4 Holiday Gifting Tips for your Business—How to use Packaging to Build your Business and Spread Holiday Cheer
Leaves are changing colors, temperature is dropping and Thanksgiving is over. You were probably even seeing Christmas decorations in big box stores long before now. It’s time to start thinking about holiday gifts. We buy for friends, family, neighbors, but as the year comes to a close, business owner everywhere are faced with a similar choice: to give or not to give.
Sure, a holiday gift can be a warm, fuzzy gesture, but it’s also a marketing tool. So, what are the reasons for sending business gifts? The first reason is the most simple: to thank someone for their business or help that year. The second reason is to make sure you stay top of mind, and to get your name out there. But when all is said and done, will you get a return on that gift investment? After all, saying thank you does takes time and money.
Just do a quick search for holiday gift baskets. You’ll get pages of results. And while it makes the task of sending a gift easier, does it say anything about your brand? Will it be memorable?
We’ve come up with 4 tips that will not only show you care, but will stand out (and not end up sitting in a conference room looking anonymous or overly-branded.)
1. Use your talents or products
If your business involves a unique product (cookies, coffee, art, jewelry), design a holiday themed custom box around that product. Then send it out to suppliers, vendors and/or customers. The product itself doesn’t need to be branded. That’s what the packaging is for. What you want, is for the quality of your product to speak for itself. To stand out, you have to show a lot of thought and somehow tie it to your business.
2. Give something useful
This one may take a little more planning, but it has the added bonus of being extra personalized. Look for something that will make life easier for them or solves a problem. When you give the gift, be sure to explain in a note why you selected it and why you thought they would appreciate it. Each time they use your gift, they will think of you.
3. Tie it to your company values
We recently spoke with Luisa Lopez from Morales Group. They use branded boxes to show pride in their roots. “We went back to our Latin American roots to bring the tradition of welcoming others with food and drinks.” They give their boxes to show appreciation to clients throughout the year, but this idea could easily be tailored to the holiday season.
Lopez explains, “we include garlic and green chile pistachios, ground coffee from a variety of Latin American countries, a branded coffee mug with a cork bottom, and an nice pen along with a branded sticky notepad. Every single gift is also accompanied by a handwritten thank you card.”
4. Design your packaging to look like a gift wrapped box
Don’t just stick a bow on it. Don’t spend time wrangling paper, tape and scissors. Send off your gift in a “wrapped” box with your own brand colors like Dearfoams did (or use Christmas colors) – the beauty of true customization is that the end product matches your vision.
Chances are, your gift won’t be the only one the people on your list receive, but these tips may help you be their favorite. People want to do business with those they trust and like. Sending it out right will distinguish your business as a preferred partner. Visit CompanyBox to design your own custom holiday packaging.
Introducing our New Packaging Option: Luxe Printing
The future of digital printing is here. The new Luxe Print Option is coming to CompanyBox. It’s so close we can taste it. And with true water-based ink you almost could taste it. Because our ink will be 100% free of UV-reactive chemistries, your packaging can now be food-safe.
What Does This Mean for You?
From a food safe perspective, brand owners must look more closely at emerging digital print technologies. There is a huge potential of ink migrating through the porous corrugated material and contaminating the food product. We take food packaging safety extremely seriously. Our new printer (HP C500) uses ink that is odorless and solvent free. No HAP (Hazardous Air Pollutants) are added and they are low in VOC emissions. That means you can pack up your food product with a peace of mind.
If you’re a business who doesn’t give a lick about food packaging, the Luxe Option still has a few tricks up it’s sleeve.
Smaller text: You can now use text as small as 4 point without any blurring issues. (This is great for additional details that don’t necessarily need to be front and center.)
Speed: With the ability to print over 100,000 feet and hour you can have your order in your hands faster.
Higher quality: Tiny details, realistic skin tone, vibrant colors and an extra silky finish. Your options to stand out are now limitless.
Get ready, the future of digital printing is here.
