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Within the last 10 years, e-commerce and online shopping has grown wildly in popularity.
Especially now, with COVID-19 impacting the whole world, e-commerce has become a priority and in many cases the only resort for businesses to stay afloat during these strange times.
Brick and mortar stores have quickly become consumer’s less preferred method of shopping especially now with extra risks involved.
You would assume that many conventions created by the traditional shopping experience would also be left behind; however, in the rapidly growing e-commerce world, packaging is still a vital part of the shopping experience.
Although Brick and mortar stores give businesses the opportunity to exhibit their products and packaging on-site, e-commerce and shipping still offer businesses the opportunity to showcase their products and brand identity through their packaging.
This in essence offers an exciting customer shopping experience, from the comfort of their homes.
One of the most important aspects of the customer experience is the emphasis on advertising.
This not only benefits the customer but also the manufacturer. Having a product for sale is only half of the battle, you also have to stand out from the competition and prove that your product is the superior choice – something typically highlighted and emphasized through packaging.
While it may seem like custom packaging is synonymous with a storefront, having branded packaging is just as, if not, even more important when it comes to e-commerce and online shopping.
Displaying your brand identity, protecting your product, and grabbing the attention of the consumer are just some examples of how packaging benefits the product it contains.
With e-commerce taking the throne, especially in 2020, here are 8 ways custom packaging can benefit your product today.
Protect Your Products
Another prime example of how packaging benefits your product is the protection of the product itself. Packaging’s main function is to hold and protect the product inside, ensuring it remains intact from the logistics chain to the manufacturer, before finally reaching the customer.
While there are countless premade packaging options on the market, they will rarely, if ever, perfectly fit your product. Customized packaging is a major benefit. It is designed and specifically made to fit your product perfectly.
A premade box that does not share the same dimensions as your product can lead to a lot of damage during shipping which will lead to unhappy customers who will likely not want to purchase from your company again.
With a box specifically designed to hold your product, any fragile contents contained within will be protected during shipping and delivery. Happy products lead to happy customers.
Keep Your Customers Safe
Although the main purpose of packaging is to keep your product safe, it is equally important to keep your customers safe.
When shipping or transporting food products, displaying important information about your product such as best before dates, ingredients, allergens and nutritional value on your packaging is common practice.
Furthermore, for non-food products it is just as important to list product ingredients and any toxic or harmful substances that your product may contain, in order to ensure the package is handled with care.
If your product does contain any toxic or harmful substances, listing these ingredients may seem like it would negatively impact your brand reputation.
However, maintaining safety and full transparency about your product builds a loyal customer base that whole heartedly trusts your brand with their safety.
Mentioning any potential dangers linked to your product also helps your brand avoid harming any first time customers and gaining a negative brand reputation.
Build Brand Awareness
Starting with the most prominent example of how packaging benefits your product – brand awareness. The package that holds your product is the easiest and most efficient way to show off your brand and use it as a form of advertising and building brand credibility.
Not only can you display relevant information regarding your product but you can also share information about your brand, your message, and other products you offer.
Custom packaging that shows off your brand with your brand’s distinct message and style is one of the most effective ways to stand out from your competitors and ensure that you stay in the minds of consumers.
There are hundreds of competitors so you need a custom package that is specifically designed to encapsulate your brand. Customized packaging allows you to take full control of your brand’s reputation directly to your target customer.
With social media gaining more and more significance in building your brand identity, having unique and eye-catching packaging has the potential to gain exposure for your brand through platforms such as Instagram.
Especially for new customers, packaging is the first impression they will get of your brand. The more unique your packaging is, the more likely new customers will post an unboxing of your products; which starts with your packaging.
Grabbing Consumer’s Attention
From a marketing perspective, custom packaging is one of the fundamentals of capturing customers’ attention. Tailoring your packaging to fit, represent and elevate your product automatically gives your brand and product a higher degree of credibility.
The packaging is often the first thing potential customers are exposed to. Therefore, using your packaging to make a good first impression is vital to gaining new customers.
When it comes to making a purchase decision, consumers will often make their choice based solely on the packaging. A national study carried out by the Paper and Packaging Board and IPSOS in 2018 shows that 7 in 10 consumers agreed that packaging design influences their purchasing decision.
A good visual representation of your brand and product is the backbone of effective marketing. Having attractive designs for your packaging helps your brand stand out from the competition.
Although having a great and effective product is crucial to the success of a brand, the packaging is the next step to elevating your brand and gaining credibility as a company.
With so many different products and brands to customers disposal, especially now with COVID-19 and the e-commerce world growing exponentially, options are nearly endless. When potential customers are looking for their boring brown package in the shared mail room of their building, your package will stand out and make an instant memorable impression on them.
