The days of throwing your products in an unmarked box and shipping them out to your customers are long gone.
Whether people choose to admit it or not, the truth is, first impressions matter. A lot. And you’ll never get a second chance to make a great first impression.
Custom packaging is an incredible and cost-efficient way to not only impress your customers, but to leave a long lasting impact for your brand that leads to increased word of mouth, social sharing, brand loyalty and revenue.
What is Custom Packaging?
Custom packaging is packaging that is uniquely tailored from scratch around a company’s specific needs, instead of using a standard or pre-made box or package that a product might fit inside. The custom packaging process includes modifying a package’s shape, size, style, colors, material, varnish and other specifications.
Now, that’s the definition of custom packaging, but it really doesn’t describe why so many companies make the switch to go custom with their retail packaging.
Custom packaging is so much more than printed cardboard or other material for your product. It’s a statement for your brand. A chance to build a physical connection with your customers. An opportunity to engage and delight people, while educating them about your company’s mission, values and product benefits.
Now let’s jump into the top 6 benefits that branded packaging can give your growing company.
1. Custom Packaging Is Your First Impression
Imagine it’s the first time you’re buying a product from a new company.
The packaging arrives, and it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. It might be a custom box with the company logo, but it’s also somehow deeper than that.
The packaging itself doesn’t feel like corrugated cardboard. It feels soft. Elegant. Refined. You can tell that it’s an upper tier product – before you even open the box.
That’s the kind of first impression that brands want to make, and can make, when they have full control over the elements that go into their packaging.
2. Custom Packaging Is a Marketing Tool for Your Brand
If you want to present your product as high-end, all-natural, mysterious or cheerful, you can do all that and more with custom packaging.
Through a combination of the right colors and materials, as well as the positioning of different elements and different printing processes, the pieces all come together perfectly. Like a fantastic puzzle where the real prize is inside, but half of the fun is opening the package itself.
Your brand has a story to tell. Every brand wants to be meaningful and to connect with its customers in a way that makes the brand relevant and interesting to them.
Custom packaging boxes are part of your brand’s personality. And in many cases, it’s as much a part of the branding itself as the product within.
3. Custom Packaging Boxes Are An Experience
If you’ve ever watched an unboxing video on Youtube or Facebook, you already know how much of a role custom packaging with your logo plays as part of the user experience.
It’s not just one user opening a package in front of their fans, friends or family. It’s also a social experience. Especially for ecommerce packaging, where your package is often the only physical item your customer touches and feels throughout the purchasing process.
The person familiar with the brand is also introducing that brand, often for the first time, to others who are watching. This becomes their first experience with the brand as well.
This social component plants the seed that if the people watching these unboxing videos want to experience something incredible, they should consider purchasing the item.
Who knew that a package could carry those kinds of exciting feelings and that kind of sensation? Packaging design and printing teams understand this, and work with you to get it right, so that your consumers can enjoy such an experience, time and time again.
4. Custom Packaging Sets Your Products Apart
For some companies, their custom packaging boxes are as much a part of them as their logo or name, and it would be unthinkable not to include it.
Everyone has likely seen or heard of the small blue Tiffany’s boxes, with their tell-tale color. Anyone around knows at a glance that it’s a Tiffany’s box. They’ve put so much into their packaging, it’s unmistakable.
If you can imagine, their box and its coloring have become so iconic, they’ve nearly transformed their packaging design itself into a piece of jewelry. That’s right, you can buy a “Tiffany blue” box necklace.
But this is just one of many examples. For instance, if you wanted to project your brand’s emphasis on being environmentally-friendly, you might incorporate packaging items that are recyclable or biodegradable.
Custom packaging boxes can make that happen through a combination of color, print material, printing process and of course the packaging design itself.
5. Custom Packaging With Your Logo Is Memorable
In a world of standard, bland boxes, custom packaging design stands out.
Whether through the use of spot UV printing to make colors pop, or through specialized debossing or embossing that grabs attention, there are lots of options that can be included with your packaging to make it look unique and different from all the “same” styles of products on shelves.
It’s worth noting that if your product will be positioned under direct lighting, that certain types of printing can take advantage of this and create a very attractive and unique display that catches the eye and gets noticed.
Even if your packaging won’t be positioned this way, there are still a number of printing processes that can make it stand out on store shelves and stay protected against things that could detract from its appearance like smudges or scuffs.
6. Custom Packaging Is Worth The Investment For Small Businesses
Of course, custom packaging boxes with your logo are often more expensive than your standard stock packaging, but it’s not just for the largest companies in the world.
From stylish print options to unique packaging textures to shapes and designs that protect as well as create a great impression – there are several benefits to choosing custom packaging.
Good packaging truly elevates your brand and your product to another level. That alone makes it worth the incremental investment.
Is Custom Packaging Right for You?
Branded packaging and custom boxes have a lot of benefits going for it that truly put your product in a class all its own. But it’s worth noting that there are other points to keep in mind, such as the number of custom package prints you want and the cost associated with designing the different plates (for use in the printing process) and so on.
The printing world, for all of the magic and wonder it can create, is still a complex one. And whether this is your first time getting your product packaging printed, or you’re looking for alternatives, we want to help.
As one of America’s largest wholesale custom packaging vendors, our team at Refine Packaging makes it our business to get to know your business.
Who are your customers? What do they want from your product? What would you like your product to convey when they open the package? What do you want them to experience? All of these things are intertwined and matter just as much as the product itself.
With that being said, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the sheer number of printing options out there for your custom packaging needs. What is a dieline? What’s RGB and CMYK? What is the Pantone Matching System (PMS)? What’s aqueous coating? We want to help you understand the many different options available to you while still staying within your budget.
Contact us today for a free estimate on your custom packaging solutions and supplies. Learn more about our prices, packaging definitions, our process and how we can help you. We’ll take the time to get to know your unique needs, your product needs, and how we can help.
From artists on-staff that are ready to help bring your artistic vision to life, to printing professionals that are ready to make your box design truly shine, we have the knowledge, experience and expertise to ensure that your custom packaging looks flawless from start to finish.
Erica is a professional writer and brand strategist at Refine Packaging who is based in Denver, Colorado. With a background in writing and journalism, Erica entered the manufacturing industry 8 years ago to deepen her passion to demystify difficult packaging concepts. With years of in-the-field printing experience, Erica is uniquely suited to help unpack the custom packaging process for beginners looking for an impactful box style that resonates with their target audience. When she’s not writing, Erica can be found with her nose in a fantasy novel or climbing The Rocky Mountains (and sometimes, doing both at the same time).
Alex Jasin
Erica Campbell
Asif Muhammad
Amanda Jane Rivera
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