When a new package arrives on someone’s doorstep, they know it’s what’s on the inside that counts— but it’s still important to set your package apart from others, and keep the excitement going after ordering, to arrival, all the way to opening and beyond.
To do that and ensure your product is properly packaged, you need to make sure you’ve considered all the variables in production. After all, you don’t want your customers’ first feeling after opening your product to be a letdown—or, even worse, to be the annoyance of finding a broken product.
Package Material
Your chosen material is perhaps the decision that will guide all your other decisions. Whatever your box will look like will be impacted by the material you want (or need) to use to ship your product.
How exactly do you choose the right packaging for your product? That necessitates thinking through a couple of requirements:
Presentation Matters
Given that this will be the first glimpse your customers get of your merchandise, you want it to elicit a positive reaction. It’s vital to understand your target market.
If you’re trying to sell food items, that packaging is going to look different from industrial cleaners. Understanding what will speak to your intended market segment will help focus your packaging presentation.
Even just the actual material you use can reflect a lot of behind the scenes thinking. Paper vs. plastic vs. cardboard can all reflect differently on your brand, from eco-friendliness to consideration for the consumer.
Again—it’s worth thinking about what the customer may want. According to at least one study, customers overwhelmingly (68%) prefer either cardboard or paper to a plastic wrap. If you know what you want your packaging to say, the feel and implications of the material go a whole lot further for representing your brand.
Durable and Deliverable
Just remember that no matter what material you choose, first and foremost, it has to keep your product or products safe. While your packaging should be made to delight the customer, it should also be built to protect their purchase. It’s more cost-effective to make the packaging secure than to replace broken or damaged products down the line.
You want the material to be durable. Whatever design you end up with should be able to withstand a lot—from being tossed into delivery trucks to being exposed to extreme temperatures. If you have products of various sizes, you’re going to want to make sure they can all be delivered safely in whatever box (or box sizes) you’re using.
It will always come back to balancing what the consumer perceives as wasteful or unnecessary. Over-packaging has grown increasingly unpopular in the last few years—the last thing you want is to be shamed for wasting materials or hurting the environment.
Budget Smart
No doubt, this issue was already in front of your mind. How can you deliver smart packaging that doesn’t break the bank on your end? A good budget can steer you towards what is practical for your brand’s packaging.
Make sure your budget accounts for the creative work behind it—especially if you are planning flashier colors or a brand-specific design for your box. Those designers will need to be paid and will have to be counted as part of your packaging budget.
Color and Flair
How do you translate your brand’s energy into packaging with flair? The sky is the limit here, but it helps to know what you want to say with your packaging. Here are some things to think through as you dream up the perfect design:
Box Structure
Not all boxes are folded equally. The styling of your packaging can align your product design with presentation goals, wowing a customer before they even open it. A reverse tuck end can increase the durability of a package, while a pillow or display box feels more like a gift.
Depending on your product, whether your packaging needs to be rigid or not, or how you want to stand out against your competitors, the box type you choose will change.
Novelty and Appeal
Thoughtful packaging decisions can grab a customer’s attention. Maybe it’s the practicality of the design or just the vividness of the colors.
Whether you expect your packaging to be reused will help shape how much novelty you can afford to give it. But even a one-use box can still have enough flair to make it feel like an experience—especially with the rise in unboxing videos on the internet. It’s another way not just to grab customers’ attention but also to gain a good reputation through word of mouth.
Customized Finishes
There are plenty of ways to make your wildest packaging fantasies a reality. These days there are more options than ever. Here’s a sample:
- Unique dyes: Finding a distinctive color palette for your product presentation can help your item pop in a crowded marketplace
- Embossing: Give your words texture to make them attention-grabbing, and help them playoff your brand’s color scheme in a classy, adventurous way.
- Foil stamping: If you want a product to have a little extra shine, this is the option for you. Heated foil gets pressed to the surface creates a gleaming, three-dimensional embellishment on your words.
- Spot UV printing: This technique uses ultra-violet light to cure a glossy ink to your packaging. Use it throughout the box or just to highlight key elements.
- Die-cutting: Custom cut shapes allow fine designs to keep their sharp edges while giving your goods a more prominent display.
By using custom techniques like this, you can help your product stand out. Depending on your budget and scalability, you may even allow customers to special order customized boxes of their own.
Have an Idea in Mind? We Can Help.
If you’re ready to start rethinking what your packaging can do for your brand, reach out. At New-Tech Packaging, we’re ready to help you with all your packaging needs and take your product to the next level.
Call (901) 498-5570 or fill out our contact form to explore your options.