Your target market’s initial impression of the packaging powerfully sways their buying decision. Shoppers can get your item from the shelf and examine it more closely (or click your product image online and read more about it) before adding it to their cart. Or they can pass you up for another item.

Packaging’s marketing role is undeniable in a world increasingly focused on online engagement. Tangibility still matters, with an enticing physical presence improving your company’s brand recognition and recall more than digital communications.

How can packaging support your branding and marketing strategy? 

It all starts with understanding your buyer’s behavior. So let’s dive in and discover what makes packaging a potent conversion tool. Also, we’ll tackle how you can track your packaging’s performance.

It’s Not What They Look at But What They “See”

In packaging design, you must plan with the end in mind. For brands, this entails balancing two primary goals—product safety and customer appeal. The box or container must protect the product until it reaches the customer. At the same time, the packaging should make the buyer feel happy about the purchase and transacting with the company.

Factors Influencing Consumer Perception

Let’s admit it: despite humanity’s great strides in knowledge—including sales tactics, we’re still prone to the bias from positive first impressions, also known as the halo effect.

This bias applies in shopping and packaging—consumers are inclined to choose products based on appearance. The following factors can affect how they perceive your brand:

Color

Color can create emotions leading to desire, disgust, or indifference. Researchers and market analysts reported that 85% of consumers selected products based on color.

Thus, knowing the psychology of colors—the messages they convey—is necessary for your color choice in packaging design. Your selection should be consistent with your brand’s mission and personality. 

Although culture, life experiences, and socialization affect color preferences, graphic designers and marketers refer to guides and charts like the one above when designing their branding assets, including packaging designers looking for inspiration.

Meanwhile, recent research shows that blue currently holds the record as the most-liked color (preferred by 57% of men and 35% of women).

Shape and size

Factors such as the size of your box can depend on your target market’s demographics. For instance, children view product sizes and shapes differently than adults. Grown-ups may lean toward easy-to-carry products with minimal excess weight, but large-size or uniquely shaped packaging may excite younger consumers.

Texture

Although product packaging should look attractive even from a distance, it’s meant to be touched. Glossy and smooth packaging can give products a premium look and feel. Meanwhile, eco-conscious consumers might appreciate Kraft paperboard or molded pulp boxes, which may feel rough and barely have any design. One forecast shows a growing demand for barrier coating—for paper and board packaging—as a plastic substitute and will hit $11 billion by 2028, based on 2022 prices.

Layout, fonts, and graphics

A well-laid-out packaging box with a clear and sharp logo and images plus readable typography for your product name, description, and instructions make it easy for shoppers to know how your product can benefit them. 

Packaging Reveals What Consumers Want to Know About a Brand

Effectively designed packaging can answer your target market’s questions about you and your product. Shoppers typically want to know:

• What company produced this product?
• Why did they develop this product?
• What process did the business use to create the product?
• Where was this product made?
• What makes this product the best or better than others in the same category?

Including the following information in your custom packaging can convince consumers that buying your products is worth their money:

• Nutritional and health facts
• Ingredients
• Eco-friendly information
• Brand name
• Reasons for choosing your brand
• Certifications and awards
• Detailed instructions
• Cautionary notes
• Government regulations

Moreover, your packaging material and structure can reveal how much care you put into ensuring your product’s usability and consumer safety. In a video from The Packaging School, founder Dr. Andrew Hurley emphasizes that thoroughly knowing your product is crucial in developing packaging that hits safety targets for both your item and those who’ll use it. He says clarifying these aspects about your product can help you nail your packaging design:

1. Form and nature of your product

Your product’s state (solid, liquid, or gas) will determine what material you need to package it. 

Beyond dimensions and weight, you must also consider what’s required to prevent leakage and adverse chemical reaction due to temperature, moisture, and the packaging material itself.

2. Needed protection at each level of the sales cycle

Your packaging must keep your product safe from the stockroom or warehouse to its transfer to couriers or fulfillment centers that will transport and deliver it to your retailer or customer.

3. Product’s end user and expected interaction with the product

Customers may have unique preferences, but convenience is universal across your demographics. For instance, a resealable package is advisable for a kid’s beverage, while gable top carton boxes are handy for adults.

4. Presentation

Your packaging must differentiate your product from other players in your niche or industry. Moreover, it should include a surprise element, particularly an unboxing experience better than they expected.

5. Sustainability beliefs and regulations

Research your target market’s beliefs on sustainability in packaging and the laws at the locations where you distribute or sell your goods. Six US states currently uphold Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies on the disposal of hard-to-recycle materials: Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, New Jersey, and Maine. Use your packaging to communicate how your company adheres to EPR laws.

How to Use Packaging as a Marketing Tool

Packaging is now at the forefront of brand awareness and promotions after some marketers renamed their seventh marketing P from the overarching “physical evidence” to packaging.

Here are seven ways you can optimize packaging as your “silent salesperson”:

1. Include customized packaging in your branding

You can use packaging to reinforce your brand identity because it receives the highest engagement with your consumers next to your product. For consistency, your packaging should include these brand elements according to your style guidelines:

Name

The brand-to-product association is so strong at times that some names have undergone genericization—the trademark becomes synonymous with that class of products. 

Examples include Kleenex for tissue paper, Band-Aid for adhesive bandages, and Xerox for copying machines. Other genericized brands include Velcro, Lego, Google (“Let’s Google it.”), and Photoshop (“I think that was photoshopped.”).

Logo and brand graphics

Your logo is your visual trademark, which must be recognizable as your brand name—if not more memorable. Graphics separate from your logo must use your brand color palette.

Color palette

Your packaging should ideally use your brand colors, which should’ve been chosen after analyzing your target audience and competitors. Some designers advise using up to three colors for maximum memory retention.

Slogan

Slogans are simple and catchy phrases representing your brand’s personality. They’re also crafted to function as mini-mission statements.

M&M: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”

FedEx: “Where now meets next.”

Nokia: “Connecting People.”

Typography

Your fonts should be easy to read and express product information. Their look must also fit the style of your other branding elements.

Images

Images or visual elements must be crisp and attractive enough to tug at your target market’s heartstrings. They should also represent your brand message and the product’s unique value.

2. Think out of the box for higher shelf impact

Does your packaging seem to blend with other products on retailers’ shelves? Although shoppers have subconscious packaging expectations for different product categories, your brand must have unique elements that will help you stand out in a sea of other competing products. Two steps can help you achieve this:

Audience research

Conduct a simple online poll (try Twitter or LinkedIn) and ask your target buyers what they consider to be typical packaging in your product category.

Competitor research

Look through store shelves and compare the designs of your rival products. You might notice similarities in color and typography—these are the core design elements of your category. Doing something different but still in tune with your audience’s survey results is worth the risk.

Finnish company Sitko’s artisan pizza box is one example of unconventional design. It only uses black and white and shows off its sourdough balls—described as the “heart and soul” of its business—in various irregularly rounded shapes.

Meanwhile, Norway’s Freja did quite the opposite, playing up Nordic geometric shapes and a bright—although still limited—color palette for its rebranded bone broth line.

Below, this unique nature-based concept by Vu Digital encases bottles like flower petals.

Meanwhile, one designer used insect-themed window boxes for lightbulb packaging. 

3.   Incorporate packaging in your marketing campaigns

Although packaging can promote your product on its own, it’s most influential when used in tandem with the rest of your marketing arsenal. You can feature them in your digital (social media and website or Google ads) or offline (billboards, print, and TV) ad campaigns.

Aligning your packaging with your ad strategies may be as simple as using custom tape, labels, and sleeves on stock packaging boxes.

4.   Make it functional

Packaging should be durable and user-friendly in that storing, opening, resealing, and displaying them shouldn’t be a struggle. New packaging trends, such as smart packaging features, offer tamper detection and counterfeiting technologies such as QR codes and RFID tags.

Functional packaging can also refer to ergonomic handling and dual-purpose design. For instance, Motorola’s Razr 5G comes in a box that doubles as a phone holder-stand.

The Botanist Gin’s functional liquor boxes also double as a reusable planter. When you can repurpose your packaging, you get plus points for sustainability.

5.   Personalize through promotional elements

Add a personal touch through packaging inserts, such as thank-you cards, coupons, or customer-specific samples. You can follow the STP model to determine the most appropriate personalization add-ons. The acronym stands for segmentation, targeting, and positioning. 

Segmentation is dividing your customers into groups based on shared traits. Targeting is determining each segment’s buying power and identifying those most likely to convert. Finally, positioning is developing a marketing mix for each group.

To illustrate how the model works, small business owners can apply STP by including handwritten thank you messages in the package of first-time buyers, addressing them by their names. They can add freebies—stickers, trinkets, or a product sample—that complement their purchase to encourage repeat business.

Meanwhile, for returning customers, a referral card (offering discounts to the customer and a friend) or loyalty program invite can help expand your client base and deepen engagement.

McKinsey reported that 71% of consumers expect brands to personalize their interactions. Meanwhile, 88% of shoppers surveyed by Salesforce said their experience with a company is as important as the product or services they offer. McKinsey adds that personalization can increase revenues by five percent to 15%.

6.   List all the ways they can reach you online

Use social share inserts or print your social channels directly on your custom box and labels to encourage clients to connect with you online for feedback and queries. Be upfront about requesting a review and include a link that directs them to your corresponding webpage.

Also, include your main hashtags to encourage customers to look them up online and use them in their posts and tweets.

7.   Provide themed or limited edition packaging

Holidays and occasions such as your subscriber’s birthday and anniversary of their loyalty program membership or first order offer opportune moments for you to produce variations of your packaging. Themed packaging instantly turns your products into giftable items—something not-so-crafty buyers warmly welcome.

Moreover, you can roll out limited-edition packaging for specific products. Doing so can entice shoppers to buy before supplies run out and give them a sense of exclusivity because they acquired something unique to your brand and not available to the rest of the public. 

Grow with the Packaging Industry’s Marketing Thought Leaders

Once your packaging design is done, finding a capable packaging and printing company can make or break your marketing dreams. Choosing a printer with established thought leadership in this area can give you peace of mind. Besides being masters of the technical process, such service providers are aware of what makes a design arresting and professional-looking.

Refine Packaging is more than just dependable—we’re committed to ensuring your custom packaging becomes a profitable growth driver. And our dedication to your marketing success isn’t just lip service. Check out our blog section where we discuss the essentials of design, printing, and distribution. We’re serious about what we do, but always aim to keep simplicity and lightheartedness at the center of it all.

No matter what stage in the business you’re going through, we’re here for you. Our team includes in-house designers so you can get answers to any marketing concerns. Contact us today for a free consultation or more information about our process.

The post Optimizing Packaging for Marketing: 7 Client Engagement Keys appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Packvertising had intended to be a separate and more cost-effective alternative to traditional ad placements. Brands included flyers, vouchers, and promotional stickers in the box for added ways to connect and engage with consumers.

When COVID-19 struck, social media became flooded with at-home unboxing videos. The trend elevated the packaging box as an extension of every product, coming under the same scrutiny as its content in vlogs and influencer videos. Many brands now compete by showing off their product’s primary and secondary packaging in paid advertisements.

In light of this development, you may wonder: is it really worth investing in not just branded packaging but ads that include your product boxes? How can you make your packaging ad-ready?

This article answers these questions as we discuss improving your packaging ROI through ad placements that feature your custom branded packaging.

What Is Packaging ROI?

Your investment in packaging includes payments for design, packaging material, printing, distribution, and promotional activities.

How to calculate packaging ROI

You can apply the basic formula for ROI in calculating your product packaging ROI. That is, divide your net profit—the amount you earned from an investment or the investment cost minus its present value—by the investment cost and multiply the result by 100.

ROI =  (Net profit / Investment Cost) x 100

However, other factors contribute to packaging ROI. They include the following:

Damage reduction

A solid, structural packaging design results in savings for shipping and replacement of goods returned due to dents, breakage, or other damage. By protecting fragile goods, you can avoid processing returns, which can run up to 59% of the item’s original price.

Improved environmental profile

A quarter of consumers prefer buying from brands that use sustainable packaging, which Statista lists as the second top consideration among American shoppers after coupons and discounts.

Higher sales

Consumers have become more careful about how brands influence their buying decisions. 82% of shoppers in a Razorfish poll said they favor brands that stand for a greater societal purpose, which brands can achieve through packaging that conveys their intended contributions to the community. Your sales performance after your new packaging design’s launch is a good indicator of your ROI.

Recurring customers

When shoppers are delightfully surprised or satisfied with their initial purchase, their positive experience leads to what is called a “brand halo” effect. As a result, they’re likely to buy again and tell others about the product. American subscription box companies combine the power of packaging’s visual appeal with anticipation in keeping and growing their client base, which stands at 61 million. 

Top 3 Reasons to Include Custom Packaging in Your Ad Campaigns

You can double the influence of packaging over your target audience in the following ways when you incorporate them in your ads:

1. Packaging enhances your social media presence

Before the pandemic lockdowns, businesses used packvertising as a standalone marketing channel. They relied on extra features such as multi-page labeling and inserts containing rebates, discount coupons, and product information to attract buyers and engage customers.

When self-isolation mandates took effect, brands didn’t only ramp up their shipping and delivery procedures. They also ensured that their packaging would make up for the excitement and pleasure derived from in-store shopping. Their strategy included packaging in their content marketing and advertisements, mainly on their target market’s preferred social platforms. You can apply the same tactic to your online promotions. 62% of consumers tend to buy products a purchaser features in an image or video post.

Although unboxing videos reportedly started as early as 2006 (featuring a Nokia E61 phone), the contemporary content creators’ commentary covers the entire package—literally—from the box to its contents and fillers.

2. Packaging helps manage your customer’s expectations about a product

Advertisements featuring your product with its packaging promote transparency. Such ads can promote trust if you’re selling high-end products. As they say: the higher the price, the higher the customer’s expectations.

Potential buyers discover the item’s dimension and how large—or small—it is compared to its box. These visuals are more mentally digestible and retainable than a written description.

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3. Packaging allows you to receive immediate feedback

Why not hit two birds with one stone by asking your followers to comment on your packaging when you publish your social media ad?

How to Optimize Packaging for Advertising Success

You can succeed at including customized packaging in your advertising strategy by taking these steps:

1. Conduct market research and analysis

Market research and analysis help you discover more about your target market, competitors, and the packaging industry. Your study should ideally give insights about:

• Who belongs to your target market and their pain points
• Where your target and existing buyers research to discover and learn more about products and services
• Which of your rivals does your target audience turn to for options and information
• What influences conversions and purchases among your target audience
• What aspects of your competitors’ packaging are working for them
• Whether there’s a demand for your business initiatives
• Underserved or unaddressed consumer needs your business can turn into a selling opportunity
• What’s trending in your industry in the buyer’s eyes
• Consumer attitudes toward a particular topic or consumer issue, a brand or product, and pricing
  

2. Identify your goals and metrics

Surveying your target audience and industry helps you define or clarify the objectives and success indicators for your packaging.

Goals should reflect what your brand identity wishes to convey—a message (such as your unique selling point) and emotion (your brand personality)—besides growth objectives, such as increasing awareness, loyalty, and referrals. Meanwhile, success metrics include brand recall, conversion, retention, and word-of-mouth.

3. Pick the appropriate design, packaging materials, and box style (Proceed to points 4 or 5 if you have existing packaging)

Your design, paper stock, custom box style, and coatings must suit your product type and function. For premium products, you may want to use luxury materials and extra features.

4. Design, test, and evaluate your packaging’s performance

You can use prototypes when testing your product packaging with small markets or focus groups. Gather people’s opinions through surveys or interviews so you can determine your packaging’s strengths and areas for improvement. Here are some tips to follow:

• Limit the number of questions to ask, as they are open-ended ones.
• Provide participants with a demo or prototype.
• Ask them how they feel about your pricing.
• Ask for their views about your competition.
• Give them a chance to air any questions, concerns, or other comments at the end of the questionnaire or feedback session.

5. Adapt your packaging-related ad materials to the requirements and expectations of each advertising method

Around 55% of B2B and B2C product suppliers’ marketing budgets go to digital campaigns. However, traditional channels like print, TV, and billboards continue to be viable options.

If you’re allotting a large chunk of your budget to online marketing as well, familiarize yourself with the image sizes for product photography and video lengths required for website or social media ads. Our cheat sheet below is a handy reference.

Besides great visuals, the best social media ads have a clear call to action so your followers know what to do next, such as “Buy now” “Add to shopping cart,” “Sign up,” and “Learn more.”

6. Include your social media icons on your packaging

Invite ongoing engagement with your customers by including your social media handles on your company info. Doing so can raise your chances of upselling opportunities and referrals. 

Social Media Ad Specs Cheat Sheet

Here’s our cheat sheet for social media ad specifications. Aspect ratio (x:y) refers to the ratio of an image’s width to its height.

Social Media Examples Featuring Product Packaging

Here’s how some businesses featured their personalized packaging in social media ads:

ThreadBeast

Streetwear brand ThreadBeast showcases their subscription boxes directly in their Facebook advertising campaigns.

Jam Cellars

Jam Cellars’ Butter Chardonnay brings on some “better beach time” based on the brand’s YouTube video featuring the wine with its bright yellow-labeled bottle, can, and packaging box.

Crest

This Instagram image ad of Crest 3D White Strips directs the platform’s users to Amazon.

Corkcicle

A TikTok subscriber included the packaging in the unboxing video of the insulated tumbler by Corkcicle, which she received on Mother’s Day.

Purolator Inc.

Purolator made a LinkedIn post to announce its limited-edition holiday boxes. Like the Canadian courier, you can end your written ad with hashtags to widen your reach. Although you can use up to 30 hashtags, marketers advise using only a few of them. Three to five are enough according to the Instagram Creators account.

Know Your Other Advertising Channels

Through market research, you can focus your ad budget on your target audience’s preferred channels. Nevertheless, knowing the various advertising channels below makes you aware of additional venues for sourcing product promotion ideas.

Moreover, consider that although the average American broadband-connected household has 13 connected devices, 28 million households can’t afford the fees for internet access.

Television

Advertisers forecast a 10.4% growth in ad revenues amid an expected increase of connected TV (CTV)—or traditional TV connected to the internet that allows video streaming and web browsing—adoption from 2023 to 2028. Moreover, 50% of Americans connect their smart TV or CTV sets through their in-built mechanism.

Minimum CTV ad costs range from $20,000 to $50,000.

Print

Newspaper and magazine ads, flyers, and posters are all part of print advertising. Their tangibility gives them an edge over online adverts, the oversupply of which has taught netizens to ignore their presence, resulting in so-called “ad blindness.” Moreover, internet users can use ad blockers for privacy. Top Media Advertising reported that a digital ad’s effectiveness rises 400% when combined with print ads. 

Newspaper ads can cost between $50 and $2,700 and up for full-page ads.

Outdoor advertising

Billboards and public transportation ads are examples of outdoor advertising. Billboard fees—which cover four weeks—are worth $850 (for static) or $2,100 (for digital) on average. Meanwhile, transit advertising shares the same average cost as static billboards.

Email ads

Your brand can place an ad on a third-party email newsletter in exchange for an endorsement. The sponsorship cost depends on the newsletter’s industry, subscriber count, and audience engagement. Advertising charges can start at around $15 to $30 per sponsored email. 

Make Your Custom Box Packaging Ad-Ready

Selecting an expert custom box manufacturer with an eye for design is crucial when you decide to make product packaging design a part of your advertising projects. Your box provider should help deliver what you promised consumers in your image or video ads in whatever medium.

