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At DHL we're experts in handling boxes, big and small. Did you know that the way you package your products can be turned into a huge opportunity for delivering your brand messaging ... before your customers have even laid eyes on the merchandise?
Give your packaging a real personality by matching it to your brand's visual identity. Think about the typeface, colors and finish of your brand's packaging – for maximum impact this should also include the outer courier box too. The emergence of subscription boxes and the massive growth of e-commerce has meant that the bar has been raised for boxing aesthetics – with clear and clever messages that will astonish your customers.
UNBOXING: A NEW TREND FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
'Unboxing' is when people film, and then share online, the act of opening a series of new purchases. The videos can feature everything from the latest smartphones to designer clothing, so that consumers can get a preview of the latest trends. Because of this new buzz surrounding the packaging of a product, brands have upped their game to get their products noticed online.
LOCALIZATION AND AUTHENTICITY
One way for your product packaging to stand out is to introduce localized designs. Consumers who identify with a particular region will be drawn to a product that they feel represents them well. Absolut Vodka executed this strategy to great effect when they commissioned local artists to illustrate their bottles with designs specific to their region.
Another contemporary trend is 'visual authenticity', where packaging features finishing touches such as handwritten labels and hand-drawn illustrations, rather than a polished, machine-rendered logo. And remember that whatever extras you're using, from metallic foils to printed ribbon and wax seals, you should align them to your product's parent branding.
Another contemporary trend is 'visual authenticity', where packaging features finishing touches such as handwritten labels and hand-drawn illustrations, rather than a polished, machine-rendered logo. And remember that whatever extras you're using, from metallic foils to printed ribbon and wax seals, you should align them to your product's parent branding.
PERSONAL MESSAGES GO A LONG WAY
Individual 'thank you' notes can make a real difference to customers' brand perception. Including a simple, handwritten note thanking your customer for choosing your brand humanizes it and makes your customers feel special. Pop the note in the box, along with the item – wrapped in delicate branded tissue paper – and seal with a 'you deserve this' sticker.
EMPTY SPACE? REDUCE PACKAGING SIZE
Nobody likes waste, so if your product is much smaller than the box it's in, make the packaging smaller. This can also help to protect your product, as empty space can cause the product to bounce around and get damaged before it even reaches the consumer – so make sure you get the basics of delivering a package safely and securely right.
ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGNS
A study published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies found that one-third of consumers – the largest consumer segment – thought that packaging obviously labeled as 'environmentally friendly' was the most important consideration for choosing one packaged product over another.
ANOTHER CONTEMPORARY TREND IS 'VISUAL AUTHENTICITY', WHERE PACKAGING FEATURES FINISHING TOUCHES SUCH AS HANDWRITTEN LABELS AND HAND-DRAWN ILLUSTRATIONS
SEASONAL SWITCHES
Each year, in the lead up to Christmas, Starbucks switch from their usual white coffee cups to red, when serving seasonal specials like the Gingerbread Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte. Seasonal swaps can help differentiate your product from your competitors', and Starbucks' red holiday cups lead the pack.
PERSONAL MESSAGES GO A LONG WAY
Individual 'thank you' notes can make a real difference to customers' brand perception. Including a simple, handwritten note thanking your customer for choosing your brand humanizes it and makes your customers feel special. Pop the note in the box, along with the item – wrapped in delicate branded tissue paper – and seal with a 'you deserve this' sticker.
EMPTY SPACE? REDUCE PACKAGING SIZE
Nobody likes waste, so if your product is much smaller than the box it's in, make the packaging smaller. This can also help to protect your product, as empty space can cause the product to bounce around and get damaged before it even reaches the consumer – so make sure you get the basics of delivering a package safely and securely right.
ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGNS
A study published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies found that one-third of consumers – the largest consumer segment – thought that packaging obviously labeled as 'environmentally friendly' was the most important consideration for choosing one packaged product over another.
SEASONAL SWITCHES
Each year, in the lead up to Christmas, Starbucks switch from their usual white coffee cups to red, when serving seasonal specials like the Gingerbread Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte. Seasonal swaps can help differentiate your product from your competitors', and Starbucks' red holiday cups lead the pack.
LARRY VS HARRY
The Copenhagen-based bike manufacturers, Larry vs Harry, go the extra mile when it comes to their packaging. Illustrator Kristian Eskild Jensen dreamed up a fantasy world for the delivery boxes, incorporating well-known Danish characters and folkloric scenes into each large-scale marker pen drawing.
Larry vs Harry's owner Hans Fogh said, "We often receive pictures from customers who have used their Bullitt boxes to build playhouses and dens for their children. If they are saving the boxes and getting inventive with them anyway, we thought it would be nice to do something unique and original with the boxes."
95%
OF CUSTOMERS
Try to make the returns policy as hassle free as possible as, according to a survey by Shorr Packaging Corp, 95% of customers stated that they will do repeat business if the returns process is easy. Use your packaging to leave a lasting, positive impression of your brand.