Product packaging tells the story of you and your brand. Not only does it make a great marketing tool, but it also helps you and your product stand out among the competition. Packaging is one of the final touches put on a finished product and can sometimes make or break a sale. Our brains process visual information in a matter of seconds… what do you want your customers to remember about your brand?
Think of packaging as a first impression that will help your customer understand your product and its intended use.
Types of Packaging
Bags
Sometimes a brown paper bag is all you need for packaging. This would be a viable option if you were selling, say, a grab bag of something like candy orsoapsample bars. A bag with a window may be a great option as it allows your consumers to visualize the product.
Of course, there are many types of bags available, some made of plastic, some paper, some fabric.Organza bags, in particular, offer a luxurious look at an affordable price. Perhaps you could sell thatlavender cold process soapwith a fewlavender budsin a purple磁体小袋。
Boxes
Boxes有各种形状和大小。他们可以定制ade to fit your product in all kinds of dimensions and materials. Let’s think about something purchased fromAmazon。What is the first part of the packaging we see? It’s that brown box with Amazon printed all over it sitting on our doorstep.
This can also be considered the product’s outer packaging. This is the first thing your consumer will see. The outer packaging is typically designed to protect your product. This is especially important if you are operating a small business in which you take orders online and ship your products out.
Of course, theboxdoesn’t have to be the typical cardboard box. Many people opt to sell their soap bars in whiteboxes with windowsbecause it allows for safe handling, plus it gives the customer a visualization of the product.
Clamshell
It probably wouldn’t be practical to sell soap bars in individualclamshellpackages. Doesn’t everybody just love those? I hope you sense my sarcasm. Yes, I am referring to those beloved plasticclamshellpackages that require scissors or a knife to open if they are tamper-proof sealed.
Maybe soap wouldn’t be too appealing in aclamshell包裹，但怎么样，说，蜡融化或奉献蜡烛？这种包装风格非常有用，因为它允许待制造的产品，存储和碎片可以单独使用
Do you want your customers to be able to feel your product? If so, this method may not be quite on point for your product packaging. Don’t get discouraged – it’s all about what works best for you and your goods.
Hang Tags
These are fantastic for sticking to a budget while still offering relevant packaging. You can purchase them in many places like craft stores or online shops – I’ve even able to snag them at the dollar store at times/
Take into consideration if this is the right type of packaging for your product. For example, it may be a little odd to buy a bottle of soda that has no label wrapped around it but has a tag hanging from its neck. Is a hang tag appropriate for your product? Would your product look right with a tag hanging from it instead of a “traditional” package?
挂起标签是蜡烛的一个很好的选择。这些允许客户获得诸如香水，指示和联系信息之类的所有重要信息 - 同时也能够在他们的新购买的蜡烛保持更别致的外观时删除标签。
Header Cards
标题卡片只是纸板或卡片，折叠成两半并钉在袋子上，通常是一种塑料，可容纳产品。
You know the little $1.00 bags of candy that adorn the snack aisle of drug stores? They usually have a header tag that hangs from the rack of the display. The header tag shows the candy type and logo, with its more pertinent information on the back of the header tag such as nutrition facts, ingredients and contact information. They are usually easy to open but are typically not resealable. They hang nicely, but how would they look stacked or placed flat on a table? Probably not as good.
Backer Cards
Quite similar to header cards, backer cards are the same type of design except the cardboard or cardstock extends down to the bottom of the bag containing the product. A great example of a product that utilizes a backer card would be a multipack of car air fresheners.
Shrink Wrap
Using收缩包装protects your product from the elements and still allows the item to be tangible and seen. This is a great option for items likebath bombs这需要保持安全和紧凑。收缩包装是一种适用于各种产品的应用程序，从培根到肥皂。
Products can be收缩包装pedat home by using special bags and a heat source such as a hairdryer. The convenience and practicality of this method makes it one of the most popular in our niche industry.
