Signs & Large Format Print
Where white label comes from and what it is about
The term comes from retail: a 'white label' product is made by one company and sold under another's brand. In advertising it works exactly the same way. The agency has the client, the concept, the design and the relationship. The manufacturer has the machines, materials, sewing room, crews and lift. Instead of building its own production, the agency subcontracts it, but in such a way that the end client has no contact with the manufacturer and never sees its name.
This is not ordinary subcontracting. With subcontracting, the printer delivers the finished product to the agency, and the agency ships and installs it itself. With white label the manufacturer also takes on logistics and installation, but appears 'as the agency': no own stickers on parcels, no branded crew jackets, no flyers in the box.
More on how roles are divided between agency, printer and manufacturer in our guide agency, printer or sign manufacturer – who to go to for which job.
How a white label job works with us – step by step
- Brief from the agency. We receive the specification, files or a design to adapt, the list of sites and the deadline. Contact is with the agency only.
- Quote and choice of materials. We propose the material and technology, and where needed prepare an installation mock-up to show the end client (approx. €75 net) or a colour test print.
- Production. UV printing and sublimation, cutting, routing, sewing, finishing – all in our own plant in Wieluń, Poland, normally in approx. 3 working days.
- Neutral packing. No logo of ours, no flyers, with the address label of the agency or the destination site. Included in the price for B2B partners.
- Delivery or installation. Courier to a single address, or multi-address dispatch to many locations; our own vans run across Europe daily. Installation is carried out by our trained crews, without Wielka Reklama branding, introducing themselves on the agency's behalf.
- Report. For chain rollouts we document the installation at every site with photos, which the agency passes on as its own.
What the agency gains, and what it must bear in mind
The gains are fairly obvious:
- one manufacturer instead of several: large format print, boards, textiles, illuminated signage, POS, installation,
- no investment in machines and warehousing – the agency earns from the concept and client service,
- scaling: a campaign for 5 sites and for 150 runs the same way,
- the client relationship stays in the agency's hands.
We already work this way with agencies in London and Berlin, among others, and handle communication in English, German, French and Spanish.
What to bear in mind:
- The agency is responsible to the end client. That is why, before the start, we agree who approves files, colours and deadlines, and stick to it.
- Give the deadline straight away. It is often possible to manage without express if we know early. Express is possible, but costs on average approx. 40% more of the print value.
- Site access and permissions – entry to a shopping centre, night installation hours, notifications to the landlord – are usually arranged by the agency or its client. We need on-site contact details.
Checklist of arrangements before the first job
| Area | Question to settle |
|---|---|
| Branding | Should parcels, shipping documents and crew clothing be completely neutral, or carry the agency's logo? |
| Sender of shipments | Which sender details should the recipient see: the agency's or neutral ones? |
| On-site contact | How should the crew introduce themselves, and who should they call if there is a problem on site? |
| Approvals | Who approves the file, proof and mock-up: the agency alone, or the client via the agency? |
| Confidentiality | Is a non-disclosure agreement needed before designs are handed over? |
| Documentation | Does the agency need installation photos, a handover record or a rollout report? |
| Storage | Do we store rotating graphics and dispatch them on request? |
These arrangements are made once, at the start of the partnership, and then apply to subsequent jobs. Partner terms for agencies are agreed individually – they depend on the scale and type of work. Information on working with us is on the page for advertising agencies and on our agency partnership page.
White label in practice: typical jobs
A few types of job that most often reach us this way:
- A campaign across a retail chain. POS kits and window graphics for dozens of sites, packed separately for each shop and sent in neutral parcels, or installed at night. See multi-site rollout with reporting.
- Building signage. The agency designs a wayfinding system for an office building or hotel; we produce the panels, letters and light boxes and install them.
- Events and trade shows. Fabric display walls, roller banners, counters and gazebos delivered on site under the agency's brand.
- Printing for other printers. Printers without a UV machine or without 3.2 m width order printing, welding, eyeleting or laminating from us, also on supplied material, and collect finished items without our branding.
The common thread: the end client receives the product without seeing the chain behind it. That is how it should be.