Overview
Some brands may choose to maintain multiple versions of their products while utilizing the same product identifiers (GTIN, UPC, etc.) across all versions. Some common use cases for this include color variation and seasonal packaging.
Seasonal packaging can grab the attention of consumers and make a product stand out on the shelves. Bright and colorful packaging with holiday-themed graphics or imagery can make a product more appealing and encourage impulse purchases, while limited edition seasonal packaging can create a sense of urgency and encourage consumers to buy a product before it's no longer available.
Settings for Accounts with Product Versions
Because product versions typically share GTINs, any Syndigo account utilizing product versions should have the Marketplace to Product Index flow set to “Match on Correlation ID,” a unique ID associated with the product record within the Syndigo account. This allows for multiple product records to share the same brand-provided unique IDs (such as UPC and GTIN) while still enabling an item-level connection between the records in the Marketplace and Product Index.
If you are a Syndigo customer and are unsure if your account is set to “Match on Correlation ID,” feel free to contact your Syndigo representative to verify.
Adding Marketplace Product Versions to the Product Index
Marketplace Subscriptions is an optional feature that automatically downloads products from the Marketplace to the account’s Product Index. This can be turned on or off by Syndigo per account.
Without Marketplace Subscriptions turned on, Marketplace products require manual action to be added to the Product Index. To add Marketplace products to your Product Index, select the desired Marketplace product and click ‘Add to Product Index’.
When products are added to the Product Index (manually or via Marketplace Subscriptions), Syndigo will take the Marketplace product and search for an existing Product Index record with a matching correlation ID. If a match is found, the existing Product Index record will be updated with the Marketplace product information. If a match is not found, a new version will be created in the Product Index with the Marketplace data.
Note: Any ‘Brand Created’ overrides will remain on the Product Index record, regardless of the data downloaded from Marketplace. You will need to remove or update these overrides if you do not intend to continue using them.
Discontinuing Marketplace Product Versions
Marketplace does not automatically archive old versions of a given product, but instead maintains all versions received. When a version of the product should no longer exist in Marketplace, contact Syndigo and provide the GTIN and specific packaging version so that it may be discontinued.
Note: Product versions in your Product Index can be archived without Syndigo’s intervention; Marketplace versions must be archived by Syndigo.
Product Versioning and eCatalogs
The below assumes you are utilizing your product(s) in both the Marketplace and in eCatalogs.
Images intended for Marketplace that are not intended for your eCatalog should be added as Recipient Specific overrides within the Verify My Product requirement set to prevent the overrides from flowing into your eCatalog. Because of this, it is often easier to update your eCatalog prior to publishing your products to the Marketplace.
Creating Additional Product Versions
The below process adds new/additional product versions for a currently live product. Both the new and existing product versions will be live in the Marketplace.
- From the Product Index, click Create New > Single Item. Note: While there is a Duplicate function in Syndigo, DO NOT DUPLICATE the existing product version. The duplicate product will retain the old correlation ID, effectively making it a duplicate of the same version. To create a new product version, you MSUT create a new product using the Create New function in the Product Index.
- Click Properties > Add Recipient.
- Select Verify My Product – Standard.
- Click Apply Link.
- Complete all required fields, denoted in red.
- IN ADDITION, you are required to submit Ecommerce images AND one of the following:
- Planogram Straight on Front (with no plunge) + Digital Flat OR
- Planogram Straight on Front (with no plunge) + all sides with text.
- ADD A MODIFIER to the Modifier field to differentiate between product versions with the same GTIN if a client wants more than one version to appear in Marketplace at the same time. NOTE: The most common modifier is A which is used for an alternative, promotional, or seasonal version. If a client has more than one version they wish to have posted at the same time, there are about 17 other alternate modifiers we can use for one UPC at the same time.
- The list of modifiers for a given UPC starts with A but does not follow alphabetically after A is used. A should always be used first and the alternative modifiers will follow this pattern after:
- A U V W Y Z G H O P Q E F I J K L X
- S is used for singles. If a single needs to be posted under the box sellable unit UPC, then an S modifier is added.
- D is for cases. If a case needs to be posted under the single sellable unit UPC, we use a D modifier.
- B is used for boxed liquor when the bottle and box have the same UPC.
- Click Save Changes.
- Click Publish > Verify My Product > Publish.
Once you have published your product record to Verify My Product, avoid republishing it again until the product is live in the Marketplace. Republishing a product record as it is being processed may create unwanted duplicate product records.
Please note that if a side containing text is omitted or the text on an image is illegible, or if your images do not meet the requirements below, your submission will be sent back for modification.
Marketplace/Syndigo Verified image requirements:
- 300 dpi
- Longest edge = 2400 pixels
- JPEG files (or PDF for package flats)
Note: When package sides are IDENTICAL, you can use the same asset for both views by duplicating the asset and renaming it to match the associated view’s naming convention (duplicated images will not be accepted for multiple views unless it is renamed appropriately).
Replacing/Updating Existing Product Versions
The below process replaces/updates an existing product version for a currently live product. The original/old product data will be replaced with the new.
- If the product record does not exist in your Product Index, select the product record in the Marketplace and click Add to Product Index.
- Once added, select the product record in your Product Index.
- Click Link to Recipient.
- Select Verify My Product – Standard.
- Within the Verify My Product requirement set, create Recipient Specific overrides for any image adjustments.
- Click Save Changes.
- Click Publish > Verify My Product > Publish.
Please note that if a side containing text is omitted or the text on an image is illegible, or if your images do not meet the requirements below, your submission will be sent back for modification.
Marketplace/Syndigo Verified image requirements:
- 300 dpi
- Longest edge = 2400 pixels
- JPEG files (or PDF for package flats)
Note: When package sides are IDENTICAL, you can use the same asset for both views by duplicating the asset and renaming it to match the associated view’s naming convention (duplicated images will not be accepted for multiple views unless it is renamed appropriately).
