When owning, or working within, a small business every detail can put you above the rest. From the email templates you send out you use for your clients, to the packaging your use to send out your items, they do not go unnoticed. Nevertheless, these small details can cost you and your business quite a lot in expenditure over the financial year.
Packaging is extremely important for those businesses offering physical products, especially in certain sectors. If you operate a small business that produces meaningful or sentimental keepsakes the packaging they come in are almost as important as the items. All businesses are looking for new, innovative ways to pack their items and make them more appealing for their customers.
First considerations
When selecting packaging options, which may include custom product packaging, your choice will depend on factors such as your budget. It is imperative that you consider your product, target audience and how important the packaging of your product is. For some stores basic packaging is completely acceptable, if you are catering to a certain type of audience then this is actually what they are expecting.
This will include a lot of market research, studying your competitors and mapping out current trends. There are many different packaging variants to choose from, it all depends on your price range, consumers and the nature of your products. If you are able to align your packaging with the needs of your consumers you will get a great reception.
Aesthetically Pleasing Packaging Ideas
Thought provoking presents deserve thoughtful packaging. By putting in a little bit of effort with the packaging of your goods, it may enhance your overall brand identity for the better. Small businesses that specialise in handcrafted gifts, jewellery and sentimental items would benefit the most from this kind of detail.
Nevertheless, any business that hopes to have their parcels showcased on social media or through photos to make them memorable should think about investing in their packaging. Some customers are looking for neat and functional packaging; this is especially practical for cosmetic products or hipster brands.
If your business is mainly online, you may try to run competitions or use hashtags that would involve your products packaging or monitoring customers deliveries. If you aim to incorporate your packaging into your marketing strategy, it should look good represent your brand and work as a form of promotion.
Marketing Forward Packaging Ideas
Many large businesses use their own brand logo on their packaging as a form of marketing. As you carry the delivery parcel around, or when it is in transit, the packaging is used as a subtle marketing ploy. This is a very smart way to get your brand recognised, but can involve higher pricing.
Regardless of the pricing pitfalls, incorporating your brands name, logo and the memorable colour your business uses to promote itself. This way it can work as a from of marketing and can help you offset your initial packaging costs over a period of time.
There are many businesses that pride themselves on their elaborate packaging and incorporate it as part of their brand identity. The packaging becomes a signifier to others of your brand and its reputation. If you are able to get to this level then your packaging is worth every penny you spend on it.
Remember to map out your marketing strategy and see how your packaging fits into your businesses overall plans.
Pricing and value for money
If you are a start-up or a small business then budgeting for elaborate packaging may be a hard task. It is important to consider your budget, cash flows and the importance of packaging before you over spend. At first you may have to make your own special tweaks and customisations.
Consider your packaging to be a serious part of your product then it may be worth the money. You should shop around for the best prices and visit many retailers to ensure you are have received the best value for your money.
With most packaging that is bought from an external company, the more you buy the cheaper you could receive it for. A good way to reduce your margin is to bulk buy the packaging for your business.
You should consider if this packaging will stand the test of time and how busy your business is, or if it will get used. Failing this, if you have adequate storage space you should definitely bulk buy your packaging.
Closing Thoughts
Whilst it is important to have good, sturdy and safe packaging for your product, you must ensure that it is worth the money you pay for it. Many people do not really pay much notice to packaging; this is more of a luxury associated with larger brands or luxury products. These touches can add a lot of money to your overheads, so please be careful before you over spend and lose money.
Nevertheless, in some cases packaging can make a huge difference and can become part of your brands identity. The more luxurious brands use their packaging as a symbol for their reputation; this has become a favoured way of showing off your shopping spoils.
Do remember to choose a type of packaging that represents your company, brand and your products well. This decision should be discussed with your designers, marketeers and those at the top level of the business. This is the first thing that your customers will see once they have purchased an item from you, so you have to make it memorable.