Refine Packaging can print branded boxes that will delight your customers beyond what they see in traditional or digital ads. Our happy customers can tell you all about it.

Moreover, our seasoned in-house design team can ensure that every step in your packaging development journey with us targets optimal client satisfaction from discovery to conversion. Contact us today to request a free consultation about your ad-ready packaging requirements.

The post How to Increase Your Ad Campaign’s ROI By Showcasing Custom Packaging (6 Steps) appeared first on Refine Packaging.

When you think about packaging and branding, it’s likely that logos, typography, colors, and photographs come to mind first. But as you’ll discover in this article, you can also use patterns to further connect with and influence your target market.

So stick around to learn about pattern design basics, where to source ideas, and how to use patterns for standout product packaging.

Elements of Pattern Design

Before we go deeper into the use of patterns, let’s examine the customizable parts that make them suitable for your packaging purposes:

1. Motifs

Motifs refer to the individual elements in a design, such as geometric shapes, lines, florals, and so on.

2. Color palette

Your pattern’s color combination should match your official brand colors.

3. Spacing

Patterns involve motifs with spaces—typically precise distances—between each other.

4. Layout

You can lay out motifs in the following ways:

Layout Pattern	Example
Directional: one-way (you can view the pattern only one way) or two-way (the pattern looks the same if you turn it 180 degrees or upside down)	One-way directional pattern Two-way directional pattern
Non- or multi-directional: the pattern repeats from any angle	Non- or multi-directional pattern
Tossed: random placement of motifs	Tossed pattern

5. Repeat

The various repeat patterns include:

Why Use Patterns in Packaging Design

The repetition of symbols and colors in a harmonious order is relatable, often producing a pleasurable experience. You can harness this characteristic of patterns in the following ways:

Enliven your design

Minimalism is appealing, but pattern and repetition also draw attention by adding texture, depth, and movement to your primary business symbols.

Improve brand recognition

Choosing a pattern that aligns with your brand story and color palette—considering that color boosts recognition by 87%—can give the public something to remember about your company besides your logo and the product’s name.

Besides being more memorable, patterns can distinguish your product from others in the same category.

Reinforce your brand values

Your pattern’s shapes and colors communicate what your business stands for—whether it’s elegance, playfulness, or sustainability—and the personality you wish to project. Research shows that such brand consistency can increase business revenues by 20%.

12 Websites to Find Stunning Patterns

While you can hire a packaging designer to create a pattern customized for your brand, you can start searching online for the most prevalent styles and see what you can adopt for your packaging. Get ready for a pattern overload from these websites:

1. The Pattern Library

Graphic designer Claudio Guglieri and creative developer Tim Holman set up The Pattern Library as an ongoing project, where creatives can share and derive tileable patterns. The site allows you to download the tile image in gif format.

2. Vecteezy

Over 1.6 million free and Pro (subscription-based) vector graphics await you when you click “Vectors” from Vecteezy’s main menu and choose “Pattern.” Some of its categories include seamless, line, wave, retro, kids, camouflage, geometric, and abstract patterns.

3. Canva

Typing “patterns” on Canva’s search bar will display templates you can freely use or purchase to tailor-fit your business and serve as a box template that can help frame your packaging artwork.

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4. Spoonflower

Spoonflower is an online print-on-demand company that customizes design prints for fabric, home decor, and wallpaper. Its community includes 25,000 independent artists, interior designers, small business owners, and DIY hobbyists.

5. Patterncooler

Graphic artist Harvey Rayner is behind PatternCooler, another online resource for editable patterns (300 by 300 pixels). The website’s color and theme generator tabs have sliding tools for customizing the pattern’s colors, saturation, and motif randomness. License plans are available if you wish to use any of his patterns commercially.

6. Patternbank

Patternbank is a surface pattern and textile design website with a filter system for searching ideas—over 75,000 of them. Surface design refers to images showing artwork patterns for decorating various surfaces.

Under its “Giftware/Stationery” link, you’ll find options such as ethnic, conversationals (novelty print featuring recognizable objects), camouflage, texture, tribal, and border.

7. Artlandia

Artlandia’s Pattern Central has a collection of patterns from various categories, including naturalistic, abstract, and geometric. It also developed plug-ins for making repeat patterns in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

8. Dinpattern

Dinpattern describes itself as an “ever-growing” seamless pattern library maintained and updated by designer Evan Eckard. Image files containing the motifs are free to download, but they’re for screen use only.

9. Pinterest

Because you can pin almost everything on Pinterest, the visual discovery engine has a wealth of pattern design inspiration, pattern art, and pattern illustration. On its search bar, type “surface design” then bookmark or save your favorite image pins for future reference. 85% of Pinners use the platform to start a new project.

10. Dribbble

Graphic, web, and UX designers have portfolios on Dribbble. Because designers retain rights to their work, you must get permission from the pattern’s designer before using their artwork.

11. Behance

An Adobe platform, Behance provides another online community for creative professionals, including surface designers.

12. Eye on Design

This website—run by the American Institute of Graphic Arts—has several sections on everything about design from the professional community, including the latest updates about branding and patterns.

2023 Top Trending Patterns in Packaging Design

The websites above showcase talent from across America and the world. However, as a business owner, you may be wondering if there are specific patterns currently enjoying widespread adoption. Packaging design circles say these three patterns are gaining popularity among brands:

Wrap-around pattern

Health, beverage, cosmetics, and personal care brands are leading the pack in using this pattern, which features lines and waves that cover the entire surface of the product’s retail packaging. Curiosity motivates shoppers to pick up the item and explore the design 360 degrees or from every side of the container. You can apply this pattern using custom labels or print the wrap-around pattern design directly on sleeves, custom paper bags, and other box types.

Memphis pattern

Making a comeback is the 1980s Memphis pattern style characterized by bright and multiple colors and oversized geometric shapes, curves, and lines. A group led by Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass a.k.a. Memphis Milano developed this retro aesthetic to oppose the 1960s minimalist design and 1970s modernism. Fashion brands and interior designers were behind its resurgence to evoke nostalgia, cheer, and individualism.

Folk botanical pattern

Current designs feature flowers, fruits, leaves, and vines drawn in unrefined, shaky doodles with rough textures and unexpected color combinations.

How to Choose a Pattern for Business Branding

How can you find the right pattern to improve your existing packaging design? These four steps can get you started:

1. Establish your brand’s visual identity

What needs does your product or business fulfill for your consumers? Understand your brand identity thoroughly, then choose a motif that aligns with your branding.

2. Research

Visit the websites and platforms we listed above to discover trends. Also, observe what’s around your home, your favorite hangout (diner or coffee shop), and your neighborhood—your surroundings can be rich sources of ideas.

Most importantly, check out your competitors’ product packaging to ensure you come up with a distinct pattern design.

3. Choose a concept or theme

Once you’re done with research, choose a motif, pattern layout, and repeat type.

4. Experiment and refine

Try different shapes, layouts, and color combinations. Designers use software such as Adobe Illustrator and Procreate for their digital sketches. Meanwhile, you can create a mood board (a physical or digital one) where you can compile illustrations, photography, color swatches, stationery pieces, or even fabrics representing what you want to incorporate in your pattern.

Although you should ideally use your brand’s color palette, you can experiment with shades other than your official colors when using patterns. However, your chosen hues should still be relevant and enticing to your target audience. For instance, bright-colored stripes would be more pleasing to younger (or young at heart) and fun-loving consumers, while a more mature or high-end crowd would prefer muted colors or even a monochrome color scheme.

Another color contrast tip: you can render older brand motifs or symbols in their opposite tone (a duller tone of your original bright pattern and vice versa). With 75% of companies rebranding since 2020, your business may want to consider this idea when adding patterns or revitalizing your visual identity.

Also, examine your negative space or background and see if you can add something new, such as texture or smaller motifs.

Then create a mock-up and test the pattern, getting feedback from colleagues or clients.

Pattern Generators for Experimenting

Besides visiting the sites we recommended above, you can use online tools to create your patterns, even without design experience. Try these user-friendly platforms and let your creative side run free.

Patternizer

Are you planning to feature stripes on your packaging? Patternizer lets you play with two colors and its slider controls to manipulate opacity, width, gap (distance between stripes), and offset.

Pattern Monster

Pattern Monster is your go-to site if you want to discover and experiment with patterns featuring lines and geometric shapes.

Tabbied

To explore ideas using Tabbied, browse their gallery, then choose an artwork to “redraw” using their tools to change the color palette, motif size, and repeat style. You can then download your final pattern design as a .png file.

Repper

Repper is a pattern creator that lets you create patterns using tile images from the website or your collection. You can select from various effects and color adjustment options.

WowPatterns Pattern Maker

WowPatterns has 27 categories of over 2,500 handcrafted patterns and a pattern maker with tools that allow you to alter the tiling style, rotation (angle), and color adjustments of the motifs, whether from the site or your files. You can download the pattern’s tile or surface image in .png or .jpg format with a maximum resolution of 5,000 pixels.

How to Use a Pattern Design Effectively

For your chosen pattern to work on your packaging design, remember these tips:

Balance it with other details

Pick a pattern that doesn’t overwhelm your other packaging design elements, such as your logo, product name, or product description. This way, the written text and visuals can still be easy to read and understand.

Let patterns highlight other elements

While you can use patterns to bring together various shapes and other symbols of your design or offer aesthetic comfort (because repetition creates familiarity and consistency), patterns can also direct the consumer’s vision toward portions of the package you want to emphasize, such as text describing your product’s top features or its ingredients.

Differentiate product variants using pattern designs

Do you have several variations of your product? Choose colors and textures to represent or signify variants of goods, such as chocolate, coffee, soap, and fragrances.

Make your pattern scalable

Ensure your motifs, colors, and layout stay sharp when applied on a larger scale. Designers typically render patterns and line art in vector format to retain their high quality regardless of resizing. 

Pick an Expert for Your Packaging’s Pattern Design 

Businesses will continue to compete against each other through packaging, with recent data showing that budgets are set to rise 5.4% between 2022 and 2024 after a 3% rise from 2020 to 2022. Brands can expect patterns to stay influential as a design element in the years to come amid the thriving surface design industry. While US-based statistics aren’t available, over 3,000 designers worldwide belong to the Surface Design Association.

By following our tips, you can also use patterns to boost your branded packaging. Whether your idea is just germinating or a designer has developed a pattern design for you, Refine Packaging can make your motifs and colors come alive with our custom boxes and high-quality printing.

Our team can discuss your project given your artwork and preferred materials. We also have in-house designers ready to assist you if you haven’t finalized your desired pattern yet. Moreover, Refine Packaging can produce a mockup of your packaging box to ensure that the outcome fulfills your purpose. 

Refine Packaging is the top choice for the world’s Inc 5000 and Fortune 500 companies. With super fast production times, affordable pricing, and a sky’s the limit attitude, we’ll help you turn your custom packaging into a competitive differentiator. Contact us today and a dedicated packaging specialist will guide you through every step of the custom packaging process without breaking a sweat.

The post Where to Find Remarkable Patterns for Packaging Design appeared first on Refine Packaging.

At a time when thousands of new companies—and, therefore, new products—enter the market annually, businesses rely on these experts to see their products enjoy their day in the sun. The food industry alone welcomes 15,000 new products every year.

But with so many freelancers and agencies offering their design services, how would you know who can translate your unique selling proposition (USP) onto your brand’s visual identity?

This article will discuss how you can prepare for your collaboration with a packaging designer, including the factors to consider in selecting the one who can support your goals.

Before we dive in, allow us to show you some stats for insights on the consumer market from a wider angle. The figures below show how important it is to take product packaging seriously and seek the right path toward customer-centric packaging.

Impact of Packaging on Sales

Attractive packaging design remains at the heart of the unboxing experience. According to a Macfarlane poll, branded packaging made up 59% of all boxes shipped by merchants in 2022. Moreover, 41% of respondents said that printed packaging produced memorable moments, which made them want to buy again.

The outcome of this UK-based survey reflected similar sentiments of American shoppers in Dotcom Distribution’s study. 47% of participants who bought luxury shoppers over the past year said that “visually appealing/gift-like” boxes (32%) and personalized packaging parts (15%) made them share photos or videos of a purchase. Meanwhile, 24% valued sustainable packaging that is eco-friendly and paper-based.

Project Brief: Clarifying Your Vision

Packaging designers would ask you to share the details of your project in a project brief (also called a design or packaging brief). It lays the foundation of understanding between you and the designer or design agency by establishing your project’s purpose, scope, timeline, and budget.

The brief can take time to write, but it’s the most effective way to organize your thoughts and make the most of your meeting with your chosen designer. The document will serve as your playbook and prevent your designer from saying, “We didn’t realize or know you needed that” midway through the project.

Here are the sections to include in your project brief:

Project overview

Start the document with a short project description to help your designer envision what they need to deliver. Include the name of your brand and product, its back story, your USP, and how you want to communicate with customers through packaging.

Describe your product’s physical qualities, including its fragility, its appearance, smell, and so on.

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Company profile

This section describes what your company does, its values, and general objectives.

Goals

Discuss your reason for getting the designer’s services. If you’re launching a new product, your goals may include brand awareness, ensuring shelf appeal, and providing a pleasurable unboxing experience. 

However, if you’re hiring a designer to improve your existing packaging, identify your current problems—for instance, high production or transport costs, weak box structure, too simplistic design compared to rivals, or poor print quality. 

Share your competitor’s design or packaging to help your designer or agency grasp how you want to carve a unique presence in your market or niche.

Providing your designer with the above information will deepen their insight into your needs, possibly giving them a list of factors to eliminate when they start brainstorming your design.

Target audience

Define your target buyers—their demographics, preferences, and buying behavior. Be specific: trying to reach senior citizens who want to safely use their home bathtubs is different from trying to reach bathtub owners of any age.

Scope (design, material, and dimensions)

The scope covers your project’s technical details. Specify the style (box type), shape, measurements, preferred material (including any sustainable aspects or methods you wish to apply), and finish or texture. Remember to provide your brand style guide: logo, color palette, and proprietary artwork. Also, include all legal or mandatory copy you want to appear, such as ingredients, manufacturing information, warnings, and barcode.

Are there any elements that you don’t want your packaging to have? Incorporate them in the brief to help reduce revisions in the future.

If you’re changing your existing packaging, tell them about its shortcomings and get their feedback on how to improve it. Also, tell your designer about your shipping, distribution, and display methods so they can recommend suitable materials.

Timeline

Set your target dates, from when you want to see the design studies or samples to your expected delivery date of the printed boxes. Divide the timeline into stages depending on the urgency and output volume.

Budget

State your budget, but be open to discussions with your agency so you can balance quality with cost-effectiveness.

Deliverables

List the items you expect your designer to produce: mockups, digital files of the design, quantity of boxes, and any extras you may need. Discuss and agree on the approval process—ask how you expect them to deliver their output for your approval for each stage.

Contact information

Your project’s success will depend on regular communication between you or your team and the design agency. Include phone numbers and messaging contact details where your designer can reach you.

After your initial discussion, you may need to review the brief with your designer again to explore any changes. Amend as necessary and work together to ensure both sides share the same understanding of the brief. 

Where to Find Designers or Design Agencies

There are several places you can search to find a designer or design agency:

• Google (type “top or best packaging design agencies/firms” or “top or best packaging designers” + your location)
• Freelance networks, such as Fiverr and Upwork
• Portfolio sites feature designers’ past works, such as Behance and Dribbble
• Crowdsourcing sites, such as DesignCrowd and 99designs, operate like a design contest—you can post your project and receive proposals from around the world. Clients only pay for submissions they like. Refine Packaging has partnered with 99designs to provide brands an easy way to match with design experts to create world-class product packaging at an affordable price.

Which Is Better: A Freelancer or Design Agency? 

Freelance designers are experts in their niche and work independently—typically on a contract basis. Being a one-person team and their own boss, freelancers communicate directly with you or your marketing head. Meanwhile, design companies typically have several members, such as graphic designers, brand strategists, and market research specialists. Agencies can offer an array of services given the diverse skill set of their team.

How do you choose between the two? Your funds, project scope, and sense of urgency are top considerations.

Hire a freelancer if you have a small, lower-budget project that you need to complete fast. Meanwhile, choose a design agency for larger projects requiring more strategic planning to go into your packaging design, such as market research and mockup development. 

Agencies charge higher and assign you to an account manager. However, they have access to more resources and follow an established process, enabling them to finish your project within your deadline and scale when necessary.

Factors to Consider When Selecting Your Agency or Designer

To determine the designer or agency most suitable for your needs, evaluate your prospects with these criteria:

1. Track record

Designers can have various specializations—select the one who specializes in packaging. Not all graphic designers work with dielines. Research the person or company online to verify their track record. Read their case studies and what reviews say about them. Ask for references from past clients if possible.

Seasoned designers can recommend the packaging type that will work best with your product. They can also suggest the design and imagery, which will make your package eye-catching, given your preferred box size, shape, and material. Moreover, such designers know government compliance requirements on labeling (origin claim, FDA guidelines, and others).

Whenever possible, pick a designer who has package manufacturing experience. Those who do can go alongside you from design concept to production and box delivery. They are also familiar with the average production time for different box types.

2. Portfolio

Does the designer or agency have experience working in your industry or niche? Check their online portfolios for past work related to your sector and see if their output aligns with your taste. You can also request them to show you samples of their past projects.

3. Connection with printers

Designers or agencies typically have printing partners. Past collaborations hasten the process due to the agency’s familiarity with the latter’s quality and speed. They can also ask the printer about the minimum volume requirement for your preferred packaging.

Choose an agency that can liaise with the printer and follow your timeframe. Alternatively, you can recommend that your designer use a leading packaging manufacturer such as Refine Packaging for your printing needs.

4. Prototyping and testing

Can the agency supply you with a sample or mockup for review before mass production? Find one that offers prototypes as part of their service. Testing services—especially boxes for fragile products—will be a great plus.

5. Other services

Ask the designer if they can render your design onto other items in your product range. Consider specifying this in your project brief, as your other goods might have different dimensions and packaging materials.

Moreover, verify whether your designer or agency can offer copywriting and editing services for the text on your box.

You can also inquire if they’re knowledgeable about trademark and copyright issues. Otherwise, you might have to hire a lawyer to avoid legal issues.

Limitations of a DIY Approach to Packaging Design

New technologies allow entrepreneurs to design and print basic marketing materials by themselves faster and at a lower cost. However, if you want your product to stand up to the competition, you’ll need some professional help.

A DIY approach lets you practice your freedom of expression besides being in full control of the creative process. Immersing yourself in production can also educate you in graphic design, printing, and the box manufacturing sector.

But that said, handling packaging design yourself has some limitations, which a professional designer can help overcome:

1. Your design can be authentic but out of touch with your market

You may choose symbols, colors, and copy for your packaging representing your style and beliefs, which are close to your heart as a business owner. However, the design may not click with your target audience. For 63% of consumers, a product’s packaging is equally important as the brand itself.

Working with a packaging designer widens your perspective to include the factors involved in buying decisions. Designers translate their consumer knowledge, awareness of trends, and artistry into a unique design containing your preferred elements.

2. The hours you spend on package design can take time off your core tasks

You may also act as your company’s accountant, driver, legal liaison, and purchaser when you’re starting your business. Designing your package might get you stuck in an ever-deepening hole as you discover its intricacies.

