The process of getting started with custom packaging can be broken down into a few simple steps and categories. The first requirement, however, is to understand the benefits of custom packaging, and how it boosts your brand’s success in the unboxing process and product launches. After all, if you’ve got a superior product, why is the package so important, beyond the need to protect and contain?
There’s a saying that says we eat with our eyes (or maybe nose) first. In other words, before we take something in, we experience it through our senses. The same can be said of a product within a package. It’s the container the customer experiences first. This interaction offers tremendous opportunity to support and promote your brand. Let’s get started!
One of the most fundamental choices in establishing brand identity has to do with color. The study of color theory goes deep, but essentially, the choices you make around colors—and their application—profoundly impact how your brand is perceived. Marketers pay attention to how color affects customers’ emotional responses. Many people, for example, associate red with power and energy. Green signifies nature, along with qualities such as generosity and prosperity. That said, no hard and fast rules apply.
Custom packaging puts your brand colors to good use. Color can support a specific vibe or do the practical work of indicating a product category. Print-on-demand printing techniques offer plenty of flexibility, allowing for variation while maintaining the flavor of your brand. Color systems such as CMYK, used in digital printing, make it easy to employ multiple colors as well as photographs. Plus, with no print plates and less required pre-print activity, digital printing often costs far less than traditional analog printing.
In the print world, choices for fonts (or typeface) number in the thousands, and new fonts crop up all the time. Font style is not something most of us think about until it comes to the messaging for our brand and products. Then, suddenly, it’s massively important—but where does one begin?
For shipping, readability is non-negotiable. In fact, the ADA has specific guidelines, as does the FDA and USPS. However, beyond basic accessibility, choices abound. Font operates a little like color in that different designs inspire different reactions. Spend some time with available fonts to get an idea of which styles best communicate your brand. Alternatively, you can work with a designer to create something new and exciting.
While style and brand consistency are certainly important, custom packaging can do more than just show up looking pretty. Custom packaging elements that increase the perceived value and efficiency of your box include:
Custom packaging makes it easy to optimize efficiency and create opportunities with value-adds.
Ready to tackle custom packaging? Start by creating a checklist of leading questions to ensure your ideas can become reality!
At BeBoxing, we’re here to make sure the custom packaging you choose checks all the boxes. We produce packaging that protects your product while promoting your brand in your own unique voice. Get in touch to level up to custom packaging today.