Communicating Your Brand through Packaging

When you launch your own business, you’ll put a lot of thought into the product: How it looks, what materials to use, what function it has, etc. You’ll also spend a lot of time and resource on marketing. But how much time have you dedicated to the packaging itself?

Packaging is often a last-minute thing, but with a little thought can totally transform your brand. While we’re all used to getting our latest Amazon order in an oversized, plain cardboard box, brands who provide us with a wonderful unpacking experience feel a little more special and catch our attention much better.

So how can you improve your packaging to communicate your brand?

Why is packaging so important for brands?

Attention to detail can go a long way – especially if you’re a new startup business. The packaging is just another place to impress customers and keep them coming back for more for startups. Handwritten notes, tissue paper, and branded packaging make a great first impression when the parcel comes through the door.

And, in the age of social media, more and more of us are sharing our purchases online. Unboxing videos on YouTube are one of the most popular watched videos, and without a beautifully packaged product, it’s unlikely you’ll catch the attention of influencers and their audiences.

Scalability and communicating brand

Of course, as your product becomes more popular and there are more orders arriving in your inbox every day, personalization can be tricky. It’s easy to write a few handwritten thankyou cards a week, but when you’re getting tens or hundreds of orders? Not so much.

However, there is still plenty of ways to communicate your brand through your packaging – even when you scale up.

Colors

Don’t go from totally personal packaging to plain brown or white boxes. Maintain your brand’s color scheme within everything you do. If your brand is flamboyant and passionate about color, make sure your packaging is too. There’s nothing more exciting than getting a fun parcel in the post and instantly recognizing the brand.

Foil & Gloss

Although it’s a little more expensive than your standard packaging materials, foil and gloss can go a long way to establishing your brand. These weightier materials can be reimbursed through your shipping charges but will really show your customers you’re proud and invested in your brand.

Retail ready packaging

Selling your product to popular retailers can seriously scale your brand, and making Retail Ready Packaging will get you a great reputation as a supplier. Retail ready packaging is packaging that can be immediately put onto the shelf without having to take off excess outer layers. This type of packaging is great for speeding up your supply chain and creates a product that can be quickly added to shelves in a store. Understanding your brand and your customer will help you make smart packaging choices. It might be more affordable to stick to simple and plain materials to start with, but you should definitely consider upgrading to create a stronger image for your brand once you have the budget.