First impressions count; it is said it takes the average person 7 seconds to make up their mind based on a first impression. So, in reality, you have 7 seconds from when your packaging reaches its recipient to make your business stand out. But what impression can you make in 7 seconds?
Packaging is often the first impression people get of the quality of your business, especially if you are primarily an e-commerce site. Think back to the last thing you purchased online or that came in packaging. What impression did it give you?
When it comes to retail, branding, and elevating your small business, you need to ensure you are thorough and consistent, and part of your branding should include personalised packaging.
What is customised printed packaging?
Packaging options can come in many different forms and sizes. From custom-fit packaging designed to fit its contents to generic mass-produced packaging.
Personalised printed packaging is packaging that bears the logo, branding and colours of the company sending the package. You order the packaging to come ready-printed with your company’s branding in the sizes you require for your products. You can choose to have your external packaging, internal wrapping for packages, and components for safe delivery or merchandising branded for added effect.
Opting to brand your packaging gives you a USP that allows you to stand out from the crowd and make your company memorable for the right reasons. With 20% of businesses failing in the first year and 60% within the first three years, you need to make an impression from day one, and custom branding is an excellent visual way of making an impact.
Not sure you should invest in printed packaging with your logo and branding? This post will look at the benefits for small business owners of investing in their business via personalised packaging.
The benefits of personalised packaging for small businesses
Establish a brand identity
All businesses know the importance of establishing a brand identity. Personalised packaging allows you to immerse the customer in what your brand stands for in a simple yet impactful way.
You can custom your branding and packaging in endless ways using many different designs and convey who you are without including a lengthy brand mission statement. Use recycled materials in your products and packing? Include it. Donate profits to a charity? You can include that too. Get creative, keep it clear and to the point and make an impact before the customer opens the packaging.
The unboxing experience
Have you heard of the unboxing experience? Customers and influencers alike film themselves opening the box and reacting to the packaging and contents on camera, both pre-filmed and live. Influencers use their social media account to share new purchases and brands with their followers. The unboxing experience has become popular in recent years, and the packaging of items takes front and centre stage. For this reason and to capitalise on the unboxing trend, your packaging needs to be impactful and easily connected to your company. You can learn how to create a memorable unboxing experience from our blog post, ‘How to create a unique and memorable unboxing experience‘.
Instagram is ideal for customised printed packaging. There is a wealth of creativity that goes into branding on packaging, and packaging comes in many different forms. As a visual platform, creating something that is Instagram-able is vital to raise brand awareness and take advantage of the unboxing trend.
More impactful
Picture this – your products are sitting on a shelf next to more established brands and products that are well known and loved. How exactly do you stand out?
Your packaging is what will make an impact for you. While you need something that is eye-catching, you need ensure that your product is of good quality and that it aligns with your brand values. This is a make-or-break for small businesses, and one of the best decisions you can make is to invest in your packing as part of your marketing efforts.
According to Joel Ogus, Head of Sales at Carrier Bag Shop, “Whatever you are doing, you are already investing in packaging. You need to ask yourself if it is currently giving you any return on that investment and whether it’s worth investing a little more in bespoke packaging in order to stand out and generate a bigger return. Some of these questions you should consider are, ‘Will it help you make money?’ ‘Will it save you money?’ ‘Will it enhance your brand?’ Any decision that you make in terms of choosing packaging, needs to be of good quality. That’s why at Carrier Bag Shop, we ensure that you get the quality packaging that your brand deserves.”
More competitive
You need to be competitive. Remember those seven seconds? You need to capture your audience to be competitive. Think of all the major brands you know, and what comes to mind? Chances are it is their logo and their branding. This is what makes them competitive. Consumers have branding in their minds even if they don’t remember the company name. That visual connection will speak to them, and your company will be front and centre the next time they are looking to purchase or order from your industry.
On the flip side, the more memorable and impactful your branding, the better it will be for your marketing. Consumers like to share things they like, and if they like your product, they will share it on social media. The type of user-generated content is invaluable for small businesses, as are social media mentions, especially if you have active accounts they can tag. This free marketing allows you to remain more competitive without investing more in your marketing budget.
Tip: Head to any social media platform and enter any search term relating to your brand or competitor to see how many social mentions there are as well as how people are talking about and sharing images of your brand’s products. This will allow you to see how competitive you are against other brands and helps you make informed decisions of what you need to make your brand stand out.
Conclusion
Printed packaging is a great small business marketing tool and, when done right, is the best way to make an impact for less. The reality is that you need to ensure you stand out against the competition, and without bespoke personalised packing, you are already on the back foot.
If you are on the fence over whether or not you need to develop your branding and logo to add to personalised packaging for retail or ecommerce, the benefits, as detailed in this post, speak for themselves.
If you would like to personalise your packaging, look no further than Carrier Bag Shop. Get in touch today.