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:

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

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.

With 500,000+ Instagram posts tagged #unboxing, and an over 800% increase in YouTube video searches with unboxing in their title – the power of packaging on social media is bigger than you might think. 

But, what is it that makes packaging share worthy on social media? 

It’s important that your custom packaging creates a visceral first impression that ties in perfectly with your product, creating a seamless transition from unwrapping to enjoyment – all part of the ever important unboxing experience. Easier said than done, we know. 

Here are a few creative ways to drum up online engagements, until your custom packaging finally reaches social media shareable status.

Create an Amazing Experience by Knowing Your Customer

The best unboxing experiences begin with a box or package that is designed specifically for the target customer that’s opening it. Here, knowing the demographics of your audience is crucial. Not just their age and gender, but also things like what they believe in and what they struggle with. 

Your package can, believe it or not, communicate to the user through the proper use of color, typography and even material to show them that you believe in the same values as they do, and that your product will help them address whatever is keeping them up at night with worry or otherwise causing them to struggle. 

For example, soothing pastel colors and cursive fonts can evoke a sense of luxury or playfulness, while bold colors and serif fonts can give a sense of tradition or heritage. 

But boxes are much more than the color or font used on them. The shape and style of the box also lends itself well to creating the full experience. 

Craft the Message You Want to Convey – Inside and Out

Companies often understand the essentials of box design for remarkable product packaging when it comes to the outside of the box, but leave the inside barren and plain. 

What kind of impression does that leave on the customer? Will they share the package on social media to their followers and fans?

While you don’t want to cover up every available inch of the box to the point of looking cluttered, customize your box design with just as much care and attention that you did when designing the product itself. 

That might mean looking for a packaging firm that allows for double-sided printing, on both the inside and outside of the box. Or, consider featuring your logo on the outside, with an inspirational or funny message on the inside – something that makes the customer feel even more like “this company totally ‘gets’ me!” 

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

There is a ton of packaging inspiration out there, start exploring! Just remember that the unboxing experience is a carefully orchestrated ceremony in a sense, with your product playing center stage. Little details can make a big difference and resonate with your audience. 

Keep in mind that people who are less familiar with your brand are seeing first-hand how that brand treats its customers on social media. Based on what they’re seeing, would they feel more inclined to buy from you? 

Color Completes the Mood

We’ve talked about color above, but I want to make a special mention of not just the role that color plays psychologically, but also in terms of how it is received by the audience. 

Large companies know just how important stunning product photography is, but let’s face it. Not every social media user has access to professional photo gear, and fewer still will use anything other than their mobile phones to shoot their unboxing videos and take their pictures.

With that in mind, having strong colors that show up and reflect the brand well in a photo or video is a major selling point. When users are scrolling down their social media feeds and see a product that they’re interested in, the more memorable and impactful your design is, the more likely it will be remembered and engaged with. 

Make Social Media a Part of Your Packaging Design Process

Beautiful packages aren’t designed overnight, but now, more than ever, social media is playing a key role in how packages are being designed and developed. Packaging has the dual purpose of wowing customers, as well as protecting the products throughout the shipping process before reaching the eagerly waiting customer’s hands. 

Consider, for example, perfumes and cologne. Commercials and social media posts alike don’t focus on the spritz or spray. They focus on the body and sensation that the scent evokes, but more importantly, they also focus heavily on the packaging. The shape and elegance of the bottle. The placement of the logo. The color and style. Everything lends itself to the brand and the impression that you want to create. That’s why successful companies choose custom branded packaging – and now, with social media, it has an even greater layer of importance. 

Shareable on the Shelf and on the Screen

So far, we’ve talked a lot about imagery and font, but what about texture? You may be surprised to learn that texture, although not a prominent piece of the packaging process, is vastly more important to men than women. Texture tends to lend itself well to products that want to present themselves as more natural, rugged and “of the Earth”.  And although the details of a package’s texture may not show well on video or snapshots, it’s nevertheless present, and gives a sort of tactile impression to the user which clearly stands out from among the everyday packaging material they know. 

That’s why it’s so vital to have packaging that’s shareable whether it’s on the shelf or on the screen. People have an insane amount of choices in this day and age, and both the big and small details that you can incorporate into your packaging have to work all the more hard to make your product stand out from the competition. Texture is just one facet that works to nudge your product out and away from its competitors. 

Making the Unboxing Experience Memorable

Remember that at the core of the unboxing experience isn’t just the technical aspects of the packaging that make it social media shareworthy. It’s the social part of social media. 

People like sharing positive experiences that they’ve had. When customers unbox a product, they’re taking the time and making the effort to showcase these products, often without prompting or sponsoring from the brand itself, while still helping to propel the brand even further through their efforts. 

It can be helpful to look at unboxing experiences, on Instagram and YouTube especially (look for videos tagged #unboxing and you’ll find hundreds of them), to help inspire you. Even if you have a concrete idea of what you want your brand to convey to the customer, you may be surprised in watching the videos that sometimes the feelings and senses you want to be associated with your brand and product don’t even come to the forefront of the customer’s mind. In other words, there’s a clear disconnect between what you want your customers to notice, and what they actually notice (and their reactions as a result). 

The right packaging can help prevent this, but also having a proper alignment of the brand, audience, packaging and social media presence makes this process far less likely to occur. Through your packaging itself, you can help guide the user into creating the kind of response you’re looking for – not directly, but rather subtly. 

Taking the Next Steps to Make Your Packaging Social Media Shareable

Making your packaging social media shareable involves a wide range of design and fabrication points to take into consideration. It requires some marketing know-how, some branding experience, and the expertise of a packaging company that understands how valuable your brand is, and the type of personality you want your product package to convey. 

Fortunately, at Refine Packaging, our years of experience, combined with our proven customization process for companies and brands large and small makes us the perfect choice to trust with your brand’s packaging process.

From our dedicated artists to our proficient printers, packaging professionals and branding specialists, we’ll work with you to help create a packaging “presence” that perfectly combines the attributes you want to have shine from the moment your package arrives to the moment the product is taken from its confines. 

We’re ready to help you make your packaging social media shareable. Contact us today by phone or online to learn more about our many custom packaging options. We can’t wait to learn more about your brand! 

The post How to Make Your Packaging Social Media Shareable appeared first on Refine Packaging.

It might be that distinctive, smiley box from Amazon, or one of those Blue Apron boxes that seem to crop up everywhere—or maybe it’s something you’ve never seen before.

Just the other day while driving in my neighborhood, I saw a bold, purple-colored box with the words “Purple Carrot” emblazoned on the side. What’s a Purple Carrot? I’d never heard of the company. But the vibrant colored box was enough to capture my attention and stick out in my mind.

Guess what I did when I got home? I googled Purple Carrot and found out they’re a plant-based meal delivery service. Talk about effective marketing.

By merely using distinct, recognizable packaging, Purple Carrot piqued the interest of a casual observer (me), and eked out a little free advertising too.

For businesses of all sizes, effective custom packaging can yield impressive marketing results.

Just consider these stats:

• In a Dotcom Distribution study, over 60% of those surveyed said that gift-like packaging gets them excited about what they ordered.
• 40% of these online shoppers said they would be more likely to purchase from a retailer again if the retailer used premium packaging.

And pretty packages can lead to social shares:

• 50% said gift-like or branded packaging makes them more likely to recommend a brand to others.
• People obsess over packaging. In 2018, there are more than 92 million “unboxing” videos on YouTube.

Suffice it to say, custom packaging is an easy way to spike interest in your products and build excitement for your brand. Not to mention that your competition is probably already putting effort into how they package their products. Don’t get left behind.

So how can your business stand out from the crowd?

Let’s take a look at how you can incorporate custom boxes and branded packaging into your marketing arsenal.

And fear not, there are price points that will work for every size business.

Why Go Custom?

Custom Boxes We Created For T-Mobile

Gone are the days of haphazardly tossing some goods in a post office box and calling it a day.

The physical box you put your product in is important, so put some thought into it. You only have one chance to make a first impression. Don’t miss this opportunity.

Making a memorable brand experience is especially relevant for one very important consumer group—millennials. Millennials now make up nearly 25% of the US population and possess an annual purchasing power of over $1.3 trillion dollars. For millennials, feeling a connection with a brand is of paramount importance when making purchasing decisions.

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

Unique packaging is a great way to initially wow your customers and make them feel special. When done right, you’ll increase brand exposure, through social sharing, and directly pump up brand loyalty and sales.

Where To Start

It all begins with choosing the type of outside shipping box you need.

Boxes come in all shapes, colors, materials, and sizes, but cardboard and corrugated rectangular boxes are the most popular choices, because they’re sturdy and affordable.

When it comes to packaging design or box design, there are two main types of packaging to consider: Fully customized boxes and printed stock boxes.

Let’s take a closer look:

You can choose to go the fully customized route, but maybe a printed stock box will fit your needs. It’s always best to ask packaging companies for a quote. A lot will depend on your budget and the type of products you’re shipping.

With a custom box, you can pick any size you want, add fancy designs, fitted dividers, inserts, throw in some custom tissue paper, or make use of inner boxes and bags.

In other words, you can get exactly what you want and know that your brand will have something entirely unique.

When you design your custom retail packaging, don’t let the inside flap of your shipping box go to waste. Take a company like Loot Crate, for example. They use this piece of precious real estate by including “unboxing instructions,” as a way to encourage social sharing.

Successful packaging starts with a compelling design.

Your company probably already has a logo or a particular color associated with your brand. Try to incorporate these elements into your boxes or other packaging. It will promote brand awareness and help people remember you.

There are all kinds of variables that can inflate the costs of your packaging. When weighing your printing options, don’t forget to consider things like cutting dies, printing plates, flute size, dielines, and minimum orders.

Keep in mind printing costs are usually lower for bigger orders. So if you can, figure out what you’ll need down the road, and order accordingly.

And always get a printed sample proof before approving the job for production. You’d hate to place a large order only to have your company name misspelled, or the colors to be all wrong. That’s definitely not the kind of branding you want.

NOTE: We offer 100% free design for all of our customers who need help. Don’t have a design? Let us help you make it.

Choosing The Right Type of Box: Custom Boxes By Industry

You might be surprised to learn that there are custom boxes for specific industries. Some packaging is crafted to suit specific product box styles, and others to match unique retail box needs.

On A Tight Budget? Think Beyond The Box

Not every company has the budget to digitally print their logo on the side of their shipping boxes. But that doesn’t mean you have to forfeit all attempts at promoting your brand. The little things inside the box are an important component of adding that personal touch.

Looking for a little inspiration? It’s not hard to find.

Even a cursory search on Pinterest will have all kinds of packaging eye candy pop up.  Many pinners devote whole boards to packaging ideas.

Here are some ideas to consider:

Notes

How about the thrill of receiving a personalized, handwritten note?

If you find one of those tucked inside your product box, you’ll take notice. A simple thank you note can go a long way.  And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. For mere pennies, you can print up some thank you inserts, and make your customers feel special.

You can get as fancy as you want, but if money’s tight, you can even print some out on your own computer.

Stickers

The post The Definitive Step-By-Step Guide to Custom Boxes (With 5 Real World Examples) appeared first on Refine Packaging.

As a retail player, your marketing strategy for the holiday season can be make or break. From Black Friday to the January sales, you have a huge opportunity to positively influence the bottom line. After all, research shows that holiday shopping has skyrocketed to over $936 billion in 2022. How do you stand out from the crowd in 2023? The answer may be surprising. You see, it all comes down to personalized holiday packaging. 

Let’s take a look at Starbucks. Each year, come November, Starbucks swaps its traditional branded cups for festive, holiday ones, along with seasonal drinks and decorations inside their stores. Also, all of the products that Starbucks sells, such as take-home coffee beans and reusable cups, receive a festive makeover. You might think Starbucks does this just to inject some holiday spirit into the atmosphere of its coffee houses. But this move is much more than that. 