A packaging designer can handle market research, competitor analysis, ideation, the creation of various design samples, prototyping, and more.

3. Your software may offer editable templates, but your final design can still look generic

The Internet offers a wealth of free and paid tools that design logos and stylize pictures, which you can print as labels or directly on paper packages. However, you risk finding a similar box template design on other products and appearing amateurish. Designers use more specialized software, which can generate an original design for you from scratch.

4. The quality of your home printer’s output can suffer with bulk printing

If you print your stickers and sleeves using your home printer, the output may eventually fade on some printed material over time. Quality printing is essential since more than 70% of consumers state that packaging design influences their buying decisions.

A professional designer works with commercial-grade printers to provide consistent print quality, which is crucial in branding.

5. Stock boxes may not be as sturdy and cost-efficient as custom boxes

Using stock boxes is more economical if you’re on a tight budget. Moreover, restocking won’t be a problem, unlike custom boxes, which your printer must replenish.

However, made-to-order boxes can be more financially sustainable in the long run if you sell luxury items or uniquely shaped items. Designers can develop the most suitable structure and choose the correct materials to hold up your product and preserve the box’s visual appeal until they reach their destination.

Well-designed boxes can make you spend less on padding (within or outside the box) and shipping. Moreover, it reduces damages, which lower product returns, which will also cost you. 80% of consumers also state that solid and sturdy packaging impacts their satisfaction with a product.

6.   Designing on your own can stretch your budget

Unless you’ve had previous experience with design, packaging, and printing, you might end up buying materials you might have to replace later on due to their low quality, inaccurate dimension, or incompatibility with your product. Meanwhile, you might stock up on expensive supplies only to discover later that more reasonably priced packaging is available.

Packaging designers consider your budget and apply their know-how and experience to ensure these issues don’t become your own during your partnership. 

Ensure Your Packaging Design Translates Beautifully on Your Custom Box

Any packaging design is only as good as its final version—the physical box. While it can look great from your designer’s study sample, your product can only have a fighting chance in the market through high-quality print packaging, which has the look and feel you envisioned from the start.

Refine Packaging has in-house designers who can assist you to this end. You can view our product gallery to learn about our capabilities. At the same time, you can get assurance from our testimonials that our team will be with you every step of the way in your packaging design journey. 

Contact us today to discuss your custom box project, whether you already have a basic concept, want to change your existing packaging, or need help from scratch.

The post How to Find an Incredible Packaging Designer (5 Critical Factors) appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Before the subscription model, businesses offered club memberships to introduce their latest offerings without pushing for physical store visits. With subscription boxes, various items from beauty or grooming products and pet food to clothing, books, and “loot crates” for gamers conveniently arrive at one’s doorsteps monthly, quarterly, or other recurring timeframes.

But life is now returning to the “old normal.” In-store shopping is in high gear – with 61% of consumers preferring to shop in person to view or try on the items they’re purchasing – and inflationary costs are rising. Consequently, subscription boxes are no longer the obsession they used to be, but are still widely used. How can your product offerings stay relevant and attract new customers? By understanding this business model’s success drivers and packaging basics, it’s still possible to plan and launch your themed box idea.

Subscription Box Categories

The three subscription box categories explain the appeal of this shopping model.

Access

Membership subscriptions boost the idea of being special, as certain items are only exclusive or limited to subscribers. A recent survey showed that being able to “try something new” is the top reason why up to 51% of U.S. shoppers get subscription boxes. Retailers sometimes include their latest offering in their monthly boxes for members to test, which could mean pre-launch access and a chance to purchase earlier than commercial distribution.

Curation

Who wouldn’t want to receive a “mystery gift” every month for the rest of the year? The surprise factor is the idea behind curated subscriptions, which offer something new in every shipment. This option builds up the anticipation to unravel and discover something novel and personalized, making it a wonderful gift idea for friends or oneself.

Replenishment

Also known as the “subscribe and save” category, replenishment subscriptions provide consumers with a fresh supply of their chosen product once it runs out (vitamins, soap, beverages, and so on). Shoppers gain peace of mind knowing they won’t run out of stock of their favorite items. They also skip the hassle of placing a new order because subscriptions are recurring.

Moreover, buyers can also save on costs, as some—if not all—products are on discount as part of the subscription.

Factors to Consider in Choosing Your Subscription Box Packaging

You can tailor-fit your subscription box to match your brand’s marketing goals and keep your product intact during transit. Here are the factors you must consider when selecting your packaging:

1. Style

You can choose from various box types to ship your product:

• Folding carton boxes are for single-item, lightweight products.
• Mailer boxes are heavier and sturdier than paperboard boxes.
• Shipping boxes made of corrugated cardboard are heavier than mailer boxes. In many cases,  customized shipping boxes are your best option if you’re going for an original look and feel that suits your product protection and budget goals.
• Rigid boxes for heavy and premium or luxury products.
  

Choose a type robust enough that it won’t tear under your item’s weight.

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2. Size

You must know what items will go into your subscription box to determine the appropriate size. Take the dimension of your box’s contents: weight, length (side-to-side), width (front-to-back), and depth (top-to-bottom). Also, consider how fragile or durable they are.

A box slightly larger than your product is better than one in which your product barely fits. You can put fillers in the space around your item, particularly for breakable and easily deformed or punctured contents. However, the box shouldn’t be too big that products would jiggle inside.  Furthermore, consider that larger boxes can add to shipping costs.

3. Packaging Extras

People love unboxing. On Instagram, when you search for #unboxing, over 4 million posts will show up. To enhance your subscribers’ unboxing experience, you can choose to enhance the interior of your subscription box with the following:

Inlays 

Inserts provide perfect-fitting holders for your products, reducing the chances of items breaking or getting tossed around during shipment.

Dividers

Create compartments inside your box to improve the presentation of various products, especially to keep several small items of the same kind in separate spaces.

Padding 

Such as bubble wrap, air pillows, and crumpled kraft paper prevent dents and other damage on your item.

Custom Tissue Paper

Acts like a gift wrap that covers your product inside the box.

Custom Stickers, Labels, or Tape

Help heighten brand awareness and can prevent tampering if you use them to seal the lid onto the rest of the box. They’re also a cost-effective decor if you opt for plain packaging.

Custom Sleeves

Also known as belly band packaging, custom sleeves serve as 360-degree wrap-around labels for similar items—like a chocolate bar set or egg tray—or boxes, whether plain or printed.

4. Printing Method

The three most common printing methods that packaging service providers currently use are:

• Flexographic printing: Features printing plates containing your design—one plate for each color. They spin on rotating cylinders and “stamp” or transfer the image onto the packaging material. Most corrugated box projects with simple designs use flexographic printing due to speed and clarity, even on corrugated boxes.
• Digital printing: Involves machines that can apply the colored or monochrome design directly on the box’s surfaces. Although more highly recommended for smaller orders, some printing providers can offer this service for large-quantity jobs.
• Lithographic printing: Also known as litho-lamination or offset printing—can be compared to wallpapering. It produces high-resolution designs onto a paper sheet laminated on the packaging box using adhesive. We recommend this method for more intricate designs and photo-quality imagery. Offset printing is also suitable for printing boxes with a metallic finish and Pantone colors.
  

5. Packaging Designer and Supplier

A designer can help you determine the box structure that can best protect your product from breaking or shifting while at the same time representing your brand and delighting your subscribers. Some packaging suppliers have transit safety (ISTA) certification and offer rigorous box performance testing.

Before deciding to outsource your product box design and printing, be sure to:

• Determine your budget: This will help set the quantity you can order.
• Set your timeline: when you need to get your boxes to provide time for packing and shipping.
  

Meanwhile, examine the following when choosing a packaging supplier:

• Industry experience
• Range of services and customization (Can it design, print, and ship the boxes you require?)
• Reviews about the supplier’s output quality and customer service (If possible, ask and compare samples from your shortlisted candidates.)
• Response or delivery time
• Pricing, minimum requirement, and if they can keep up with demand
• Use of sustainable kraft and eco-friendly box materials
• Shipping service (warehousing and logistics)

A custom packaging manufacturer such as Refine Packaging can create a unique design, provide prototyping and testing, handle your printing needs, and scale high-quality production as your business grows.

6. Shipping

Handling subscription box deliveries can be time-consuming. Find out your options, including working with a fulfillment center if your orders are mounting and you don’t have enough staff to help you with shipping.

Branding Essentials You Should Know

Familiarize yourself with the following design elements to help you work better with your subscription box packaging designer:

Typography

Typography refers to the font your brand uses. It should be readable enough to catch your prospect’s and client’s eye. Besides using an attractive font, your tagline should include catchy words that reflect your brand values.

Copy

Copy refers to descriptions, instructions, and other written information you will include in your packaging.

Logo and Colors

It’s logical to use your logo and brand colors to reinforce your business identity. However, you can play around with your color palette. Check if your designer can draft multiple designs featuring variations of your brand colors. Good designers consider your target audience and market trends (including the competitor’s packaging type or style) when crafting and presenting studies for your review and approval.

Other Visuals

You can include photos of the product inside your box and other details such as vector graphics (that retain their smooth look even if you enlarge them) and patterns (lines, curves, shapes) to help manage subscribers’ expectations about the contents.

Negative Space

Negative spaces are the blank or white spaces around and between images. They add sophistication to packaging and can direct people’s gaze to significant elements like your logo or tagline.

Dieline

The dieline is the flat diagram showing all the cut lines and folds of your packaging box.

Subscription Box Packaging Checklist

Here’s a summary of the packaging details to remember from concept design to shipping:

Examples of Subscription Boxes

The most sought-after subscription boxes are visually appealing and structurally sound. Although the following examples mainly received good reviews for their content, their designs are also worth studying:

Universal Yums

Universal Yums’ subscription box—a custom end-open mailer box—features a set of various snack packets from a different country each month. The exterior design features blue-colored sweet treats set on a white background, building on the same colors as the Universal Yums logo. The two-toned design provides a good balance to its multi-colored contents, which include a country map and a guidebook about the featured nation’s top destinations, culture, fun trivia, and a local recipe. The box is available in three sizes: Yum Box with five to seven snacks, Yum Yum Box with 10 to 12 snacks, and Super Yum Box with 15 to 18 snacks. Shoppers can subscribe annually or send it as gifts (once or monthly for three, six, or 12 months).

Jot Coffee

Only Jot Ultra Coffee’s rabbit logo in gold foil appears outside the box in solid black. Inlays secure the bottles and a silver spoon. Newer subscription boxes contain dividers to separate the bottles and drinking glasses, which are among the welcome gift options for first-time subscribers. 

Unlike Universal Yums, Jot uses two-sided printing, which gives the box a luxurious feel, although it doesn’t use a rigid box. Subscriptions provide 25% savings on its 200-ml bottles of concentrated liquid coffee.

Gardyn

Gardyn claims you don’t need to have a green thumb to succeed at indoor gardening when you sign up for its monthly kit of salad vegetables you can grow using its proprietary hydroponic system. 

The company uses one rigid box to deliver ABS plastic columns, which hold several “yCubes” or pods with seeds and rockwool—”a natural, rock-based growing medium”—inside (packed in their own box), a six-gallon water reservoir that serves as the base, and other accessories. 

A separate narrower rigid box contains poles that provide simulated lighting for the plants. The Gardyn app guides subscribers through their gardening journey with the help of AI assistant Kelby, which monitors the plant’s health using the cameras on the light poles. 

Subscription Box: History and Forecast

The subscription box trend began at the heels of Netflix’s 2007 launch of its streaming service when Harvard Business School fellow grads Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna launched Birchbox in 2009. Subscribers received designer beauty products—mostly in miniature size—for a $10 monthly fee. By mid-2010 onwards, more sellers adopted the concept, offering consumers more product-type subscription options. Ipsy and Dollar Shave became Birchbox’s top rivals.

The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 boosted the industry as followers of Instagram and YouTube influencers became captive audiences for unboxing videos. Large companies such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon and niche retailers like Wayfair, which hopped on the trend before the pandemic, drew more subscribers as people turned to safe and reliable shipping of home staples and hobby items when stay-at-home orders were in force.

The International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group’s latest report shows that the global subscription box market was worth $28.1 billion in 2022 and may hit $73.6 billion by 2028. The report adds that the top challenges facing current and incoming players are fierce competition amid market saturation and a lack of long-term agreements with vendors, which could threaten standardization and spike prices.

How to Sustain Your Subscription Box Business

High prices are making 60% of Americans abandon the subscription box habit. Thus, you must make your target market feel they’re getting more value for their money by signing up or staying subscribed. Here are some ways you can activate or reignite the addiction for your recurring box:

1. Reward subscribers

You can integrate a loyalty program into your subscription by providing subscribers with access to free merchandise or priority customer support besides early access to new offers and discounts.

2. Collect and analyze feedback

Focus on the first box and what recipients felt upon receiving it. The American Marketing Association advises subscription box providers to combine “concrete” and “emotion”-related questions: “What did you feel when you saw the box’s contents?” (emotional) and “What were your top three thoughts when you tried the products?” (concrete). Avoid seeking extensive comments about their second box. Instead, build up interest for the next box.

3. Offer a preview about the next box without making them lose excitement

You can inform subscribers in advance about a specific product in the upcoming box but not the entire kit. Rotate the product category or any aspect of the box that you’d like to preview every month.

4. Diversify

If you’re not a brand owner but depend on suppliers for your subscription box’s contents, you may consider diversifying your offers just like what leading providers are doing. For instance, Blue Apron has launched one-off party boxes for Thanksgiving and special occasions and an online cookware and wine shop.

5. Keep a tab on trends

Hyper-personalization, higher demand for men’s boxes, and influencer marketing will continue to prevail in the subscription box sector in the short term. Stay abreast with new developments, including smart packaging technology. Examples include QR codes to access digital content describing the product or augmented reality, active (shelf life-extension) packaging, as well as radio frequency identification, and embedded barcodes to prevent tampering and counterfeiting.

Create FOMO with Unforgettable Custom Subscription Boxes

Consumers can fear missing out on your subscription box with the help of targeted messages and customized packaging. But since the unboxing experience is the main draw of your subscription offer, getting your packaging right becomes the top priority.

Refine Packaging can assist from conceptualization to mass box production. We aim to provide as many options as possible and simplify the process so you can see your idea materialize in the shortest time possible.

Select from our array of custom box industries and products, or let us know your concept so our designers can work with you. We use various printing techniques and offer 2D and 3D mockups of your packaging. Our team can send you a sample so you can verify if the prototype matches your vision.

But don’t just take our word for it—discover how the Refine Packaging process has delivered successful customer stories for 1,000s of satisfied brands and their clientele. Contact us for a free quote today, and our packaging specialist will connect with you shortly.

The post Subscription Box Packaging Design Essentials You Need to Know appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Rigid packaging boxes are also referred to as set-up boxes as they’re usually displayed in stores along with the products they contain. They often hold high-end items such as electronics, jewelry, and cosmetics, so some people also call them luxury packaging.

Rigid packaging boxes normally consist of two parts: thick chipboard with a 36- to 120-point thickness (about 2-3 millimeters), which is 4x to 5x thicker than folding carton boxes, and the thinner and more flexible paper wrap that’s pasted over the chipboard to cover it. It’s the wrap that gets customized for branding and can feature foil stamping, varnish, coatings, and other premium printing techniques and textures.

Some custom rigid boxes also have lining interiors that add an elegant touch besides shielding products from scratches and dust. 

Comparing Rigid Boxes vs Folding Cartons vs Corrugated Boxes

Rigid set-up boxes are always in 3D form and generally don’t require assembly before they’re filled. Unlike carton boxes, rigid boxes typically can’t be folded to lay flat and reassembled into their box form, although some brands are now developing collapsible ones.

Due to their thickness, customized rigid boxes can withstand the stress of shipping without damage, protecting the usually fragile products they contain. However, rigid gift boxes may not be as tough as corrugated boxes, which are made of several dense paper layers. Corrugated boards are more versatile in that they’re lightweight and can be folded flat like carton boxes. They can also be customized, being the box of choice for stand-up, point-of-purchase, or point-of-service displays. 

Benefits of Using Rigid Boxes

What makes rigid gift boxes a great option for your business?

1. They’re Customizable

You can look into several possibilities when it comes to using a custom rigid box as part of your marketing strategy for luxury retail packaging or e-commerce packaging. Depending on your target buyers, you can choose a unique shape with a bright and fun design or a more conservative layout with little to no embellishments.

Chipboards come in different values of thickness, while you can play around with your logo and brand name on the wrap using specialty paper, printing techniques, coatings, and finishes.

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2. They Don’t Require Setup

Unless you opt for collapsible models, a customized rigid box doesn’t need assembly, so they reduce the labor involved once they’re delivered to your company.

3. They Raise Brand Awareness

Rigid boxes can help increase sales if you can pick a box style or design that stands out from your competitors. Boxes can feature a clear window, sticker labels, or a specific structure that delivers a pleasurable handling and unboxing experience.

4. They Improve User Experience

Quality packaging is important as it’s the next thing that consumers lay their eyes on after seeing or touching your merchandise. Custom packaging boxes can enhance the visual and tactile appeal of a product. This makes the item look elegant, increasing the worth of your brand.

Thus, rigid packaging boxes give prospective and current customers a well-rounded experience from the time they examine it (whether online or in a physical store) until they receive it via delivery or take it home after their in-store purchase.

5. They Can Boost Your Credibility

When the printing of your logo, brand name, artwork, and product details, plus the box’s finish, appear high quality, your brand appears more professional and trustworthy.

6. They Protect Against Damage

As their name suggests, rigid boxes are supposed to be sturdy enough to protect their contents from the effects of storage, handling, and long-distance travel. Their lids are meant to be secure, and the inserts can securely hug the items, including bottles of oil and tincture, so that they don’t arrive broken. Inside panels for sweets can also prolong shelf life.

7. They Can Be Repurposed

Due to their sturdy construction, many pieces of luxury packaging become keepsakes and are reused as drawer separators or storage containers, especially if they have quality magnetic closures or similar resealable lids. From mementos and jewelry to important documents and printed photos, well-designed, high-quality packaging boxes can become a part of one’s work desk or closet for a long time.

8. They Support Brand Loyalty

You can make your rigid packaging boxes reusable for other purposes: to build a following. Using eco-friendly materials is highly popular and can attract environmental advocates who are very particular about how packaging boxes are made. 

When Not to Use Rigid Packaging

Rigid boxes may not be the best option if:

1. You Have a Large Product

Although the structure of rigid setup boxes can offer superior product safety for small to medium items, its design may not be suitable for large home appliances as their heavy weight may put pressure on the edges. High-end corrugated packaging may be a more viable alternative.

2. You’re Not Yet Ready for a Large Expense

As you read on, you’ll discover that you have to pay more for rigid boxes due to more expensive and thicker materials, the more specialized process involved, and higher shipment fees.

If you’re not ready to invest in rigid packaging, you can ask your manufacturer how it can work with your design using a quality folding carton or high-end corrugated box.

3. You Have Limited Time

Rigid boxes take longer to produce than carton boxes, so you may have to go for carton boxes if you have a tight schedule. 

Different Types of Rigid Boxes

Rigid box packaging styles are either two-piece or hinged: 

1. Telescope or Top-Load Boxes

With Corners

The telescope box features a lid that covers the base midway (partial telescope) or nearly all the way to the bottom edge (full telescope). Some full telescope lids have thumb cuts or semi-circular cutouts, which make them easier to lift from the base.

