No matter what business you run, competition is perpetually fierce. That can make survival difficult, especially for a business that’s new to the scene. How do you stand up to—and out from—the big guys when they’re so far ahead? The answer lies in expressing your brand’s personality, and the best way to do that is with custom packaging. But, that can often be cost-prohibitive, so the next question is how do you afford it?
Simple. Rather than focus on a full-scale branding effort, choose a few select pieces (or even just one piece) of custom branded packaging to use, and go from there. Chosen right and executed well, those pieces can speak volumes about your business without erasing any forward gains you’ve made. Here’s 4 cost-effective options for custom packaging on a budget, any one of which would make a great place to start.
Custom Packing Tape
Amazon, essentially the biggest e-commerce business in the word, often brands their customer shipments with just one thing—custom packing tape. And it’s instantly recognizable when something arrives at your door, isn’t it?
So, we say go with it. Custom packing tape is an opportunity to show your logo in a repeating, unending strip. Repetition is a strong choice for committing something to memory, and your brand is certainly worthy of that. A few strips of custom packaging tape (especially the water-activated variety, for extra security) is all it takes to make a shipment yours—and to make a customer happy to see you.
Custom Labels
What makes custom labels so effective is that they’re instantly eye-catching and can be placed wherever you like. Are you shipping customer orders in regular slotted cartons? You’ve got 4 sides around the box to deck out in as many, or as few, custom labels as you like. Using front lock mailers? All it takes is one custom label to announce the arrival of quality merchandise (with endless placement possibilities—the center of the box top, the corner, on the front flap, and on and on). With just one piece of custom packaging, you’ve turned standard packaging into something that belongs to your business alone.
Custom Tissue Paper
There’s something about a logo, patterned across soft sheets of tissue paper, that says “what you’re about to receive is high-quality, worthwhile, and just for you.” It doesn’t matter if you’re simply using kraft corrugated boxes to ship your products. Having them cradled inside coloured sheets is striking, eye-catching and assuredly memorable. And remember, all it takes is just one custom tissue paper sheet. You can use unprinted tissue paper to help pad out the presentation and keep costs down. And, if you can find tissue that matches or complements your brand colours—that’s all the better.
Plus, you just can’t beat that crinkly sound the paper makes, can you?
Custom Inserts
The simplest option is to just say thanks. A handwritten note, mentioning your customer’s name and what they bought, can go further than even the grandest piece of custom packaging. Being appreciated is always a welcome feeling, and one a customer won’t forget. One of the nice things about using inserts is that there really isn’t a right or wrong way to use them. A printed postcard, a thank-you note, some coupons, a sample or two, or even just a piece of candy. All those options ladder up to the same thing—telling a customer that their business means everything to you.
Making decisions about the future of your business can be daunting. But, we think that choosing custom packaging can (and should) be an exciting endeavor. Done right, it won’t take much to show your brand’s personality to the world, and the results of your efforts can be astounding. When you’re ready to do custom packaging right, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at The Packaging Company. We’ll help the world love your business just as much as you do.
