How to Make Custom Product Packaging a Part of your Business Strategy

If you’re a business owner, or you’re thinking about starting a business, it’s likely you’ve considered business strategies, whether you realise it or not! Elements of business strategy include consumer behaviour, competitor differentiation and values setting. Something you may have overlooked is how custom product packaging design can not only assist your business strategy, but also be a genuine driver of results.

Read on to discover new ways of thinking about custom packaging and box design and how to integrate into your business. ​

Environmental impact

Environmental concerns and the impacts of climate change have been front of mind for some years now — and rightly so. These issues have influenced consumer behaviour, with shoppers more likely to purchase products with sustainable packaging in-store, and less likely to re-order from a business when items shows up on their doorstep covered in plastic.

It’s not just consumers or even small businesses that have changed their approach to sustainability in recent years, it’s big business too. If your business strategy includes a commitment to sustainability, then ensuring your packaging ladders up to this goal is a no-brainer.

There are myriad non-plastic packaging options available now, including cardboard, corflute and new technologies like biodegradable and compostable packaging.

Differentiation

When it comes to business strategies, differentiation refers to when a company seeks to distinguish itself from the competition. This can be done through features, design, customer service and other unique traits, including – you guessed it – custom product packaging design.  

Like most things in business, there are no set rules (beyond copyright) as to the degree of how different your packaging needs to be from your competitors — rather it will fall somewhere on a scale. Depending on your product category and situation, having packaging that is similar or blends in with your competitors could be an advantage – particularly if your audience is used to your product category being packaged in a particular way.

Regardless of where your products fall on the scale, your options with custom product packaging will help you achieve your differentiation goals when thinking about colour, materials, size, shape and messaging.

Innovation

If your business strategy includes striving for innovation, there are a few ways your custom design packaging boxes can support this mission.

‘Smart packaging’ is a movement taking the custom packaging industry by storm. Smart packaging includes technology like RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips and sensors, which allow for packages and products to be tracked – usually in their journey through warehousing and fulfilment. The most cost effective and consumer-beneficial way to introduce smart packaging innovation to your product is through QR codes.

For example, a QR code on a skincare product could be used to prompt the consumer to re-order the product once it’s nearly finished. Or, to allow consumers to learn more about your product via their phones in a retail environment. These examples might hit multiple business objectives for you, like customer acquisition and retention, simply through custom product packaging design.

In a simpler sense, there are also many ways that custom product packaging design can be innovative in and of itself. Standard packaging is unlikely to be the perfect physical fit for any given product, particularly for products that are fragile or sized in out-of-the-ordinary dimensions. Standard packaging is also unlikely to offer innovative features – like custom inserts, pulls tabs and cut-outs – that make holding, opening and the general unboxing experience great. Custom product packaging design can ensure you’re hitting your business’s innovation objectives in this sense too.

Marketing and promotion

A question to consider: how much will your product packaging be relied upon to promote the product itself? The simple things that come to mind are branded colours, logos and fonts, however in some cases more information or instructions will be needed on the custom printed packaging.

There’s room to get extra-creative with custom printed box designs to support your marketing goals. Why not think outside the box (pun intended) and add your social media handles to design to promote digital channel growth.

Even if you believe there’s no opportunity for marketing or promotion within your packaging strategy (like if you’re working B2B), consider the journey your product is taking from you to the final recipient. Custom branded logistics packaging could be a way to support your marketing activities. Consider each box a brand-building opportunity with every person it crosses paths with throughout the supply chain.

At PPI, our in-house team of packaging designers and engineers can work with you to understand and create unique packaging that meets your unique business needs. We offer a range of solutions that are economical, functional and environmentally friendly too!

Connect with us or call us on 1800 25 8000 to book your FREE initial consultation in Melbourne. We’ll ensure your packaging requirements are met, helping you reach your overarching business objectives.