In previous years, the Starbucks festive strategy has led to increases of up to 12% revenue for the winter quarter. It’s clear that investing in holiday marketing and gift packaging plays an important role in winning the hearts and minds of consumers during the holiday season. 

Plus, people are likely to spend more over the holiday period. Between buying gifts for others and the occasional impulse purchase, the average American expects to spend $998 on gifts, holiday items, and other expenses during the holiday season. Online shopping is also on the rise, with US holiday stats showing that, for 2022, online customers spent over $9 billion on Black Friday and Thanksgiving. 

2023 Holiday Packaging Trends 

While it’s clear that investing in holiday gift packaging is a must, it’s not as simple as putting a bow on your in-store items or bulk-buying red cardboard boxes for holiday shipping. You need to do more than just take part in the festive season. You need to stand out in it. 

Here’s a couple of things to bear in mind as you embark on your personalized holiday gift packaging strategy.  

1. Holiday Cheer By Mail

COVID-19 has drastically changed how people buy goods, even Christmas gifts. In line with this, Deloitte predicts that ecommerce sales will grow by at least 12.8% during the 2023 holiday season. They predict that, this year, ecommerce sales will generate at least $260 billion.  

As a retailer, this means that your ecommerce packaging strategy really counts. Personalization, combined with safe and quick deliveries, will be paramount to delivering festive cheer to your customers.  

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

It’s also worth bearing in mind that with the pandemic far from over, many consumers may not venture to see their families for their usual holiday events this year. Instead, they’ll choose to send gifts directly to recipients via the mail or a delivery provider. 

This means that offering beautifully wrapped holiday boxes could be the difference between a consumer choosing your brand over another. People are looking for brands to help them spread the holiday spirit through their gift packaging, even if they can’t be there directly in person.  

2. Window Shopping on Instagram  

Deloitte also found that nearly a quarter of consumers plan to use social media to assist them in their holiday shopping. This could be scrolling on Pinterest for gift inspiration or finding a new brand on Instagram. To boost your sales, you’ll want to make sure your online marketing strategy is on point. In the digital age, a huge vehicle for this is unboxing videos. 

Take a look at the below stats:

• A study by Google found that 1 in 5 consumers have watched an unboxing video. 
• Over 90,000 people type “unboxing” into YouTube every month.
• Unboxing videos that have the hashtag #smallbusiness have an average of 141,735 views across 279 TikTok accounts.

Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer. You’re scrolling through Instagram, and then you come across an eye-catching video of someone opening a beautifully wrapped gift box. The packaging is festive on the outside, there’s a personalized card inside, along with tissue paper in the brand’s colors.  

These kinds of unboxing videos are amazing at swaying consumers into buying from your brand. They’re a chance to showcase the thought you’ve put into your gift packaging and highlight why your brand is a great one to choose during the holiday season. Your packaging is also the first impression a consumer gets of your company. An amazing experience can build brand loyalty and make your customer more likely to become a repeat shopper.  

Holiday Gift Packaging: The Basics 

The holiday season is the most important retail sales period, but investing in the right gift packaging approach doesn’t have to break the bank. A great customized holiday packaging strategy is all about preparation.

While Black Friday and Christmas might feel far away right now, time moves quickly in the retail world. If you haven’t started thinking about your Christmas packaging design yet, then the time to do it is now. 

However, before we jump into the how of creating your Christmas packaging boxes, we need to cover a few things first. These fundamentals will guide your overarching strategy and ensure that you create eye-catching holiday gift box packaging at the budget that’s right for you.  

• Budget: Earlier, we mentioned Starbucks. While they may lead the way in holiday packaging, the company’s marketing budget is way bigger than most. While we encourage ambition and creativity, it’s also important to balance this with budget allowances. This way, you can determine the best types of packaging and design options that are affordable for your company. 
• Forecasting: Buying Christmas gift boxes wholesale is a great way to keep prices low while covering your packaging needs. However, no one wants to be left with a surplus of gift packaging at the end of the season, especially because it can’t be used during other times of the year. It’s therefore important to forecast how many units you expect to sell over the Christmas season and then order your holiday packaging based on these predictions. 
• Think Long-Term: While Christmas is an annual event, holiday gift packaging design is often unique to the year. Depending on what’s happened throughout the period or if there’s been any brand milestones, many players choose to tailor their packaging so that it is specific and relevant to the year at hand. For your brand, it’s important to look at your strategy from a long-term perspective. Will the customized holiday packaging you create be for 2023 only? Or will it be a design you use year in, year out? 
• Think Beyond Red and Green: The thing about holiday gift packaging is that a lot of brands do it. While red, green, and gold are definitely festive colors, they can also be overused. In a sea of red holiday wrapping paper and gold baubles, choosing a color scheme that is starkly different can help you stand out from the crowd. Of course, the customized colors you choose should match with your brand. You can look at your brand guidelines for customization inspiration. 
• Don’t Forget Sustainability: According to CNN, there is an extra 1 million tons of waste produced over the holiday season, and a lot of it comes from packaging. By choosing recyclable options, like corrugated cardboard and paper-based packaging, you can help your customers make more eco-friendly choices over the holidays. Not only is this good for the environment, but it’s good for building loyal relationships, too. Research indicates that almost half (48%) of consumers hold brands responsible for increasing the amount of packaging that is recycled. So by demonstrating your commitment to sustainability, you’re putting your company in a positive light to your customers. 

Customizing Your Holiday Gift Box Packaging

The beauty of customized retail packaging is that there are many ways to do it, from tailored ecommerce packaging to personal notes in your packages. It’s important to create holiday packaging that represents your brand, suits your price range, and ultimately delights your customers. 

First things first, you need to decide if you are going to go for a box or padded mailer. Both are easily customizable, but there are a few critical differences, which we’ve summarized in the tables below, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each. 

Customizable Printed Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes and cartons are great for larger items and shipping multiple products. You’ll find that they come in a wide selection of sizes and materials, making them super easy to tailor for whatever festive creation you have in mind. 

Personalized Mailer Boxes for Shipping

If you order any subscription boxes, then you will have likely received mailer boxes. These nifty, lightweight cardboard creations are perfect for sending smaller items through the postal system. Like cardboard gift boxes, they are easily customizable. 

Holiday Gift Boxes: What’s Right for Me? 

Depending on what products you sell, you might choose to go for a hybrid strategy. For example, for one-item orders, you can use padded mailers. Then, for orders with multiple items or for gift sets, you can use customized shipping boxes. 

Decorating Your Gift Packaging 

Now that you know what kind of packaging you’re going for, it’s time to get creative and sprinkle some festive cheer in the form of design.

Your boxes or mailers can be customized in many ways. The colors, graphics, textures, and finishing options can all be edited to best represent your brand and what the holiday season means to you. 

We recommend first thinking about the color and texture of your gift packaging. If you’re an eco-conscious brand, you may want to go for a natural kraft-brown feel. Alternatively, if you’re aiming for a minimalist holiday design, then a shiny white might suit you better. Remember, no idea is too crazy, so get creative, search for inspiration online, and come up with an idea that you think your customers will love!   

Besides colors, you can choose finishing options like glossy or matte. Over the Christmas period, a glossy finish might be a great way to add extra sparkle to your ecommerce gifts. However, it’s worth noting that different colors and textures will suit glossy finishes better than others, so be sure to consult a design or packaging materials expert before finalizing anything. 

Graphics and typography are the next step to consider. Christmas wrapping paper is often adorned with reindeers, baubles, Santa, and so on—and so can your holiday boxes! Remember, though, to keep your graphics and colors in line with your brand guidelines. You want your package to stand out and represent your brand, not look like a generic holiday package. 

Add a Touch of Sparkle

Customization goes beyond the outside of your box or mailer. To make your products feel extra special during the holidays, you can add some personal touches, such as: 

1. Holiday-Style Packing Tape

If you’re on a budget or want to elevate your customized box even more, then look no further than holiday-themed packing tape. This is a great way to add some theater to your boxes and mailers, and really show off the extra effort your brand has put in over the holiday season.

2. Custom Stickers and Labels

Custom stickers and labels are a subtle and cost-effective way to embellish your packaging. Your stickers can combine your brand elements with holiday imagery, and you can create them in a range of colors and textures. 

3. Personal Notes

If you’re a small business, then a handwritten note is an amazing way to build a relationship with your customer while, at the same time, showing them the love and care that has gone into creating your package. If you are too busy to commit to handwritten notes, then typed cards can be used instead. Either way, these notes are a way to create a meaningful interaction with your customer and wish them a happy holiday season.

4. Custom Tissue Paper

Tissue paper is wonderfully versatile. Aside from adding cushioning to your ecommerce packaging, it can also add to the sense of excitement while opening a gift. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors and finishes, meaning you can personalize it to fit your brand. Finally, although tissue paper is relatively inexpensive, it can add a touch of luxury to your packages, which is perfect for sending a holiday gift.

5. Ribbons

A beautiful ribbon that you wrap around a gift is a traditional holiday emblem, and they are easy and inexpensive to incorporate into your strategy. Take Tiffany and Co. Their packages usually feature the classic blue box, delicately tied with a white ribbon. Over the holidays, they make one striking change that signals in the festive cheer; they swap the white ribbon for a red one. While simple, this move serves as a sign for Tiffany and Co. customers that the holidays are here. If your shop uses ribbons or decorations, then consider switching the color, like Tiffany and Co., for straightforward but effective customization. 

Remember Your Why 

We appreciate that overhauling your gift packaging design for a two-month period can feel overwhelming and like a huge amount of work, but it can also be extremely fun and rewarding. Ultimately, a great holiday packaging strategy can elevate your sales and build long-lasting brand relationships.

After all, we’re in the age of the unboxing experience. Your holiday gift packaging is a form of free, online marketing. In fact, consumers are 90% more likely to purchase from a brand recommended to them by someone they know, so encourage your customers to share their purchases and unbox them on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and so on. 

For all you know, your packaging could go viral, taking your brand to a new level of recognition and sales among consumers. Plus, at the very least, your customized holiday gift packaging will spread festive cheer, make your consumers feel good, and highlight your brand’s values. 

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 How to Design and Personalize Holiday Packaging appeared first on Refine Packaging.

You want everything to be just right, as you and your partner embark on your lives together. After all, this is a joyful event you hope to only do once, so you want every detail to be perfect.  

And honestly, weddings don’t come cheap.  

In 2017 – the average American wedding cost $25,764 – and that’s not including the honeymoon. Considering that the average couple spends between another $4000 and $5000 on their honeymoon, we’re talking about a major life investment.

You’ve probably spent weeks, or even months agonizing over every detail of the big day. You’ve hired your photographer and DJ, your florist is good to go, your wedding party will be decked out in the attire of your careful choosing, your champagne is ordered, and you’ve spent hours doing that oh so arduous task of tasting dozens of little cakes.

But are you forgetting about one of the smaller details to make your big day just perfect? Fortunately, this one’s a lot cheaper than a three-tiered tiramisu cake, or an exotic trip to the Bahamas.

Do you have a wedding card box?

Why Bother With a Wedding Card Box?

Sure, a wedding card box is not a necessity with a wedding. And in the grand scheme of things, it may seem like a trivial detail.  

It’s not like skipping the cake or bubbly. But, a custom box can make things run a little smoother at your reception and give you one less thing to worry about.  

Nowadays, a lot of wedding gifts are bought online and shipped directly to the happy couple’s home. But there are still many guests who will arrive at the wedding with gifts and cards in tow. Some people just prefer to hand deliver their gifts. You don’t want your guests having to awkwardly carry your gift around all night, or have to stuff it under their table.

You need a designated spot where guests can unload their gifts. This is where a gift table comes in handy.  Place your wedding card box front and center on the table, so guests have a clear place to deposit their cards.  

It will also give you a specific place to gather up everything at the end of the night – so you won’t mistakenly leave anyone’s thoughtful gift behind.

