From the youngest and smallest business to the giant retailer and everything in between, there’s no secret that the size, niche, following, consumer base, and other details are irrelevant when it comes to the aspect and presentation of a product the moment that the customer puts eyes on it for the first time.
Customers want gifts that come with memorable and tailored packaging, especially as the competition in this regard is growing increasingly fierce. Stats stand as proof – the custom packaging market could reach a colossal $63B by the end of the decade as more and more businesses resort to custom-made wrapping and packaging and other methods provided by expert services. It’s not a measure done only to make the brand stand out but also to decrease their need to employ their own extra packaging.
At the end of the year, an increased bottom line in a company that’s been using such services could partly attribute the wealth rises to the improved way they’ve been delivering their products and gifts.
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First impressions shape lasting perceptions
First impressions tend to be the starting point for every perception creation, especially in the relationship between customers and their bought or received products. More often than not, the aspect and impression made by an item and its delivery serve as the basis for the primary judgment. You can immediately sense that in the box wrapped in elegant paper and tied with a tartan ribbon hides a quality item, for the company behind has undoubtedly put in the same effort in the crafting of the object as they put in their item. Possibly, the presentation, materials, design, and functionality are all satisfying since the packaging is authentic and intentional and denotes attention to detail.
To better understand the magnitude of the importance of the gift and product presentation, let’s imagine the following scenario. You access an online store or enter a brick-and-mortar one. What’s the first element you note? It is often how a product in front of your face presents instead of the care tag labels or the country of origin. There’s a high likelihood that your consumers’ attention is attracted by the same thing, namely the packaging.
A well-designed and eye-catching package isn’t only the make-or-break element that establishes how they feel about your product at first glance, but it’s also the one that speaks on behalf of your business. You likely want only lovely things to be said and transmitted, so never forget how much of an impact the way you pack and deliver products really makes.
The package should deliver a moment of delight
Who said packaging is only about catching people’s eyes and convincing them of the quality of what’s inside the box certainly doesn’t hold the universal truth. Sometimes, we offer gifts whose package is more expensive and carefully picked than the interior, which is mainly appliable when the receiver is known to place the largest importance on such details.
Other times, we as buyers can be trapped into offering a product or item more credit only because the packing created a lasting impression or made the offering stand out from the crowd in a positive way. Whether it’s the shelf or the website that has it listed is somewhat irrelevant.
No one should underestimate the power of a beautifully created design and layout in turning a mediocre and fad purchase into something that pleases the eye and, ultimately, makes a more excellent experience. Such tricks and little twists to the arrangement can create a sublime and memorable event, building a heartwarming association with your business that will linger well beyond the moment of the gift opening or the product’s consumption.
There’s visual storytelling that wins consumers over
The package of a product often delivers a visual story that transposes the received into a specific story depending on the intent behind the arrangement’s colours, materials, wrapping style, and more. As such, the way you master this process should eventually lead to a visual outcome that encapsulates the product’s essence and the brand’s values and identity.
A well-made design has the power to transmit opulence, playfulness, elegance, and more. You don’t have to deliver honeycombs for your package to scream “milk and honey”, as it’s enough to invest sufficient attention and effort into this process. Eventually, the capital invested could bolster your ROI per year and continue to contribute to an impressionable image of your brand. This can be a booster of your healthy and sustainable business’s success.
Sometimes, you need to stand out from the crowd
In such an agglomerated and crammed marketplace where every product has dozens of replacements and imitations, and everyone is putting in the effort to seize as significant a share of the pie as possible, how can you distinguish your products from your competitors’? Evidently, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, even if your offerings are one and the same. But there are undoubtedly several tactics that you can employ to differentiate your offerings positively, so let’s discover two of the most important ones.
- Eco-friendly materials. A well-established trend that keeps gaining ground is associated with sustainability and the eco-friendliness of products. With the rising focus on sustainability, such as the demand for clean energy, more realistic environmental goals, and more, it’s crystal clear that companies that overlook these consumer demands are destined to be left in the dark. As a recent Gartner study shows, over 80% of businesses plan to boost their investments in sustainability in the future, and packaging is one of the boundless things that can level up their game.
- Product protection. Evidently, no one likes to receive a scratched, imperfect, bruised, broken, or faulted product, which couldn’t be more accurate for today’s customers. There are endless solutions and methods to secure delivery to the maximum, such as air pillows, bubble wraps, reliable boxes, and other materials. It would be a shame for a product to be good but have its lustre taken away by a piece of material.
What experience and feeling is your product delivering? And how do you think the package reflects your brand’s values?