How High Volume E-Commerce Sellers are Customizing their Packaging
The highest grossing e-commerce sellers optimize on the value of customized packaging. Boxes are no longer about the necessity of protecting the product but about furthering the consumer’s experience with the brand.
When a customer orders from your e-commerce site, the first in-person interaction with your brand is the box they see on their front doorstep. This initial, direct touchpoint is an opportunity for you to delight your consumer, engage a loyal client base, and enhance your marketing.
If you’re looking to grow your business, it’s time to start customizing your packaging. Here’s how the best e-commerce retailers are using branded unboxing to boost their volume and revenue.
What is customized packaging?
Customized or branded packaging is a purposeful presentation of products. You provide additional value to the customer by creating an unboxing experience that reflects your brand. This could be as simple as a box with your name on it or as elaborate as a scavenger hunt within the box.
Let’s consider Apple for a second. They have the unboxing experience down to a science. When you open an Apple product, you know you’re getting that clean packaging, that new electronics smell, and even the gentle “pop” when you slide off the packaging to reveal the new goody inside. People like opening Apple products almost as much as the product itself.
Customized packaging tells your customers that they are opening a parcel from your brand specifically.
What are the benefits of customized packaging?
E-commerce merchants generally have less direct opportunities to surprise and delight their customers. In-store experiences, in-person sales associates, and in-hand products are all much easier to create an experience that reflects the store’s brand.
For example, you know what kind of atmosphere and service you’ll get whenever you walk into a brightly-lit Apple store. But you should also get that same level of service and excitement when you purchase the new iPhone online. Apple creates this consistent experience with their website and their packaging.
Creating an experience “over the web” is equally as critical as an in-store experience. It allows you to stand out amongst your competitors, especially in a saturated world of online retailers.
You want to create a memorable, exciting moment that customers will think of whenever they hear your brand name. This excitement creates a rush of positive emotions that encourage customers to keep purchasing from you.
In fact, 52% of consumers are highly likely to make another purchase from an online merchant that delivers their product in premium packaging. That means that you could retain half of all of your consumers simply by enhancing the unboxing experience.
If you continue to delight your customers with experiential and branded unboxing, these repeat customers turn into loyal brand fans. This customer retention allows you to grow your brand without spending exorbitant costs on customer acquisition.
Loyal brand fans who enjoy the unboxing experience are also more likely to share that experience on social media. 74% of consumers ages 18 to 25 say that they’ll share a recent online purchase on social media if the product packaging is unique.
These residual marketing effects also improve your credibility. The more frequently people post about your products, the more “legitimate” your brand appears to future customers. Moreover, a professional unboxing experience sets you apart from the “amateurs” who are simply throwing their goods in a brown box. A branded box shows you as a company, not a seller.
Benefits summary:
· Creates a memorable experience
· Encourages repeat customers and brand loyalty
· Boosts social proof and brand awareness
· Enhances credibility
How do high volume sellers customize packaging?
1. Make it shareable.
The first thing you want to consider when creating your unboxing experience is its shareability. When customers see the box, what kind of pictures will they take? Will they take a picture of the outside of the box before opening? Will they be more surprised and excited once they open the box and see the inside presentation?
Be deliberate about the moments during the unboxing process that you want customers to say, “Wow, this is cool.” These are also the points where they’re most likely to share the experience on social media.
Consider what shareability looks like after they’ve opened the box. Your customers might not be patient enough to take pictures of the unboxing experience until after they’ve been through it themselves. So, if they completely unwrapped everything, would there still be a strong brand that comes through when they take a picture? What would everything look like after it’s been opened?
There are two key areas to focus on with shareability: shipping box and promotional materials.
Shipping box
The box is the first impression with your brand. What they see on their doorstep will tell them exactly what kind of brand experience is inside. A plain white or brown box is considered “cheap,” while a box that is even slightly decorated or branded can give off a more professional and credible appearance.
If you want people to share your brand, you want to focus on making a gorgeous shipping box. For example, Trunk Club makes their boxes look like travel trunks, with a selection of clothes inside. Their customers almost always take a picture of the trunk box because it’s unique and reflects the Trunk Club brand.