Of course, a custom box isn’t just meant to be some utilitarian item. A card box can help add a little bling to your gift table.

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

Your gift table can help reflect the tone or theme of your wedding. And the wedding card box is a great way to add more style to your gift table decorations. Be sure to add some pretty signage to your table – indicating where cards go, or saying thank you – and further style the table with flowers or other decorations in keeping with your wedding style.

There are no hard and fast rules for your wedding card box. You can choose something sophisticated or whimsical. It’s another way to reflect your personal style.

Options for Card Boxes

The options are limitless for wedding card boxes. Check out these wedding box ideas to inspire you to get the perfect box for your wedding:

Repurpose Old Items

A wedding card box doesn’t have to be a box, at all.

Some couples choose to repurpose old items as a receptacle for their cards. Some popular options are a vintage suitcase, an old birdcage, or a decorated mailbox. These are great ways to add some fun and make your gift table memorable.

DIY

If you’re the crafty type, you can DIY your own wedding box.

If you’re stuck on where to begin, just peruse Pinterest for some inspiration. All it takes is a little imagination.  

You can go the traditional route, or try a playful option. Some couples have even made card boxes out of Legos.

Leave It To The Professionals

Of course, you probably already have enough on your plate with planning the big event.  

You may be short on time, or maybe you’re not feeling particularly crafty.  

For a professional polished look that incorporates the unique feel of your wedding, you should consider ordering a custom wedding card box. That way you get exactly what you want.  

You can pick the size, what colors you want, the box design, or any other embellishment you want.  

Added Security

On your wedding day, the last thing you want to worry about is someone stealing your wedding gifts.  

Sadly, it does happen more than you might think.

If you have your reception at a large venue, there will be all kinds of people milling about. There may even be more than one wedding going on at the same time, in which case, it would be easy for someone to quickly slip in and grab your loot.

With the typical amount that people spend on a wedding gift being between $50 and upwards of $100, the reality of sticky fingers is a strong possibility.

A wedding card box will ensure that all of your cards are in one location, which is much easier to secure.  If you’re feeling particularly wary about the security of your venue, you can even get a locking box.

After the Wedding

Keep in mind that your wedding card box shouldn’t be a blatant money grab.  

It can also be a place for guests to stick congratulatory messages to the new couple. Leave some note cards by the box, so guests are encouraged to leave you some thoughtful words. You will have fun looking over these notes in years to come.

Your wedding is just one day, but it will provide you with a lifetime of memories.  

Your wedding card box is the perfect way to keep all of your keepsakes in one place.

In addition to your cards, you can store your ceremony program, a garter, your something blue – or any of the other little mementos that will remind you of your special day.  

Think of the enjoyment you’ll feel years from now when you open your wedding card box to relive that day and share your memories with your future generations.

The post Wedding Card Boxes: Must-Know Tips For the Perfect Box appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Statistics show that it does, even if today’s shoppers are primarily concerned with fast and low-cost to free shipping.

Although nearly half of ecommerce patrons across all age brackets currently prefer sustainable brand packaging, about the same percentage pay attention to package design. Dotcom Distribution reports that 49% of shoppers aged 18-29, as well as 30% of sporting goods customers, are drawn to gift-like packaging.

Now, let’s cover the four primary aspects of quality product packaging design.

1. Product Security 

Product packaging should first keep the product clean, intact, and dry during shipment, storage, and display. Its material and construction should be durable and tamper-free as much as possible.

The best packaging design aims to lower or eliminate damage costs—as well as risks to user safety—that come with transportation, drops, or even theft. It also aims to find a perfect balance between child-resistant containers and accessible packaging for aging customers.

2. Visual Appeal

Once you have a solid structure, the second top priority of every package design is to raise a product’s presentation quality. Its appearance should look irresistible to your target market. This includes the color, size, typography, illustrations, or imagery on the label or the packaging material itself.

Choose design or style elements that reflect your business values and at the same time connect with your customers’ values. They should evoke the emotion that you want your target audience to experience, such as nostalgia, comfort, or rejuvenation. 

Creative packaging designs also strengthen your brand identity. The placement and shape of your logo, the use of company colors, and the size of fonts should help make the brand memorable to customers. 

3. Product and Brand Information

Your product’s package design should educate shoppers about how they’re going to benefit from your product. It should include product contents, directions for use, expiration dates, and safety warnings. 

You can also use your packaging to tell more about your product and how customers can engage with your company through social media or your official website.

4. Differentiation

To attract customers, your brand packaging design should stand out when your product is placed on a shelf or appears on an app or website page beside other brands.

How Can Product Packaging Design Increase Market Value?

Unique product packaging design can help your products sell better by fulfilling the needs of your customers. These include:

1. Practicality and Safety

Shoppers will find a reason to buy your product and become loyal to it if it’s easy to use and convenient to handle or carry around. Conducting research on creative packaging ideas can help you identify which materials and shapes to use for your boxes or containers so that they’re more suitable to your target shoppers. 

Customers also feel that a brand cares about end-user safety when they see that the company uses sanitized, high-quality containers or boxes with a polished exterior and sturdy construction. Customers appreciate labels that don’t stain or get easily detached or washed off.

With the growing awareness for sustainable shopping, today’s customers also tend to pick brands that use reusable or recyclable packaging as well as containers that can help extend a product’s usability or allow customers to get the most content out of them.

2. Fun and Memorability

You can use creative packaging design to build a deeper connection with your clients by making the unboxing experience something they’d want to look forward to. Today’s social media influencers usually include this experience when introducing new products to their followers.

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

3. Honesty and Trust

Being explicit about your product—its ingredients or contents and exactly what it can do—builds a foundation of trust. 

Customers appreciate brands that don’t exaggerate their product’s quantity or volume and capabilities, which explains the current trend toward clear product packaging or packaging with windows for a sneak peek into the product inside. This type of packaging, in a way, lets the product speak for itself.

Explaining the production process and including the place of origin also gives plus points for transparency. 

4. Distinctness

Well-designed product packaging will help your product appear distinct when placed on a shelf with other products. Research and testing are necessary to achieve a unique package design.

Recognizable packaging can be simple but can eventually have a strong loyalty base as it pops in an environment of similarly colored or patterned products. 

16 Creative Packaging Design Trends

With in-store shopping still widely restricted, today’s package designers and brand owners are working hard to give customers an immersive brand experience they can enjoy anywhere. Creative packaging design is still powerful, influencing 81% of consumers to try something new and 52% to switch brands. Why? Observers say that designs are shifting from a commercial look to a more creative, artistic approach.

For more packaging ideas, here are 16 of the most popular current trends in brand packaging design: 

1. Protective Solutions

With customers conscious about protection amid viral contamination risks, marketers and shippers are expected to prioritize protective packaging. Examples of these are hygienic sleeves for canned drinks and antibacterial surface coatings, such as Touchguard for carton boxes. Because paper-based products are made of porous materials, they’re considered less hospitable to viruses compared to plastic and glass. 

Meanwhile, as a growing number of brick-and-mortar stores shift their operations online, they’re expected to partner with a creative packaging designer to safely ship their unusually shaped products to customers, as in the case of plumbing supplies. 

2. Sustainability

A growing number of companies are looking at product packaging materials that are not just recyclable but also require less energy to produce. Additionally, some brands are responding to calls for non-plastic alternatives that can be repurposed. 

Carton designs are a popular option, with 73% of consumers considering the material as sustainable packaging. Eco-friendly packaging also affects consumer perception, with over 40% stating that such package types evoke “premium-ness.”

3. Miniature Formats and Tiny Patterns

From food to cosmetics, brands are trying to lure shoppers through miniature portions or versions of their products. Small and compact retail packaging that can fit in your pocket or bag is a great example of packaging that’s perfect for travel. Affordability is another high selling point of these portable products.

Also, small and intricate illustrations and patterns symbolizing the packaging’s contents will replace the former trend of having overwhelming images on the package.

4. Simple Geometry

Customers can expect businesses to incorporate abstract designs – simple but bold colors, fluid shapes, sharp angles, and clean lines—into their packaging designs to create an impact.

5. Solid Colors

Brands are also using the power of color psychology, incorporating one bright and bold color with big typography (although slim fonts may also work) into their packaging designs. In some cases, the use of an unconventional shade can quickly direct the shopper’s eyes to the copy.

The right combination of color and font style powerfully invokes a certain mood or feeling. How text styles and colors correlate also builds up excitement for seeing the product contents. Up to 90% of consumers’ perceptions regarding a brand are based on colors.

6. Color Blocking and Gradients

Color blocking is putting together two or three different colors—opposing or not under one tone. Instead of straight-edged boxes of color, you’ll find random-looking blobs, uneven shapes, and flowing lines. 

This technique is found in the product packaging of many organic brands, which uses contrasting, nature-inspired colors.

7. Vintage

With this trend, not only do parts of a packaging—logos, fonts, and colors—look old-school (19th to 20th century), but the entire material, label, and sometimes even the shape looks vintage.

You can use this creative packaging approach to conjure nostalgia or to create a sense of longevity and proven quality. Products can also acquire an air of luxury through the use of traditional lettering, motifs, and a retro color palette.

8. Fine Art

Creative packaging design experts also draw inspiration from the realistic portraiture or abstract paintings of the Old Masters as well as fluid art techniques. Popular designs try to capture the effect of freshly poured resin and textures on newly painted canvas or long-dried oil paintings.

9. Anatomical and Technical Drawings

This refers to detailed pencil or ink-drawn illustrations that are reminiscent of books with yellowed paper found in museums or the library’s archive section.

10. Transparency and Windows

To achieve the opposite effect of solid color packaging, you can use see-through materials, so buyers will know exactly what they’re getting. You can also opt for a package design or style that incorporates windows to give customers a glimpse of your product. Revealing packaging can dispel doubts that shoppers may have about the content’s freshness and safety.

11. Flat Illustrations

Flat illustrations use two-dimensional drawings with simple, minimalist shapes and bright colors. The absence of shadows makes the elements appear clean and sharp.

12. Soft, Natural Colors 

Soft pastel hues can be visually refreshing. Colors and textures resembling stone, foliage, and nature are great packaging design inspirations with a calming effect. Throw in some contrasting elements to add inspiration to your gentle color palette. 

13. Storytelling

Brand mascots can tell the story of a business, many times doing the job faster and in a more engaging way. Many companies have presented their characters in cartoon form, turning their unique packaging ideas into what look like panels of a comic book. A business can also share its history or values through a series of illustrations on its package design to bond better with its customers.

14. Experimental Fonts

Bold fonts are taking the place of images to grab attention. Many will experiment with 3D fonts and typefaces with gradients.

But at the same time, buyers are also more likely to warm up to products with fonts that are easy to read, even from a distance. Clear typography helps customers decide more quickly, allowing them to shop faster during in-store trips. 

15. Textures

The power of sensation has been used in marketing as far back as the 1930s, when psychologist and design consultant Louis Cheskin coined the term “sensation transference.” He said that perceptions are directly related to aesthetic design.

Brands targeting a higher-end market aren’t only aiming for visual identity but also a tactile experience to reinforce luxury values. An embossed treatment, gold and silver foil, smooth and glossy finishes, or velvety surfaces are classic examples. 

Offering a positive tactile experience is also applicable for non-premium items, particularly packaging designs for products made for children or the elderly. Depending on one’s target age bracket, packaging should be convenient to handle besides looking fun or safe.

16. Tech Integration

Fun and unique packaging and labels can become customer engagement tools by featuring interactive content that shows off moving visuals, games, and more using augmented reality. But these cool packaging ideas aren’t just out to entertain the tech-savvy crowd—the elements should still support the product or brand’s story and purpose. 

Companies can design these phone-scannable labels to animate your logo and label elements or give more information about a product, whether it’s behind-the-scenes production, directions for use, special product features, or how to enjoy promos. The inclusion of QR codes can also support the ongoing campaign for contactless transactions.

