Choosing Packaging Design: Three Things To Consider For Independent Retailers

We’re not here to tell you that you about all of the ways that using custom packaging can benefit your business. Because we’ve already done that. We’re here to help you understand what you need to make your packaging work for you. If your custom packaging is going to help you market your brand effectively, you need to think about all of the ways your customers could come into contact with it. This means on the shop floor, online, and out on the street. Here are the top three things to keep in mind when designing your packaging.

How Will It Look When People Walk Out Of The Store?

Although often overlooked, customers can act as advertising in their own right as they hit the streets with your product. This means that your packaging design considerations extend much further than the initial tissue paper or box that you place your product in. If it’s going inside a carrier bag, no one is going to see it! An unbranded box or bag is counterproductive to your efforts at getting your brand out there.

Make sure that your name and/or logo are prominent on your packaging, as this will help to build brand recognition. Although fancy fonts look romantic and sophisticated, they can be very difficult to make out at a distance. Consider choosing a more plain typeface for your external packaging, as it’s much easier for passers-by to read.

Also, consider how you can some of dramatism to attract attention to your customer’s purchase. Bright tissue paper arranged so that it pokes out of the bag will definitely give your brand a much more premium look, and will doubtless impress the customer as well! Customer experience is pivotal, especially when it comes to brick and mortar retail.

Is It Consistent With The Rest Of Your Branding?

Choosing a design which doesn’t resonate with the rest of your branding is likely to create confusion with your customers.

A design which is attractive but generic is unlikely to aid your marketing efforts effectively, because it won’t be associated exclusively with you (it’s difficult to imagine consumers associating minimalist white packaging with anyone other than Apple, for example).  For this reason, it’s important to find the common threads in your branding which you can implement into your design, such as color palettes or patterns.

Having only one design can get stale pretty quickly, but a great way to shake this up and get some more attention (think social media content!) is to go ‘seasonal’ in your designs. One way to do this is to keep a baseline logo and update the rest of your design to reflect special occasions e.g. upcoming promotions or holiday periods. This gives you the win-win of keeping important branding elements consistent, but also ensuring that your brand is fresh and interesting.

What Functionalities Does It Need To Have?

They say don’t judge a book by its cover, and this holds with packaging. If your packaging doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do (protect your product), it doesn’t matter how well-branded it is; you are going to have an unhappy customer! Functionality needs to be a major consideration in your packaging material choices, especially if your products are fragile. Tissue paper, cardboard inserts, and more can be easy ways to add

How easy it is for packaging to be disposed of is another consideration often neglected by brands, since this occurs after the sale has taken place. Consumers today are much more appreciative of sustainability efforts, with 66% saying that they would pay more for products or services from brands committed to environmental responsibility. Choosing packaging materials which are easily recyclable, such as papers and cardboard, will win you major points with customers and positively impact your brand image.

Designing custom packaging can feel overwhelming, but keeping these pointers in mind will help keep you on the straight and narrow. Have fun brainstorming!