5 Techniques to Boost Brand Recall with Customized Packaging

What are the Benefits of Customized Packaging?

Customization of any product helps create a unique user experience. Packaging is no different. Developing customized packaging gives businesses the advantages that are tied to functional as well as aesthetic aspects of the packaging. Here’s a look at some of the merits of using customized packaging for your business.

Customized Packaging is Tailor Made to Fit Your Product

One of the most significant perks of customized packaging is that it is designed to contain your product perfectly. Details such as size, material, volume etc. are characteristics that are taken into consideration while developing the packaging. The advantages of using made to measure packaging as opposed to off the shelf packaging are many. Here are some to name a few -

1. It optimizes the packaging material used thus saving on costs. It also reduces wastage.
2. The product fits into the package correctly thereby minimizing the need for additional packaging material such as padding or void fills.
3. It ensures that there is minimal movement of the product in the package thereby ensuring that there is no damage during transportation.

Customized Packaging Provides for an Additional Branding Channel

Apart from the obvious functional need of the product fitting into the packaging properly, custom packaging also provides an additional means of branding. As opposed to advertisements, a package is a tangible object that can be touched and experienced by a customer and is instrumental in forming a brand perception. Receiving a product in a branded box with a customized note along with the product will provide an enhanced user experience as opposed to receiving a brown box with just the product. What’s more? This additional channel comes at a very low cost and a wider audience has visibility to it due to the nature of its outreach.

Customized Packaging Provides an Enhanced User Experience  

The idea of providing a customized box closely resonates with the Kano Model which emphasizes the relationship between the product and customer satisfaction. Imagine if you were to order shoes online and receive it in a simple cardboard box. Now imagine that you were to receive the same order in a customized box with vibrant colors, a quote about fashion on the inside of the box, and a personalized note addressed to you. Which would you prefer? The answer to this is very obvious and that’s exactly the point I’m trying to drive home. This first option is the basic expectation that a customer has while receiving the product. The second option, on the other hand, is above the customer’s expectation and creates an aha moment.  An enhanced user experience due to branded packaging facilitates top of mind awareness which is highly beneficial from a growth and longevity perspective.

Watch a Short Video on Customized Packaging

Let's take a look at the 5 different ways in which you can customize your packaging to fit your requirements and use it as a perfect medium for branding.

#1 - Customized Boxes  

The most cost-intensive of the loT, customized boxes are a great tool while taking the customization route for your packaging. Boxes can be customized in a number of different ways depending on your budget. Here are some box packaging design ideas you can explore to add that extra zing to your product packaging

• Experiment with the material of the box. Cardboard is the standard for primary packaging boxes. The firmness and rigidity of the box can be improved with micro-flute corrugation instead.

• Color and finish is another area which can be customized to differentiate the packaging from the clutter leading to brand recognition. You can choose colors based on the appeal you want to associate with the brand. For example, a lot of brands use black boxes with a matte finish to give their packaging a luxury appeal.

• Shape and size of the box can be tailor-made to accommodate the product accurately. This not only helps save costs, but it also contributes towards reducing wastage of packaging raw material and ensures that the product is not damaged during transportation due to movement inside the box.

‍

Customized Boxes

• Boxes can also be designed bearing in mind a certain theme. For example during festivals, boxes can have designs associated with the festival. Text can also be incorporated into the design to resonate with the brand image. Nike does the text customization beautifully with the box having only the logo and the tagline - “Just Do It”. Custom design need not be restricted to the external surface of the box. Insides of the box can also be customized with color, design or text.

• Using corrugated inserts for customized boxes is a great means of customization and is a good mixture of function and visual experience. Most commonly used example of corrugated inserts is a mobile phone box which is used to eliminate the product from moving inside the box thus reducing the chances of damage to a bare minimum.

Managing the extra space in box packaging

In spite of all the detailed requirements shared at the time of procurement, boxes can be oversized. This could either be done deliberately to maintain the integrity of the product or could be a result of an error in the procurement cycle. In either case, the issue can be resolved using void fills. However, having boxes that are way too oversized is not desirable and should be avoided. This not only increases costs for the basic packaging but also involves additional cost on the void fill.