Also referred to as connected packaging, this modern packaging design is expected to grow 7.4% until 2027.

Creative Packaging Ideas: 8 Pitfalls to Avoid

Brand packaging plays an important role in persuading your target market to choose your product over others. When developing your brand packaging, it’s important to note these eight common pitfalls: 

1. Complicated or Hard to Open and Close

User experience is supreme when it comes to product design. So you need to consider a durable but simple packaging design to avoid frustrating customers, who might take their wrap rage to social media. Over 90% of online shoppers said their top pain point was opening a product or packaging.

Include unboxing in your package testing process and take customer feedback to heart. Make your product package tool-free as much as possible and reduce the number of steps to access the product inside. If your buyers are older adults, ease of use should be a primary consideration. Create a package design that’s easy to close and open. 

2. Not Eco-Friendly

In a recent poll, 73% of respondents noticed that the packaging of products they received was twice the size of what’s inside. Meanwhile, more than 90% received packaging with a lot of wasted space. This practice can erode shoppers’ trust and degrade their unboxing experience, not to mention dent your transport expenses. 

More than 50% of consumers check for sustainable packaging when making purchases. To support waste reduction, measure your product and choose the right box size. Most importantly, use compostable and reusable packaging and inner protection, such as recycled paper. 

3. Errors in the Copy

Spelling and grammar mistakes can ruin a solid design layout. Don’t rush the copywriting process—work with a professional with proofreading experience. 

Then get two or three others to review your packaging. It’s better to spot the errors before bringing your packaging concept to the printers for mass production. 

4. Misrepresentation of Products

Companies can mislead customers in other ways besides using oversized packaging. These include exaggerating contents or benefits, excluding health risks, unclear pricing, faking qualifications, and not putting pertinent business information. The latest report of food packaging provider Shorr shows that 34% of consumers avoid products with popular terms on their labels due to fear of being misled.

Check advertising guidelines issued by the US FDA and other standard bodies to avoid facing lawsuits, bad press, and criticism.

5. Forgettable Design 

The last thing you want to happen to your product is to see it “blend into the shelf” or look very similar to your competitors. While others turn to copycat packaging in hopes of riding on the look of successful brands, companies with integrity will design unique packaging around their own brand identity. Some points to consider include:

• How you want consumers to remember your brand
• How you want to convey your unique selling point with visuals
• What tagline you should use to represent the main benefit of your product

Conduct market research to check what your competitors are doing and what the current packaging trends are in your industry. 

Your findings will help you determine what packaging size and material to use to make your product stand out. Purchase licenses for any outsourced visual assets, whether they’re images, fonts, or both. 

6. Overwhelming Elements

Your choice of typeface, images, and colors should align with your consumer expectations. Too many colors and a wide variety of wacky fonts can make your packaging look cluttered. With fewer but more substantial elements to focus on, consumers can interact with your product better.

7. Artwork Mistakes

One common artwork mistake is using low-resolution image files. Images that look clear on a website or computer screen can look blurred or fuzzy when printed on paper. For printing purposes, images should have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Images downloaded from the web are 72 dpi on average and won’t look crisp during printing. Images shot from digital cameras or mobile phones, which are usually saved in RGB mode, should be converted to CMYK format for commercial printing.

When outsourcing graphics, make sure to buy licensed images. This is a better option to take than getting images from ClipArt, which aren’t formatted for commercial use.

Another mistake to avoid is to lay out copy and artwork in Microsoft (Word or PowerPoint) or Corel Draw. These programs will do for desktop printers, but for commercial printing, artwork should be designed in Illustrator, Photoshop, QuarkXpress, or other professional applications. 

You also need to review your font choice and layout to ensure that shoppers won’t misinterpret what you’re really trying to sell. The hilarious packaging above could’ve been easily avoided with some design adjustments.

8. Lacks Product Protection 

Performance testing is necessary once you’ve developed a prototype for your brand packaging. It should be durable enough to withstand the trip to your buyer’s delivery address. Otherwise, you run the risk of incurring costs due to returns, refunds, and replacements. 

While over-packaging is not advisable, it’s equally unwise to minimize protection. Consider your product’s weight and how fragile it is. Besides picking the correct box size, select sturdy material. Include protective cushioning when necessary. To reduce ink smears, select the right packaging materials, labels, and printing ink formulation.

Creative Packaging Tips: Importance of Getting a Prototype Before Production

A prototype is a sample of what your final packaging will look like. Requesting a prototype from your packaging supplier can save you from getting into any of the pitfalls listed in the previous section. Here at Refine Packaging, we proudly provide 2D and 3D mockups at no additional charge for all customers.

At the same time, asking for a prototype or mock-up can help you achieve the following:

• Proper Fit: Receiving a prototype allows you to test if your product actually fits in the box according to the dimensions you set. It also lets you check if it can support your product’s weight as you envisioned it.
• Printing Verification: While 2D mock-ups are great for very minor design tweaks, 3D mock-ups can give you full visibility, especially for ordering new packaging in bulk. A custom digital sample can help you check how sharp your graphics, fonts, and images appear on your chosen packaging material. The look and feel of the artwork, colors, and finish are usually different on the actual box compared to what you see on a screen or a 2D mock-up. A 3D sample gives you full visibility, as you can view it from various angles.
• Content Proofing: A prototype gives you a chance to read the product description, instructions, and other text in a fresh way. You can check for errors in text alignment, spelling, and grammar. If you’re able to order several samples, try to send some to a small, loyal client base to get feedback.

Ask Yourself: Is Your Packaging Up for a Redesign?

Does your product need to change its packaging? You may want to consider redesigning your product’s packaging if your business is encountering any of the following:

1. Company Rebranding

When you’re renaming your company or product, your packaging has to follow suit. A redesign should also be integrated into your marketing plan if you’re targeting a new target audience, introducing a new product line, or overhauling your current product or service offerings. 

For instance, there’s a growing redesign trend that caters to those with disabilities. This comes amid data showing that only 1% of ads represented people with disabilities. Accessible packaging includes features like Braille on labels and special handles on the primary packaging, so users with disabilities can decipher and use them on their own.

2. Change in the Content or Structure of a Product

You can announce changes to your product’s ingredients or components by releasing the fresh batch with brand new packaging. Use your packaging to promote how the modifications will improve your product’s functionalities.

3. Advanced Technology

Modern labeling, printing, or folding can speed up packaging production besides updating your product’s image. Some materials are also worth trying if they offer better protection against the elements and prolong a product’s shelf life. Taking advantage of new technology is a wise move, especially if it can also save you money in the long run. 

4. Retail Packaging Requirements

Three-quarters of manufacturers surveyed by PMMI said that they’re already pursuing shelf-ready strategies due to its popularity. Retail-ready packaging or RRP makes it easy for retail establishments to display your items in bulk once they receive your delivery. 

When working with retailers, your design team needs to know details such as shelf dimensions, automated warehouse system design, pallet type, and so on. By customizing your packaging to the store’s layout, you help reduce the time needed for your products to be set up on the shelves.

Here are several reasons why many brands are going for RRP:

• Secure and Cost-Effective Shipping: Individual items are well-fitted inside retail-ready boxes. RRP makers use pressure-resistant materials that can hold the products together throughout shipment and even the restocking process. Some packages are multi-layered, letting you ship larger quantities safely.
• Easy Restocking: With RRP, it’s easy to replenish stocks. Employees just need to open and place a new box on the shelf, as all the items inside are stacked and ready for display. Knowing your retailer’s shelf specifications will help ease this process.
• Easy Opening: Most shelf-ready packages come with perforated sections that allow packaging to be opened without using scissors or a cutter. Also, some products come with PDQ or “pretty darn quick” display trays or stands. Often found near checkout counters, these special boxes carry sets of eight small items or more. 
• Easy Identification: With their large and clear product names outside the boxes, RRP helps retail employees and customers easily identify your brand from a distance.  
• Convenient Shopping: Shoppers normally find it easy to pull out items arranged in shelf-ready boxes. The professional presentation can also entice the public to give the products a try.

5. New Regulations

Redesigns are necessary when new laws force you to change the way you produce your product, your packaging, or the content of your packaging. To make the most out of this kind of change, include any certifications or manufacturing changes in your labels, packaging, and digital assets like your website, app, or social media.

6. Outdated Design

If it’s been years since you last changed your packaging, it’s definitely time to compare your design with the most popular products in your segment to see how you can improve. To stay recognizable, revisions should be consistent with the brand’s identity and values. Nearly three-fourths of marketers rank consistent branding as the top priority when communicating with the current client base.

You don’t have to replace your brand colors and other elements just to match or upstage a competitor who seems to be succeeding with a total package design revamp. Maybe all that’s needed is a simple “refresh” of the logo, tagline, and other brand symbols that your loyal followers have an emotional bond with. The product volume or serving size, flavor, and any critical claims should stay intact.

7. Publicity Blunder

Changing your packaging design is one way to help your company recover from any negative publicity that your product may have recently received. A fresh redesign can be part of a new brand image along with improving your core product or service and customer engagement.

8. Budget Constraints

If you need to cut down on packaging costs to help your company weather a financial crisis, you can do a redesign that will simplify certain aspects of your packaging. This may include simplifying your colors, reducing the size of your packaging, and changing the type of materials used.

Creative Packaging Ideas: Steps to Take Before Redesigning Your Packaging

Think you need to revise your packaging design based on any of the conditions discussed above? Here are some steps you need to do first:

1. Decide On the Extent of Your Redesign

Sometimes all you need is to tweak your design. A designer would refer to this as an evolution change—it seeks to retain and enhance visual or structural elements that are working. Meanwhile, weak elements will be abandoned or replaced. 

You’ll need more time and planning when you’re letting go of many elements that your current clientele are emotionally connected to – like the color of a box or the way in which it opens or gets folded. A revolutionary change in packaging usually involves more preparation, including pre-launch campaigns.

2. Know Your Customer Base More Deeply

Revisit your buyer personas or segment profile details and get input from your sales team. You can use this information to create a questionnaire or survey that will help you understand the current attitudes of your customers toward your brand. 

You can also use social listening tools or hire professional marketers to gather public perceptions from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms. This can help you discover how your consumers view your brand (possibly in relation to your rivals), what their expectations are, and if your product meets their wants and needs. 

3. Get Your Company Executives’ Buy-In

Inform and get the consensus of your business stakeholders to gain the necessary resources to turn your redesign plan into a reality. Report on the results of your research and any trends that serve as the basis of the redesign project. Then be clear about your goals and the scope of your planned revisions, particularly if it involves logo and color changes. 

Also discuss any possible obstacles and growth opportunities that can come with the redesign.

4. Choose the Right Packaging Designer

A professional marketing agency can redesign your packaging using any preliminary research you’ve done. Or you can ask the agency to conduct the research needed to determine how your new packaging can stand out. Their grasp of trends and your industry—including the other players in your segment—will be valuable to your redesign process.

Validating Your Packaging Ideas: Eye-Tracking for Market Research

With 95% of human decisions being made in the subconscious, it’s important for brands and their marketers to use modern ways in making their products more appealing to customers. Eye-tracking has been used to test advertising and packaging since the 1980s. Thanks to digital technology, eye trackers can now do more than just record your customers’ gaze points when they shop. Eye trackers also help analyze shopping behavior and preferences. Insights from these devices offer 90% accuracy in terms of mapping human nonverbal cues.

Eye trackers are equipped with cameras that measure the pupil movements of the wearer. They come in three forms: wearables (eyeglasses or goggles) for in-store use, webcams for online use, and automated solutions (predictive eye-tracking). Tobii, Pupil Labs, and Eye Square are some examples of eye-tracking platforms.

Eye-tracking devices and their software gather the data below for analysis. They suggest how effective a packaging layout or design is. They also hint at the packaging elements that influence consumers to buy a product.

