and they are working with only 6 colors. The back and forth can take a couple of weeks but the end result is worth it.

If you have a need for a 50 case run I am happy to help with the artwork for the cup.  My graphics fees are $35 an hour and the cost of the layout would be dependent on the number of balloons and other art you would like on the cup..  The cost per case of a run of cups is $160 per case.  ( about 32 cents per cup) This includes shipping to your location.  The cups will arrive on two pallets.  There are 500 cups per case and each case is 15″ X 15″ X 12″.  Once we have submitted an approved proof, the cups will arrive in about 6-8 weeks.

When we do the custom cups for 14 balloons I make the money for doing the design (Digitization) work over time by selling the remainder of the cases.  Last run it took me over 2 years to sell off the extra cases.  I even had to store about 18 cases in my parents garage!

So that is the process.  Here is a link to the page on the Balloons And Beyond site that goes into a little more detail about this process.

I will say that years later I have people who are still using the original Thompson Aire cups!  If you have a balloon event or a ride operation a (FULL RUN) of cups would be perfect for you!

All the best to you.

Jeff