The classic shoebox, which has a lip that is typically one inch deep, is an example of a partial telescope box. Many commercially available high-end gift boxes as well as our own windowless shirt boxes and luxury cosmetic packaging are structured this way. They can come in various shapes, too.

The neck or shoulder (others call it shouldered) box is another example of a partial telescope box. This type of box has a dual base, with the inner one (also called the tray or neck insert) higher than the other. The protruding part of the tray is called the neck while the top edge of the outer base is referred to as the shoulder. The lid rests on the shoulder. There are shoulder boxes with an extra-long neck, creating a gap between the lid and the base of the box.

Meanwhile, the drawer-style box is a variation of the full telescope box. Also referred to as a tray with a sleeve or the shell and slide. This type of box is like your traditional matchbox. It has a slipcase going over the base or “tray” of matches instead of a lid on top. They’re suitable for items that need to be laid down instead of upright to prevent damage or to preserve their contents. Such products include smartphones, jewelry, and some cosmetics.

Without Corners

Cylindrical rigid box styles, also referred to as rolled-edge tube packaging (or just tube packaging), feature either telescopic or shoulder-neck openings. They make a great packaging option for bottles, markers, other circular-shaped items, as well as powdered goods and irregular-shaped objects. Brands can also consider them alternatives to metal packaging.

Some rigid tube boxes have plastic or metal lids. Their interiors can feature plastic inserts (as in the case of beauty products) or foils.

2. Hinged Lid Boxes

With Cover on the Hinge

Hinged lid boxes have covers that are permanently attached to the base. They close due to their weight, via magnetic strip, or other securing material. The lids of some of these boxes, such as the flip-top or cigar box, don’t have a lip that covers the base of the box. The covers of the book-style box are the same as that of a cigar box—the covering flap extends slightly beyond the base so that when you close it, the box looks like a hardcover book.

Meanwhile, the clamshell design has a lip that goes down partially or down to the bottom edge of the base. In some hinged lid boxes, there’s a cloth or other lining that covers the hinge joint. 

No Cover on the Hinge

Custom Rigid Boxes: Different Types of Finish

Besides having versatile structures, rigid boxes can also offer you plenty of finishing types, from the way the wrap encompasses the box to the look and feel of the wrapping material.

Partial vs. Full Finish

When the wrap only covers the entire outer surface of the lid and tray, it’s called a partial finish rigid box. You can see the lips of the wrapping paper folded and glued to the chipboard’s interior, but most of the board is bare and visible.

Meanwhile, the chipboard is wrapped to its entirety in a full finish rigid box. The inner wrap may be colored white or another color.

Exterior Add-Ons

Brands can select from a variety of options when they want to go for fancy packaging.

1. Coatings 

Coating can come in different types:

• Varnish: Varnish is made of clear ink and creates a thin satin, matte, or glossy layer on the wrap. It can be applied to a specific area (spot varnish) or the entire sheet (flood varnish).
• Aqueous coating: A water-based coating gives your boxes a glossy or matte surface, making it easier to clean dirt and fingerprint marks off of them. They’re also scratch- or scuff-resistant and more eco friendly than varnish or ultraviolet (UV) coatings. Because this type of coating is food-safe, it’s usually preferred for boxes that house food and beverage.
• Ultraviolet coating: UV coatings need UV light or sun exposure to quickly harden coating. They offer the highest gloss finish, but foil stamping can’t be applied to them. UV-coated sheets can be embossed, but they should completely harden first.

2. Lamination

Lamination involves spreading polypropylene or a very thin, plastic film on the wrap, making it water-resistant and moisture-free. It reduces creases and small cracks. The higher level of protection it offers makes it pricier than varnish, which is why it’s mostly used for high-end luxury packaging. Most custom luxury boxes feature matte—as opposed to glossy—lamination. It’s the best coating to use when planning to add foil stamping, embossing, and spot UV on your outer design.

3. Hot Foil Stamping

Heat and pressure are used to apply foil designs of gold, silver, or other colors. The bright metallic foil can highlight your brand and logo.

4. Embossing and Debossing

Creating raised areas (embossing) and indentations (debossing) can enhance the texture of your high-end gift boxes and fancy packaging, making it more eye-catching and attractive to consumers. Embossing and debossing create depth when applied to foil-stamped material.

5. Flocking

Flocking is the method used in rigid boxes where there are velvet or suede-like textures on certain parts of or the whole wrap. The short fibers can be made of cotton, wool, rayon, or other synthetic materials. They can be dyed according to your color preference. This process may also be applied on the surface of some inserts.

Special equipment, as seen in the following video, electrically charges the flocking fibers—causing them to stand up—before spreading them over an adhesive-coated material. 

How Are Custom Rigid Boxes Made?

Brands and sellers tap rigid box manufacturers for luxury brand packaging or high-end retail packaging solutions. The creation process normally involves three stages:

1. Conceptualization

Contracting companies can tap the expertise of a rigid box packaging consultant to come up with the right design that will meet their goals. Some manufacturers also have an in-house design and engineering team that can handle conceptualization and prototyping.

At this stage, designers need to know the following points:

• If the item to be packaged is part of a broader product line, which has an existing design that should be followed or patterned after
• If the box will have to hold many items in a specific way
• If a certain artwork should appear in front of the box that may affect sizing specs
• If you want to incorporate advice from your retailer, who’ll ultimately decide which of your products will be put on sale at its store

Once the concept and budget estimates are presented, reviewed, and approved, the box maker can create the template. The contracting company needs to provide the artwork that will go on the wrap of the rigid box.

2. Production

Production is done by machine, hand, or a combination of the two. The wrap is printed beforehand, undergoing lamination or other treatments required by the client. On the other hand, chipboards are scored and cut to the correct size and shape. Machines (quad stayer) or staff—or a combination of both—then fold the tray or base of the rigid boxes and apply adhesives on the corners so that the sides stay up.

In packaging companies with fully automated systems, pre-trimmed wraps are trimmed and lined up in a conveyor belt. An arm places the tray on the glued surface of each wrap. Then the tray with the wrap beneath it passes through a plunger, which glues the wrap evenly on the tray’s outer surface.

3. Delivery

The packaging material itself also needs protection during shipment. This aspect should be considered and included during the design stage. 

Testing

About 11% of shipped goods arrive with damages. This results in the brand replacing the unit, offering a discount, spending on return freight, and missing profit. More importantly, customer trust is adversely affected when boxes—or worse, their contents—come with dents, scratches, or torn parts.

Thus, production of your custom rigid box packages and other high-end packaging will only be complete when testing is conducted.  

Dimension Testing

Even before your chipboard gets wrapped, it has to be tested for accurate dimensions. In an automated assembly line, the folded chipboard should have the precise length, height, and width or diameter to ensure that the wrap will cover it partially or fully, depending on the company’s design specifications. Meeting the prescribed measurements is also necessary to ensure that the product, inserts, and fillings will fit inside.

Label and sticker application is also set automatically in mechanized production. Thus, custom rigid boxes should all have the exact and accurate dimensions so that seals and any other adhesive-based matter will be placed on the right spot.

Drop Test

This allows contracting companies to determine how the box will stand up to accidental falls. The most popular drop test procedures come from the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA).

During the test, the product is placed inside the box and a machine drops the box on a hard surface from varying heights. The test can be performed on the corners, edges, or sides of the box. The manufacturer or supplier should analyze any resulting damage and work out a solution. When the improved box is available, the test is repeated.

Drop test machines for various package sizes and weights are available in the market. 

Common Custom Rigid Box Mistakes to Avoid

Using custom rigid boxes may turn to your disadvantage due to the following:

1. Use of Oversized Packaging

No matter how fancy the packaging is, buyers will be turned off if they discover a small product inside a big box. Disappointment over the false impression can lead to negative online reviews or even a lawsuit.

2. Lack of Differentiation

Your custom rigid boxes shouldn’t only be eye-catching but also distinct from those of your competitors. Be sure to research your segment thoroughly and get your design team’s opinion about how your product can stand out.

3. Insufficient Protection

Boxes for bottles containing liquids may need a grease barrier. Waterproof-coating should be considered for custom rigid boxes that will go on outdoor display.

4. Not Child-Friendly or Pet-Friendly

When you’re targeting adult clients of various ages, packaging should include instructions for human and pet parents. It should clearly state whether contents include choke hazards or hazardous substances. 

Factors That Contribute to High Prices

A custom rigid box can cost an average of $4 to $5 per piece, more expensive than a fully printed and labeled corrugated box (under $2 to $3) or a folding carton box (under $1). As the previous sections mentioned and indicate, the higher cost can result from:

Materials

More expensive chipboard, which is thicker than regular, foldable carton packaging, is used for custom rigid boxes. They come in a variety of colors—including white and black—with natural chipboard being the cheapest.

Your choice of paper and finish for the wrap also affects the final price. Full finish boxes cost more as they require more paper to cover the chipboard.

When it comes to finishes, metallic, neon, and other specialty inks are more expensive than regular ink. And naturally, larger surfaces will entail more materials. Any labels, magnetic strips, or ribbon pulls needed also add to the total expense.

Construction

The tooling cost in your final bill covers the use of custom-made tools needed to produce each custom rigid box, including dies for cutting its shape, foil stamping, and embossing or debossing, as well as print cylinders, print plates, and molds. The fee goes up if your packaging box has a unique shape or various parts and involves many colors and other printing techniques. Inserts require separate cutting dies and molds.

Reputable manufacturing companies use special machines to fold parts of your custom rigid boxes, paste their sides, and cover them with wrap. But manual labor may be required for intricate packaging or inclusion of inserts, which can be made of tissue, cardboard, foam, or plastic.

Volume

The packaging industry also follows economies of scale, so small-run custom packaging projects will cost more than large ones.

Transport

A majority of custom rigid boxes aren’t collapsible so they don’t ship flat, thus requiring higher shipment fees. Moreover, the rising cost of fuel will ultimately impact how much you have to pay couriers or third-party delivery firms.

Storage Space

As custom rigid boxes arrive pre-assembled in their final form, they need plenty of storage space. Ask your packaging company if it offers managed inventory service. This refers to keeping an agreed level of stock for you and shipping on a just-in-time basis or when you need them. You can also survey your business warehouse for any unused space.

Ways to Cut Rigid Box Production Costs

Here are some workarounds to consider when you need to deliver rigid boxes on a budget:

1. Opt for Standard Sizes and Thickness

A complicated structure will inevitably command a higher price. If this is beyond your budget at this time, use a standard size and thickness that will demand less customization from your manufacturing partner. Standard chipboards are easier for them to buy in bulk or may be available in their stock at a volume that can cover your custom rigid box order. This will result in lower costs for you, an early production start for them, and a faster turnaround time. 

2. Go for a Smaller Design

Want to stick with your original concept? Maybe you can reduce the graphics and shorten the text to make them fit in smaller cardboard packaging. You can also try repositioning the product in a different way or even disassembling it to see if a smaller box will work for you. One advantage of using smaller rigid boxes is that more of your products can fit on a store’s shelf at one time.

3. Pick Lighter Materials

Know your options when it comes to chipboard thickness. Then discuss with the design or manufacturing team how a thinner version can support your advertising and functional needs.

4. Choose Digital Printing for Low-Volume Runs

Although not as high-quality as offset printing, digital printing is more cost-effective, especially if you have a simple and minimalist design.

5. Tone Down Embellishments

• Consider adding a viewing window. A cut-out area that will show the product inside the box might be a cheaper alternative to embossing or foil stamping, especially if there’s artwork in the primary package—that is, the label on your product’s bottle, plastic casing, and so on.

• Reduce the area(s) where foil-stamping or embossing will be applied. The cost goes higher for every square inch where these treatments are used. Choose only the essential parts of your box for these finishes.

• Select water-based coatings and low-gloss finish. UV and glitter coatings are more expensive. A low- or semi-gloss finish can be a good alternative to lamination, which is known for high moisture protection.

6. Use Paper and Tissue Paper Inserts

These materials are more affordable than foam padding. Paperboard inserts with slits can provide the support your rigid setup boxes need for gadgets, cosmetics, luxury candles, and more.

7. Contact and Get Quotes from Different Suppliers

Ask three or four reputable packaging solutions companies to give you a quote, specifying your materials and size. Then determine which one can do the job at a more affordable price without sacrificing quality. 

What to Look for When Choosing a Rigid Box Maker

An ideal custom rigid box supplier should have the following characteristics:

1. Specializes in Rigid Box-Making

Folding carton manufacturers currently outnumber rigid packaging makers. Custom carton box makers may offer to do the job for you by outsourcing the work and just bill you for added costs. It’s better to choose a company whose specialty is rigid packaging. Ask for actual samples, not just prototypes.

2. Employs In-House Designers

It’s best to find a producer with a team that can help you come up with custom quality packaging that will best suit your product. This can help minimize delays and improve coordination as you only have to deal with one company from conceptualization to production.

3. Communicates Effectively

Check client reviews. Companies manufacturing rigid setup and luxury boxes with good reviews most likely listen well to what their clients need and want, resulting in a low error rate. They should be able to promptly answer your questions regarding how boxes are made, the minimum order size, and turnaround time, for example. They should also be able to provide practical solutions.

4. Respects Environmental Sustainability

Today’s consumers are drawn to brands that are conscious about environmental protection. A rigid setup boxes producer that’s Forest Stewardship Council-certified means that it uses paper products from responsibly managed forests. You can also choose custom product packaging manufacturers that use recycled fibers, practice water stewardship, and operate with renewable energy. 

Market Updates and Trends

The rise of work-from-home opportunities has recently paved the way for more people to shop online for various goods, including luxury and gift items. The demand for rigid paper packaging remains high despite the growing popularity of bioplastic, which may affect the quality of food and flavor of liquids and releases polluting methane gas.

The personal use and gifting of video games and equipment, confectionery, wine and other beverages, personal care items, bags, clothes, shoes, watches, and jewelry packaged in luxury rigid boxes, especially among millennial customers and Gen Zers, is expected to drive e-commerce growth in the coming years. The market for this box type will be worth more than $5.4 billion by 2030, according to forecasts. Custom two-piece rigid setup boxes will be at the forefront, with its value expected to reach $268 million until 2025.

Collapsible Rigid Boxes

As mentioned earlier, several manufacturers can now design and produce foldable rigid setup boxes. They can offer the versatility and convenience that custom carton boxes can offer, with the top selling point being their ability to store flat, which lowers shipping cost.

Smart Packaging

More and more brands will continue to integrate digital technology into their custom rigid boxes for better quality and customer engagement. Here are some examples:

Printed Electronics

Boxes with near-field communication (NFC) chips can provide more product information, prove authenticity, enable tamper detection, and even detect temperature when consumers bring their smartphone close to the NFC tag. Brands may also use NFC and radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers to track orders.

Quality custom packaging may also feature LED and OLED lighting devices. These flat, nanometer-thin types of lighting can make your business logo, product name, or parts of the packaging glow or cause a holographic image to appear using hand pressure or with the aid of a smartphone, without the need of a battery.

Augmented Reality

Brands can include a QR code in the packaging that will allow buyers to view the product with animation and sound effects or play a mini-game, with virtual objects seemingly emerging from thin air. The visual appeal of AR-enabled packaging is reportedly two times stronger than regular ones.

Impress Your Customers with Luxurious Rigid Packaging Boxes

Refine Packaging is the top choice for the world’s Inc 5000 and Fortune 500 companies. With super fast production times, affordable pricing, and a sky’s the limit attitude, we’ll help you turn your custom packaging into a competitive differentiator. Contact us today and a dedicated packaging specialist will guide you through every step of the custom packaging process without breaking a sweat.

The post Rigid Boxes: A Complete Guide to Luxury Packaging appeared first on Refine Packaging.

A lot happens in the first few seconds after a package is delivered. When your customer first lays eyes on the box you’ve sent to them, you have an opportunity to trigger an emotional reaction. Play your cards right, and you can delight your customer, reinforce your message, and build brand affinity. Alternatively, if your packaging supplies and boxes aren’t up to scratch, your customer may feel frustrated, underwhelmed, and less likely to order from you again.

These days, it’s simply not enough to just deliver a package safely. Of course, this is of paramount importance, but it’s really the bare minimum and now expected. What’s needed today is customization. 

In the 2021 fiscal year, FedEx Express delivered an amazing 6.6 million packages each day. You may be an online shopper yourself. Just think back to the amount of packages you’ve ordered over the last few months. Chances are, the e-commerce packages that stood out from the crowd are the ones that were customized. 

This is because a premium look and feel, plus clever branding, has the power to build relationships between e-commerce brands and their customers. In the absence of physical stores and face-to-face customer service, your shipping boxes are more than just a safety measure; they’re a creative medium that can be harnessed for communications and marketing. 

Still not convinced? Think about the growing number of unboxing videos and posts on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Then there’s the research by experts, which shows just how much consumers value thoughtful, customized packaging: 

• 72% of American consumers say their purchasing decision is influenced by the packaging design. (Ipsos)
• 61% say they are much more likely to repeat a purchase of a luxury product if it came in premium packaging. (Dotcom Distribution)
• 40% of consumers will share an image of your packaging on social media if it was unique or branded. (Dotcom Distribution)

Unboxing the Magic of Packaging with Custom Shipping Boxes

Leading e-commerce players are those who understand the magic of an end-to-end customer experience. Sure, you have a great website, but the customer’s retail experience isn’t over until your product is safely shipped into the hands of your customer. Factors like product quality, competitive prices, fast checkout and shipping, and a good online customer service team play an important role, but the unboxing experience is also crucial. 

In fact, a wondrous unboxing experience can be the difference between a one-off customer and a loyal brand advocate. While it’s tempting to keep costs as low as possible and go for the cheapest packaging options from a financial perspective, this doesn’t bode well with consumers.

According to GfK, consumers value brands with a premium look and feel. In fact, they’re more likely to buy less products that are higher-quality than more products that are of low quality. 

When your product arrives, the packaging instantly gives a first impression to your consumers. A plain cardboard box can look cheap and thoughtless, which is the opposite of the premium quality that today’s consumers crave. 

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On the other hand, when your products arrive in bespoke, carefully designed custom shipping boxes, you demonstrate to your customer that you’ve put thought into the shopping experience and care about your brand. 

Plus, your designs can go beyond just being eye-catching and pretty; they can tell your brand story. With the right typography and messaging, your custom shipping boxes can become another key vehicle in your marketing strategy. 

It’s clear that by customizing shipping boxes, brands can improve their relationships with customers and boost both marketing and sales efforts.

Is a Shipping Box Right for My Business? 

Of course, a shipping box isn’t the only way you can get your products to your customers. There are other options, too, like the mailing envelope.  

Mailers are a good choice for lightweight, robust items like clothing or jewelry that is already packaged in a gift box. You don’t need to pick between mailing envelopes and shipping boxes, though. Depending on the products you offer, you may choose to use a mailing envelope for smaller items and a shipping box for larger ones. 

To help you understand the pros and cons of each shipping container, we’ve created a handy table below that gets into the details. 

Mailing Envelopes vs Shipping Boxes

Once you’ve made up your mind between mailers and a shipping box, it’s time to move to the next stage. 

Types of Boxes and Box Style to Consider

You know you’d like to use custom shipping boxes to delight your customers. Now, it’s time to think about the type of box to go for. Generally speaking, there are six main kinds of custom shipping boxes, designed to accommodate different products. Take a look at the main types below. 

