ArkaBoxes 500

From Pick to Pack: Express Your Brand Every Step of the Way

The days of plain, boring, unimaginative packaging could be coming to an end. Consumers and retailers have had enough of using the same standard carton to ship everything from a toothbrush to a T-Rex. After all, no one looks at a dull, characterless brown package and thinks, “Oh, there’s something nice in here for me!”

The case against unimaginative packaging goes a bit further, too. We all know Amazon, the eCommerce retailer to beat all eCommerce retailers, uses predominantly brown packaging. As a smaller retailer, you need to stand out. If you use boring packaging, you’re lucky if your customer doesn’t subconsciously register the purchase as an Amazon order – the brain has strange ways of remembering things!

Having strong, branded custom packaging is so important for your brand in 2019. Good custom packaging can build brand recall. If we were to prompt you to remember the last thing you ordered at Starbucks, you likely see the distinct green logo in your head.

Good custom packaging can even make the process of unboxing fun. We all love opening a beautiful box – it really helps build the excitement around getting your hands on your latest purchase. Joyous unboxing experiences are also a huge trend on YouTube right now. This is a great opportunity to get people to share your products online with friends/fans.

Thinking of taking your custom packaging to the next level? Here are five ways to use your boxes to build a great customer experience – before the product even leaves its package!

1. Move away from just the logo

Just printing your logo on the side simply won’t cut it unless your logo itself is very elaborate in design. In fact, people are quickly attracted to an ‘inside joke’ – if you can think of fun quotes, comics, or images that your audience will soon associate with, use them. While not strictly an eCommerce example, Innocent drinks are an example of great packaging. One simply cannot resist reading the descriptions on these bottles.

Think of fun elements that can thoroughly express your brand style. If you have undergone a formal branding process, your design agency will give you potential design ideas for your packaging material.

2. Turn unboxing into an experience

If you aren’t making the most of unboxing, you’re missing out! Subscription boxes are a great example of how to do unboxing right. First up, the packages are usually full of fun elements to explore. Luxury retailers often use scented boxes or luxury motifs to help them stand out from the rest.

Inside the box, arrange products in the order in which you want your customer to explore them. It is also worth mentioning here that most standard packages today are designed for store shoppers or ease of transportation. While they are still important considerations, think about boxes in a design no one is familiar with. It’s sure to grab attention and be shared on social media.

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3. Include marketing materials

This may sound counterintuitive at first, but hear us out. Once your unboxing experience is in place, and you have impressed a customer with your product, be sure to include promotional material. A coupon code with a discount for future purchases almost always works. It’s a great way to reward their loyalty and keep them coming back.

Did we also mention that such promotion is one of the best value-for-money propositions in the advertising world today? Along with the packaging, print some promotional material. However, do not oversell – the last thing a customer wants is to see promotional material all over the place.

4. Engage even after the unboxing

Packaging doesn’t have to be discarded immediately, and Glossier has shown us proof of that. Every Glossier bag of beauty products comes with stickers that customers use to customize their beauty bag. They then go on to share pictures of these personalized bags on social media, giving the brand even more visibility.

Radically enough, Glossier has done something disruptive – they consider the bag and packaging to be a vital part of the product experience itself. For example, every store is decked up in brand themes and colors. This is somewhat similar.

5. Always start at the backend

Packaging brings with it a whole host of operational difficulties. Some shippers may refuse to ship products except in standard box sizes. It is worth looking for shipping partners who will carry smaller packages for you. After all, a big, generic box that covers all your efforts defeats the purpose entirely. Talk to your shipping partners to see what is possible and how you can reach consensus on packaging sizes. Then, bring a good designer on board and begin thinking of what would make your package stand out.

There are several companies out there that can help you out with your custom packaging. A company like Arka caters for businesses of all sizes – allowing you to order as little as ten boxes of a single type. You can custom design your own packages using their online tool – or leave the process entirely up to them! Use FULFILLRITE10 at checkout for a 10% discount!

You’ve done everything by the book. Your Kickstarter campaign is almost ready to launch.

You made a great product. Built an audience. Set up a campaign page.

But how do you ship it?

We put this checklist together to help you get started. It's free.