Are you meant to judge a book by its cover? The answer is no! This is obvious in the type of custom packaging for small businesses.
Time and time again, life has shown us that things are never what they seem. But, as a business, should you rely on this philosophy? The fact that you think values should be sought in the products you offer does not mean your target consumers will not judge your product on its gift packaging boxes!
Branding and product identification are two things that go hand in hand. It also goes beyond having a useful product that can impact consumers. Your product branding says a lot about your business and brand.
If you want to catch the attention of customers (know more), your brand is an essential factor. If you’re going to increase customer interaction, your brand is also essential to achieve this.
Let us take a look at statistics:
“Over 40% of shoppers have said they are likely to purchase a product based on its custom packaging boxes”.
What does this stat mean for you as a small business? Well, for one the loyalty you want from a customer has to be sealed on the first try. Most consumers develop loyalty to a brand based on their first purchase. If the packaging you offer is not as good as the product, your chances of gaining the loyalty reduce.
As a small business, the scales are high and the margins tighter. If you are struggling to get a hold over more prominent companies, it is crucial that you get it right the first time. Before deciding on what your type of custom packaging for small businesses should look like, ask yourself these questions:
Questions Every Small Business Owner Should Have Answers For
- Can your product be distinguished from others like it?
- Does the packaging use adequately represent your brand?
A lot of organizations and industries know the importance of branding, but not all of them understand how branding gives an identity to a brand’s products. We discuss it below:
How Does Gift Packaging Boxes Contribute to Product Identification?
Is there a way a brand’s packaging contributes to how its customers identify it? Yes, there is a direct correlation. Companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Apple and a host of other top companies have proven it time and time again.
A survey revealed that “Over 50% of consumers are likely to identify products of the Big 100 companies in the world without the presence of a logo”.
Place a sample of any of these products without their name or logo on it and watch as consumers identify them without it — precisely the type of product identification you should want for your brand. The only way to achieve it is by putting a lot of thought into the gift packaging boxes.
Read below on how packaging contributes to product identification:
Creates a noticeable appearance
One thing a brand is known for before anything else is its packaging. That means your packaging needs to have a classic appearance. It should correlate well with the ideology you want to pass across.
If your package is placed on a shelf with several others, your target customers should be able to identify it. That is how good packaging works. Packaging attracts customers to your company.
There is no excuse for companies to have dull packaging as the techniques and methods presented on the market are more than capable of creating different packages for every brand. The modern-day customer is very much a fan of looks the same way it is a fan of value. The chances of a customer being drawn to your product tie into what your packaging looks like.
Therefore, with the amount of time and effort you pull into product research and getting informed about your customer base, the same should be put into your packaging.
Separates you from the rest
Any brand can use dull brown gift packaging boxes. But, this does not do any good for them as it just lumps them in with several other companies doing the same. There is no brand distinction present, and as a result, your business can lose the chance to prove to customers that it is different.
However, if you take extra care in working on what you want packages to look like when customers come in contact with them, the outlook of the customer changes. The customer appreciates the effort and starts to look upon your company as a reliable brand. Since your packaging is different, they also become curious about what it is your company has to offer.
The curiosity leads them to look more into your company or purchase your product to find out what the contents are. Once they check the contents and are satisfied, they are transformed into customers, and they become loyal. How did all this happen? The answer is your unique package branding!
With the type of custom packaging boxes, your brand has a unique identifier. There is no chance of being mistaken for another company. Your image also can be developed into what you want it to be without other companies interfering in this just by looking similar to your package.
What Should Good Custom Packaging for Boxes Have?
Join Form and Function Together
One thing you should never do for custom packaging boxes is to sacrifice practicality for aesthetic purposes. The packaging of a product needs to provide sufficient protection for the contents within. Big boxes are what secure products through logistics and shipping.
However, this does not mean these boxes cannot be interesting to look at. For small business owners, you have more control over what consumers view your product has and how they engage with it. The custom packaging for small businesses you opt for should serve as an extension for the identity you want to portray.
Every aspect of the packaging from the logo, font, color, size, etc. should represent your brand and also make customers believe that your products provide a solution to their needs. Also, you can decide to use packaging as more than a protection tool for your product. It can also be your marketing tool.