• Regular Slotted Container: Think of regular slotted containers as the traditional, common box. It’s likely that most of the packages you receive come in these types of boxes. This is because regular slotted containers are versatile, reliable, and come in a wide variety of sizes, making them ideal for a range of products. Regular slotted containers have a simple design, making them easy to manufacture with little waste.
• Full Overlap Container: A full overlap container is like the sister of the regular slotted container. The one main difference is that the flaps in a full overlap container overlap one another to completely cover the box’s width. This gives the box another layer of thickness, which provides more padding and safety. For products that are more fragile, the full overlap container is a great option. Again, it comes in many sizes. 
• Full Telescope Containers: Full telescope containers are an unusual shape. They’re usually the length of a telescope, which is where they get their name from. They’re made from two slotted regular banks that are placed together. This gives the box layered edges, making them sturdy and strong. The long, rectangular shape of full telescope containers makes them perfect for products like magazines, newspapers, and even artwork. The shape of these types of containers could be instrumental in making a brand statement. 
• Wraparound Blank: The wraparound blank is pretty much like a regular slotted container box but switched sideways. These custom boxes are usually used for rigid products that will fit snugly within the wraparound blank, making for a tight, protective fit. Wraparound blanks are typically packaged using a robotic machine, which is great from an efficiency and productivity standpoint. Usually, these custom shipping boxes are used for perishable products like food and wine, as well as home and personal care items.
• One-Piece Folder Box: The one-piece folder box is for items that are slim and shallow. This box uses one piece of cardboard, creating a smooth bottom. The flaps of this piece of the cardboard are used to create the top of the box, and also broken up into side flaps. One-piece folder boxes are easy to assemble, making them convenient for small businesses to use and store. They’re often used for shipping books, magazines, artworks, or picture frames.
• Five-Panel Folders: Five-panel folder boxes are made from corrugated box material. They are created using a single piece of cardboard that is divided into panels. The fifth of these panels is used as the closing flap, which functions to seal the box. Usually, these boxes are used to ship long, slim items like metal rails. Because of their unusual shape, they’re less likely to be used for e-commerce products.

Once you know the kinds of boxes out there, the next question is: How do you create an amazing custom shipping box strategy at the right price? Here are five things you need to know.

1. Size Matters

Before you can start customizing your bulk shipping boxes, you need to first think of the basics, starting with size. 

If your shipping box sizes aren’t right, not only will they cost more, but your items could end up being damaged if the box isn’t properly filled. Plus, it’s well-known that online shoppers hate waste. In fact, 88% of U.S. and U.K. consumers want brands to be environmentally friendly and use sustainable materials. So if your box is too big and overfilled with non-recyclable filling, your customers won’t be happy.

Not only that, but a too large or too small box demonstrates a lack of care and thought,  which relates back to the premium look and feel concept we mentioned earlier. If a customer’s first impression of your brand is that your custom shipping boxes are tatty and poorly packaged, you need to do a better job.

To decide what size box you need, assess the needs of your company, and take the time to analyze your products. The box you choose will need to tightly fit them inside but leave some room for padding to minimize the likelihood of product damage during handling, storage, and shipping. This will also help reduce shipping costs. Generally speaking, the smaller and lighter the box, the lower the cost of transport. 

As mentioned previously, if your products are small enough, then you may want to consider customized mailers. These sleekly designed packages do exactly what they say on the tin: They arrive in the mail. You’ll often see these kinds of packages used for subscription boxes. 

If your business needs a shipping service to move your products, then your next best bets are shipping cartons or cardboard shipping boxes, assuming that your products are not fragile or delicate. If this is the case, then the best choice is corrugated shipping boxes, which are more robust and sturdy. 

2. The Look and Feel

Once you’ve got the size and type of packaging figured out, it’s time to get to the fun part: design. A sense of style and flair for design can turn a plain rectangular box into a marketing superstar. 

Creating a customized shipping box goes beyond just graphics and colors. You can consider textures and finishing options, too. You want your box to best represent your brand and your products. Every choice you make has the potential to be a statement. 

The first thing to consider is the texture of your packaging. Depending on your brand values and colors, this could be anything from embossed gold to kraft-feel brown, or even a luxurious leather texture. When it comes to textures and the whole design process, this is an opportunity to let your creativity go wild. So choose the right material and create something spectacular that wows a variety of customer types. 

As an example, take a look at Earth Fare’s eye-catching customized packaging. The company’s eco-friendly packaging instantly conveys the brand’s values as a natural, ethical company.

However, you don’t have to stick with neutral cardboard brown. You can customize your boxes’ colors so that they are in line with brand guidelines. You can also decide if you want the color finish to be glossy or matte. It’s worth remembering that different colors and textures need to be carefully combined to make sure you get the look you want. We advise experimenting before you commit and order your custom shipping boxes in bulk. 

3. The Custom Box Design

We’ve already mentioned brand guidelines, and the design element of custom shipping boxes is where these come to the forefront. Your logo, typography, artwork, company strap-line, and more can come into play here. After all, customized shipping boxes are an excellent marketing vehicle. 

It’s likely that your social media pages and websites are exploding with your brand tone of voice, and it should be on your packaging, too. Your custom shipping boxes are a storytelling opportunity, a way to build affinity with customers. Tell them something they didn’t know about your company, and make them feel special. What you write—or don’t write—is important. 

Think about your brand and its values: Are you subtle and elegant, loud and proud, or colorful but modest? Once you’ve narrowed down a few words to define your brand, it’s time to think about how the design of your customized shipping box can reflect this.

For example, if your brand is eco-friendly and values minimalism, you may want to go for a crisp kraft paper with a small amount of lettering in a delicate typography. Alternatively, if your brand is exuberant and colorful, then you may want colored cardboard, decorated with different patterns. 

Keep in mind that small boxes have limited room. For example, if you’re a cosmetics brand and are only delivering a single product, it’s likely you’ll only need small boxes. However, this doesn’t mean you need to skimp on the design. Instead, think of how you can make the most of the space you have to make an impact. 

After you’ve got the design sorted, it’s time to think about printing options. The option you choose takes price into consideration, but it’s also worth thinking about the intricacy of your design. There are three main print methods to consider:       

• Flexographic/direct printing: This is perfect for high-quality printing of basic designs, featuring a maximum of three colors. This option is cost-effective and produces a beautiful, professional-looking finish in your custom shipping boxes. 
• Lithographic printing: This is great for more intricate designs or those that incorporate photography. Lithographic printing is often considered as the highest caliber in terms of quality, although it is more expensive, especially if you need a large quantity.  
• Digital printing: This is a more basic form of printing that can even be performed from home. It’s cheaper but also produces low-quality prints. If you’re on a budget or think your designs may change, then digital is a great option to start with. 

4. Customize Your Box From The Inside Out

You’ve mastered the exterior design of your custom shipping boxes and you’re sure it will wow your customers. Now, it’s time to think about how you can continue the wow factor once the box is opened. 

The inside of your shipping boxes are a continuation of your brand story. You can design the interior of your box just as you would the outside, with typography and brand colors that continue to tell your story. 

Aside from the box itself, think about the interiors that surround your product—the filing. While bubble wrap and styrofoam are traditional packaging cushions, they aren’t the most exciting or ingenious. However, with a little bit of thought and creativity, you can turn your packaging cushioning into another tactic in your customization strategy.

For example, if you use packing peanuts, you could consider changing the color and shape so that they represent your brand. Alternatively, you could consider using colored tissue paper to add a sense of luxury to the unboxing experience. 

Aside from cushioning, it’s a good idea to think about how else you can make the unboxing experience YouTube-worthy. If you’re a small company, you could perhaps include personalized, handwritten notes to make your customers feel special and show the care that goes into packaging your products. Details like stickers, newsletters, ribbons, and free samples are also a great way to make the unboxing experience feel even more rewarding for your customer. 

5. Outside the Box

When it comes to sealing your custom boxes, there are two main kinds of tape to consider. There’s water-activated tape and pressure-sensitive tape. 

• Water-activated tape is a type of paper tape that incorporates a water-based chemical. When you put the tape on the carton, a chemical reaction is triggered, which strongly bonds the tape to the box. This makes water-activated tape extremely strong and almost tamper-proof. It’s also great for keeping products safe in even the roughest conditions, as the tape’s bonding measures mean it’s difficult for water to get into the box. 
• Pressure-sensitive tape, by comparison, uses a sticky adhesive substance, which sticks to the box when it’s rolled on. This is the kind of tape you’ll be familiar with in everyday life; it’s used in sellotape and masking tape, for example. Pressure-sensitive tape isn’t as strong and robust as water-activated tape. However, for small items and small businesses, it is good enough to do the trick, especially if your items are durable. 

Finally, after all the work you’ve put into creating amazing custom boxes, you should tell the world about them. Display your beautiful boxes with promotional products in them on social media, and share posts from customers who do, too. Ultimately, your customized shipping boxes can become another part of your content marketing strategy, helping you attract new customers and ensure your current ones keep returning. 

Logistics, Logistics, Logistics

A custom shipping box strategy doesn’t start and end with the box. There’s the whole process of getting your beautiful packaging in the hands of your happy customer. In the world of e-commerce, your price strategy for shipments can be a competitive differentiator. 

Free shipping, same-day shipping, and next-day shipping are all huge plusses. However, your choices need to make financial sense. If your model isn’t profitable, then this could cause long-term damage to your business’s revenue stream. 

Here’s an overview of the most common shipping methods for your custom shipping boxes, and how they could work for your company. 

Free Shipping

Did you know that 90% of consumers would increase their online shopping spending if they could select free shipping? However, while shipping may be free to the end consumer, it won’t be free for your business. There will always be costs involved.

Free shipping can be a viable option for many companies though. It’s all about the tactics you employ to strike a balance. For example, you could make the prices of your products more expensive to account for the cost of free shipping. Alternatively, you could strategically add the cost of free shipping into your financial planning and deduct it from your revenue. 

There are other options, too. Rather than offering free shipping across the board, you could run special sales, such as during the summer or Black Friday, in which free shipping is advertised for a short time. Another tactic is to offer free shipping for orders over a certain price. 

Charge Up-to-Date Carrier Rates

A more straightforward method is to align your shipping prices with real-time rates from suppliers like FedEx and USPS. If you’re savvy, you could even offer your customers a range of choices from different suppliers, enabling them to choose the option that works best for them. 

Some may wish to go for the cheaper option that takes a little longer to deliver. Other customers may want their product as soon as possible and so are willing to pay a little more for quick delivery. This transparency and the power of choice can go a long way toward making happy customers. 

Charge a Flat Rate

Another popular choice is what’s known as flat rate shipping. This is where you select a standard rate for shipping. Often, the rate is cheaper for a few days delivery and more expensive if the customer chooses next-day delivery. Flat rate delivery puts you in control and can be helpful from a financial planning sense, as you won’t have to incur the cost of free delivery. 

That said, flat rate shipping doesn’t take into account fluctuations in dimensional pricing, so if your products vary greatly in size, it could be a risky option.

Offer Pickup Options 

Another option to consider is offering pick-up delivery options, either curbside, store, or locker deliveries. This option can be viewed as more sustainable by end consumers, as it drops a number of parcels often at a central delivery point rather than delivering them to individual addresses. 

However, pickup options are often less convenient for the customer, unless the pickup spot is right down the road from their office or home. For this reason, we recommend offering pickup options in addition to one of the strategies above. 

Keep Your Products Memorable and Secure with Custom Shipping Boxes

You may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but where can I get customized shipping boxes?” Don’t fret because you’re in the right place. At Refine Packaging, our bread and butter is helping brands create customized packaging for all kinds of products. 

We understand that designing custom size shipping boxes in bulk can be a daunting, overwhelming task, which is why our friendly, experienced team is on hand to make the entire production process smooth, rewarding, and simple. 

Our team of creatives can turn your design ideas into reality, creating beautiful cardboard printed boxes that will delight your customers and build brand affinity, all at a reasonable price for your business.  

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote on your custom shipping box needs. We’ll support you in creating custom shipping boxes that convey your brand’s unique personality, have amazing social appeal, and protect your product no matter where it travels.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Custom Shipping Boxes appeared first on Refine Packaging.

These not-so-humble box mailers are not only durable (to keep your products safe), but they’re also highly customizable, so you can get your brand noticed and create memorable experiences for your customers.  

Mailer Boxes: Shipping Essentials for Ecommerce

In retail, mailer boxes can be used as gift boxes and for sending out promotional materials. They are easy to assemble and extremely effective for keeping ecommerce orders safe and secure. Mailer boxes are nothing new, but they’ve become more mainstream because of the thriving subscription box market. 

Subscription boxes, as we know them today, have only been around since 2004, but they are now a dominant feature of the ecommerce landscape. Consider this:

• Fuel by McKinsey estimates the total market size of the subscription ecommerce market is about $12 billion to $15 billion.
• A survey by Clutch found that 54% of online shoppers are subscription box service members.

Many of the products subscription services are shipping out arrive in mailer boxes. These boxes, usually custom mailers, are very versatile, so they can fit all kinds of items. Everything from razors and makeup, to video game accessories and dog treats, can be ordered through a subscription box service. All of these items can fit neatly and be attractively displayed in a mailer box.

Mailer boxes aren’t limited to subscription services. They’re commonly used to send out everything from books and business cards to jackets and computer keyboards. In other words, if you order things online, you’ve likely seen a mailer box. 

All of this translates to a tremendous amount of boxes arriving on people’s doorsteps. 

Let’s find out how you can get the most from mailer boxes and stand out from the competition. 

Building Your Brand with Mailer Boxes

Not so long ago, companies and their customers gave little thought to what kind of box their products were shipped in. They just wanted the item inside to arrive intact and to be what they expected. But times have changed. A company that ignores what their mailer boxes look like is missing out on a highly effective and lucrative marketing strategy. 

Sure, ordering online is convenient, but often, customers are looking for more. They want to be wowed by the complete experience, including the shipping mailer boxes their goods arrive in. 

Mailer boxes offer so much room for customization. Even if your company is just starting out, you can give your customers a special experience. Everyone from tiny Etsy stores to well-established brick-and-mortar stores use mailer boxes for shipping their products and increasing brand recognition.  

Mailer boxes offer a lot of flexibility. You can:

• Come up with a unique design that promotes your brand. 
• Make use of your logo, slogan, and brand colors.  

Remember to stay consistent with your branding across all of your marketing channels. Think about what colors you’re using on your website or what type of font you’ve used for your logo. You want people to see the mailer box and immediately identify it with your brand.   

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Social Media and Unboxing Videos

Nowadays, social media is a key component of any marketing campaign, and unboxing videos are examples of initiatives that can skyrocket the value of your brand.

If you think people aren’t watching someone else open a box, think again. Try a cursory search on YouTube for unboxing videos, and you’ll be surprised at how many videos pop up. These videos are strangely addictive and popular.  

What is the first thing people see in an unboxing video? You guessed it – the box! You don’t want to skimp on your mailer box design and miss the opportunity to create that valuable first impression.

Two of the most influential YouTube unboxing channels are Ryan’s World with 28 million subscribers and Unbox Therapy with nearly 18 million subscribers. That’s a crazy amount of people tuning in to see someone else open a box. 

Sure, people tune in to these channels to see the actual products being unveiled, but they’re also enjoying the accompanying excitement of unwrapping the layers of packaging. 

If you want to get noticed by customers (or influencers), the overall presentation is important–and yes, that includes the box! A beautiful custom mailer can enhance your customers’ experience and even give your products a higher perceived value. 

What to Look for in a Mailer Box

Now that we’ve established the branding importance of mailer boxes, let’s talk about what makes up mailer boxes. As with all custom packaging, you want your boxes to be top quality. 

Here are some things you should consider when buying mailer boxes:

1. Paper Grades

Mailer boxes are primarily used to mail items and therefore durability is a must. That’s the reason why these boxes are usually made of corrugated material. It’s important to pick the right manufacturing paper for your purpose and products. 

Here are some common paper grade options for mailer boxes:

Kraft Corrugated Cardboard

These are the basic brown corrugated mailers we’re all familiar with. Kraft cardboard is an affordable option that gives you a rustic, natural look. Corrugated mailer boxes are made up of between 60-100% recycled material. 

Uncoated White Corrugated Cardboard

Some people prefer white corrugated mailer boxes. The look is cleaner, and graphics will stand out more with this choice. White corrugated packaging boxes also look high-end.

Clay-Coated Corrugated Cardboard

This corrugated packaging option gives you a smoother, brighter surface. It’s a little more expensive, so it’s a good pick for luxury brands.

Corrugated cardboard boxes also come in different thicknesses. Think about what you’re mailing. Is it lightweight? Fragile? Then decide on the flute grade (thickness) you need. Some common box mailer flute grades are E-flute 1/16 and B-flute 1/8.

Any kind of box can be dressed up or down, depending on your budget and the aesthetic you’re going for. A small budget is not an excuse to be boring. A simple brown box printed with your logo can create a lasting impression. 

Even if your budget is almost non-existent, you can customize your mailer boxes. Order a hand stamp with your logo or try a custom sticker. It’s all about making your boxes your own and reinforcing your brand. 

2. Closures

All of these boxes should be easy to assemble and need to be securely closed up somehow. Unlike regular shipping boxes that are often closed up with packaging tape, mailer boxes have some sort of tab-locking mechanism.  

Some mailer boxes come with additional protective dust flaps to keep dirt out. You can even choose a box with a tear strip for added security. If you’re mailing the box, you can further secure it with tape or hot melt glue, so it doesn’t pop open during shipping. 

3. Printing

You want your custom mailer box to create a good first impression as soon as it hits your customer’s doorstep. This means you want your text and graphics to look crisp and high-quality. Unintended blurry images are a no-go.

How good your graphics look comes down to the printing process you choose. There are several options out there, and there are a few factors to consider, namely your budget, any time constraints, the quality you’re looking for, and whether you are using your mailer boxes for shipping or retail packaging.  

You no doubt realize the important role colors play in evoking a certain mood or increasing brand recognition, so it’s vital to understand a little bit about how these colors are printed on boxes. 

There are two main color processes used when printing on mailer boxes: PMS and CMYK.

Pantone Matching System (PMS) 

PMS uses premixed ink formulas from Pantone, so you’re sure to get consistent colors across all types of mediums. With PMS, you get more vibrant colors. It is the best option if you’re using a lot of thin lines or metallic or fluorescent colors.  

If you’re using three colors or less, PMS is the cheaper option. But that doesn’t limit you to only three colors. You can “tint” colors to save money. For example,  if you’re using green, you can add a little white to come up with mint green.  

CMYK

CMYK is the other color option. It’s made up of four colors: (C) cyan, (M) magenta, (Y) yellow, and (K) black. This process creates the images out of tiny dots. It’s your best bet if you want to use full-color photos or need a lot of different colors. 

Now, on to the actual printing. There are two main options for printing on your custom mailer boxes: direct printing and pre-printing.  

Direct printing, sometimes called post-printing, is when you print directly on the box. This method is often used with corrugated boxes. 