• Scanning Patterns: This information shows how users looked through your packaging or scanned and interacted with a webpage.
• Fixation Count: This metric indicates up to how many times the user gazed at your identified areas of interest during a test. 
• Fixation Points or Saccades: This information reveals which elements of your packaging were the most engaging or eye-catching.
• Dwell Time: This metric refers to the length of time a user spent on an area of interest.
• Revisits: This metric points to the number of times a user went back to an area of interest or other point in the packaging or webpage during the test. This can indicate a user’s pain point if a user experienced some difficulty in completing an action during website testing.

The most common eye-tracking technique is heat mapping. Heat mapping platforms use colors to show the areas of an in-store display or webpage, letting you know which areas a shopper interacted with the most. Areas with red spots are where users focus their attention the longest. Meanwhile, the lightest-colored spots receive the lowest engagements.

Indicators of Successful Packaging Redesign 

You may see improvements in essential aspects of your business as a result of a successful redesign job. These include the following:

• Sales: It will be natural for sales to dip initially after redesigning your package. But it will eventually rebound if it meets your goals and once customers get used to the new packaging. 
• Reviews: There’s a lot to glean from the feedback of your customers online. If you ran a social media campaign before the launch of your new packaging, expect a lot of reviews to come your way. You can use the comments for further refinements. You can also consider your packaging refresh a success if people promote your products or services to others. Being tagged in people’s social media posts is another positive sign.
• Website Visits: You can expect your website to attract higher traffic volume if you did a great job at redesigning your packaging.
• Returns: If your packaging redesign is successful, you should have fewer customers or retailers returning your products due to damages during shipment.

Turn Your Creative Packaging Design Ideas into Reality with Refine Packaging 

Good design is essential for business success, from the design of your product down to your product’s beautiful packaging. 

Refine Packaging has an experienced in-house design team that can help you launch your new product or refresh your current package design. We also produce 2D and 3D mock-ups for your review. 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 Top 16 Creative Packaging Design Ideas for Inspiration appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Beautiful and effective custom packaging can help you retain current customers, as well as attracting new ones. When done right your custom packaging can tell your story and evoke a positive emotional reaction in your customers.

Custom packaging can set the mood.

You know that feeling you get when you step into your favorite cafe and smell the coffee roasting, or when you visit an IT’SUGAR candy store and are accosted with rows of giant colorful candy.   

Use your packaging to replicate the real world shopping experience.

So, go ahead and be bold.  

Tell your story.  

Use your brand colors, a recognizable font, your special tagline, and of course your logo. Show the world what you’re all about with custom packaging that’s as original as your brand.

Get your customers excited to receive your products and motivate them to share their enthusiasm.

What Custom Packaging Will Work for You?

First off, you need to figure out what kind of packaging will work best with your products and company goals.

Consider things like the size of your items and whether they’re fragile. And nope – not all packaging is the same.

Let’s do a rundown on some of the popular types of packaging:

• Corrugated boxes: These are probably what spring to mind when you think of packaging. And for good reason. Boxes come in all shapes and sizes and can accommodate just about any product. The most common corrugated cardboard box materials are kraft – which is the least expensive – white, and Kemi, which is a premium clay-coated substrate with a glossy finish. For many cosmetic packaging and retail boxes, cardstock is a less expensive and more popular option as well.
• Padded/bubble mailers: These are more cost-effective than boxes and are ideal for smaller, non-fragile items.
• Mailer boxes: These are about the size of document envelopes, but thicker. They’re commonly used for subscription boxes, like these goody boxes for dogs and cats from Chewy.
  • Custom mailers:  These are flexible traditional mailing envelopes without padding. You’ve probably received everything from stationery to clothing in one of these.
    
    
  • Rigid envelopes:  Ever order photographs online? They probably arrived in one of these envelopes since they prevent flat items from bending. Yeah, a creased photo never looks good.

   

  • Check out more options for retail boxes, cosmetic boxes, boxes by industry and boxes by style too.

  Shop Popular Products

  

  Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

  Learn More

  

  Soap Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

  Learn More

  

  CBD Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Candle Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Pillow Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

  Learn More

  

  Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

  Learn More

  

  Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

  Learn More

  

  CBD Display Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Collapsible Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Kraft Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

  Learn More

  

  Custom Hanger Boxes

  Learn More

  Pick Your Size

  Telling your company story is an awesome benefit of custom packaging, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.  

  You can’t forget the practical side of the packaging.  

  Ultimately your packaging needs to securely fit whatever it is you’re shipping. Choosing the proper size box for your items is essential.  

  Since shipping costs are determined by weight and volume, it’s important not to pay extra to ship an oversized box filled with air. USPS uses the following formula to come up with shipping costs: length x width x height divided by 1728 = cubic rate.

  Now imagine if you’re consistently using boxes that are several inches too long for your products. If you only ship out a few orders, you might not care. But paying a few dollars more in shipping costs on every order is going to add up fast.

  So play around with different size boxes to get better rates.  

  You’ll be surprised that by shaving off even an inch here or there can be parlayed into big savings. And don’t limit yourself into thinking a box is your only option. If you ship lightweight items, consider a mailer.  

  According to the USPS’s website, first class is the way to go if you’re shipping something under 13 ounces. It’ll get there fast too – within 1-3 business days.

  The proper sized box will also make sure you deliver your goods intact. If your items are swimming in a large box there’s a good chance they’ll arrive at their destination in pieces.

  Create Your Design

  Alright, now back to the fun stuff.  

  The design is where you can let your creativity shine and show off what makes you so unique. A powerful packaging design will make you more memorable and help build up your brand’s reputation.

  Nowadays, just about anyone can find a designer that will fit within their budget.  

  There are plenty of free online design tools, such as Canva to get you started. If you’re willing to spend a little more, Logojoy has varying price points to come up with a logo and offers tons of inspiration. If you already have a little desktop publishing know-how, InDesign is an extremely powerful design tool.  

  Perhaps design really isn’t your thing.  

  Well, don’t worry,  there are plenty of options to outsource this important job.

  Creating a design for your packaging is more than just a logo. You want to incorporate all of your branding elements into your packaging, including colors (keep it simple with just a few), and things like social media URLs or calls to action.  

  After you have your design set, it’s a good idea to order a sample box.  

  Having a prototype will make it easy for you to spot any mistakes or clashing elements, so you can make changes before you place a giant order. Plus, you can even use your sample box for product photos, to get a jump on this marketing opportunity.

  Get Those Boxes Ordered

  Great. So you’ve done your research, studied inspirational designs, and come up with an envy-inducing design. Now, it’s time to place your order.

  This is going to involve a little more research.  

  You’ll need to familiarize yourself with some new terms, such as:

  • Dieline: A dieline is a template to make sure you have the correct layout for the final physical package.  It has marks that show the folds and cut lines of the package in flattened form.
    
  • Cutting dies: These are based on your dieline template and do the actual cutting and creasing of the cardboard substrate.
  • Printing plates: These transfer your design onto a material.
  • Flute size: This refers to the thickness of the cardboard substrate. Some sizes are easier to print on than others.
  • Tooling charges: This is the price you pay for your cutting dies and printing plates, which are necessary with custom boxes.  

  Before committing to a large order, take some time to decide on a printer for your boxes. The cheapest option isn’t always the best.

  You’ll also want to consider things like:

  • Where the printer is located: If they’re nearby, that’ll reduce shipping costs.
    
  • Turnaround time: You don’t want to twiddle your thumbs and delay shipping your goods because you’re waiting for your boxes to arrive.  
  • Box and ink quality: You want the finished product to look professional.
  • Should you go with a digital printer:  This option is more expensive, but allows for small minimum orders. If you’re ordering fewer than 1,000 boxes, this is probably the way to go.

  And no matter what printer you choose – always get a price quote, so you aren’t stuck with unexpected charges.

  You probably want to know how much you should spend on your boxes. There’s no hard and fast rule, but many suggest aiming for under two dollars a box. But obviously, this will depend on what you’re shipping.

  Conclusion

  See, coming up with custom boxes isn’t so difficult.  

  And the payoff can be amazing.  

  So go ahead and send out your beautiful packaging to the world, sit back, and let it do its marketing magic.

The post How to Recreate a Retail Experience with Ecommerce Custom Packaging (Subscription, Retail, etc.) appeared first on Refine Packaging.

That’s why design is so important. A stellar design can set the whole tone for how your product is perceived. And it all starts with the initial packaging box design your customers see.

Sure, you may have an awesome product, but if your packaging is lackluster, you probably won’t see your product flying off the shelf. 

An inadequate and underwhelming packaging of goods originating from your online store can disappoint your audience as well.

Presentation counts, whether your consumers purchase your products in a store or wait with anticipation at a package being dropped off at their front door.

Don’t underestimate the importance of compelling box design for both your product packaging and shipping boxes. 

Consumers want a first-class buying experience – even if it’s through the most mundane of product purchases. 

Placing some thought (okay, a lot of thought) into how your products are packaged and presented speaks to your customers, sets your brand apart, and leads to increased sales and success.

Set Your Company Apart With Box Design

Your design needs to represent you and what makes your company special.  Here are some things to consider when coming up with a unique box design:

Your Brand

First off, you need a clear idea of your brand identity. Without one, you’re just another faceless company trying to sell something. Don’t do that. Start finding our brand identity by considering the following questions:

• What exactly are you trying to convey with your packaging box design? It should be consistent with your company’s overall vibe.
• Are you looking to be sophisticated or playful?  
• Is being eco-conscious or having sustainable packaging a priority for you? 
• Are your customers expecting a high-end feel? Something uncomplicated? Vintage or modern aesthetics?

Your brand identity is your jumping-off point when it comes to boxing, packaging, and overall design. It drives the whole process. 

Figuring out what your brand is, and more importantly, what it represents will lay the foundation for the remainder of your box design process.

Your Products and Your Customers

Okay, you know who you are. Now consider what it is you sell and who it is buying those products.

Products and box design for your packaging carries two considerations. First, it’s all about practicality. 

You want packaging that suits what you’re selling. More importantly, what you’re shipping. We’ll get into this in more detail later, but great packaging design is just as much about protecting as it is showcasing what’s in the box.

Next, you need to match the expectations of your clientele. Do you sell cosmetics? Sporting goods? Kitchen supplies? Whatever your wares, you’ll want a scheme that reinforces your brand and your product lines.

For example, suppose your kitchen product business serves multiple skill-sets, from beginner foodie to master chef. In that case, your packaging’s box design might reflect the diversity of your audience. Accessible and straightforward for the former, classy and sophisticated for the latter, even as both product lines fall under the same branding umbrella.

Speaking of customers, now you’ve got to figure out your target audience. A few questions to consider: 

• Are they old or young, male or female?  
• Where do they live?  
• Is being socially conscious a priority for them?  
• Are they looking for simple handmade goods or luxury items? 

Your packaging should reflect what drew your customers to your products in the first place. Consider it an extension of what you sell.

This is particularly important if yours is a lifestyle brand that sells more than just products, but also an experience. You want a box design that will capture customer’s attention. Aesthetics that keep them focused on your brand and creates a desire within them to share their experience with others.

Also, consider where customers buy or interact with your product lines. In-store, you’ll want a package that stands out on crowded shelves. Online, it’s about getting it to them safely and making the unboxing an enjoyable experience.

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

Your Logo

Arguably the most essential design element for your packaging is your logo. Your logo should be easily identifiable and set you apart from your competitors.

A great logo pulls double duty as an excellent representation of your brand that also looks great wherever it appears. Specifically on your product packaging.

Just think of some of the most recognized logos in the world. A mere glance will have you recognizing brands like Coke, McDonald’s, and Microsoft.  

There are even games where you can guess the logo. Bet you know a lot of the logos shown below:

Now, not every business has a multi-million dollar budget to spend on logo development, but that shouldn’t stop you. There are all kinds of websites where you can design your own. Sites like Canva and Hatchful are easy to use and can help you generate a logo in minutes.

