{"id":7513,"date":"2020-08-07T08:27:06","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T08:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/?p=7513"},"modified":"2022-06-20T12:44:28","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T16:44:28","slug":"packaging-design-medium-you-forgot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/designbro.com\/blog\/inspiration\/packaging-design-medium-you-forgot\/","title":{"rendered":"Packaging: The design medium you forgot existed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Think back. Way back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think back to the time you were a kid unwrapping gifts under the Christmas tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sheer excitement and anticipation – you saw the presents there with your name, you had no idea what you were getting, but you were so darn excited to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not, that\u2019s the same feeling you get when you see the humble Amazon box on your doorstep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you may have got a little older, and you know what you\u2019re getting, that Amazon box evokes similar emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it all begins when you recognize a famous logo<\/a> – the Amazon logo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branded packaging<\/a> is the gateway to inducing that emotion in your customers. And in this article, you\u2019ll see the role that custom packaging plays in building that emotion, as well as all the other branding options that a blank packaging canvas opens up for your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competitive advantage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buyers form an opinion of a brand in less than a second after seeing it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in the world of ecommerce (where sales are only increasing thanks to COVID), the first impression isn\u2019t when the customer lands on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For ecommerce brands, the first impression comes at the first physical touchpoint between your product and the customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s when they first get their order delivered in the mail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So it\u2019s easy to see the role that a well-branded mailer box<\/a> plays in making that initial impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, don\u2019t forget that your branding is much more than just a logo and a few colours. Your branding is the way you present yourself to the word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Branding is shown off in the form of your logo and your colour palette, yes, but it\u2019s also echoed in little things like the words you use, your unique selling points<\/a> and your attitude toward returns and refunds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using your packaging to remind your customer that buying from you was the right decision gives you a competitive advantage over competitors, by evoking emotion at the right time in the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online vs retail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The recent COVID-19 epidemic has changed our buying habits through sheer necessity. Fewer people are going into a retail store to buy and browse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only does this change the role that your ecommerce store plays, but it also changes the role that your packaging plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A well-designed box now has to play the part of an elegant retail store fit-out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While your retail packaging can still be used, secondary packaging in the form of mailer boxes is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A thin cardboard box is ok to be thrown in a retail bag and carried around a mall by your customer. However, the same box is not adequate for being thrown in the back of a delivery van and hauled across the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On that note, it\u2019s also important to consider that packaging isn\u2019t always <\/i>a simple box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the box<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cardboard tubes, mailing bags, tissue paper, envelopes – as a designer, you may be pleased to know that there\u2019s more to custom packaging than a simple box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take, for example, a fashion brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most textiles are durable, soft and can handle being thrown into the back of a van. Therefore a heavy corrugated cardboard box may be a little overkill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A custom mailing bag<\/a> protects its content from dirt, dust and water, but it\u2019s also lightweight and helps lower shipping costs – and completely customizable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So rather than opting for a heavy-duty box, a mailing bag would be the most cost-effective packaging solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"personalised<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To enhance the branding and the unboxing experience, custom tissue paper and branded tape are great extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It might not seem like might, but it\u2019s the little details like custom tape, no empty space inside the box and a little extra care that stand out to your customer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unboxing experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arguably, the best part of custom packaging is the unboxing experience and the potential for unboxing videos to be made from said products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, unboxing videos are some of the most popular videos on YouTube – It\u2019s estimated that influencer Unbox Therapy earns over USD4.4m per year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the unboxing video helps capture that \u2018Christmas day\u2019 excitement of experiencing something new for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So with unboxing videos playing such a critical role in brand awareness and marketing, it\u2019s easy to see why throwing your product in a plain box with a sticker isn\u2019t the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n