• Flexography (or flexo) is a popular option. With flexo, you’re printing directly on the box. Flexo is affordable, has good printing speeds, can be quickly set up, and works well on both rough or smooth materials. Flexo uses PMS colors, so if you’re looking for full-quality photo images, you might not get the results you want.
• Digital printing is a printing method that’s gaining in popularity. It gives you higher quality than flexo. It’s fast but best for low volumes.
• Offset lithography (or litho) falls under the pre-printing category. It’s usually used for printing on custom labels, which are then glued to the box. This option is great for higher-quality photos or if you want to add some embossing or foil stamping. Litho labels can cover the whole box or just a small section. It’s up to you. 
• Foil stamping (or hot stamping) will give you an elegant, sophisticated look. Foil stamping is a printing technique that uses hot dyes to press a metallic print and foil onto the surface of the box. You can use a variety of colors, but a popular option keeps it simple – a black background with gold or silver foil. Foil stamping is usually found on the outside of the box. But why limit yourself? If you want something a little different, try it on the inside of the box.  

Keep in mind that these printing techniques aren’t mutually exclusive. Feel free to mix things up to grab your customers’ attention. 

If you want to get extra fancy, you can even combine direct printing with a litho label. Or if you want to splurge, go with two-sided printing. Whatever you choose, try to get the highest quality that’s within your budget. You don’t want to skimp on the appearance of your mailer boxes. You want them to look sharp and stand out. 

4. Finishes

Beautiful printing can be eye-catching and stand on its own. But if you want to elevate your product packaging design even more, consider adding a coating or other finishing touches. They can give your box a polished, high-end look.

Aqueous Finish

One popular and relatively affordable coating option is an AQ finish. This vegetable cellulose coating was introduced in the 1970s. The coating makes a box look shiny and smooth and protects it from smudges and scratches. You can opt for a glossy or matte finish – or even satin, which is somewhere in between.  

Another benefit of an AQ finish is it’s eco-friendly. Since it’s water-based, it’s nontoxic and can be easily recycled. 

UV Coating

This is a clear liquid coating that’s applied and then dried with ultraviolet light. This coating will give your box some added texture. You may want to opt for a spot UV varnish where it’s only applied to a specific area of the box. This is a great way to make a desired design element pop, such as your logo or slogan.  

To recap, here’s a table of the features and qualities to look for in mailer boxes:

Keep Your Custom Mailer Box Eco-Friendly

There’s no denying that e-commerce is booming. LimeLoop compiled data from the major shippers (USPS, FedEx, and UPS) and estimated that around 165 billion packages are shipped in the U.S. each year. But with all of these online sales comes huge amounts of waste heading to our already overflowing landfills.

This is concerning to customers and businesses alike. You can’t go a day without hearing distressing news stories about climate change or other impending environmental disasters. Sure, consumers love to buy the latest and greatest, but they’re also concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases. 

One study found that 74% of consumers were willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, and a quarter of these were willing to pay an increased cost of 10% or more. 

There’s no way to get rid of packaging completely, but customers appreciate companies that make an effort to be less wasteful. So give customers what they want. Box mailers not only look good, but they’re also one of the more eco-friendly options for packaging. 

Here are some reasons why:

• Most mailer boxes are made from post-consumer recycled materials.  
• Mailer boxes can be recycled again and again. They’re easy to break down, which encourages people to make an effort to put them in a recycling bin. According to the EPA, in 2018, approximately 32.1 million tons of corrugated boxes were recycled, which was a 96.5% recycling rate for corrugated cardboard boxes. That’s keeping a lot of packaging out of our landfills.
• Mailer boxes are easy to ship. They’re relatively lightweight and stack neatly in a truck, so it takes fewer trips to get them to their destination. Additionally, they’re usually shipped flat to retailers, which saves considerable space.
• Mailer boxes are usually made of corrugated cardboard materials, which biodegrade much faster than other shipping materials. Plastic, for example, can take upwards of 500 years to biodegrade. Embracing eco-friendliness isn’t lost on consumers. In a survey by consumer research firm Toluna, 66% of respondents said that paper or cardboard packaging is better for the environment.
• Retail and shipping mailer boxes are mostly made from materials sourced from sustainably managed forests. Look for companies that have FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certification for their corrugated mailers.
• Mailer boxes are sturdy enough to repurpose. You could use beautifully colored mailer boxes to store old postcards and other small mementos.

Eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean dull and monotonous. Sure, simply adorned kraft mailer boxes may convey the look you’re going for, but if you want to add more zing, there are many options. Today, you can find water-based, soy-based, and even algae-based inks that look beautiful and are good for the environment. So don’t let environmental concerns limit your color palette. 

Mailer Box Design: Be Sure You Get What You Want

With so many options for your custom mailer boxes, you want to get exactly what you want. No matter if you work with a designer or decide to go it alone, you want to make sure your mailer box design will fit your needs.

Are small mailing boxes the right size for your products? Make sure you can fit all of your goods comfortably. You don’t want a fit that’s too tight or to have your items swimming around in there. How about the graphics? Are the colors right?  Do your custom mailers with logo look good? Is everything spelled correctly?

When ordering custom mailer boxes, make sure to check the final proof. You can look at an online proof with a flat view, or perhaps a 3D mockup will help you visualize the final product. If you’re ordering a lot of mailer boxes and you have time, you may want to order a physical sample, so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Your shipping mailer boxes are the face of your business, so make sure you get everything just right the first time. You’d hate to order 1,000 boxes with your company name misspelled or the wrong URL emblazoned on the side. 

What Goes Inside Your Box

Mailer boxes are durable, but that doesn’t mean you can simply toss your items in and throw the box in the mail. There are certain things you may want to include inside.

Let’s start with protecting your product during shipping and fulfillment. Some items will fit perfectly snugly in the box and not need added padding, but for many items, you’ll need some sort of void fill to cushion your product so it’s not rattling around inside. 

Here are some common options for void fill:

• Packaging paper. This is an excellent way to fill space and protect your items. You can wrap individual items or ball the paper up to cushion your goods. Packaging paper looks decent and is recyclable.
• Crinkle paper. You’re probably familiar with the basic kraft crinkle paper. Color options are almost limitless. 
• Tissue paper. This is a simple, affordable option that can elevate the look of your packaging. It’s not the best for fragile items but works well for items like clothing.
• Cardboard inserts. Custom-designed inserts will protect moderately fragile items. Inserts are made to fit a particular item, so it’s best to use them on the products they were made for. 
• Foam cushions. If you’re shipping something fragile, this will help protect your items from scratches and breakage. You can cut the foam to shape to make it more useful. One big drawback is this type of cushion is not environmentally friendly. 
• Air pillows. These aren’t the most beautiful, but they’re lightweight, easy to store, and get the job done. 

In addition to protecting your products, throwing a few added goodies into your mailer box can make the experience more personal for your customers. That’s something most will appreciate. According to one study, consumers were 80% more likely to make a purchase when companies offer personalized experiences.  

So don’t waste the opportunity. It doesn’t take much to make your customer feel special.  Here are a few things you could include in your box mailers:

• Enclose a personalized thank you note. Or if you haven’t printed anything on the inside of a box, write “thank you” inside the top of the box. 
• If possible, use your customer’s name. In an Accenture survey, 56% of respondents said they were more likely to shop in-store or online at a retailer that recognized them by name.
• Toss in some coupons. People love discounts.
• Include small samples for other products. Your customer will feel pampered and special, and it’s a great way to introduce them to some of your other products.
• Add little toys, candies, or stickers. If you’re going for sophistication, this may not be the look you’re envisioning, but sometimes, a little frivolity is appreciated.
• Encourage your customers to share their experiences on their social media channels. Put your social media handles on the box with a hashtag you’d like to see trending. 

As with all marketing endeavors, presentation counts with mailer boxes. Of course, you need to work within your budget, but that shouldn’t stop you from adding a little something extra. Who knows? You might get lucky and a social influencer may share an unboxing video of your product.  

Perhaps more likely, customers will spread their impressions through word of mouth.  According to the American Marketing Association, almost 75% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decisions. And what better way to get them talking than getting them excited about your beautiful packaging? 

Corrugated Mailers in Action: A Little Inspiration

Having a lot of options is usually a good thing, but it can also feel overwhelming.  Sometimes, it helps to look at what others are doing. 

Here are some mailer box examples that will get your creative juices flowing and give you a good jumping-off point to come up with your own mailer box design:

1. Lily and Onyx

Lily and Onyx curates locally and internationally crafted goods that promote things like mindfulness and the “California” lifestyle. Their mailer boxes stay on brand. You can see the above packaging uses simple, tasteful, soothing colors, and typography that reflect the boho vibe the company is going for.  

As with their products, Lily and Onyx’s packaging has a natural look. You won’t find any wasteful packaging here.  

2. Love With Food

Love With Food, a snack delivery service, proves you don’t have to send out high-end goods to use stylish mailer boxes. Their service starts at just $7.99 a month, but they don’t skimp on their boxes. Their custom mailer boxes are bright red with white lettering, which reflects the branding on their website. The simple but bold color combination is sure to grab attention.  

3. Vegancuts

Sometimes, simplicity is the perfect reflection of your brand. Vegancuts offers snack, makeup, and beauty boxes. All of their offerings are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. They’re not about unnecessary excess, which is beautifully reflected in the simple line drawings and script on their printed mailer boxes. 

4. FabFitFun

Simplicity is not the name of the game for everyone. Popular lifestyle box subscription service FabFitFun is all about living life to the fullest. Their custom mailers are anything but subdued. Each season, they send out a new box with a new design. The boxes vary by the season, but they usually use several colors with images that cover the box inside and out. 

5. greenUP Box

What would you expect from a subscription box dedicated to reducing waste and plastics? Probably exactly what greenUP Box is sending out. Not only are their products all eco-friendly, but so is their packaging material.  

The leaf-covered design and earthy green color of the box are reminiscent of nature. The box and the crinkle paper inside can be easily recycled, so no waste here.

6. American Influencer Beauty Bundle

Sometimes, it’s all about the glam factor. American Influencer Beauty Bundle is a bi-monthly subscription service that gives customers exclusive access to influencer beauty products. Their shiny mailer boxes have a luxurious look that appeals to their customer base looking for the latest beauty trends. 

7. Smartass & Sass

As their name suggests, Smartass & Sass is all about “snark, sass, and sarcasm.” Their custom-printed mailer boxes might not appeal to everyone, but they reflect the company vibe and cater to their customer base. Spend a few seconds on their website and you just know this is a fun company with a certain brand of humor. 

Smartass & Sass uses boxes that look bold but are quite simple. It has kept the box for their secondary packaging to a single bright blue color with their name and a geometric pattern on top. They put their website address on one side and their catchphrase, “classy, sassy, and a bit smartassy,” emblazoned on another. Inside, they kept it plain to keep the emphasis on the quirky products you’ll find in the box.  

Every month has a different theme, so you never know exactly what you’ll get, which adds to the excitement. They even share unboxing videos on their website of past boxes, so you get an idea of what kind of experience you can expect when this box lands on your porch.

Put the Spotlight on Your Brand With Mailer Boxes

You’ve got a desirable product, so don’t leave your packaging decisions as an afterthought. Packaging should be a critical part of your marketing plan. It’s often the first thing your customer sees, so you want to get it right and make a great first impression. Think about what your company represents, and make sure your packaging reflects that.

A thoughtfully designed mailer box can up your game and boost your brand identity – and, in turn, increase your sales. Remember, customers are looking for the whole experience, so make your mailer box memorable and special. A quality mailer box can both ensure your goods get to your customers in one piece and – just as importantly – have them coming back for more.  

Refine Packaging is the top choice for the world’s Inc 5000 and Fortune 500 companies. With super fast production times, affordable pricing, and a sky’s the limit attitude, we’ll help you turn your custom packaging into a competitive differentiator. Contact us today and a dedicated packaging specialist will guide you through every step of the custom packaging process without breaking a sweat.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Mailer Boxes appeared first on Refine Packaging.

A recent survey conducted by Ipsos found that:

• 71% of those surveyed said they were more likely to buy brands that package their products in paper or cardboard, rather than other materials like bubble wrap or plastic.
• 63% of those surveyed said that paper and cardboard packaging makes a product seem premium or high quality. 

Ok, so you’ve made the smart decision to package your goods in cardboard boxes, but is that enough to get your products noticed? Nope.  

You can’t just throw your goods in a nondescript box and call it a day.  No – in today’s world of unboxing videos and endless social media diatribes about the whole package opening experience, you’ve got to go above and beyond with ideas for your box design to stand out from the competition. 

Today’s consumers have so many options. They no longer have to rely on what’s available in their town – or even their country. They’re looking for a complete shopping experience – whether they’re checking out a store shelf, or browsing an ecommerce site. And they want the boxes their products come in to wow them. 

Think about what makes you buy a certain brand. Perhaps it’s word of mouth, or maybe loyalty, but more than likely packaging is also a major consideration.  

So, just how important is box design to your bottom line? Well consider this:

• A study by Ipsos found that 72% of Americans’ purchasing decisions are influenced by packaging design.
• 66% of those surveyed by WestRock said that they tried something new because the packaging caught their eye.

So, don’t leave box design as an afterthought.

It’s important to come up with a creative, yet practical, box design so you can fully leverage this powerful marketing tool.

Functionality Counts When Reviewing Box Design Ideas

Successful box design, like the custom boxes pictured above that we produced for Adidas, is much more than choosing your favorite colors to splash across the sides (albeit that is an important element).  

When coming up with your box design ideas and overall design plan, it’s essential to first understand the main functions of a box. 

Here are some fundamentals you don’t want to ignore with your box design when reviewing box design inspiration:

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Your Box Must Protect What’s Inside

First off – and most importantly – your box needs to effectively protect what’s inside. 

If nothing else, you’ve got to make sure your custom box design keeps the items inside safe during shipping.

This means your box needs to be sturdy and tamper-proof. No one is going to appreciate a beautiful box if their wine glasses arrive in shards, or their poster arrives crumpled. You want your items to get to their destination intact.

Your Box Should be Efficient

The structural design of the box can play a large role in your bottom line, as well. When deciding on a design think about things like shelf and storage space. You don’t want to have an oddly shaped box if it’ll be difficult to store in your warehouse. 

Also, consider transportation costs when designing your box. The box size and weight of a box can unnecessarily jack up your shipping costs if you’re not careful.

Your Box Should Be Informative

It’s important that your box clearly labels what’s inside. When people pick up a box they want to know what’s in there, so, if there’s room, go on and include information about the contents, such as ingredients, expiration dates, or instructions on how to use the product. 

Packaging boxes are also a great place to add specific company information. A custom box has only so much marketing real estate, but you can point consumers to other marketing avenues, such as your website or social media channels, where you can offer more in-depth information about your company and products.

Your Box Should Reinforce Your Brand Identity

Yes, your box must offer protection, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore how it looks. Boxes are a great way to make a strong first impression and pump up your brand recognition.

The box design is not a place where you want to skimp. To fully harness this powerful marketing tool, you’ll want to have your logo stand out and make use of shapes and colors that represent your brand.  

Make a Design Plan for Your Box

Once you understand the important functions of a box, it’s time to come up with a design plan. To help you formulate your plan, it’s helpful to ask yourself a couple of questions:

What are you selling?

Boxes come in all different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, so to get the right box (or boxes), you’ll need to have a clear idea of what products you’ll be putting in the box.

The size of your boxes and weight of your items will dictate a lot of your box options. Heavy items may need to be put in strong reinforced boxes, whereas you may get by packing lighter, smaller items into thinner carton boxes. 

You’ll also need to take into consideration whether or not the items are fragile. You obviously won’t want to pack a piece of stained glass in a flimsy, unpadded box.  Likewise, it wouldn’t make sense to invest in double-wall corrugated boxes if all you’re ever boxing up is socks.

For most companies, it might be difficult to get by with a single size box since many sell products of various sizes and shapes. But even if you sell only one type of product, you should think about whether multiples can be packed together in the same box.  

Who is your target audience?

No matter what products or services you’re selling you likely have an ideal customer in mind.  Who are you trying to appeal to? Think of the demographics of your target market.  Consider things like the ages of your customers, their income level, their geographic location, and what they consider important. 

Maybe you’re looking to sell upscale cosmetics to millennials, or maybe you’re trying to market paper straws to eco-conscious customers? Whatever your product, your packaging needs to represent your brand. 

Boxes are an essential component of your overall marketing strategy. You want to be consistent across all of your channels – including your website, social media accounts, and retail packaging. 

Your customized box design should reflect what your brand stands for. Sometimes a box is your customer’s first interaction with your product. So your boxes need to represent your products in the best possible light.    

Understand Some Basic Design Rules

Sure, you want your box design to be unique and stay true to your brand identity, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from other companies’ successes (and failures).

Here are a few tried and true design “rules” that will help get you started with your box design:

Color Counts 

When it comes to marketing your products, color plays a huge role. Studies have found that color increases brand recognition by 80% and that 85% of shoppers say that color is a primary reason for buying a particular product. 

Some colors are so iconic that if you look at them you know the company without seeing a logo or other brand identifier. Think of the classic blue Tiffany box that’s synonymous with luxury. Tiffany & Co. trademarked their “Tiffany Blue” in 1998.

Other companies have also successfully trademarked their colors, such as T-Mobile (magenta), UPS (deep brown), Wiffle Ball Bat (yellow), and 3M Post-Its (canary yellow).

Of course, not every company has a signature color, but successful brands know that certain colors evoke specific moods. You want your box colors to reflect the vibe you’re going for.  

In general, go for darker colors if you want to project a more staid, established look, lighter colors and pastels will give off a cleaner, more youthful look, or choose bright, bold colors to grab attention. 

Flonomics provides retail analytics to companies wanting to better understand how customers are interacting with their brand. They studied how different colors influence shoppers and their purchasing habits. They found that: 

• The color red stirred up feelings of excitement, passion, and energy.
• Blue gave off a trustworthy and reliable vibe.
• Green was all about nature, earthy feelings, and freshness.
• Orange was playful.
• And yellow was reminiscent of sunshine and evoked a warm mood.  

Put Some Thought Into Your Typography

How often have you seen a box with absolutely no words on it?  They’re out there, but pretty rare.  Most product box design involves some sort of typography. Typography is the arrangement of letters and words. It includes things like font sizes and styles. 

It can be fun to get creative with your font choices, but remember you want your words to both look good and be legible. Don’t overdo it with too many competing font styles.  That can just end up looking messy and clouding your message. 

Pay Attention to Quality

Put some thought into your materials. Flimsy, poor-quality paper packaging may be cheap, but is that the best look for your product? 

Definitely not, if you’re aiming to impress. Think about what you’re selling and have your boxes mirror the quality of your goods. Customers will expect their high-end purchases to come in a quality box. 

The same goes for graphics. A lot will depend on your budget, but try to use high-resolution graphics if you can afford it. An unintended, blurry image is not a good look.  

Don’t Have Too Much Going On

It helps to start with a focal point. If you have too many fonts, competing colors, and a hodgepodge of graphics, your message will get lost in the middle. You don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too many competing design elements. Instead, let your design elements complement each other and give them breathing space.

Of course, sometimes design rules are meant to be broken. Look at these box design tips through the eyes of your customer. The most important thing is to know your target audience and what look will appeal to them.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Some Help

If all of this feels too overwhelming, seek another pair of eyes to look over your design, or hire a professional. Box templates (known as dielines) can often be found online, and you can find designers at almost any price point to help you come up with a captivating box design.  

If you’re on a super-tight budget, try Fiverr, or if you have a little more to spend try 99designs, Dribble, or Behance. 

If you need one-on-one box design support, the graphic designers at Refine Packaging are here to help. Contact us today for a free, no obligation quote on your custom box packaging needs and we’ll work with you to create a look and a package that brings together the very best of your brand personality, social appeal, and quality product design to create a look that is unmistakably your own. 