Once you have a logo design you’re happy with, don’t let it go to waste.  

Start by using your logo on the outside of your shipping boxes. With digital or offset printing, you can have your logo printed directly on your box, or invest in some logo stickers, a logo stamp, or even packing tape emblazoned with your logo.

Use Colors

Colors are another way to promote your brand identity. They help evoke a certain mood. Moods that draw people to your offerings and enhance the overall design of your packaging boxes. Your customers may feel different emotions, depending on the colors you choose to use. 

Black and white are timeless, sophisticated colors. Warm tones like red, orange, and yellow are most often associated with energy and optimism. Cool hues such as blue, purple, and green help to relax. 

Don’t believe us? Yellow is thought to make people happy, whereas blue is said to be calming. Yes, color – and for that matter, many other design elements – can attract a customer or quickly turn them away.

Think about what you want people to feel when they see your packaging. 

Is there a prevailing color trend in your product segment? Check out what successful (and non-successful) competitors use in their design schemes. Learn from what they do well or where they might fall short and apply those lessons to your own design.

Again, don’t necessarily mimic what others do. Find the CMYK or Pantone (PMS) colors that match your brand and messaging. But recognize that consumers are creatures of habit. Some schemes are popular because they just plain work.

Consider Your Fonts

Even the fonts you use on your packaging boxes convey something to your target audience. Though there’s plenty to choose from, keep your approach to the letters and numbers on your packaging design simple.

Serif fonts are traditional. Sans serif presents a more modern style. Want to offer a certain level of sophistication? Cursive or script lettering is the way to go. You’ll appeal to a bolder crowd with an all-cap approach.

Chances are, you already knew all this through the fonts that appeal to you. Like we said, keep it simple. You want to make an impression, and you want to do so quickly.

Most critically, keep it clear. You want your fonts easy to read and understand – whether for your brand or product name or additional packaging copy like ingredients or warnings.

Use Patterns

Patterns are an excellent way to add interesting focal points to your box design. 

Try different size polka dots for a little whimsy, a classic striped pattern to appeal to one’s conservative side, or a trendy chevron pattern for a youthful look. Art Deco patterns are popular for creating a vintage feel. Line art that resembles circuit boards helps convey a forward-thinking style for your brand.

You might even choose to combine styles and make your brand stand out amongst a sea of sameness.

Whatever route you take, don’t be afraid to get creative with your design. 

Check out what your competition is up to to see what’s working. Or how companies in other industries use patterns to create a unique brand image. It’s a good way to get the creative juices flowing.  

Sites like Pinterest and Instagram are also virtual treasure troves of design inspiration. 

Spend time on researching your specific industry too. Find out what attracts folks to your segment, or what’s most appealing to consumers who purchase your products, or those similar. 

One word of caution with patterns is that it’s easy to overdo it. Take care to create a cohesive design that pulls all of the disparate elements together – logo, colors, fonts, patterns. 

You want an overall packaging box design scheme that is easily recognizable and one that immediately draws in your customers.

Packaging Box Design Recap

Getting your box and packaging design right can prove a lot to take in, especially if this is your first time defining your brand and its messaging. Before we move forward, let’s do a quick recap of the most vital elements.

First, define your brand and your goals, and the products you sell. In many instances, the packaging will be the first thing consumers notice. Are you selling your brand or the product? The response drives your design approach. 

If it’s a brand, spend more time ensuring your logo and messaging (and what you want your company to represent) stand out. If it’s a product, keep the focus on what’s in the package, what makes it great, and why a person would want to purchase it.

Next, know your consumers. And not just who they are and what will appeal to them. Understand their shopping habits, and likes and desires, and where they’ll engage with your brand and product lines.

Knowing who you appeal to – and how you appeal to them – answers a lot of your initial design questions.  

Finally, get inspired. Don’t just draw out a logo and slap it on a box. Look for a variety of box templates and additional box design tips to help you put some real thought into your presentation. Not only the elements that will appeal to your target audience but aesthetics that reflect a proud, thoughtful brand.

Consumers are themselves a thoughtful bunch. They can sniff out a company going through the motions versus one that cares about what they do and how they present themselves in an instant.

Seemingly small changes like spot UV, embossing and debossing, and matte or gloss lamination can all add up to big differences in the perception of your brand’s packaging.

Whether you cast yourself as environmentally friendly, modern and progressive, or merely a no-frills shop that offers a fantastic product, make it clear what you stand for and incorporate it into your packaging’s overall design.

Where To Find A Designer For Packaging Box Design

Now, coming up with packaging box design is one thing. Or, at least, knowing which elements you want to include in your scheme. Actually turning those ideas into something tangible is quite another.

Admittedly, you may not have the time, skill, or desire to develop your own packaging design ideas. If that sounds like you, don’t worry. There are many options to help you find the perfect designer for your needs and budget.

Here are some places to start your search:

• Design agencies: These tend to be more expensive, but if you’re targeting a large market, you might find a designer that can come up with a killer packaging design concept.
• Freelance portfolio sites: Check out sites like Behance and Dribble to peruse all kinds of creative work.
• Crowdsourcing: On these websites, designers compete for your business. It’s low risk for you since you’re not locked into hiring someone. Check out sites like 99designs, crowdSPRING or DesignCrowd to get started.
• Freelance marketplaces: Freelance networks like Upwork or Fiverr are another way to go.
• Word of mouth: Gorgeous design is everywhere, so if you see something you like, don’t be afraid to ask about it.

It’s important to note that just because you engage a third party to help with your packaging box design doesn’t mean you’re entirely letting go of it. (Of course, that option is available if that’s your preference.)

Instead, partner with an individual or group that understands your needs, what you hope to achieve, and can easily translate your ideas into workable designs.

Your designer doesn’t necessarily need to specialize in your product segment or industry. While it can help, a general track record of winning, sellable designs is more important.

One point that is critical is when you’re checking out design portfolios, remember to look for those who have experience specifically with box design.  

The Practical Details Of Box Design

So that’s the artistic side of packaging design. 

Box design and packaging presentation, however, is more than a pretty look. 

You also have to keep in mind the practical aspect of your box design and how it plays into your customer’s overall experience.  

To be sure, this isn’t the sexy, flashy side of product presentation. It is, however, critically important to building your brand, increasing customer satisfaction, and increasing your bottom line.

Everything from the type of boxes you use to the interior fill to exterior labels plays a role in crafting a complete design and unboxing experience. 

The Box (or Boxes)

The physical design of your custom boxes should take into account the more mundane necessities. First off, what are you shipping? Shipping an ornate, breakable statue is a lot different than sending out a hat or t-shirt or a block of cheese. 

For example, with the hat or the t-shirt, not much protection is needed. A simple box, sized appropriately, is all that’s necessary. You can enhance the otherwise utilitarian vessel with a nice logo and include a few inserts like promotions or coupons along with the standard packing slip.

The breakable statue, on the other hand, requires a bit more thought. It might call for a thicker material, different types of boxes, or even multiple boxes, each with their own branding needs. 

The statue’s main container might call for extra padding, while the shipping box might need very little. Or, for a particularly fragile item, it could need more.

Not to be forgotten, the block of cheese, being food and refrigerated food at that, requires its own special boxing considerations.

Additionally, is your product an awkward size? Does it come in separate pieces, requiring assembly? Or does it demand multiple levels of packaging? All of these considerations will change the look and feel and size of your retail packaging needs and overall design.

The point is to take equal care with the actual boxing needs for your products as you would for the design that goes on them. Customers will appreciate the attention to detail. And that their purchases are kept safe and sound.

Internal Packaging

Speaking of keeping things safe and sound, you’ll want your packaging to be durable and protect what’s inside. 

You may want to try a custom top-fold box with inserts to cushion your goods and display them in a pleasing way. Or if you’re shipping perishable items – you know, the proverbial block of cheese – the interior design of your food packaging will need to encompass a means of keeping the product fresh or cold. 

Perhaps, you have to deal with shipping oddly shaped items. Beyond the size, weight, and shape of your boxes, you’ll need to account for how your products are packaged.

Commonly referred to as infill, this is the protective stuffing used to cushion your products against the rigors of shipping or overaggressive store employees. 

Materials such as Kraft paper, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or air pillows all fall under this moniker. Typically, these are not subject to the same design standards as your boxes or labeling. 

You do want to account for how your loyal consumers might respond to the additional packing. Decorative infill like tissue or crinkle paper or string can enhance a lifestyle brand or unboxing experience. 

If your brand professes an environmentally friendly business approach, steer clear of materials commonly frowned upon in the eco-conscious community, such as packing peanuts. 

It may not feature the design demands of other packaging elements, but infill is a vital cog in the design wheel. Don’t overlook it.

Logistics and Costs

Would you believe that packaging design should accommodate your storage and distribution capabilities too? You don’t want to have to store a bunch of oddly-shaped boxes that are cumbersome and waste space if you don’t have to.

There’s also always that pesky matter of your budget. Logistics become even more critically important if you have an extensive product line or sell products of differing sizes and weights. The more you customize your packaging, the higher you can expect your costs to go. 

Work with your third-party logistics provider to narrow down your packaging needs through a robust shipping strategy. If your audience cares more about what you sell than how you are packaging it, you can forgo some costly design elements. However, if the experience does matter, then the additional dollars could be worth it. 

Identify necessary boxing and infill requirements early to avoid costly storage and waste later.

If you’re trying to keep costs down, you won’t want to go overboard with your use of colors, your design’s intricacy, or custom made boxes.

Streamlining boxing or infill needs – fewer materials to brand or store – will also help keep your expenses under control. Of course, don’t forget that size and weight impact shipping and fulfillment costs. 

All of these elements carry an indirect impact on your design. Removing a single component to save money – whether its storage or shipping costs or to uncomplicate an unboxing process – may affect your overall scheme.

One tweak can lead to another and another. Be mindful of your needs and wants early on and strive to create a compelling and flexible design. 

Intangibles

There are also technical aspects of your design to keep in mind. You want your design to look good when it’s printed, so be sure to check that your file requirements will work with your print shop. If you’re unsure of the requirements needed, start chatting with custom print companies for some advice.

Work out your desired images beforehand. Account for placement and where and on what materials they’ll be used – corrugated box, tissue paper, plastic packaging? And how – black and white, color, large or small?

As noted, file types and box sizes might change as the material does.

Another piece of the packaging puzzle directly impacted by your design is your approach to labeling and inserts. The main focal points in both instances involve your copy. 

For labeling, it’s critical to set your packaging apart from others in the marketplace while fulfilling the need to inform your customers about your products or brand. Ensure you give the same attention to descriptions and instructions as you do to your brand, logo, and central messaging or themes.

Another aspect here is your shipping labels and packing lists or invoices. Though what goes on the outside of the box for shipping purposes is relatively straightforward, you can get creative with the necessary shipping details on the inside.  

In addition, inserts – freestanding pieces like coupons, promotions, thank you notes, or even freebies – should follow your design scheme if you want complete uniformity. However, it’s okay to break from consistency if you aim to draw attention to a cross-purchase, future product, or upcoming promotion.

Don’t sleep on your required copy, either. Some products will necessitate adding nutritional information, ingredients, expiration dates, safety warnings, governmental requirements, or industry or association specific verbiage. All this should play into your overall design as well, so that it is both well-conceived and accessible for your consumers.

In all cases that involve copy, write, edit, and lay it out exactly as you want it to appear long before it heads to the printer. Make sure that multiple stakeholders review and check your copy for any errors, typos, or false statements.

The Unboxing Experience

By this point, you might be wondering if excellent product packaging design is really that important. One needs only look at the popularity of product unboxing videos on social media to know the answer is yes.

More than that, though, great packaging is an opportunity to connect with customers and expand your brand. 

Certainly, selling people a standout product is your primary goal. However, giving them a standout experience is what will keep them coming back to your brand over and over. It also gives them a reason to extoll that experience to their friends and family.

