Branding and Packaging: Why It’s Important for Your Business

As a company, you place a ton of importance on your products. But have you ever considered the importance of packaging? This business component is more important than you’d think. 

But don’t just take our word for it, here’s why packaging is important for your business: 

Branding and Packaging: Why It’s Important for Your Business?

Packaging is incredibly important for your business as it serves a variety of different purposes — some of which you’ve likely never considered before. 

1. Packaging Tells Customers About Your Product

First of all, packaging tells customers a lot of information about your product through both pictures and text. 

Think about it…you would never put your product in a plain cardboard box and expect people to buy it off the shelf. This plain cardboard box provides no information about what the product is, what it does, and why people should buy it. 

All of this can be portrayed with your packaging. For starters, it could show customers what they’re getting inside by using clear packaging or putting pictures of the product on the packaging. 

You also need to show what the product does — either through more visuals or with a description. Finally, you can include information about ingredients, components, directions, etc. 

2. Packaging Tells Customers About Your Company

Packaging not only tells customers about your product, but it also tells them about your company, albeit in a more subtle way. 

You can actually say a lot about your company with your packaging. For example, if you use expensive and high-end packaging, you’re communicating that you’re a high-end brand. If you use fun and unique packaging, you’re communicating that you represent those characteristics as a brand. 

Another thing that you can communicate about your brand with your packaging relates to your commitment to the environment. Surveys have indicated that consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment and are looking to support brands that are doing their part. 

By using environmentally-friendly packaging, you can communicate that your brand shares this value with a majority of consumers. 

3. It Helps Your Product Stand Out

The plain box packaging method definitely wouldn’t help your products stand out on a crowded retail shelf. Instead, you need eye-catching packaging that stops people in their tracks and makes them want to learn more. 

One way to do this is through color. While you can effectively use neutral colors like blacks, whites, and grays in packaging, they aren’t very exciting. If you want your products to stand out, you should consider using bright colors like yellow, orange, red, pink, etc. 

Another way to help your packaging stand out is through shape. Most products are packaged in conventional shapes like squares and rectangles. If you want to take your packaging game to the next level, consider uncommon and fun shapes like stars, hearts, circles, triangles, diamonds, etc. 

4. Your Packaging Develops Brand Recognition

When done right, packaging can also help develop brand recognition which should be a goal of every company. This is because most consumers are hesitant to buy from brands they’ve never heard of before and know nothing about. 

However, if you’re able to build brand awareness through marketing and brand recognition through packaging, people will immediately recognize your brand when they see your products on the shelf. 

When consumers recognize your product, they will feel more comfortable purchasing it since they know about the brand and the reputation attached to it. 

5. Packaging Protects Your Product

The most basic function of packaging is to protect the product to safely transport it from the manufacturer to the retailer and finally to the customer. At the same time, some products need more protection than others. 

For example, fragile, breakable, or expensive items need protective packaging. Alternatively, non-breakable items don’t require a lot of protective packaging. 

Take electronics, for example. If you’re purchasing a television, the odds are that it comes enclosed in a corrugated cardboard box with inserts, foam, and a casing to keep the product safe and intact. 

On the other hand, if you’re purchasing a toy, it’s likely that the packaging exposes most of the product and only secures it with twist ties or zip ties.  

6. Packaging Promotes Your Brand

Finally, packaging can help you promote your brand in several different ways. For example, suppose you’re not a retail company and are instead an eCommerce company. In that case, you may think packaging doesn’t matter since customers aren’t seeing it before deciding to purchase. However, your packaging can still promote your brand to anyone that sees it along the way — including neighbors, friends, even the mailman. 

On the other hand, if you are a retail company, packaging can help you reach more people than just a single customer. Say a customer is familiar with your product and places it in their cart before shopping around the rest of the store. Another customer notices the product in their cart based on the packaging and makes a mental note to check it out for themselves to learn more. 

How to Build Your Brand With Packaging?

So how can you build your brand with packaging? It’s easy when you follow these four steps: 

Step 1: Know Your Product

When you’re trying to develop the best packaging components and design, you first need to consider your actual products. Do your products need to be seen to be understood? Do your products need extra protection? Are your products a unique shape?

If your products need to be seen to be understood, you may want to consider clear plastic packaging rather than cardboard to showcase your products. If your products need extra protection, you may want to consider corrugated cardboard packaging with extra protective components such as product inserts or fillers. If your products are a unique shape, you may want to consider flexible plastic packaging or custom cardboard packaging. 

Step 2: Know Your Brand

The next thing you need to consider when trying to come up with the best packaging components and design is your brand. Are you a high-end brand selling expensive products, or are you an affordable brand selling affordable products? Are you a brand that cares about the environment? Are you a trendy brand, or are you a classic and traditional brand? 

If you’re a high-end brand selling expensive products, you may want to consider higher-end packaging like rigid cardboard boxes. On the other hand, if you’re an affordable brand selling lower-priced products, you may want to consider cheaper packaging like chipboard. 

If you’re a brand that cares about the environment, you should consider recyclable packaging components like corrugated cardboard and recycled paper filler. 

Step 3: Go With Custom Packaging

Based on what you’ve learned so far about choosing packaging, one packaging solution stands out: custom packaging. With custom packaging, you can design a solution that fits your unique products and your one-of-a-kind brand. For example, you can choose the type of packaging, the size, the quantity, and the printing. 

Step 4: Choose the Right Packaging Provider

Custom packaging could be the answer to all your packaging woes — but only if you choose the right provider. For starters, look for packaging providers that offer the products and services you’re looking for. From there, look for packaging providers that have extensive experience in the industry and a good reputation. 

BoxGenie is a custom packaging provider that makes it easier than ever for you to design the perfect packaging solutions. We offer a wide range of packaging products, including mailer boxes, one-piece folder boxes, shipping boxes, and triangle mailers. Each of these products is completely customizable in our design studio, wherein you can add your own fonts, colors, and graphics. 

If you don’t want to create your design from scratch, we also have pre-made design templates for you to browse through in our design showcase. And if you need any help along the way, you can always reach out to our packaging experts for advice that’s tailored based on your packaging needs, goals, and budget. 

BoxGenie is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of packaging and boxes with over 45 years of experience. Companies big and small have trusted us with their packaging needs, including brands like Bose, Black + Decker, and Canon. 

Final Thoughts on Branding and Packaging

With custom packaging, you can build your brand image, increase brand awareness, and  promote your brand. Reach out to BoxGenie today to get started. 

Sources:

Why Product Packaging Is Essential to Your Branding Strategy | CEO Today

5 Essential Things Your Product Packaging Must Have | BrandRefinery

7 Advantages of Using Eco-Friendly Packaging | Small Business Bonfire