Remember that the look of your box directly impacts brand awareness. Customers that see a Trunk automatically know it’s their Trunk Club. Birchbox subscribers can point one another out based on the seasonal makeup bags they’re carrying. Create a parcel that has an emotional response behind it.
Check out these unique box designs on Wix.
Promotional materials
You want to include at least one type of promotional material inside the box. The best kinds of inserts are those that encourage social sharing, as opposed to redirecting them back to your website. That’s because customers who share your brand on social media are more likely to make a repeat purchase, because they’re already showing loyalty to you. It also encourages their friends to purchase in tandem.
For example, you might include a branded business card that has all of your social media handles on it and a call to action to share their unboxing experience. Or, you could include a referral discount code that they can share with their friends. Or it could be a recipe for the food products you just sent them.
These all indirectly encourage customers to share the marketing materials on social media whether to give/get a discount or show their friends their new recipe.
Tip: We love using small business cards because they’re inexpensive and don’t add weight to the box, but they’re another detail that promotes the social aspect of the unboxing.
2. Make it surprising.
One of the reasons people love “unboxing” so much is the surprise. They feel like they’re unwrapping gifts from Santa whenever they get products from you. And you want these positive emotions associated with your brand.
There are two ways to create a “surprise and delight” unboxing experience (aside from the experience itself): tissue paper and gifts with purchase.
Tissue paper
Something as simple and inexpensive as tissue paper can add to the experience. You’re building suspense by forcing customers to unwrap each product individually.
Ideally, the tissue paper should match the look and feel of your brand. You might want to consider colored or custom tissue paper. Keep in mind that if you have an eco-friendly brand you might want to opt for recycled paper or other “unwrapping” package inserts.
Gift
If margins allow for it, customers love being surprised with an extra gift in their box. They feel like they’re getting additional value simply because you appreciate them (not as a marketing ploy). This gets people talking about you and further encourages them to tell their friends.
Common gifts include samples for another product or branded stickers that the customers can put on their laptop or water bottle. Both of these not only give your customer something extra, but they also become gentle marketing tactics to boost future business as well.
3. Cut costs, not quality.
You don’t want custom packaging to cut too deeply into your margins, but you also know the value of providing a professional and exciting unboxing experience. The highest volume e-commerce sellers know that unboxing will get them more sales, but they don’t want more sales at low margins.
So make sure you compare all of your options before jumping into a design. Oftentimes, you can skimp on one area (like the tissue paper) by utilizing branded stickers or colored tape. You could even skip out on the promotional materials if you put the information right on the receipt itself. You’ll also want to compare products based on different box types, graphic costs, and printing expenses.
The most effective way to create custom packaging within your budget is to talk to an expert directly. Contact CompanyBox to get in touch with a human who can help you build the perfect unboxing experience that fits your finances.
4. Keep the experience consistent.
Some e-commerce platforms, like Amazon, do not allow you to customize packaging. But you want to maintain the same experience across all platforms. If you have an unboxing experience for purchasers on your own website, you need to have an equal experience through other distribution channels.
If you’re not sure how to maintain consistency across channels, contact Seller’s Choice (our partner and guest author of this post) to advance your marketing reach easily and effectively.
Conclusion
Start by checking out Seller’s Choice to build a marketing campaign that will help grow your business.
Customized packaging shows your customers that you care about their experience even after checkout. You’ll create a memory that encourages repeat customers and brand loyalty, social sharing, brand awareness, and greater business credibility.
Start comparing unboxing products at CompanyBox that will bring you to that next level.
10 Tips for Designing a Custom Subscription Box—How to Make Sure your Packaging Stands Out
Picture your customer breaking into a smile. The first interaction people have with a subscription box is when it arrives on their doorstep. This box should make them smile. Do you feel confident about designing that package for your brand? Many people come to us looking for a unique way to ship their subscription box, but a talented business owner doesn’t necessarily mean a talented designer. And while we have purposely built our website to make building your box as easy as possible, sometimes it’s nice to have a little help.