Ultimately, any company can offer consumers a great product, whether purchased online or in a store. What truly separates great brands from the merely good or just okay ones is the overall experience they provide.

Get Designing

While it may seem overwhelming, developing great packaging is nothing to fear. Understanding the process is more than creating a nice logo, or picking the right size box puts you well ahead of others in your position.  

Take the time to contemplate how your packaging will enhance your brand, accentuate and protect your products, and impress your consumer base. 

Remember, it’s not one single element – the logo, colors, boxes, infill, or copy or images – that make beautiful product packaging. It’s all of them working together, in tandem, to create a one of a kind presentation and unboxing experience.

So what are you waiting for? 

Go ahead and have some fun with your design. 

Done right, your packaging may be something your customers remember as much as the actual product.

The post Beginner’s Guide to Box Design: How to Nail Packaging Box Design appeared first on Refine Packaging.

Savvy marketers know that social sharing is the way to go. And what better way to generate excitement about your products than to jump aboard the unboxing trend.

If you’re on social media at all, you’ve probably seen – or at least heard of – unboxing pictures and videos. Just check out these stats:

• Type in #unboxing on Instagram and over 700,000 posts pop up 
• Type in unboxing in YouTube’s search box and nearly 90 million results will display

Why is this so important? 

Because, unboxing videos are now part of the research consumers do before making a purchase. Viewers are anywhere from 64-85% more likely to buy after watching a product video.

And let’s take a look at the social sharing success some individual companies are enjoying:

• Type in Trunk Club unboxing on YouTube and nearly 60,000 results pop up.
• Ipsy unboxing will have 560,000 results spring up.
• Of course, both of these pale in comparison to iPhone’s 14,800,000 unboxing videos on YouTube.

There’s no denying that unboxing videos have become incredibly popular. But how do you make your products Instagram, YouTube, or Pin-Worthy? 

So just how do you make the biggest impact on customers, unboxers, and anyone else paying attention once a sale is made? How can you create a memorable unboxing experience for your brand?

It turns out it doesn’t just have to do with the actual product. 

It starts with the packaging.  

What is an Unboxing Experience?

First, it helps to understand just what exactly an unboxing experience means and why it’s so important to your customers.

The trends on YouTube and Instagram point to more than a fad. Unboxing videos are clearly growing in popularity. And they’re everywhere. They pop up on other social network platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok.

Basically, in its simplest definition, an unboxing is just that – a customer opening up and exploring a recent purchase they’ve made. Although many videos unbox items bought in a store, the vast majority center around buys made online.

In fact, product unboxing videos have become an integral part of the online buying experience. 

Whether it’s an influencer or enthusiastic shopper showing off their latest gets, or the communal experience shared by those watching, unboxing has extended the customer-brand relationship beyond the simple exchange of money and goods. 

Yes, there’s the element of living vicariously through others, but unboxing videos have a more practical appeal to those watching. They want to see those products in action.

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

More than just the thrill of watching someone open a purchase like it’s a gift on Christmas Day, a number of viewers use the presentation to discover new brands. Learn what to expect with a hot new product. Or gain a more visceral, pre-purchase experience with something they want to buy. 

There’s little doubt that the once niche genre of unboxing videos has gone mainstream. With the explosive growth of both ecommerce and social media, it’s only expected to grow more feverish. 

So how can you make the unboxing work in your favor? Let’s next take a look at how unboxing directly impacts your brand.

What Unboxing Means for Your Brand

Admittedly, it all sounds a bit crazy, right? People buy a product, record themselves opening said product, then post the result online for all the world to see.

The popularity of unboxing has certainly grown organically over the years from the earliest unwrapping videos of a coveted flip phone or Blackberry (remember those?) or folks showing off big-dollar TVs. 

Of course, electronics remain the star of the unboxing show, but nowadays, it’s everything from cosmetics to toys to clothes to food. Search hard enough, and you’ll find people unfurling the wrapping on a medicine bottle. Seriously. 

Any product in any segment is ideal for an unboxing.

What hasn’t changed, though, is the exposure these videos provide for the featured brand. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want free advertising?

When you consider the reach that a social site like YouTube possesses, the appeal to have a product unboxed by a loyal customer or influencer is apparent. 

2 billion monthly users. 90% of people aged 18 to 44 access the site regularly. Another 90% of general users claim to discover new brands or products on the site.

Exactly. And that’s just YouTube.

We can’t put it more bluntly, unboxing videos present your brand a massive opportunity in three very specific ways.

Build an Identity with Branded Packaging

First and foremost, your custom packaging, and by extension, unboxings, help your brand build its identity. 

It allows you a space in which to infuse your brand’s ideals, mission, and goals with a consumer. 

Sure, they might engage with you at your website or note an in-store display. However, few things can replace the hands-on feeling of flipping open a box and peeling back the layers of wrapping to discover what’s inside.

Is yours a luxury brand? A company that’s eco-friendly? Do you sell toys and a sense of whimsy for kids and adults alike? Is there a charitable cause that drives your brand’s ambitions? Or are you outdoorsy and athletic? Maybe it’s geeky with a pop-culture edge?

All of these ideals and imagery can be conveyed through your packaging. And it’s what shines through during the best unboxing videos.

If you’re having a hard time imagining the real power of your retail packaging, just consider some of the world’s most iconic brands.

Companies like Apple (sleek and modern), Tiffany & Co. (sophisticated and timeless), and Amazon (functional and straightforward) are known just as much for their packaging as they are the stuff they sell. Ditto for the Campbell Soup can or McDonald’s Happy Meal.

Think about it, you might own a smartphone from Samsung or Google, but we bet Apple’s custom packaging is the one you’d most likely recognize first.

And that’s what great, well thought out packaging does for your brand. It gets you noticed, helps tell your story, and demands more people pay attention.

Reach a Larger Audience Online

Speaking of attention, the real value of unboxing videos stems from their ability to reach large audiences or untapped segments of consumers.

Face it, regardless of how much market research you do to connect with your target audience, that exercise won’t reach everyone.

Why? Because you have a limited number of resources, which are mainly focused on touching your core audience. The people you know your products should appeal to.

That’s where a commitment to great packaging comes in to help extend those resources.

With unboxing videos, you never know who might be watching and what aspect of the unboxing experience might pique their interest. Always remember that regular consumers have a network of friends and connections who themselves have a network of friends and connections.

If an influencer gets a hold of one of your products and features within their sphere of connections, that reach expands even further.

And let us not fail to mention the value of a video going viral. Although most well-produced unboxing experience videos only reach a few hundred people (it’s a start, right), even better ones garner views in the thousands or tens of thousands.

Prolific influencers, such as YouTuber iJustine, draw millions of YouTube subscribers. She and other influencers like her produce unboxing videos that regularly top 500,000 to 1 million views over the course of a few months. 

These viral impressions can prove a colossal boost for any brand and a genuine shot in the arm for those wanting to connect with audiences beyond their current sphere of influence.

But it’s nearly impossible to do that unless you’ve got something that standouts and forces others to take notice. 

The point being is that you never know when your brand’s moment to shine might arrive. Your brand’s packaging always needs to be ready.

Drive Customer Loyalty with Great First Impressions

This might prove the most overlooked and undervalued aspect of packaging. And it plays a massive role in the popularity of unboxing videos.

First, the opportunity to make a standout first impression drives much of the initial brand-customer relationship. 

Most often, especially in ecommerce transactions, the first direct, physical interaction a brand has with its customers is when those customers open up their purchase.

Everything that comes after – both good and bad – is predicated on that first unfurling of packaging. Great custom packaging can set that exchange off on the right foot.

From there, if the impression is positive, your brand’s perceived value starts to rise with the consumer. Not only are they willing to pay for the product but also the experience your brand provides.

An excellent example of this comes from comparing two of our earlier brand examples – Tiffany & Co. and McDonald’s. 

Upon hearing those names, we bet you immediately figure we’re about to extoll the virtues of the former’s robin egg blue boxes and the latter’s Happy Meal. Well, that right there is already an indication of just how critical the right product packaging design can be.

Think about just how disparate those two brands are – one is luxury jewelry, and the other is fast food. Two completely different packages for two totally different segments. And yet they both manage to evoke equal amounts of joy and happiness in the individual who opens it. 

That is indeed why taking the time to carefully consider and curate your brand’s packaging matters. Not just for the impression it makes in unboxing videos but the impression it can create over time. 

Finally, that great initial impression and perceived value ultimately build into a consumer wanting to share that experience with others.

As we already touted when discussing reaching an audience, unboxers, are just itching to tell their friends and followers about the fabulous new thingamajig they bought or the life-altering encounter they had. And that’s regardless if they’re just regular consumers or full-time influencers.

Yes, they detail the bad experiences too. But that’s why it’s so vital to give your packaging the attention it deserves. 

The more time and effort you dedicate to getting it right, the more loyal and dedicated customer base you’re likely to build.

Really, Your Packaging Matters That Much

With online orders, you have fewer touchpoints to impress your customers than with a physical store. By contrast, in a physical store, most of your senses are involved in the shopping experience. 

In a physical store, your eyes see how the merchandise is displayed, your ears pick up the background music setting the mood, your nostrils are no doubt picking up various scents – perhaps perfume, or coffee, or something floral – and of course you’re able to physically touch all of the different textures in the store.

It’s difficult to replicate an in-store shopping experience in a box, but you still need to make an effort to engage your customers, especially for ecommerce packaging. So, try to appeal to their senses. 

Use textures to add a little glam to your custom packaging, or a piece of candy to keep it playful. And obviously you want your products to look good.  Make sure the contents of your box are thoughtfully arranged and not just casually tossed in there.

2. Personalize The Packaging Experience

Everyone likes to feel special and appreciated, so make a point of recognizing your customers.  

It can be as simple as using your customer’s name or acknowledging a prior order. If they’re a repeat customer, include a coupon offering discounts for future purchases.

Even before the physical package arrives, you can give your customers that personal touch.  Let them know the status of their order, like when it’s shipped or expected to be delivered. 

People appreciate communication and a simple email can help build up anticipation for the impending delivery.

3. Use Creative Branded Packaging

No one’s going to be excited about watching someone open a boring, no-frills package. Try making it unique so that it will stick in people’s minds. 

Start with an interesting, branded packaging design on the shipping box. You can have your logo printed on the box or use more affordable options, such as logo stickers, branded packing tape, or a logo stamp.

From there, don’t be afraid to kick things up a notch. Cosmetics brand Glossier employs recycled pink bubble wrap and a bevy of stickers to wow their clients through unique cosmetic packaging design to reinforce their brand identity.

Loot Crate, a subscription box brand for gamers and pop culture aficionados, specifically tailor their contents to a fan’s exacting standards. 

Beer Cartel, an online craft beer store based in Australia, has a beer advent calendar that is fridge friendly and allows fans to sample their favorite brews throughout the month of December.

Now, we get that might not be everyone’s cup, err, pint of tea. It does reinforce that for your branded packaging to make an impact, it should be tailored to your target audience.

Remember, it’s about the experience. 

You want to build up excitement and have the person doing the unboxing take their time. Try to make it gift-like. Don’t forget about fillers for protection and added style, so long as this fits within your chosen box size. Use fillers, such as foam inserts, paper sleeves, or tissue paper, which can add an extra level of excitement.

You can even give your customers tips for the perfect product unboxing experience.

But don’t go overboard. You don’t want your customers stuck with undue waste.

4. Include Freebies for Gift-Like Product Unboxing

Your customers will be excited if they open their package and find some unexpected goodies to start their packaging experience. And they don’t have to be big.

Try including some of these freebie items: 

• Product samples: Offer a discount on the full-size product, which can lead to future sales.
• Logo stickers or magnets: Someone may stick it on their laptop, or your kid may slap one on their skateboard. It all equals free advertising.
• A how-to book relevant to your product: If you’re selling plants, try including a slick booklet with growing tips.  