21 Box Design Ideas You Can Adapt for Your Own Packaging

Ok, you’ve got your plan and have a grasp of some basic design elements. Now, it’s time for the fun stuff. Let’s check out some box design eye candy. 

Here are twenty-one examples of companies who got their custom box design right by implementing various strategies:

Box Design Idea #1: Tell a Story

What better way to develop some rapport with your customers than to introduce yourself and tell your story. Stories are a great way to connect with your customers on a more personal level. Tell them who you are, where you came from, and what’s important to you.

In 2016 organic breakfast cereal company Kashi introduced “stories,” on the back of their cereal boxes. These little vignettes had full-color photographs and explained how the food was made and where it came from. They highlighted real people, such as farmers, millers, and others involved in the process of making the cereal. 

Of course, you can squeeze only so much copy on the back of a cereal box. That’s why Kashi also included a link to their website where the interested consumer could watch a more in-depth video on the subject. 

Box Design Idea #2: Use Patterns

Try using various patterns on your retail packaging boxes. Chevron, stripes, polka dots, and herringbone are popular options. Use them on their own or in conjunction with other images.  

Box Design Idea #3: Use All Available Space

A custom product box is more than a single side. Why not get more bang for your buck and cover the entire box with meaningful graphics, sayings, or information about your brand.

There’s a reason, lifestyle brand FabFitFun’s subscription box designs are splashed all over Instagram and are featured in so many unboxing videos on YouTube.  

They change up their mailer boxes depending on the season, but they usually use bright graphics and take full advantage of the entire box – inside and out.

Box Design Idea #4: Keep it Simple

Dutch company Slopes & Town sells accessories, such as multi-purpose belts and socks made from bamboo fibers and recycled plastic. 

The company’s mantra is an emphasis on sustainability and keeping waste to a minimum. This includes its eco-friendly packaging, which is often made from kraft paper. There’s no excess with their custom boxes.

Box Design Idea #5: Don’t Forget the Inner Sections

The outside of a box may give the first impression, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore what’s inside. 

Tait Design Company’s Turbo Flyer comes in a box that doubles as a cardboard carrying case. The multiple pieces of the balsa model airplane kit fit neatly inside. So, whether you want to store it in your closet, or take it to the park, you know your airplane will be secure.

Box Design Idea #6: Use an Interesting Shape

Boxes don’t have to be cuboids. They’re usually rectangular for ease of storage and transport, but there’s no hard and fast rule saying you can’t have a triangular, hexagonal, or whatever-shaped box. Below is a prism-shaped box concept for a soap company. 

Box Design Idea #7: Remember Your Product

Always keep your product in mind. Your box and packaging should reflect what’s inside. Take, for example, the Australian company, Young Willow, which specializes in stylish, high-end baby gifts, including clothing, bibs, books, and little toys. 

One glance at their website and you can see the sophisticated look they’re going for. There are no garish primary colors to be had with this brand – everything looks soft and subtle. Their boxes further reflect their brand image. 

Baby showers are big business and what better way to elevate the gift experience for that mother-to-be than to present your gift in a gorgeous box. Young Willow’s gift boxes are so pretty, they sell them as a separate item on their site.

The custom packaging boxes come in soft muted colors, such as lavender, green, and pink pastels, with the brands’ name embossed on the top. Pop open the box and the muted color scheme continues inside. This is a box that will not likely be casually tossed in the recycling bin.  

Box Design Idea #8: Add Some Fun

Depending on what you’re selling a little frivolity can go a long way. A nice warm plate of cookies can bring out the inner child in anyone. Thelma’s decided to have some fun with their cookie boxes. 

Instead of packing their cookies into one of those ubiquitous, pink pastry boxes, they went for something much more memorable, a distinct oven box.  I can almost smell those cookies.  

Box Design Idea #9: Go Bold

When you think of mid-century modern design, iconic industrial designers, Ray and Charles Eames likely spring to mind.  They received numerous design awards and their furniture has been exhibited in museums throughout the world. 

So, it’s no surprise that a lot of thought went into the customized boxes housing a product as simple as children’s building blocks. 

Eames House Blocks are packaged in a carefully designed box that reflects the Eames’ sophisticated, but non-fussy brand. The box is a simple shape and the graphics aren’t very complicated, but it gets its boldness from the sharp geometric shapes infused with strong red and black colors. 

Box Design Idea #10: Make it Gift-Worthy

Sometimes a beautifully designed custom box is as much a part of the gift as what’s inside. In many cultures, tea drinking is a ritual. Teabox brings this experience into people’s homes with an assortment of beautifully appointed gift boxes.

Slide open the beautifully illustrated box and you’ll find two gourmet blends of Indian tea in glass vials nestled inside. The gift-like box design elevates the experience for the recipient.

Box Design Idea #11: Use a Single Bright Color

You don’t have to use a rainbow of colors to capture attention with your box. A single color can make a bold statement.

Kong Box sends out monthly boxes full of dog toys and treats. The goodies are shipped out in bright red boxes. You’ll also find this same vivid color throughout their website. 

Box Design Idea #12: Add a Packaging Sleeve

Often a company will use a packaging sleeve in place of a box since it can be a more affordable option. You’ll often see these sleeves used on a bar of soap or a pair of socks. But some companies incorporate this element into their overall custom box design. 

Mother E Essential Oils uses a standard box design to store their essential oils. Where they mix it up is with their packaging sleeves. They use different sleeves depicting various nature scenes depending on what essential oils are in that particular box.  If they ever want a new look, a sleeve is much easier to change up than a whole box redesign.

Box Design Idea #13: Experiment with Fonts 

Something as simple as using an interesting font can elevate the look of your custom box design. You can go modern or vintage, quirky or traditional, winsome or staid – just be sure to make it memorable and unique. The right font can help boost your brand recognition. 

Skoff Pies used several different fonts that compliment each other to come up with a retro vibe for their comfort food pies. 

Not sure where to get started? The internet is a treasure trove of fonts. Check out sites like Google fonts or Behance to find free ones, or, for a wider variety, splurge a little and buy one from Creative Market or MyFonts.

Box Design Idea #14: Use Product Photography

Photographs are a great way to showcase your product. If you decide to go this route make sure to use high-quality product photography.  

Anovo used a picture of their product, as well as small pictures of fresh-looking food, including steak, salmon, and asparagus on their nano precision cooker boxes. But the photos aren’t overwhelming. Anovo went with plenty of white space to make the colorful photos pop and appeal to both your eyes and your taste buds. 

Box Design Idea #15: Try Some Humor

Humor can be a little tricky since we all find different things funny.  But when it works, it works. Just remember to keep your target customer in mind. You don’t want to offend anyone.

Box Design Idea #16: Give ‘em a Sneak Peek

Cutout windows offer your customers a glimpse of what’s inside, and sometimes the option to touch your product. Cutout windows, which are accomplished through the window patching process, are often used for food items so you can see what you’re buying. Who wants to splurge on expensive cookies, if you discover they’re a crumbled mess when you open the box. 

Cutouts are also a good option if you have a colorful or textured product. Zandra Beauty sells a variety of artisan soap bars that come in different scents and colors.  Each variety of soap is a different color and comes in different cosmetic packaging.

The little cutout gives you a glimpse of the colorful bar of soap inside. You could make quite an attractive display on a store shelf with all of the different colors peeking out.

Box Design Idea #17: Make it Multi-Purpose

Sometimes the box is a work of art. Check out the latest beautifully illustrated box from CauseBox. CauseBox is all about curating socially conscious items for their subscription boxes. You’d feel bad tossing this box in the recycling. It would make stylish storage for old letters or other small mementos. 

Box Design Idea #18: Use a Limited Color Palette

You don’t have to use every color in the rainbow to make your boxes interesting.  For a softer and more sophisticated look try different shades of the same color. 

One popular design trend for custom boxes that’s been incorporated in everything from painted walls to cakes and hair dye is ombre. Ombre is when you blend one color hue to another, usually going from light to dark. Why not try it in your product box design for a current look?

Glossybox is a subscription beauty box service. They frequently redesign their ecommerce packaging boxes depending on the season. Their current holiday box beautifully blends different shades of pink for a cohesive look. 

Box Design Idea #19: Use a Custom Stamp

Sure, it would be great to have custom beautifully designed boxes with your logo embossed on the sides or printed in an array of colors. But that’s not feasible for every company’s budget.  But don’t fret, there are affordable design elements just about any business can incorporate in their cardboard box design.

If you’re strapped for cash, or you’re just looking for a simple aesthetic – then consider a custom stamp.

Etsy shop, HeirloomHomeStudio, designs and produces porcelain tableware that’s inspired by the farm-to-table movement. Their brand stresses simplicity and their products have a vintage look. This vibe is beautifully reflected in their understated stamped boxes. 

Box Design Idea #20: Seal Up Your Boxes with Something Pretty (or Practical)

Another affordable packaging box design option is colorful, or branded packaging tape. Packaging tape can be used for brand promotion, handling advice, reducing theft, or to advertise other products. Since you can order packaging tape in small quantities, any company can take advantage of this affordable, low commitment option. 

Box Design Idea #21: Use Custom Labels or Stickers

You don’t have to print your graphics on the actual box to get a professional, attractive look. Maybe you don’t feel like committing to a single product box design.  A well-designed sticker or label will look good and allow you to easily change the look of your boxes depending on your mood.

Nosejoy is a fragrance subscription box service. Each month, they send out four to five scent-filled items, such as candles, soaps, or lotions from upscale boutique brands. 

They completely change the look of the box each month by using a different sticker on the front.  One month it might be deep blues with a mermaid picture, the next month might be all about bright yellows with pictures of lemons.  

Get Designing and Bring Your Box Design Idea to Life

Your custom packaging should never be an afterthought. Boxes and other packaging materials are far too important a marketing tool to ignore. Thoughtful box design strategies like the ones mentioned above can help you attract new customers and retain your current ones. 

Keep in mind that various box design elements aren’t mutually exclusive. You can incorporate several into your design – just don’t let it look too cluttered. You may need to experiment a little to find the right fit. You want your message to shine through and be consistent across all of your marketing materials.

Everyone from small Etsy stores to giants like Amazon put a lot of thought into their shipping box designs. Quality design doesn’t have to cost a fortune. It can be as simple as a sticker, or as fancy as a multi-colored embossed high-quality box. The important thing is that your product box design reflects what’s important to your customers and your company.

The post 21 Box Design Ideas to Pump Up Your Packaging appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Her unboxing experience—spread over three videos—amassed millions of views and over 1 million likes. The reason why she bought these cotton pads and posted them on social media? She wanted to see if they came in Chanel’s premium, luxurious packaging. And they did. 

Le Coton comes in the classic cream Chanel box, tied in a signature black bow. Not only that, but the box includes free samples of Chanel mascara and perfume, delicately placed in a cream bag. As The New York Times and Washington Post noted in their coverage of the bizarre viral trend, “the purchase is more for the packaging and the aesthetic of having a Chanel box than anything else.”

This is the power that packaging can hold: a customer buying your product for the sheer experience of opening it. It’s fair to say that, if you play your packaging cards right, your packaging can become more than just a safety vessel, it can become a communication tool, a marketing powerhouse and, even, a lifestyle. 

The Value of Packaging

@theerinmarie video wasn’t a one-off either. With the ubiquity of TikTok and YouTube, unboxing videos and captures of retail shopping experiences are moving from strength to strength. Take @marc.unbox, an influencer who has dedicated his channel to “buying and unboxing the cheapest items from luxury brands,” says his TikTok bio. With over 200,000 followers and millions of likes, Marc’s channel shows the appetite for premium packaging experiences. The research backs this up, too.

In one published study, researchers uncovered that attractive types of packaging stimulate the reward-seeking parts of our brain, which are associated with impulse purchasing. This means that beautiful packaging designs—and the well-crafted experiences that go along with them—can directly increase your sales.

How to Create Beautiful Customizable Packaging

It’s evident that the types of packaging that house your products play an important role in showcasing their value, But where do you begin? Creating beautiful packaging is no happy accident. It takes strategy, careful planning, and understanding. 

The tricky thing, of course, is that there are so many types of packaging options out there, it can be hard to know where to begin. You want to get your packaging right, but you don’t know which material is best, what size to choose, what to fill your package with, and so on. 

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In our opinion, the question of choosing the right packaging really should be an enjoyable task, but we understand that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of options out there. We know you want to make the right choice, at the right price, for your customers.

This is exactly why we’ve created this guide—to help you demystify the jargon around packaging types and find a solution that benefits your business. To begin with, though, let’s go back to basics…

Packaging’s Importance for Both Ecommerce and Retail Strategies

Instead of diving straight into the different types of packaging and the packaging materials available, let’s first cement the reasons why you need packaging for your product. From the below list, it’s likely that a few reasons will resonate with you and your brand, some more than others. This is a good thing. By finding what’s important to your packaging strategy, you can make informed decisions later down the line when it’s time to pick your materials. 

1. Functional Purposes

At a basic level, packaging is a necessity for safely transporting products. It provides physical protection from damage, from things like vibration, weather, compression, dust, and so on. Packaging also offers a sense of security. If the product is well wrapped, it prevents someone in the logistics system from tampering with it—or even stealing it. 

2. Cost-Efficiency

Putting effort into the economics of your packaging strategy can help the bottom line. By choosing cost-effective types of packaging and ensuring the size is just right, you can minimize waste, improve delivery costs and, ultimately, save money. Think of it like this: Your products packed in boxes that are way too large will take up a lot of extra space during the delivery process. This leads to higher costs and possibly even longer delivery times if not as many parcels can be sent out at once. After all, there’s only so much room in a delivery van! 

On the flipside, if your packaging protects your products snugly, then you’ve found the most cost-efficient way to both store and deliver them.  

3. Appeal to the Eco-Conscious Customer

According to EuroStat, in 2018, the total volume of packaging waste was roughly 77.7 million tonnes. Consumers aren’t happy about this. A recent McKinsey study found that 71% of US respondents said they are more concerned about packaging sustainability in 2020 than they were in 2019. For brands like yours, this is an opportunity. Choose the right packaging materials, and you can:

• Have a positive impact on the environment
• Build a more positive relationship with your customers

This is because consumers are becoming more and more conscious of their carbon footprint. Many want to be eco-friendly, and they are looking to the brands they engage with to help them on this mission. If your packaging materials are recyclable or more sustainable, then you can appeal to consumers with this mindset. 

4. Brand Differentiation

When we say Tiffany & Co., what image springs to your mind? Chances are it’s the brand’s little blue box, possibly adorned with a signature white ribbon. The box is so infamous that, in London, there’s a cafe named after it: The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe at Harrods. 

What Tiffany & Co. has done with their packaging is create something iconic, a box that instantly conjures up a precise image of sophistication and luxury. For your brand, creating signature packaging can be a way to stand out from the crowd and cement yourself in the crowded retail space. Plus, as we explored above, the notoriety of unboxing videos on social media means it’s easier than ever to reach huge, global audiences with your packaging. A beautiful design and engaging experience can build brand affinity and get you new customers. 

5. The Digital Touchpoint

With COVID-19 taking hold in 2019, many consumers who had never shopped online before started to do so. Even now things are somewhat back to normal, there’s no doubt that some consumers will have changed their shopping habits for good. But in the absence of a physical retail store, how can brands create the same experience and connection with their customers? 

You guessed it—packaging! In the ecommerce journey, your packaging is the final step of your customer’s engagement with your brand. 

Sure, you may have a cool website and you’ve got your email marketing down to the tone of voice, but if your packaging experience is bland or subpar, then you risk your customer being one-time only. On the other hand, if you’ve thought out the unboxing experience and make an effort to make it enticing and pleasurable for your customer, then you can effectively bring a little bit of the in-store experience directly to your customer’s home. 

6. Brand Affinity

You know that moment in Pretty Woman, when Richard Gere presents Julia Roberts with a beautiful suede jewelry box. She’s completely dazzled by the gift, without opening it. The box conveys so much. The packaging is elegant and oozes luxury. Of course, not every brand is a luxury brand, but that doesn’t mean your packaging can’t be cool, fun, or exciting. You can still create a special moment for your customer and build brand affinity in the process. 

By creating a type of packaging that elevates your product and brand, you can create that same feeling in your customer that Roberts’ character felt when she was presented with the jewelry box. Create this positive feeling consistently and you might find you build some long-lasting, loyal customer relationships. 

7. Marketing, Marketing, Marketing

Lastly, we can’t forget that packaging is ultimately a marketing vehicle. With clever design and branding, your packaging can become an extension of your marketing strategy. It can communicate your brand values, lead to new customers via social media, and make your brand memorable. It’s integral to make sure that packaging is one of your “Ps of marketing.”

Packaging Materials: Narrowing Down Your Focus

So we have the why, and you’re now keen to unlock the power of packaging to build better customer relationships, supercharge your marketing, and boost cost-efficiency. To help you do this, it’s important to get a few things clear upfront.  

The below questions are designed to help you narrow down your focus, so that you can start to clarify what different packaging materials are best for your business and goals. 

1. What Packaging Material Suits Your Needs? 

There’s a wealth of materials out there to choose from: cardboard, plastic, paper, glass. Within these materials, there are subsets, too. For example, if you’re an ecommerce brand, you’ll want to make sure your choice of packaging materials is durable enough for the logistics journey. You also need to think about the size, weight, and fragility of your product—and what type of material will best protect it. 

But aside from practical considerations, you should also think about how your packaging materials can reflect your brand values. If sustainability is important to you, then your packaging choice should be eco-friendly. Consider this stat: 68% of consumers say they’re more likely to choose a product in paper packaging or cardboard boxes over plastic, while 63% say paper packaging makes a product appear higher-quality. 

So if you consider yourself a luxurious brand, then plain, corrugated cardboard won’t be the way to go, as it won’t portray the sense of elegance your brand wishes to convey.  

2. What’s Your Budget? 

As with all things in business, your budget will dictate what you can and cannot do, and that includes choosing the packaging materials that you want your brand to stand for. Imagination and creativity can get you a long way but you still need to plan financially. After all, product packaging is meant to enhance your business, not detract from it. 

Your budget should consider a few things: 

• Firstly, how many units will you need? 100? 5,000? 100,000? The more units, the more cost. But you will also find that when buying your packaging materials wholesale, you will be able to get a large amount of boxes for a good price. Equally, though, you want to make sure that the amount you buy reasonably matches the number of orders your online and retail stores expect to receive. Otherwise, your boxes and other packaging materials could end up taking up unnecessary space.
• Secondly, you’ll need to budget for design. If you’re going to make your packaging a part of your marketing strategy, customization is crucial. Creative work is an extra cost – but a worthwhile one if you want to stand out from the crowd.  

3. What Do You Think Your Customers Want? 

“Know thy customer” is the first and most important commandment of business. When choosing and designing your packaging, you should look at the product through the lens of your target audience: 

• What kind of packaging would they like? 
• What colors will resonate with them? 
• Will they want freebies? Recyclability? 
• What should be inside the box? 

Plan out and imagine the ideal packaging experience for your end customer. If you’re not sure or are still figuring out your key demographic, then spend time doing research. Look at what other brands have done, read articles like this one about packaging expertise, and create mood boards to cement your vision for your packaging.  

4. What Are Your Box Dimensions?

This is a fundamental but often overlooked part of a packaging strategy: finding the best size package for your product. The dimensions of your packaging play an important role in the cost of production, the price of shipping, and the safety of your products.  