The most important part of you packaging is the design. Let’s be honest, if you’re going to pay for custom work, you should come away with an effective and unique design. Why else do it?
We spoke back in 2017 about the booming subscription box business and it has only gotten bigger since then. Your branded package can leave a lasing memory or be forgettable and tossed aside. We want it to be memorable. We want people to love it so much, that they keep the box. There are subscription boxes I’ve received in the mail that now hold photographs. My daughter has a few that she keeps her trinkets in. Another box holds our crayons and art supplies. You get the idea.
We interviewed 3 designers who outlined effective strategies and common mistakes people make while designing.
1. DO change up your artwork
If you are sending out a monthly box, switch up the graphics once a month. If that is too daunting, try to change by the seasons. People’s reason for purchasing change throughout the year. That means your marketing strategy should change too. So, get creative and have fun with your design! (Look at our Instagram, art galleries, Pinterest or just about anywhere you can for inspiration.)
2. DO include social media usernames somewhere
It will be one of the first places people look to find you. It’s also an easy way to drive traffic to your site
3. DO strategically size your box to decrease shipping costs
It’s not always one size fits all and shipping something in a box that’s too big will just cost you money. FedEx and UPS use a pricing technique based on dimensional weight. (That means they will charge you for how much space your box is taking up in their truck, not always by how much it weighs.) We work with a few companies who even change the size of their box each month to make sure it fits the products they are shipping.
4. DO spellcheck. And spellcheck again. And again
You wouldn’t believe the amount of designs we’ve received with misspelled words. You’ll send a message that your company is sloppy and doesn’t put in effort.
5. DON’T play it safe
Try something with bold patters, wording or colors. Even if it’s just a small part of the box. The Unboxing Experience is a REAL thing. People out there are sharing videos of opening subscription boxes at an incredible rate. Create something as interesting as what you are putting inside.
6. DO add print inside
Talk about a surprise for your customer! You can add details on the inside as well as the outside for a spectacular box. We have also seen many people who will leave the outside of the box blank, and instead do a fun inside design.
7. DO ask for help
Dare to ask questions! Ask friends and colleagues for their opinion of your design. Sometimes it helps to have a second set of eyes. If you have specific design questions, we’d love to assist and can provide a dedicated designer to help with layout, color and design reviews.
8. DO add custom inserts
Not only do inserts create a clean, upscale presentation, they also add an extra level of protection during storage and transportation. (Thus, eliminating the need for additional bubble or paper packaging.) If you have products that need to be in separate sections, inserts can be a great way to divide up your packaging and make the contents stand out. CompanyBox has a team of structural designers who can create these custom inserts for your box. These would be produced in our facility and shipped along with your order.
9. DON’T use small typeface
Some things may look good while your designing on-screen but once printed, text smaller than 10 point can look blurry especially if the font is thin.
10. DON’T use a pixelated image
It just won’t print well. Promise! A pixelated image can happen unintentionally when a low-resolution image designed for an ordinary computer display is enlarged for printing and each pixel becomes separately visible. These type of images are usually flagged by us and you will be asked to submit a higher resolution image, but for best results, all artwork and image resolution should be no less than 300 dpi.
Take a look at your subscription packaging. Is there room to add something from this list? Is there something that could be updated? If you’re still not sure where to start, don’t forget #7. We are here for you.
What’s a Flute? How to Choose the Best Board Strength and Board Type for your Packaging
You’ve got your graphics and design ready. But now it’s time to decide on two things; your board strength and board type. What do these words mean and which one do you go with? It’s one of our most asked questions. We get it; it can be a real head-scratcher.
It’s hard to talk packaging without knowing more about board strength and board type (flutes). So, pull up a chair and let’s discuss more about the most essential part of corrugated material.
Board Strength
In some of our box sizes, you’ll find you need to choose your board strength. Board strength refers to the Edge Crush Test (ECT). This is a true performance test and is directly related to the stacking strength of a carton. It is usually listed as an ECT value (for example 32 or 44). If you are shipping a product that weighs between 25-40 pounds, a 32 ECT single-wall carton should be sufficient, in most cases. You will need to use 44 ECT for anything over 40 pounds and up to 95 pounds.