Not only are you making the order/pick up experience convenient and user friendly, but you are also building a potential customer as well as loyal customer base without the hustle and bustle of brick and mortar.
For eye catching packaging designs check out our post on packaging design trends to look out for in 2023.
Creating a Memorable Experience
Digital marketing has quickly become the most effective and prominent marketing strategy. Social media has become a significant platform for brands to promote their products and services. The secret tool to using this platform effectively is actually through the customer.
What does this mean? Unboxing videos have gained a lot of popularity through instagram stories. Customers, especially those deemed as instagram influencers, will post videos of them showing off new products that they may have purchased.
Smaller instagram based influencers tend to post more genuine content, which is where the customer experience comes into play with regards to packaging.
If the packaging holds unique, luxurious and/or quirky design traits, customers will feel more inclined to document their real-time reaction through an unboxing. This not only captures and promotes the real-time customer experience, but also allows you to take note of any improvements to the packaging or product design you want to make in the future.
Customer experience has quickly become a priority through platforms like instagram, and soon Tik Tok. Because it is virtually impossible to display the way a product smells or feels, custom packaging has become the main form of communication for brands.
Creating memorable and unique packaging that provides a valuable customer experience will ensure that your brand makes an impression on not only the customer, but any potential customers that are closely following these unboxing experiences. This is how custom packaging benefits your products and brand most effectively.
The bottom line is: better packaging creates a better customer experience.
Melding Functionality and Practicality
A custom package that is both practical and functional is the ultimate one-two punch to help your product stand out from your competition.
A perfect example of packaging that is both functional and practical is resealable packaging. This is true for the food and fashion industries.
The food industry has seen a huge trend when it comes to resealable packaging to maintain shelf life, freshness and flavour. With features like this, customers are far more likely to repurchase items with this kind of packaging for its functionality and practicality. Resealable packaging has also eliminated the commitment to having to finish all the food in the packaging.
Customers like not having to commit to a certain product. Therefore, resealable packaging has provided a sense of freedom and convenience for customers.
Furthermore, resealable packaging has also highly benefited the fast fashion industry, especially now where customers’ only option is online shopping, with no sense of fit or style.
Resealable packaging has allowed online clothing stores to accept returns and has also given customers the opportunity to order a variety of sizes and styles to try on in the comfort of their own home.
Innovative packaging that solves issues of your competitors, allows for your product to stand out and gain well deserved attention.
A More Sustainable Product
Consumers have notoriously become much more environmentally conscious with regards to their carbon footprint and the way they choose to live their lives. Therefore, eco-friendly solutions to packaging are vital to the success of your business.
A recent study by the EPA shows an almost 100% increase in packages being recycled in the past 20 years – because of this, eco-friendly oriented packaging has gained a lot of popularity.
With the rise of the ethical shopper, more sustainable packaging has shown to be more profitable for brands. According to Survey Monkey; 1 in 3 consumers opt for more eco-friendly options and 35% of respondents would choose to purchase a more expensive product, if it is environmentally friendlier than the cheaper options available.
With more research and funding going into eco-friendly packaging options, fewer materials are being used to design and manufacture these products. Not only is it beneficial to the environment, but to the customer as well as the company.
With less materials being used, it is predicted that eco-friendly packaging will become the most cost effective way to package your items. Although we still have a while to go before it is completely affordable, we are well on our way. As brands appealing to a large variety of consumers, the eco-friendly packaging path should be highly considered.
Let’s put it simply; the more eco-friendly your product and packaging is, the more attention grabbing, desired and respected it will be in the eyes of loyal customers as well as potential customers.
We have now explored how packaging benefits the product it contains and how brands are positively affected by custom packaging.
Packaging is a fundamental aspect of brand identity. It fits in and plays a crucial role in establishing credibility, sustainability and building a loyal customer base. Packaging, especially during these stranger times, is very important to a customer’s shopping experience. Packaging is more than just a box, it holds the secrets to brand and business success.
Check out 18 sustainable packaging ideas of 2020
Reduce Your Shipping Costs
Surprisingly, custom packaging could end up being much more cost effective in comparison to premade packaging.
One factor that isn’t as apparent when considering to go with custom packaging is that it could end up saving you a substantial amount of money on shipping. This is especially true if you have a small or lightweight product.
As stated previously, with standard, premade packaging, you will rarely find a box that perfectly matches your product. Because of this, you will end up paying for the extra weight caused by any unneeded packaging.
With a package specifically tailored for your product, you will have no extra weight added to your package, saving you on shipping.
Though the postage and delivery cost difference may not seem like much on a single package, as a business, you will be shipping products frequently which will end up saving a significant amount in the long run.
Check out our blog for custom packaging tips on how to save money and time.
