10 Actionable Ways to Create Innovative Packaging Boxes

packaging

Gone are the days when packaging was only considered a means to ship products. About 64% of buyers stated that sometimes they purchase a product, even if they know nothing about it, because of the packaging. Furthermore, a study conducted by Pro Carton revealed packaging is one of the most critical components of a marketing campaign.  

Dotcom Distribution’s research divulged that 40% of customers are expected to buy from a brand again if they send them a gift-like packaging. 68% think it makes the brand more chic, while 61% are simply thrilled to receive the package.

So it’s imperative to have a packaging that stands out and looks great. Below are 10 actionable ways to create innovative packages that’ll set your brand apart.     

Know Your Core Audience

The first step to creating innovative packaging for a saturated market is by studying your target audience. Developing an awesome packaging design that can draw eyeballs isn’t impossible to accomplish. You can find many creative designers who can craft a compelling design for your brand. But make sure your packaging won’t attract the wrong audience. Else, there is no point in designing a bespoke packaging.  

For example, if you sell solid bar soaps but your custom soap packaging looks more like a container designed for corporate executives, you won’t be able to lure the masses. Instead, you will end up catering to a certain group of audience. This means poor alignment between sales and marketing can gravely hurt your organization. So design your custom soap boxes only after thoroughly understanding the target audience.  

Stick with the Basic Principle   

Yup! Keep it simple stupid. This phrase was first coined in the 1960s by the US Navy. The idea was to remind soldiers that simple systems work better than complex solutions. This principle works for packaging too. For example, if you add too many colors and elements in a design, it will be awful to look at. As a result, customers won’t be able to develop an instant connection with your brand and product.    

Rather using too many elements, use a simple, attractive design that is in line with what people expect from your industry. Of course, you want to grasp your customers’ attention with intriguing packaging boxes, but you don’t want the audience to point towards your packaging as the odd one out.  

Opt for a Professional  

It’s best to go for a professional than doing it yourself or assigning it to an amateur. Why? Printing a label using a stamp or doing-it-yourself at home might seem easy and cheap, but this can ruin your brand reputation. No matter how good your product is, poor labeling or packaging leaves a negative impression on customers as it fails to communicate the true value of your product.   

Bespoke packaging isn’t an additional investment. Instead, it’s a way to get your boxes professionally designed and manufactured so you can charge a maximum price for your product by attracting customers.  

Imagery is Effective in Packaging

Keeping it simple doesn’t mean you cannot add intriguing images into the mix. At the end of the day, a picture is worth a thousand words. And when you only have a few seconds to engage customers in the retail environment, there is no harm in leveraging a solution that draws them in quickly and influences their buying decision. Remember, a wall of text won’t lure your customers just as a relevant illustration or photograph because it quickly sends the right message that induces buyers. 

Build Deep Emotional Connection

A brand that creates a true emotional connection compels customers to make a purchase. If your packages bring a smile to someone’s face or evoke a happy or warm feeling, people are sure to buy from you. An ideal approach would be to keep it at the eye level, so customers won’t have time to investigate rival products.  

Packaging Must Complement Your Product

You may have the best packaging boxes in the world, but if there aren’t consistent with your product, all your efforts and money will go down the drain. For instance, a funny slogan on an expensive perfume would not cut it as an elegant statement. Sure, you can use a humorous label but for a bag of potato chips. The wrong label leads to wrong expectations which only disappoint your customers. Thus, make sure your packaging perfectly complements the product.      

Reusable Packaging is the Way to Go

If you want to see repeat sales, make your product packaging more useful. Not only will it allow customers to find value beyond the goods but also keep reminding them of your brand long after they have used your product. For instance, if you sell cosmetic items, create bespoke cosmetic boxes for your products that buyers can reuse. Or develop boxes that can be opened and closed to store the product repeatedly.   

Create a Memorable Design that’s Easy to Identify

You want your audience to associate your boxes with your product, right? Just like you associate a shiny red can with Coca Cola. If you want your buyers to have the same reaction, create a memorable packaging that is easy to identify.  

This also means your packaging solution should pass the five-year-old test. Meaning, you can easily describe your packaging to a five-year-old and the kid will comprehend what exactly you want. For example, if you tell a five-year-old child to bring a product in blue packaging with milk and cookie on it, you will be certain the boy will return with a pack of Oreos. Because their packaging isn’t just memorable, it’s also simple.  

Always Use High-Quality Materials

A product package has a profound impact on how customers perceive a brand, and if you are leveraging poor quality packaging materials, it will leave a bad impression, irrespective of the fact of how stunning your design is. Mind you, prospective customers will always hold your packaging to inspect or get a feel of your product and if you have used cheap material or poor printing, they’ll eventually lose the charm. Because cheap materials send the message that the product isn’t worth buying, something you want to avoid at all costs.  

Pick a Perfect Color Palette

Colors impact people’s buying decisions and many studies have proved it. In fact, research has shown that different colors lure different customers and also affect consumers differently. For this reason, it’s vital to pick your colors judiciously so they can resonate with your target market and evoke the right emotions.    

All in all, product packaging can make or break your brand. Poorly designed packaging will only keep your products on the retail racks, no matter how good they are. Similarly, a packaging that isn’t different from competing products will eventually go unnoticed in the retail outlets. With the aforementioned tips, you can create a unique packaging solution that will pay you great dividends.