Take a look at companies in the food industry; their packaging not only serves a practical purpose but also advertises their services. MacDonald’s offers boxes in which burgers and fries are packaged in. These boxes also have the logo of the fast-food giant on it — an excellent example of form and function interacting well together.
Cost-Effective Marketing
For small businesses, cost needs to be managed efficiently. Therefore, important aspects like marketing might take a hit. However, marketing is critical in creating awareness of your brand. So, it becomes very tricky to marry a cost-saving ideology with increasing brand awareness.
Luckily, the types of custom packaging for small businesses is a suitable alternative. Innovative packaging can do the marketing for you. All the advertising and buzz for your enterprise becomes affordable with the right packaging choice. The good thing is your products are also protected.
If you go about package branding the right way, you may not have to be the one doing the marketing for yourself. When customers are impressed by the packaging, they can share it with their community thereby increasing your brand’s influence.
For custom packaging, you do not have to break the bank. It is quite affordable, and it helps increase the profile of your brand. You get a better return on investment for good custom packaging.
Be Imaginative
Ever heard the saying “the devil is in the detail?”
Organizations understand the significance of this saying as most of them have been a victim to not paying close attention to the little things. As a small business, there is no room for mistakes. The details do matter!
Consumers are more likely to interact more with creative and personalized packaging better than generic, dull ones. So, before rolling out your products, first, consider what it is your organization can do to make the products more appealing. The type of packaging you decide upon should be a fall out of the product you are offering.
Try to test different styles, materials, and shapes. Your packaging does not have to be cardboard; it is called different types of custom packaging boxes for the reason that you can design what you want.
Why Should You Care About Branding Gift Packaging Boxes?
The quick answer to this question is because your customers do!
Branding is vital as it tells your customers that you are not just pushing any random product for them to buy. It is a reflection that you care about what is sold to them. The packaging of your product is the first experience a customer has with your products.
Once they connect with the package and then the product, your ability to give them a fulfilling customer experience over their constant purchases is secured.
Stat: “It has been revealed that over 48% of consumers confirm that the brand of a product is what determines their loyalty”.
Forty-eight percent is almost half of your likely customers. So, that tells you a lot about what you should do for your branding.
Does Branding Matter for Gift Packaging Boxes?
Of course, it does!
Branding is more than just making your product look beautiful in the gift packaging boxes on the shelf. It has two roles in one. One of them is to make your customers continue to remember you while the other is to increase the awareness of your brand.
The more consumers relate with a brand and its logo, the higher the chances of recurring in their minds. Still not convinced? Look at the stat:
“Over 78% of customers have the belief that those who dedicate effort to create custom packaging for small businesses are more reliable than the brands who do not.”
In the modern world, content is king. Can your branding/packaging contribute to your content? Yes!
Anything which you place your name on is part of your content. When you tie this into your brand, nothing else is as important as the brand reputation. Put all this together when creating a packaging box and watch how you win the trust of customers for this.
How to Make Branding Work for You
Before opening your small business, did you consider the value you would be bringing to customers?
You do not open the business just for the sake of it. There must be a purpose behind it and an identified target base to push this purpose. Only with that can you be different from every other company out there.
It is with this difference that you can go ahead to create a brand. You have to seriously think about your purpose as this is the only reason why a customer will choose you over the next business. One important thing to understand is that you only have one chance to impress a customer as a new business. Use that chance to set yourself apart from the norm.
Only a smart company would take every opportunity available to impress. Your custom packaging boxes are what helps with your brand. We are beyond the days of plain brown boxes being enough to deliver a product. The boxes already have a blank canvas that you can play on. Get yourself a good company that can imprint your idea on the box to make it feasible.
Conclusion
Product identification on its own is broad in terms of areas it covers. It includes information labeling, product protection, and product traceability. The increase in competition in the world’s markets affects the ability of a product to maintain its integrity. It is the little things such as packaging that helps ensure a brand can separate itself from other competitors.
It then becomes essential that small businesses get the type of custom packaging boxes to make products identifiable from a crowd. Carrying out this activity, in turn, increases the awareness customers develop about a product. If you have any demand for custom packaging for small businesses, welcome to inquire us at Zigpac.
