Five inexpensive & easy ways to brand your packaging
, by Jo Hilton, 8 min reading time
Why is branding your packaging so important?
Branding is a fundamental part of the customer experience as well as a discreet but key advertising opportunity. A strong visual identity impacts the perception of a product in the eyes of consumers enormously and, in a crowded marketplace, it's perception that matters. Without branding, a company will find it difficult to establish a unique identity.
Even harder, will be convincing potential customers of a product’s desirability, thereby achieving longevity for that product: however successful and sought after it may initially be, however successful the advertising campaigns, it’s a company’s branding which will gain customers' trust on an ongoing basis, secure a product's staying power and therefore guarantee long-term success for a business.
Branding: the magic ingredient for ecommerce success
As far as ecommerce is concerned, branding is vital and not just for established brands, but for small start-ups too. Its significance cannot be understated, leading as it does to far higher levels of user generated engagement and content. And after all, in an industry where meeting face to face is practically non-existent and customer interaction limited to the virtual world, branding adds that magic ingredient which can persuade a customer not only to part with their money, but also to remain loyal.
Branding therefore, has a pivotal role in providing the emotional connection between a business, its products and the consumer.
Packaging: the perfect banding opportunity
Whatever the size of the company, whatever the product, packaging specifically designed for ecommerce gives businesses - fledgling or fully established - the perfect branding opportunity.
The top five ways to brand your packaging
So, without further ado, here are The Packaging Club’s top five suggestions for how to brand your packaging easily and cost effectively. We’ve considered all the options out there and picked those that we think are built to stand the test of time – and we’re not just talking metaphorically, we’re also referring to the actual time it takes for the package to get from the packing station to the customer.
After all, a package and its branding have to look good from A, all the way to Z. And don’t worry if you’re doing this small-scale and on a budget; these tips don’t cost the earth, but hopefully, they will contribute to world domination!
1.Classic Die-Cut or Embossed boxes
As we pointed out in this article here, die-cutting or embossing the interior inserts of a box like FlyPak, is a sure-fire way to promote a brand. It’s a means of creating a customised, unique option, which – like the packaging itself - looks slick and highly professional.
What’s more, it creates memorable, visual and tactile impact during the unboxing of the product leading to that all important positive and lasting impression that you want your customer to have of your company.
Die-cutting and embossing both demonstrate a level of consideration and ingenuity but they aren’t prohibitively expensive or unnecessarily complicated; they're worth considering as part of your long-term branding strategy and that’s why they take first place in our list of suggestions.
2.Custom recyclable packing tape
Suggestion number two goes to packaging tape, mainly because it offers a branding opportunity that’s so convenient and good value for money, it’s practically a crime not to consider it, especially if you're using cardboard boxes. It’s easy to print on tape, especially the brown Kraft kind and the reason it’s such an affordable branding option is because there’s low minimum order requirements or printing plate costs.
If generic cardboard boxes or envelopes are where your company’s at, personalised tape could be a game changer, a simple way to differentiate your brand from its competitors. Tape can both elevate branding to the next level all whilst sealing your packaging securely.
And though it’s inexpensive, kraft paper tape looks good. It’s also enjoying an ongoing resurgence. Consumer trends have signalled for quite some time now that many customers like nothing more than remembering a time of ‘make do and mend’ and brown paper packages tied up with string.
Don’t forget the cherry on the icing of the tape cake either: brown paper tape adds to your company’s brand mission by displaying a commitment to environmental sustainability. Your customer won't even have to remove it from their packaging before recycling (as they would with a plastic option). Check out our range of custom printed tape options here.
3.Stickers and labels
Everyone loves stickers. Like anything we came across in childhood, they continue to hold a fascination and allure. And obviously, as with tape, stickers have a dual purpose. They act as a security measure, holding cardboard or tissue paper in place, but they’re also a quick visual identifier, for example, of a company’s logo. They make packaging stand out and that reflects well on the product inside.
It might sound obvious, but stickers can be stuck anywhere. Placed strategically, they elevate the look of a box and because they’re not necessarily perceived as an advertising medium, they add discreetly to a branding strategy and advertising campaign.
They have multiple uses: on bags, tissue paper and boxes and they’re incredibly easy to produce, design expertise not necessarily being required. Stickers are even easier to use; you simply peel them off a sheet or a roll as and when you need them. Added bonus: stickers make it simple to differentiate between a company’s own products, whilst making every product stand out.
4.Stamps
Low cost and space saving, stamps are number four on our list. Unlike stickers, they don’t contribute to sealing a package or protecting a product, but instead, offer a somewhat more rustic, artisanal approach, giving a personalised and creative vibe that might well suit a particular brand perfectly.
Stamps work hard; they’re incredibly long lasting. One stamp can be used up to thousands of times as long as a company is still happy with the design. Self-inking stamps are a good option if you’re not so confident with an ink pad.
However, both ink pads and cartridges come in all sorts of colours meaning that whilst a standard black might stand out and be just what you’re looking for, you’re not restricted if you want to provide an injection of colour.
Plus, like tape, stamps are another environmentally sustainable way of creating custom packaging that sticks in consumers’ minds for the right reasons.
5.Single-sided printing
Single-sided printing is fifth on our list, either the outside of the box, or alternatively, just the inside. Printing might not be the cheapest branding option, but we’ve included the single-sided option, because, as with die-cutting and embossing, we think it’s worth looking into. It might not be as expensive as you think.
Plus, no design is impossible. One colour can be chosen for simplicity and maximum visual impact during the unboxing process, or a design on the outside of a box can incorporate multiple colours, fonts and pictures.
At The Packaging Club, the design team specialises in packaging theatre and will always strive to help you get the very most from their state-of-the-art printing press. But what The Packaging Club also does is fundamentally understanding the pressures and constraints facing small ecommerce businesses. That’s why we offer packaging options that have been specifically designed to be printed on one side if required in order to keep costs way down but customer satisfaction and engagement up.
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There are many other approaches savvy businesses can do to work on their branding. Some include personalised, handwritten inserts thanking consumers for their custom. Others use promotional items like free samples, chocolates or sweets.
These can be extremely effective, but they're added extras. Nothing can beat the power of packaging, especially as it's already doing one job for you, i.e., being packaging! Packaging is a workhorse that will help you get ahead of the field in the race to retain and attract customers. It is one of the perfect tools with which to establish your own company's branding strategy because it's right there, already an integral part of delivering your product.
Talk to The Packaging Club today and see how our packaging can help your brand create a respected niche within the marketplace.