#2 - Customized Mailer Bags  

A low-cost version for customized boxes is customized mailer bags. This form of packaging can be used by businesses that sell non-fragile products or have sufficient protection around them before being put into the bag. For example clothes, electronic products like mouse or pen drives can be packaged using mailer bags. On the other hand, products like handbags, glass products etc. are prone to damage if packaged in mailer bags. Similar to boxes, customized mailer bags can have the company logo, tagline, text, color, or design incorporated on the bag. Mailer bags come in two types - polyethylene mailers & kraft paper mailers. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two and which of the two should be used based on the situation.

Polyethylene Mailers

Polyethylene mailers are also called as courier bags. The polyethylene used to manufacture the product makes it durable for long distances and resistant to water. It can be used for a variety of products like clothes, books, earphones etc. One interesting feature of poly mailers is that is can be designed to be returnable with a built-in second strip. This makes it ideal for eCommerce companies that usually anticipate product returns.

Kraft Paper Mailers

Due to being made with paper, kraft mailer bags give a more sophisticated & professional appeal. It doesn’t crease or gather easily which makes any branding on it prominent as opposed to courier bags. Another feature that makes kraft mailers popular is that they are easily recyclable owing to their material. Kraft paper mailers are mostly used for products like documents, office supplies, pharmaceuticals etc. and can further be classified into two types - flexible kraft mailers and rigid kraft mailers

Bubble Mailers or Padded Mailers

Both poly mailers and kraft mailers can be lined with an extra layer of support to protect the product inside it from damage. This lining is usually made with a cushion of bubble sheet.

#3 - Customized Rubber Stamps  

If customizing the product box is not an option, you could also consider employing customization with a rubber stamp. The stamp could be your company logo, or tagline or anything else that signifies your brand and can be used on plain white or brown boxes. It also happens to be one of the most economical ways to customize your packaging with the only investment required is that on the customized rubber stamp starting at Rs. 300. Also, you do not need to restrict the use of rubber stamps to customize boxes. Rubber stamps can be used to customize mailer bags or drawstring bags as well.

#4 - Customized Stickers  

Similar to rubber stamps, customized stickers can be used as a low-cost substitute for customized packaging. The advantage of customizing packaging with stickers over stamps is that they’re waterproof and graphically richer making it more visible on the package. Due to the aspect of having it printed as per your design and color requirements, it can be used to add an element of fun to the packaging. For example, a simple yellow smiley can be used on a plain box to make it engaging for customers. On the price front, stickers are more expensive than rubber stamps. Each printed sticker starts at approx. ₹3 and the price may vary depending on minimum order quantity.

#5 - Customized Adhesive Tape  

Adhesive tapes are a good blend of form and function. While it serves the primary purpose of sealing boxes, it can also be used to add the element of customization. Since it is a popularly used customization method, it doesn’t need a lot of detailing in terms of procurement and can be sourced easily compared to the others. The most popular method of customizing these tapes is by printing the logo all along the tape. You can find this customization on deliveries made by most eCommerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart these days. Packaging tape commonly used for packaging comes in two types - paper and polypropylene (BOPP) and can cost anywhere between ₹25 - ₹40. The cost may vary depending on the length & width of the tape as well as minimum order quantity.

‍One thing to look out for while creating customized packaging

Customization in its literal sense means a modification made to something to suit a particular individual or task. This means that any customized packaging can be used only by the organization for which it was created. Unlike off the shelf products, a slight deviation from the required customization would render the product useless. Hence, the requirement specification for customized packaging is a very important part of the procurement process. In the case of boxes, along with the design, getting box dimensions right is also extremely important. A little too small and the product won’t fit. A little too large and the packaging cost will go up. Also, there is a high likelihood of the product getting damaged in an oversized box during transportation. The bottom line is, be crystal clear while deciding and communicating the design, color, size, shape, form, and material for your customized packaging to make this an efficient and cost-effective activity. To ensure an error-free delivery, you need to work closely with your manufacturing partner during the prepress phase to make sure that the box fits your specifications perfectly.Still not sure if customized packaging is profitable or not?

Read How is Custom Packaging Market Changing the Packaging Industry?