You’ve done it! Business is booming, customers are buying your products, and where you once relied on popping off to the post office to send your parcels each week from your basement business, you’re now a fully-fledged company in an office with 10+ staff.
It’s time to invest in packaging solutions that will alleviate stress, reduce delivery costs, and improve your carbon footprint at the same time. Here we share our tips when sourcing the right packaging for your company - be that simply the envelope you’re sending your goods in through to the message you want your customer to read as they open your e-commerce box.
1. Know exactly what you want to say about your business
Consumers are way past ripping open a parcel and finding the contents. Now they want an experience, something Instagram-able, and for many, sustainable packaging is also a top priority. We know customers scrutinise what their items arrive in, especially when it’s a gift, a fashion item, or something for the home. What are you selling and what is the important message that you want to convey?
If, for your business, it’s branding and messaging, think about the touches you can add to:
- Showcase your unique style - e.g. humour, bright colours, a surprise gift with purchase inside (include this consideration when sourcing the package)
- Share your key message - e.g. printing a quote on the inside of the box, or
- Show off your company slogan - e.g. Just Do It (this is making us think of the new AIR movie out in cinemas right now, about Nike and how they grew)
For example, if demonstrating your commitment to sustainability is a key consideration in the packaging you send to customers or offer in-store, you can brand it with an FSC stamp or something that tells the receiver this product is one or the three R’s (recycled, recyclable or reusable).
2. Consider your spending carefully and adjust your packaging and printing preferences to suit.
You may want a glossy waxed box to house your candles, along with a bespoke pink interior that opens to say let us light your way, but be sure you have the budget. Could you say it instead with a Kraft box and some Kraft recycled shredded paper inside, and your beautiful logo on the front? The great thing is that packaging comes in all shapes and budgets, so as long as you know your spending budget, modifications can be made to match. You don't need to deliver the world to impress (more on that in a moment).
A great example of making excellent packaging choices is IZI Beauty, featured below. IZI Beauty has the most wonderful packaging for their lipsticks, as you can see below. The brand exudes class, elegance and style, and combines this with a very important sustainability message - their products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and plant-based.
Photo kindly provided by IZI Beauty, one of our Enviroflute customers
3. What are your delivery goals?
If your business is about fast delivery and it’s one of your USPs, this may cost you more. Consider this as you’re planning how you’ll pack your items. A paper padded bag is economical because it’s lightweight and durable, but that may not be on brand for your business. A subscription or e-commerce box may suit your business needs because it’ll often be considered a large envelope by UK Post (check the weights and sizes with UK Post first). Determine what your delivery requirements are, and then look at what fits that the best. Remember, a costly courier service may mean charging your customers more. And that's okay, as long as you know this and have planned for this in advance.
4. Do you have storage for packaging?
Packaging can take up a lot of space depending on what your business needs and it’s important to consider storage and how easily you can get more of it as and when you need to. If space is an issue, or your work space is more of a small office or WeWork kind of arrangement, perhaps you’d benefit from using a packaging company that can send you small amounts regularly. On the other hand, if you’ve got the room, you’ve worked out your budgets and trajectory on sales, and know you can afford a bigger bulkier order, this could save you considerable money on the unit price of each item, if you’re buying in bulk. As long as your cash flow isn’t crippled, this can be a cost saving in the long run.
5. Be original - it's free marketing after all
Don't try and be anyone else. And don't try and copy someone who has the same products and is already doing it their way. You'll eventually be found out.
A long time ago when bamboo toothbrushes were only just becoming a thing, one of our staff received their first toothbrush in a Kraft paper envelope. All it had on the envelope was the company logo on the front and the toothbrush inside, housed in a kraft paper box. Great! No plastic so far. But it wasn't about all these wonderful packaging choices that struck our employee. What sold them was that on the back of the envelope they hand wrote 'Thank you Jane'. Simple as that.
That personal message tickled them pink.
Be original, even on a small budget, and you can leave a lasting impression.
And finally...
6. Be ready to grow your unique brand
At the end of the day only you know your business and what your customers want. They'll have told you or will tell you (when you get it wrong more than right), and you must trust your instincts. And this is going to be very important as you grow. Build your uniqueness into your brand, packaging, and social media now. Make it part of your story. And then you've planted the seeds for growth. A great example of this is Nike. While we only know them now as a huge giant of a company, they carefully built their brand over time and never lost touch with communicating their slogan, logo and brand style through every part of their packaging (they've been going since 1964 so they've got a few years on us here at Enviroflute!).
Think about the long-term goals for your company NOW so as you are identifying which printing and packaging company you'll invest in, they can grow your brand with you.
If you are stuck on getting the packaging right for your growing business, why not get in touch and we can sit down and chat about what you're aiming for, what your budget is, what you want to convey to the world, and how we can set your brand on fire (not literally). We would love to help you with your packaging conundrum.
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Seeded envelopes...it's bee-cause we care