The three main dimensions to measure a box are length, width, and depth. You measure these inside the box, not outside. Accuracy is pivotal here. We recommend triple-checking your measurements to make sure you’ve got them right.  

Ideally, the dimensions of your box should be an inch or two bigger than the size of your product, so that they fit snugly inside. This will help to reduce the risk of transportation damages, as well as minimize the need for lots of internal packaging filling. 

9 Popular Types of Packaging

Let’s take a look at some of the common packaging material options that can be used for both ecommerce and general purpose consumer packaging, like cosmetic packaging products, FMCG, clothing, and toys.  

As we go through each type, we’ll give you an idea of the benefits and disadvantages of each, as well as a guideline on the price, to help you make an informed decision. 

What If I Just Want Basic Cardboard Boxes?

This is a fair question and we get it. For busy business executives, mulling over packaging design can feel like another stress, another thing to add to the endless to-do list. However, you’ll be surprised to learn that there is no such thing as a “basic box” when it comes to packaging materials. Even plain corrugated boxes or brown paperboard boxes come in many types and sizes. There are different closures, different levels of thickness, and much more. 

If you want retail packaging to be part of your marketing strategy, then going beyond basic necessity is well worth the time and effort. If your packaging ends up going viral in a TikTok unboxing video, your whole company will reap the rewards. 

1. Rigid Boxes  

You know Apple’s infamous, clean-cut, white iPhone box. This is a prime example of cardboard being used for a rigid box. The look and feel of rigid boxes lends itself well to items that are delivered as gifts, such as beauty products, jewelry, or fashion accessories like sunglasses or watches. Because of their durability, this type of packaging material is also excellent for technology items, keeping them safe during the ecommerce journey. 

Rigid boxes are made using super thick cardboard, at least 4x thicker than your average piece of cardboard. As the name insinuates, these boxes are rigid to touch. They’re hard to bend and not very malleable. Like Apple’s boxes show, this type of custom packaging is great for unique designs. You can print your logo on them, choose different colors, give them a matte or glossy finish, and even emboss them.  

Cost-wise, rigid boxes are on the pricier end of the scale. The durability and design flexibility of these types of packaging materials come at a cost, which is why these boxes are often associated with luxury items (Apple, we’re looking at you!)  

2. Paperboard 

Think of paperboard like thick paper. It’s thick but not quite as thick as a traditional cardboard box. You’ll see paperboard used often for small products, especially food items like cereal or sometimes even toys.  

Paperboard as a packaging material is extremely affordable, but it’s also extremely flimsy. It’s not good for delicate products, as it doesn’t provide much protection from the elements. Saying this, it’s also very versatile in that it can be cut into all sorts of shapes and designed into beautiful, unique finishes that portray brand values.  

Paperboard is created using wood pulp. If you use the right manufacturer, you could even get your paperboard packaging created using 100% recycled materials, which is great for eco-conscious brands.   

Notably, paperboard tends to come in two options: 1-ply or multiple-ply. What you choose will depend on the durability you need. Multiple-ply is slightly more dense and stronger than 1-ply, making it a better choice as protective packaging. Although, we still wouldn’t recommend using paperboard packaging materials for delicate items. 

3. Corrugated Cardboard  

Corrugated cardboard is a bit of a powerhouse in the ecommerce industry. When you hear people talking broadly about cardboard packaging materials, chances are they’re referring to the corrugated variety. This cardboard is as versatile as it is durable. It can be used for everything from shipping cartons to gift boxes to takeout deliveries.  

Cardboard is made of multi-layered paper called fluting. It’s corrugated, thanks to the sandwich-style application of the different layers, which makes the packaging strong and cushioned. No wonder it’s a top option for ecommerce deliveries.  

Generally speaking, the more fluting in the box, the stronger the package will be. From a sustainability standpoint, corrugated cardboard boxes tend to be made using recycled materials, making it a good option for eco-conscious brands. It’s also inexpensive. 

From a design standpoint, corrugated boxes are often a favorite. Corrugated cardboard is extremely customizable. Whatever shape, color, or finish you want, it’s possible. Corrugated cardboard can handle different types of coatings, treatments, and adhesives. 

Although heavy products are often shipped in rigid boxes, if an item is too heavy for even a rigid box, a corrugated box will do nicely. Rigid boxes are made using corrugated material, so they keep their structural integrity intact even when stacked up. This, in turn, helps prevent more damage to the items stored inside. These features make these types of boxes ideal for moving. 

4. Cotton Bags   

Remember the Chanel unboxing experience we mentioned at the beginning of this guide? You may recall that, within the beautifully designed box, there were a couple of freebies encased in a delicate cotton bag. 

For physical retailers, cotton can be a great packaging material option for your products. For a start, cotton is usually a renewable, inexpensive fabric. This makes it great for brands who want to demonstrate their sustainability values through their types of packaging. Also, because cotton bags or pouches are reusable, they are in the mind of your consumer long after their purchase is made. 

Cotton is also extremely versatile. While its color is naturally cream, it can be dyed into any color you like. It can also be weaved in different ways to create different measures of thickness.  

Cotton materials can be treated and personalized in numerous ways. It is naturally an ivory color, giving it the ability to fit any vision. The color isn’t the only advantage; it can be made into different types of gauges and weaves, so bags can be thin like delicate muslin or very thick like a sturdy tote. Cotton fabric as a packaging material is also easy to work with, so there are no limitations in how small or large the final package can be. 

Needless to say, the softness of cotton makes it a no-go for the ecommerce journey. However, just like Chanel did, you could always incorporate cotton packaging inside your more durable shipping boxes.  

5. Plastics  

Ah, plastic. Once the shopping bag of choices for retailers around the world, plastic packaging has faced some backlash in recent years, mostly down to its environmental impact. The interesting thing about plastic is its versatility. Aside from traditional shopping bags, plastic can be molded into durable shipping cartons and even blister packets.  

In terms of benefits, plastic packaging can be strong and good at resisting different weather conditions. It’s also inexpensive and highly customizable, enabling you to go crazy with your design ideas.  

There are many types of packaging material options for plastic and despite the bad rep, there are also some more sustainable options. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and LDPE (low-density polyethylene) are two of the more eco-friendly options. However, the recyclability of these plastics depends on the recycling stream in the country you’re shipping to, so if you’re an international retailer, take note. For example, PET can be recycled in Germany but not in the United Kingdom. 

In terms of their source, both PET and LDPE come from fossil fuels. But bioplastics exist, too. These are made using renewable materials but are also more expensive. In terms of protection, plastic packaging materials are not as strong as cardboard. So if your items are delicate, this packaging type may not be right for you.  

6. Jute (Hessian/Burlap)   

Jute is made from the bark of the white jute plant and is also widely used in the packaging industry. It’s a golden fiber that can be woven into a coarse, strong material. Jute is often used for reusable shopping bags, agricultural packaging, and coffee bags. Since the decline of plastic shopping bags, jute has slowly edged into the spotlight. It’s 100% sustainable and extremely durable. However, it also has a rustic look and feel, meaning while it may be great for ethical brands looking for sustainable packing materials, it doesn’t shout premium. 

For physical retailers, jute is a great option. It’s cheaper than cotton packaging and its strength also means it can be used again and again and again. Talk about free marketing!  

 7. Padded Mailers

For small products that are about to go on an ecommerce journey, padded mailers as packing materials are a great option. They’re super easy to ship and are also very cost-effective. Because they can be sent in the mail stream, you don’t have to pay the prices associated with FedEx or another shipping provider. 

Padded mailers are usually made from paper, which is then blended with a padding material, such as bubble wrap, to provide extra cushioning. While the cushioning can help to keep items safe during the ecommerce journey, padded mailers aren’t recommended for very delicate items, as they may still get squashed during the logistics process. However, if your item comes in a box—say, a necklace encased in a small cardboard box—then a padded mailer will work. 

Padded mailers come in a variety of sizes and also have different sealing options, from peel and seal to self-sealing. These mailers are designed for the postal system, meaning the seals are usually very secure and difficult to open, which will prevent tampering or the elements impacting the package.  

In terms of design, padded mailers are extremely customizable. You can change the color, add designs, include your logo, and so on. They’re also easily recyclable, making them an eco-friendly choice. 

The Inside Counts, Too! 

That’s our overview of the top types of exterior packing materials. Now, it’s time to think about the interior. 

Let’s revisit Chanel again. What made that unboxing experience so great was the synergy between the beautiful exterior packaging and the interior of the box. You want to create a consistent experience from the outside in and continue your customer’s delight. 

Now, if you’re thinking of packaging for your physical retail shop, then this part of the article will be slightly less relevant to you. After all, if your customer is waiting in a queue to pay for their item, they don’t want to see a sales clerk at the till faffing about with lots of bits and bobs to put inside their paper or poly bag.

However, for ecommerce players, the inside really does matter. From a functional perspective, interior packaging adds another layer of protection and safety during the logistics journey. Then, from an experiential point of view, the interior materials can help to convey your brand’s messaging (think recycled paper for sustainability). This will excite your customers even more and add to the theater of the unboxing experience. 

Let’s dive into some of the common types of interior packing materials below: 

1. Styrofoam (Polystyrene)   

Styrofoam is a go-to protective material for ecommerce packaging. It’s made of mostly air, giving it a foam-like consistency that provides excellent cushioning for products during the logistics process. It’s also a good insulator, helping your products to withstand different temperatures, such as high heat levels during a hot summer’s day.  

Styrofoam tends to come into two forms: in rectangular shapes that fit between parts of a product—for example, do-it-yourself furniture—and also in the shape of packaging peanuts, which are small styrofoam nodules that can be poured into a box to provide protection. 

Styrofoam’s air-like consistency makes it extremely lightweight. It’s also relatively inexpensive. From a customization standpoint, styrofoam offers a lot of potential. It can be molded into different shapes and even dyed different colors. For instance, packaging peanuts could be turned into brightly colored stars that add to the wow factor of opening a package. However, for all its plus points, styrofoam is not environmentally friendly. It is not biodegradable and can’t be recycled.  

2. Cardboard  

Another top choice for packaging materials is cardboard. Its versatility extends beyond its use for exterior packaging; it can be used for the interior, too. For example, corrugated cardboard boxes can be shredded to create an alternative to packing peanuts, or cardboard can be snugly placed around items to add an extra layer of cushioning and protection.  

As we’ve already noted, cardboard is inexpensive and sustainable. It provides strong protection, making it a great choice for many internal packaging needs.  

Just as with external cardboard packaging, internal cardboard pieces or shreds can be customized into your brand’s colors and molded into different shapes to add to the unboxing experience.  

3. Soft Plastics   

Soft plastics have a sturdy yet foamy consistency. They are made of a type of polyethylene or from a material known as EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate). You tend to find this kind of material inside of boxes that hold premium, electrical items, such as phones or voice assistants.  

They’re a great choice for these kinds of products because they are extremely strong, water-resistant, and cost-effective. They are also flexible, which means they can be wrapped or shaped around products to provide insulation and protection. 

4. Bubble Wrap  

Who doesn’t love popping a bit of bubble wrap? With its fun consistency and strong protective properties, bubble wrap is a solid and affordable choice for fragile items like electronics or glass bottles. 

It’s made using polyethylene film, which is rolled into a sheet that contains small pockets of air. The sheet is extremely flexible, so bubble wrap can be wrapped around products of all shapes and sizes. The bubbles also come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny, centimeter air pockets to ones that are an inch in diameter. The size and fragility of your product will dictate the size of bubble wrap you go for. 

In terms of the ecommerce journey, bubble wrap’s structure is superb at protecting products. It’s also weather-proof, helping to keep your products safe from rain, hot weather, and so on.  

For all its benefits, bubble wrap is not easily customizable, meaning it’s not great for a premium unboxing experience. It’s also not the most sustainable choice, as it is made from PET, which isn’t recyclable in all countries’ recycling streams. 

5. Kraft Paper  

Kraft paper is a plain, brown paper that can be wrinkled into ball-like shapes and put inside a box to provide extra protection. Kraft paper is something that you don’t necessarily need to purchase especially. Your printer paper, old magazines, and even leaflets can be scrunched up and used for protection.  

From a sustainability standpoint, this makes kraft paper a good choice. Not only can it be recycled itself, but by using existing materials, you can upcycle. However, it’s worth noting that crumpled pieces of newspaper don’t exactly scream premium or customized, unless you find a way to put a creative spin on this in your marketing strategy.

You can, of course, choose to purchase kraft paper specifically for your packaging. If you do this, you’ll benefit from a range of customization options. Different colors, finishes, and patterns are all on offer.  

While kraft paper offers good protection at a good price, it’s worth noting that paper has some drawbacks. Namely, it’s not the best for dealing with humidity. This means that if your products are delicate or sensitive to weather conditions, kraft paper won’t be the best option. 

6. Tissue Paper  

Tissue paper is thinner than kraft paper. Each sheet is extremely lightweight and thin. When a bunch of sheets are put together, though, tissue paper becomes a sturdy, cushioned option for both ecommerce and physical retail.  

Aside from being protective, tissue paper has an air of elegance about it even though it’s very cost-effective. Its range of colors and consistency lends itself well to designer products like perfumes, jewelry, and fine clothing.  

Saying this, we advise being careful about how you use tissue paper for the ecommerce journey. If your items are delicate, then tissue paper on its own won’t be enough to protect your products during the logistics process. However, they can still be added to the inside of your package to add a little theater and luxury. 

7. Air Bags (Pillows)  

Air bags are exactly that—plastic bags that are filled with air. Unlike many kinds of plastic, airbags are recyclable because they are made from high-density polyethylene film, making them a more sustainable choice. 

Typically, air bags come in a long roll of individual bags. The edges between each bag are perforated, making them easy to separate. To use them, you simply stuff the desired number of airbags around your product in its packaging.  

Air bags are inexpensive and provide great protection for fragile items, offering the utmost cushioning. They’re also durable against the elements. While they’re lightweight, it’s worth noting that airbags are bulky. 

Add Some Wow Factor 

Throughout this guide so far, we’ve dropped some nuggets about the importance of customization. Now, it’s time to delve into that aspect a little further. Having an idea of the product packaging materials you want to use is the first, pivotal step. But how you use them as a vehicle to tell your brand’s story is just as important. 

Let’s reinforce this with some key stats: 

• According to Bain & Company, 60-80% of consumers will not repurchase from a brand with poor packaging, even if they liked the product they bought.
• Ipsos found that 72% of American consumers feel that a product’s packaging impacts their decision to buy.
• 71% of consumers feel frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal, says Segment.
• According to SmarterHQ, 80% of frequent shoppers only shop with brands that personalize the experience.

It’s clear that personalization is the name of the game if you want to win new customers and retain old ones. This is where packaging innovation becomes integral. Funnily, innovation has become a bit of a buzzword in the business world. However, it is often not thought about in terms of packaging. 

Many businesses make the mistake of thinking packaging is a functional thing, something to protect your product as it gets from A to B. But it’s so much more. Customized packaging can be the difference between a one-off customer and a loyal brand advocate.  

It’s Time to Get Creative

The beautiful thing about many of the most popular packaging materials options (both internal and external) that we’ve discussed so far is their versatility. Besides offering basic protection and safety, they can be customized into different colors, shapes, and designs.  

For example, a couple of years ago, we worked with T-Mobile to create bespoke packaging for their physical retail location in New York. With their logo elegantly placed on the box and their brand colors shining through, these boxes were a hit with customers in-store. 

Turn Your Vision Into Reality 

Earlier, we asked you to imagine your ideal unboxing experience for your target consumer. Got the image in your mind? Now, let’s take a look at how you can turn that vision into an amazing reality…. 

Personalize with Printing

The sky’s the limit for your packaging vision. With the power of custom printing, you can adorn your retail packaging with different colors and designs, putting your brand’s stamp on your box. There are a few different printing options to consider. The main ones are:  

1. Ink Effects

When you’re looking at ink designs, you’ll see a couple of acronyms pop up again and again: RGB and CMYK. RGB stands for red, green, and blue. These are the colors that make up images on your computer screen or TV. CMYK stands for the ink colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). These are the colors that you see on printed designs. For your packaging, it’s pivotal to submit your ink designs for printing in CMYK. 

In terms of what you can create, the opportunities are boundless with custom ink. They can be used to coat your package in your brand colors and come in different textures, such as metallic, matte, and even glow-in-the-dark. You can use as many colors as you like. However, be aware that the simpler the design, then the lower the price.  

2. Die Cutting

Die cutting is effectively like using a giant cookie cutter to add texture and dimension to your packaging. For example, you can cut a rectangular shape in your packaging using a die-cutter to give customers a sneak peak of what’s inside. 

For a detailed overview of how die cutting works and its applications, take a look at our die cutting guide for everything you need to know.  

Add a Touch of Sparkle

Printing and die cutting aren’t the only ways to personalize your packaging. There are tons of nifty ways to elevate your packaging with different artistic solutions. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Foil Stamping: Foil stamping involves using high temperatures and pressure to glue a foil design onto your packaging. The foil can vary in colors and textures, from gold to metallic to holographic. Foil stamping can add a sense of luxury and grandeur to your packaging. However, it comes at a price. It’s a labor-intensive process, meaning it takes both a lot of time and money to use foil stamping for large orders.
• Embossing and Debossing: Embossing and debossing are two processes that bring texture to your packaging. Embossing works by elevating your artwork from the printed material of your packaging. Debossing sinks your artwork into the packaging. Like foil stamping, both processes add a sense of luxury to your packaging. It’s worth noting that embossing is slightly more expensive than debossing. 
• Spot UV: Spot UV is a coating technique. It uses a high-gloss paint to coat your packaging, using UV (ultraviolet) light to cure the printed material’s varnish. It results in a shiny, glossy aesthetic where your packaging has been printed. Take a look at the example below.

• Typography: Just like printing a piece of paper, you can add text in different fonts, sizes, and colors to your packaging. We advise using your brand guidelines as the basis for the text and colors you choose to ensure synergy with your wider marketing strategy. At the same time, you’ll need to make sure that your color background compliments your text color. For example, cream lettering on a white box will be difficult to see. Size is also an important consideration. For all the effort that goes into adding text to your box, you want to make sure it’s readable to the receiver.

What Should I Do Next?

We’re almost at the finishing line! Having read this guide, we hope your mind is brimming with creative ideas of the types of packaging and packaging materials to use and how to add a stamp of personalization. However, we also appreciate that the world of packaging can be a little overwhelming. Because there are so many different types and options out there, there’s no such thing as a wrong or right choice. One thing’s for sure, though. There is one that will be best for your business’s unique needs and goals. 

Here at Refine Packaging, we have years of expertise in helping brands large and small to unleash the potential of customized packaging. In this way, they can attract customers, improve relationships, boost brand affinity, and help the bottom line.

Whether you’re a pizza delivery service or a mobile phone provider, our range of boxes has you covered. Our team is with you every step of the way, from helping you choose the type of box you need to designing the perfect exterior, to ensuring the interior materials you use are safe and can wow your customers. We work with you to turn your vision into a reality. 

Refine Packaging is the top choice for the world’s Inc 5000 and Fortune 500 companies. With super fast production times, affordable pricing, and a sky’s the limit attitude, we’ll help you turn your custom packaging into a competitive differentiator. Contact us today and a dedicated packaging specialist will guide you through every step of the custom packaging process without breaking a sweat.

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