Board Type
There will also be times you will be asked to choose your board type (especially when entering a custom size). Corrugated fiberboard (sometimes called cardboard) is comprised of three fiberboard layers; two linerboards sandwich a middle sheet that is in a wave-shaped pattern known as flutes. These flutes give strength and structure to boxes, and also serve as a protector, insulator and cushioning device. Each flute size has a useful function, from shipping strength to reducing storage space and improved printability.
How do you know which flute size to choose?
E-flute — Lighter
Our most popular flute size is also the smallest flute we offer. (Thickness of 1/16″) E-flute has a relatively flat surface, which makes it ideal for high quality printing. This super thin profile reduces outer box dimensions and can help save on storage space. It also provides the greatest crush resistance making it a good choice for glass, delicate instruments, cosmetics, liquor, food, high graphic displays, pet supplies and point of purchase boxes. You will see this type of board used in our Earlock Mailer, One Piece Folder, Tuck Top Mailer and Full Overlapping Carton.
B-flute — Middle-weight
B-flute is our second most used flute, being a good alternative to E-flute when wanting to support heavier items. With a thickness of 1/8″ and shorter flutes, this type of box still provides a rigid, flat surface for printing but also more rigidity than it’s bulkier cousin C-flute. You’ll often see this type of material in retail store displays. We’ve chosen to offer B-flute in our Earlock Mailer, One Piece Folder, Tuck Top Mailer, Full Overlapping Carton, Regular Slotted Carton and Display Header.
C-flute — Heavier
This guy is most commonly used for shippers with a thickness of 3/16″. It’s the most widely used in the world (about 80% of corrugated containers)! The flutes are taller here, giving C-flute somewhat better cushioning properties than B-flute.You are going to be able to pack heavier products with this board due to it’s crushing resistance and stacking strength. C-flute is used with our Regular Slotted Carton, Full Overlapping Carton, and Half Slotted Carton.
As you can see, several of our products come in more than one flute. And to make things just a little more complicated, many also come in different board strengths.
Our team will help you to determine the right type of board strength and type for your corrugated cardboard needs. Talk to us today and tell us about your requirements and we’ll take care of the rest.
Customer Feature: Seven Sisters Scones
To many people, a scone is a dense, dry biscuit-like cake. It brings to mind images of a quaint afternoon English tea. But with the revolution of the cupcake and then the donut world, why not create an updated version of the scone? That’s just what Hala Yassine and Farrah Haidar did with their company Seven Sisters Scones.
Their story is one of trial, error and persistence (as most good stories are). Hala started baking scones for her family and suggestions began rolling in for new flavors. Soon it was clear a business could be made and Hala began selling at farmers markets and then in 2015 opened a store in Johns Creek, Georgia. People liked this new type of scone. Flavors like Fig & Goat Cheese, Banana Toffee and Honey Lavender were intriguing and delicious. They even have gluten free options.
Custom packaging is important for a business like ours that has a strong brand that needs to be communicated at every touchpoint with our customers.
Once their online site went live, it was clear shipping would be a huge part of their business. And you can’t ship delicate products without using boxes. So, there was one question remaining. To use custom shippers or that same old brown box?
“We wanted our customers to feel like they were getting something special; like they were part of a family. In the store, we can do that easily using signage, staff, etc… But, when you mail something out to the world, all you have speaking for you is your packaging. We wanted to design one that was functional, informative and beautiful.”
CompanyBox believes in cool packaging. So of course we were happy to help create custom boxes for Seven Sisters Scones. We also got a chance to ask Farrah a few questions about their business.
Seven Sisters…are there really seven sisters involved!?
Yes, there really are seven sisters! Two of us are involved every day. The others are involved tangentially.
We read about how Hala first started baking scones at home. What a great story! How did you go about finding the right combinations and ingredients for new flavors?