Cigar Bands
这是用于包装杆肥皂和我个人最爱之一的尝试和真实的方法之一。这些只是一块卡片，薄纸或水平缠绕在酒吧周围的其他材料。这允许潜在客户拾取杆的地方，而不必触摸实际产品。
This type of packaging lends itself to our senses of touch, sight and smell. With a majority of the product exposed, we can see what it looks like in its bare form, how it smells, how the texture feels. You can even have the cigar brands printed to only have your name and ingredients on the band – this way, moving forward the only variable that would need to be changed is the scent or style of the soap.
在盒子外面思考......字面上
One example of unique packaging that comes to mind for me would be an item offered at my local gemstone and crystal shop. The owner sells plastic Easter eggs that encapsulate an assortment of six or so tumbled & polished gemstones. These are sold at a discounted price: they are $0.75 for each Easter egg, or you can go for the larger mystery assortment that comes in a stapled brown paper bag for $2.00. Whenever I go into the shop with the intent to buy a specific item, I always end up leaving with one or more of both. I am an adult and the element of surprise created by the ominous packaging still piques my curiosity. Do I need to really spend that $2.75? No. Do I spend it anyway? You bet.
您是否能够考虑一下您可能已购买产品，然后实现了所述产品的唯一主要吸引力是它的包装？有时包装可能比产品本身更令人难忘，并且毫无疑问，独特的包装有助于推动销售。
Planning Ahead
Now that you’ve got an idea of some of the different types of packaging out there, let’s take a peek at four more steps I think are imperative to the packaging process.
收集灵感
Some of my favorite online resources to get inspired are Pinterest and Etsy. If you’ve ever been on either site, I’m sure you are familiar with how one click leads to another and you look up only to find two hours have passed by. Containing user-created content, these two websites are very powerful in terms of researching the handmade market. Google Images is another great place to go for insight as to how other products similar to yours are being packaged.
Deciding upon packaging for your product is a process that should not be rushed. Next time you head into the store, find a moment to observe displays, aisles and how each product is lined up on the shelves. The shampoo aisle is great for this. Choose a brand and look at each variation of their shampoo or conditioner. Based off of the imagery, style, and logo, are you able to tell that the curly hair shampoo is in the same lineup as the shampoo for damaged hair? Successful brands are able to easily do this because of the uniformity of their packaging and appearance. By knowing what everyone else is doing, it is easier to determine which direction you should go.
Consider Practicality
你的包装适合您的产品吗?你会聚氨酯t a powder or liquid in a jar or a solid substance in a bottle? I didn’t think so.
当然，这需要一些常识 - 这是一个无意识的人，一些产品根本不会在某些类型的包装中工作。确保您的包装实用，特别是在坚固和安全感中。如果您的美丽物品没有通过过境，并且没有耐用保护您的产品，那将是一个可怕的耻辱亚搏娱乐网页版登陆
它补充了你的品牌吗？
Your packaging is essential to maintaining a concise brand image. Consistent packaging within your product lineup will without a doubt increase your brand recognition. Think of those golden arches. You already know I’m talking about McDonald’s, right? That’s because their consistency and color scheme has lasted for decades and by now, we automatically associate that symbolism with a specific business.
也许你卖掉所有天然肥皂，你想要配套包装。您可以使用回收的棕色纸作为雪茄乐队，这增加了最小的浪费，但仍然为您的客户提供特定的外观以及标签或包装所需的必要信息。孩子们怎么样？那些应该用更多的保护包装，你不觉得吗？也许有些色彩和坚固的东西最适合那种具体的人口统计。
Affordability
Consider your budget and don’t forget to create a long-term plan. Some variables that need to be worked into the budget are printing fees, paying a graphic designer for your brand’s artwork (this is usually a one-time cost unless you continue to add new products to your lineup), cost of materials, cost of your time or whomever may be packaging the product and the cost of different types of materials. Shipping costs should also be taken into account.
You may want lavish packaging for your soap, but it may just not be realistic at this time. Packaging costs should always be kept minimal, so maybe it is not realistic to be offering that silver foil embellished package with ribbon on your soap bars.
Putting Your Plan in Motion
Take enough time to do your research on these key takeaways. It’s never too soon to start looking – start by looking at the contents of your linen closet or pantry to find some examples right in your home.
Join us next week as we take a closer look at appearance – if you’re setting up your small business, it’s wise to conjure up a logo early on. What is your vision and how do you intend to make it come to life?