Including a small gift is an easy way to get some bang for your buck. Something as simple as a bookmark can go a long way. 

I recently ordered a book from an online bookstore, Wordery. Included was a bookmark with the company’s name and the hashtag #happyreading on the back.

Talk about clever advertising. I slipped the free bookmark into the book I’m reading and  now everytime I open the book, I catch a glimpse of the company’s logo – which keeps it front and center in my mind.  

5. Make It Easy-To-Open

Ever excitedly tear into your package to realize your long-awaited item is encased in heavy plastic that’s almost impossible to free, short of using the jaws of life? Yeah, me too. And let me tell you, the product was almost not worth the frustration of opening it. 

No one wants to watch a video of someone having difficulty opening their package.  

Potential customers will likely think twice before placing an order. Your items need protection, but make a point of using easy-to-open custom boxes. 

Mailer boxes, which are often used for subscription boxes, offer good protection, a branded design, and are easy to open. Carton boxes are typically used for most items you’re familiar with, including everything from toothpaste or cereal. More robust packaging often ships in corrugated boxes.

6. Get People To Share

Some people may not think to post their unboxing pic or video, but maybe you can convince them with a little encouragement.  

Try using hashtags to promote social media sharing for your products and packaging, or put social media URLs on your box to get the conversation started. You could even try offering giveaways to build up hype for branded hashtags. 

Find Packaging Design Inspiration and Get Creative

First, we suggest returning to that YouTube search and watching some of the more popular unboxing videos. Take note of what works, what doesn’t, and what certain brands do to stand out.

Pay particular attention to the everyday consumer and their reactions as they go through the unboxing process (influencers too, but recognize they are often paid or rewarded for their enthusiasm).

Notice spots where certain types of packaging might trip them up during the experience. What colors and schemes shine through, and which ones might give off a less than a stellar vibe.

Beyond the videos, though, research great custom packaging in general. Inspiration for great packaging is everywhere. We touched on some prominent big-name companies early on but also looked at a few smaller brands too. 

Discover what excites you when you place an order and open the box up. 

Do any of your competitors invoke strong feelings with their customers? Good or bad? If so, what do they get right and get wrong? How can you improve your own standing or take advantage of where they might fall short?

These are all questions to ask and research as your work to develop your packaging (and, for that matter, your brand identity).

Here are a couple more ways to take some initiative in your packaging to get your products unboxed and have people take notice.

Promote Brand Awareness

Earlier, we highlighted how packaging could help you build your brand’s identity. But it takes plenty of leg work to craft that identity and get people to pay attention.

As we mentioned, to excite interest in your products, your packaging design needs to reflect your brand and values. Sure, your logo should be present, and custom colors represented in your packaging, but promoting your brand goes further than that.  

It also helps customers to know that there are real people behind the brand. So, include some information on how your products are developed, or share your story.  

Take, for instance, Annie’s. On the back of their mac and cheese boxes, they have a little blurb telling how, when they first started out, the founders hand-addressed every mail-ordered case and drove them to the local post office in their two-door Volkswagen. Stories like this make it easier to relate to a company.

Another way to pump up your brand recognition is to grab the attention of an influencer.  

Recall that influencers have large audiences. Some of the most sought after have a massive reach. An unboxing would get your product in front of a lot of eyes. You may get lucky, and an influencer discovers your product on their own, but more than likely, you’ll have to seek them out.  

Keep in mind, the influencer may not be familiar with your product, so include an explanation, some product photos, or a media kit. And a small gift for their time will no doubt be appreciated.

Do It Yourself

One final note that goes beyond your packaging is for your brand to create its own unboxing experience videos. That’s right, you can do it yourself.

In fact, a number of brands are choosing to capitalize on unboxing video’s popularity without waiting for enthusiastic consumers to create their own. 

Whether it’s through a partnership with the right influencer or producing something in-house, you can build entire campaigns around your brand’s packaging and unboxing experience.

Numerous big-name companies have already found great success in doing so. Names like Apple, McDonald’s, Nike, Samsung, and Walmart all have proven successful in crafting viral unboxing campaigns.

The best part is that you can tailor these videos specifically to your brand’s needs. 

Want to feature a new product? Unbox it. Highlight upcoming promotions? Center them around an unboxing. Explore how a product works or its features and benefits? Yep, you guessed it, make it an unboxing experience.

Ultimately, your custom boxes or packaging is just one step in the overall brand experience you create for your customers. If you’ve got great designs, an enjoyable experience, and want to show it all off, don’t wait for someone else to do it.

Unbox Away!

Unboxing videos are a great way to generate buzz about your products. You can even use customer’s unboxing videos for your own marketing. 

The great thing is that your packaging is merely the jumping-off point for what an unboxing video might lead to down the road. Brand recognition. Free exposure. Untapped audiences. Loyal customers. Viral videos. More sales.

That last one sounds particularly good, doesn’t it?

But you have to get noticed first. 

So take some time to consider the details of your custom packaging that will get people excited to share their unboxing experiences with the world.

The post Master The Unboxing Experience: The Beginner’s Ultimate Guide appeared first on Refine Packaging.

That’s up from $453 billion just 4 years earlier. Suffice it to say, packages are being dropped off on front porches at an astonishing rate.

As a retailer, you want your product packages to stand out and get noticed.

A boring brown box isn’t going to cut it anymore. With all of the competition out there, customers are taking notice of something that used to be considered a mundane practicality—the packaging of products.

With an online order, your customers have fewer opportunities than in a physical store to interact with your brand, product, and service. So, you really have to impress with your shipping box and all the added elements inside.

It boils down to your customers wanting an experience that makes them feel special.

So inject a little glamour, some mystery, or maybe some irreverent humor into your packaging. The key is to make it a memorable unboxing experience for your customers.

Here are 7 ways to get your packaging noticed:

#1: Start With Your Box

Simple as it sounds, it really does all start with the box.

Your shipping box is not just a way to get your merchandise to your customer, but it’s a way to promote your overall brand experience. Do it right and your customers will take notice.

Begin with the outer packaging. Your shipping box is your workhorse – It has a practical purpose and needs to be sturdy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it.  Try using the sides of your box to add some eye-catching graphics or clever copy.

There are plenty of options when it comes to customizing your packaging. I’ve written a step-by-step guide to custom boxes and branded packaging, so go read that article for more details on getting started. I’ll keep it brief here.

You can digitally print your design or logo directly on the box, or you can choose less expensive options too. Options include custom stamps, where you can add your logo or other style elements to any size box, or roller stamps that make it look like your box is covered in ribbons.

Shop Popular Products

Custom Mailer Boxes with Logo

Learn More

Soap Boxes

Learn More

Custom Vape Cartridge Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Hair Extension Boxes

Learn More

CBD Boxes

Learn More

Candle Boxes

Learn More

Pillow Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Eyelash Boxes

Learn More

Custom Cardboard Boxes & Cardboard Packaging

Learn More

Custom Printed Product Boxes for Retail

Learn More

Wholesale Lip Gloss Boxes

Learn More

Custom-Made Lip Balm Packaging Boxes

Learn More

CBD Display Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Bath Bomb Boxes

Learn More

Custom Collapsible Boxes

Learn More

Kraft Boxes

Learn More

Custom Printed Medicine Packaging Boxes

Learn More

Custom Hanger Boxes

Learn More

#2: Promote Your Brand

No matter what business you’re in – whether you’re selling high-end cosmetics, computer parts, kid’s apparel, or discount mattresses – you want people to remember your brand. Branded packaging is a great way to reinforce your brand image.

There are many options to include your logo, at all price points. Logo-printing options include simple logo placement on one side, or a design covering all sides, like Trunk Club uses for their packaging. You can go with custom retail boxes, stickers, ribbons, gloss, custom tape and much more.

The point is to get your brand front and center.

#3 Make Your Packaging Personal

 

It depends on what you’re selling, but you want to tailor the overall shopping experience to your ideal customer. Figure out who your ideal customer is, by asking yourself questions like:

• How old are they?
• Where do they live?
• What are their values?

You want to try to replicate a real-life shopping experience with your packaging. No matter if it’s a ten dollar order, or one worth several thousand dollars, you want to make it feel personal.

A recent study by Epsilon, found that 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer a personal experience. Some people may expect a little pampering when they interact with a brand.

Take a store like Design Within Reach, for example, which is a high-end modern furniture store. When I recently visited their showroom, I was offered a bottle of water as I entered. This is a store that sells $6,000 tables (something I’m not in the market for, but they don’t know that). The bottle of water probably cost less than a quarter, but this small gesture made me feel welcomed and encouraged me to take my time exploring their store.

Now obviously, you’re not going to send your customers a bottle of water with their online order, but you can still make them feel acknowledged.

It’s important to include some sort of personal greeting with your orders. This can be as simple as a handwritten thank you note, or even writing a quick greeting with the customer’s name inside the box flap.

You can also offer tailored discounts that reflect your customer’s previous purchases to promote customer loyalty.  A study by LoyaltyOne found that 76% of customers thought that receiving personalized discount offers based on their purchase history was important.

#4: Use Killer Design Elements

The design elements of your box and other packaging materials can really set you apart from the crowd.

Use colors and pattern – but not too much. Patterns can be used as a branding element, either on the outside of the box, or inside on tissue paper or paper wraps. You can try a custom pattern, or something timeless like polka dots or stripes. Some companies cover the entire box in a wrapping paper-like pattern to make it look like a gift.

Colors are another great way to reflect your brand. Think of the vibrant orange packaging that just screams Shutterfly, or the sophisticated robin egg blue color that lets everyone know their gift box is from Tiffany & Co.

Consider fonts in your box design process. You want something easy to read, but with some style. Placement and proportion are important elements. You don’t want your customer straining to read undersized writing, or trying to decipher an overly ornate font.

The inner fill that protects the product and holds it in place is also part of the overall experience, so you want to use consistent brand colors throughout your packaging – whether it’s tissue paper, ribbons or merchandise bags.

Using design elements that reflect your brand is fun, but don’t go overboard. Be sure to leave some white space. Too much color and too many graphics and fonts can overwhelm your packaging and be perceived as unsophisticated.

If done right, your customers may even save your box to store other items. This will serve as a reminder of your company long after the package is opened.

#5: Make it Social and Fun

 

People love to share, so make it easy for them.

Take Kylie Cosmetics, for example. Their cosmetic boxes for the brand’s lipstick boxes and eyeshadow packaging is oozing with sharability. Encourage your customers to share their shopping experience on social media by adding social media handles, QR codes, or hashtags to your packaging.

You can’t beat the free advertising that comes from a happy customer excitedly sharing your product on their social media channels. And word of mouth sharing is arguably the most powerful form of marketing. So hop to it.

#6: Include Little Extras

It’s undeniable. People love getting free stuff. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant.

So, in your beautiful product box, throw in a few little extras. Here are some things to consider:

• Product samples
• A publication with relevant articles
• Stickers
• Magnets
• Bookmarks
• Candy

You might also want to include a review request – with a thank you note, of course. You can even incentivize your request by giving your customers a chance to win a gift card by submitting a review.

#7: Keep in Mind the Overall Experience

No one wants to receive broken or missing merchandise.

Who knows what happens to your carefully-packed package when it leaves your hands?

It may be casually flung onto a conveyor belt, or have heavy boxes piled on top. You need a strong box to protect whatever’s inside. You may also want to consider using tamper-evident barriers, to further protect your goods.

And, finally. After your customer has excitedly ripped open your package, you don’t want to leave them stuck with getting rid of extraneous packaging. Make it easy for them to dispose of by using recyclable or biodegradable materials.

Conclusion

Traditional retail and eCommerce competition is tight.

To get an edge up, you need to pump up the presentation of your product.

Unique packaging is a great way to make a memorable experience for your customers – and keep them coming back for more.

The post 7 Affordable Ways to Make Your Product Packaging Pop appeared first on Refine Packaging.