It took a lot of testing and work! Hala is constantly creating new flavors and flavor combinations. We look everywhere for inspiration – the seasons, what’s on trend in the baking industry, customer feedback, etc… We often hold tasting parties in the sconedom and talk about the flavor, texture, smell, look and taste of the scones.
The menu looks so delicious! What are some of your favorite flavors?
Personally, I like savory more than sweet. Beer & Cheese is one of my favorites.
Do you have a company motto?
We may be small but we are mighty!
What is the hardest aspect of running your business?
Organizing time. It seems like there is always some small thing pulling at your attention. Being disciplined about what you focus on is key.
What is your favorite part of running your business?
Honestly? Building a place that supports people – our employees by providing a positive place to work; our customers by providing a top-notch product; and our families.
We at CompanyBox believe your packaging is more than just a box. It’s your chance to make your first impression count.
“Never underestimate the value of packaging. Packaging gets you the first sale. What’s inside gets you the second,” says Haidar. “We once delivered boxed lunches to a large catering client. The next time we came in, we heard employees saying, “OMG! The red box place is back!” Packaging sticks with people, especially if they love the product.”
Visit Seven Sisters Scones to place an order. (We tried out the mini scone sampler and they are so yummy!)
And don’t forget to up your packaging game with custom boxes from CompanyBox.
CompanyBox Signs for HP PageWide C500 to Establish an All-Digital Packaging Plant
2018 has been a year of big changes for CompanyBox. Starting a new business always has its challenges, and though we started with an extensive background in packaging, we still saw things we that needed to be adjusted.
CompanyBox CEO, Louie DeJesus knew two changes would be key to a sustainable future. The first, we accomplished in January when we moved into our new building. This new space gave us room to grow our team and add several essential stations and equipment for our quickly growing packaging plant. All this was imperative to keeping customers happy.
But we want to do more than just make customers happy. We want to meet your every need. We want greater flexibility, food-safe packaging and faster turn-around times. We can see the future of packaging and want a way to offer it up to everyone; from that fresh, new start-up to those large well-known retail brands.
That brings us to the second big change of 2018.
Welcome to the HP PageWide C500
Read on for the official release from HP and see why we are so excited.
CompanyBox today announced the purchase of a new HP PageWide C500 Press to produce high-quality digital post-print corrugated packaging. The investment supports CompanyBox’s all-digital plant strategy to meet brands’ demand for greater flexibility in corrugated boxes and displays.
Scheduled for installation this fall, the HP PageWide C500 Press will serve as CompanyBox’s cornerstone in expanding its digital footprint in high-volume corrugated packaging. The company sees growing demand for high-quality single-pass digital print, especially with fast-moving consumer goods and food packaging. The C500 will operate in the company’s greenfield all-digital packaging plant in Charlotte, North Carolina. With this strategic site, and its additional plant in Geneva, Ohio, CompanyBox can efficiently serve the packaging needs of some of America’s largest retail brands and subscription service companies with a digital print capacity of over 85,000 square feet per hour.
The PageWide C500 will be CompanyBox’s largest digital investment, following its HP Scitex 15500 and 17000 multi-pass press installations. The C500 will help support the company’s fast-growing packaging business (CompanyBox.com) which is fueled by the national e-commerce packaging growth of over 10% per year.
A huge value of the HP PageWide corrugated solution is its true water-based inks and fluids engineered for food-safe packaging. Unlike most digital corrugated presses on the market, HP PageWide inks contain no UV-reactive chemistries, therefore enabling printing on both primary and secondary food packaging without the need for an additional barrier.
“We needed a digital solution for primary food packaging. After we researched digital presses from multiple OEMs, we knew we wanted to differentiate with inks containing no UV-reactive chemistries,” says Louie DeJesus, CompanyBox CEO. “True water-based ink is a unique feature that will enable us to comply with even the most stringent global food safety regulations, including Nestle guidance and Swiss Ordinance.”
Another differentiator that CompanyBox recognized in choosing the C500 is HP’s investment in high-value workflow solutions. HP’s recently announced One Package workflow portfolio will enable CompanyBox to integrate mainstream digital print into its fast-paced operations. “Efficient, high-volume workflow is extremely important to our continued ability to meet clients’ service level agreements,” says DeJesus. “We trust HP to help us look at the big strategic picture, while addressing many smaller ways to enhance our operational efficiency. The PageWide C500 and One Package workflow portfolio give us the ability to scale.”
CompanyBox is a family owned company that serves a worldwide client base. For more information visit: www.companybox.com.
Why Small Businesses Need Custom Packaging
The word custom can sound expensive. It immediately brings dollar signs to mind. Custom tailoring, custom cabinets- these are things you pay extra for- something more costly than its generic counterpart.
So it only makes sense that custom packaging would feel out of reach for a small business. Why pay for something that will just be thrown away? In reality, custom packaging is more complex than that. The good news is; it’s not as expensive as people think. It is also the first touch point, the very first tactile interaction a customer has with a brand. And how about this mind blowing concept- it can actually save costs on shipping.
Mom Was Right.
You know the old saying your parents taught you “you only get one chance to make a good first impression.” How true it is. First impressions form within 100 milliseconds, and often remain intact even when contradicted by factual information.
What do you want the first impression of your brand to be?
UPS delivers 16.9 million packages every day, and all those packages are more exposed to the world then ever, thanks in part to the trend of unboxing. Since 2010, the number of YouTube videos with “unboxing” in their title has grown by 871%.
How Can It Save You Money?
Prior to 2015, shipping charges were based on how much a package weighed. But now, FedEx and UPS use a pricing technique using dimensional weight (DIM).
(L x H x W)/DIM
This was a move aimed at leading shippers towards packaging that is closer to the exact size necessary for safe delivery. Previously, most consumers chose boxes much larger than necessary, causing vehicles to fill up before reaching their physical weight capacity. In easy terms: you are now charged by how much space your package takes up in a truck or on a plane.
Think about it this way; let’s say you want to ship an ultra-light box of cigars in a 12″ x 12″ x 12″ box. Between the cigars, box and packing filler, the total actual weight of the package is 5 pounds.
But with DIM pricing, that doesn’t mean your parcel will actually be billed at 5 pounds. If the DIM is 166:
(12 x 12 x 12) / 166 = 10 pounds
So this lightweight box will now be charged based on that new 10 pound number. To save money on shipping, you really need to re-evaluate your box sizes and packaging methods to help you fit more product in smaller boxes, which could bring down your DIM price.
Custom Does Not Just Mean Branded.
Sure, branding your packaging is important. It brings your customer a positive first impression and heightens expectations for the product itself (which when met, leads to a better customer experience). But changing to a custom size can lead to serious cost savings for your business. And that, my friends is what we call a win-win.
Keep Your Branding Fresh with New Packaging
Company branding can be tricky business. It’s made up of lots of different parts, but one of the most noticeable is your visual branding. Your visual branding is communicated in all kinds of ways. These different avenues can include your web design, logos, and your product packaging.
Make Sure Your Packaging is On Brand
Product packaging should always be in sync with a company’s brand message. If you run a business known for providing products that are friendly to the environment, but your packaging materials aren’t eco-friendly, your brand message isn’t consistent and can create cognitive dissonance in the mind of your customer.
Product packaging has to broadcast your brand values loud and clear to be an effective marketing tool and appeal to the right people. Remember that details matter, and even seemingly minor details can have a big impact.
Change It Up and Stay Exciting
With company branding, details like your product name, logo design, art, color scheme, and even the size and shape of your packaging are all vital parts of your image. It’s important that you make sure each of these speaks to your market in an effective way.
You can keep your brand fresh in the hearts and minds of your customers by experimenting with new package designs. You don’t want to do it too often, but a strategic redesign and modernization of your product packaging can give your business a much-needed boost in visibility. Other tactics like seasonal-themed packaging can be great for boosting sales during major holidays.
Stand Out with Custom Packaging
Product packaging plays a key role in differentiating your brand from the crowd and gives your products an edge over your competition. It shows your customers that you pay attention to the little things. Custom mailers, shippers, point of purchase displays, and event trash boxes are just some of the ways CompanyBox can help you communicate your commitment to excellence in your business.
CompanyBox keeps its process simple so its custom packaging can help you get your company’s message in front of more people. This raises awareness of your brand and helps to drive more sales of your products.
With custom packaging, you can stay on top of all the latest design trends with top-of-the-line printing equipment to ensure that your product packaging stands out and looks sleek and professional. CompanyBox lets you customize your packaging by offering different sizing and dimensions that you can choose from. This is in addition to a variety of choices in paper and materials coupled with the ability to upload your own designs and color-scheme.
Our goal is to make creating and designing your product packaging as intuitive and easy as possible. That way your products appeal to your target audience, and you can communicate your company branding in a wide variety of places.
If you’re ready to take your product packaging to the next level and give your company brand a much needed refresh or boost in visibility, see what you can do with custom packaging. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Make sure it’s a great one with custom packaging from CompanyBox.
How to Impress your Customers with Custom Boxes using the 2018 Color of the Year
Pantone, (the self-proclaimed color authorities) has been crowning a “Color of the Year” since 2000. This award, which began as a discussion between a few individuals has transformed into the Pantone Color Institute – a group that starts global research early in the spring, looking for recurring color signals in daily life: fashion, housewares, cosmetics, and packaging.
Pantone states that the Color of the Year is actually “a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.”
For the year 2018, they named PANTONE-18-3838 Ultra Violet as the winner. This is no shrinking violet: it’s a stunning and vivid blue-based purple that isn’t for the shy. Inspired by possibilities and unconventional symbols, this color is meant to reflect what is lacking in our world today.
This means you’re about the see a whole lot more purple popping up everywhere. This color is set to take over many aspects of design- everything from interiors to packaging. “It communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking”, Letrice Eiseman executive director of the Pantone Color Institute explains. You find it in the cosmos (stunning deep-space nebula anyone?), while pop culture icons like Prince and David Bowie have used the color to express individuality.
What Does This Mean for Custom Packaging?
Color psychology tells us that certain colors can make people feel different ways. Red suggests energy and strength, blue is linked to calm and clarity, while green symbolizes renewal and growth. Consider your customer’s perception of your brand and its mission statement. Your color choices should relate to the product you’re selling and support the individuality you want to portray as a brand.
You don’t have to align your marketing material with cliché color associations. In fact, if you mix the Ultra Violet color of the year with your current branding, it will undoubtedly bring a lot of awareness to your customer’s eyes. This color is full of intrigue and symbolizes what lies ahead in the future. The color stands for futurism and expresses that your company is forward thinking.
How to Use Ultra Violet in Your Box Design
Using Ultra Violet for marketing can be very alluring to your customers. You can decide to use it as an accent or go bold and use it all over your box design. This color choice will amplify your brand’s marketing efforts.Whether you’re using shippers, mailers, a point of purchase display, or trash boxes, your brand is more than what is inside the box. It can become a known brand just by its custom-designed box.
The best colors to use with Ultra Violet:
● Lime Green
● White
● Gold
● Yellow
● Black
● Pink
● Lilac
● Periwinkle
● Light Grey
● Orange
There are yearly studies devoted to discovering how colors make people feel and ways to use them in branding. Read more this psychology in this article by Jen Reviews.
For now, bright colors are in. They can certainly make a design pop, and our opinion, it’s one of the strongest graphic design trends for 2018. Try incorporating Ultra Violet along with one of the complimentary colors above into a new pattern or graphic. Be bold and mix it up!
Learn How to Make Your Brand Unforgettable with CompanyBox
Custom printed boxes are an affordable way for you to advertise your brand. Let CompanyBox help you find new ways to make your brand stand out by mixing in exciting colors like the “Pantone Color of The Year 18-3838 Ultra Violet.” So, if you’re ready to elevate your brand to the next level, let’s get started!
“As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design.” – Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
Images Via: Pantone