Influencing Customer Experience Through Branding and Custom Packaging

Branding and custom packaging is a necessary and worthwhile investment. 

When the month of January rolls around the appearance of red-themed displays and heart-shaped packaging lets consumers know February (and Valentine’s Day) is just around the corner. 

Sales around Valentine’s Day average $22 billion, due in part to heart-shaped product branding and packaging.

Like the heart-shaped candy box, the quality and brand imaging of packages can make a big difference. And while business owners are aware that branding and custom packaging are an option, they may not realize how important it is.

When it comes to product branding and packaging, providing an optimal buying experience requires quality packaging and clear brand imaging. Ensuring your product arrives to the consumer in safe and working order is also just as important to brand image, brand loyalty (repeat customers), and reducing the risk of high returns.

How Custom Protective Packaging Affects Brand Image

When it comes to branding and custom packaging, the opportunity to connect with the customer is one that shouldn’t be overlooked. From the time the package leaves the facility until it is in the customer’s hands, your package acts as the primary marketing method for your products.

Having it ship or arrive in a bland, brown package will not inspire that thrill the customer was hoping to receive. Meanwhile, packaging artwork presents your brand in a clearly recognizable way. 

When receiving custom-branded packaging,  customers are reassured that the product within is backed by a company that takes pride in their product and is willing to spend the time and money to get it to you safely. 

This choice, paired with protective packaging, keeps the product secure from start to finish and means a chance of increased customer loyalty, word-of-mouth advertising opportunities, and increased product success. This also decreases the risk of returns of a damaged product, which hurts the company’s bottom line. 

There are different options for protective packaging:

• Suspension packaging: This type of packaging utilizes corrugated inserts and plastic flexible film to keep the product centrally located in the box. Retention and suspension packaging is not only customizable, it is also reusable and cost-effective. 
• Air cushion packaging: With air cushion packaging, an inflatable cushion is used within the box to help protect the product while it is in transit from the company to the consumer. 
• Custom molded pulp trays: For those who are focused on more environmentally friendly options, this type of packaging uses recyclable materials. It is formed into the shape the customer needs when it is created, which saves time and money. 
• Custom Foam Cushioning: For a product with delicate parts or one that won’t be kept still with the above methods due to its shape, custom foam cushioning can be created to provide security and protection. 
• Custom box partitions: Box partitions can be used to separate items from touching one another, giving a clean and organized look. These can be created with corrugated material, with flutes aka wavelike arches, to increase the partition’s resistance to pressure. Products are protected from damage as a result.
  
  

Benefits of Designing Custom Artwork on Your Packaging:

As noted before, the visual appeal of the branding and custom packaging enhances the customer’s unboxing experience. Customer experience plays a role in product success. It fulfills the thrill they hoped to feel when receiving a highly anticipated package in the mail. 

Lasting Brand Recognition Makes an Impact 

The postal carrier can easily see which brands are being purchased by the customers on their route. Likewise, the neighbor, the food delivery driver or anyone driving by can see the colors and logo on branding custom packaging en route to a resident’s doorstep.

The use of custom branding and packaging design related to the company’s brand also increases customer loyalty. 

With the receipt of a visually appealing and properly packaged product that is undamaged, the customer’s satisfaction is high and increases the chances of their return for future purchases. 

Improving Brand Image Through Custom Flexo Printed Packaging 

Both off-the-shelf products and made-to-order ones benefit from custom packaging artwork, which is a surefire way for brands to stand out against their competition. 

From the highly competitive food industry to high-stakes medical applications, package design has a crucial role in nearly every industry.  

OEMs, distributors, and customers alike make judgments about the quality of your products based on the protective nature and branding of custom packaging. 

However, ensuring that the correct type of ink is used based on the substrate and application is crucial. 

Thankfully, Flexo printing offers 4 types of ink depending on the desired effect and application. 

• Water-Based 
• Solvent-Based
• UV & Electron Beam
• Oil-Based 

It’s important to work with your print house and their ink suppliers to identify the best materials for your final products' graphic, physical, and even chemical requirements.

While any ink -- in the right formulas -- could work on nearly any substrate or packaging material, to ensure that you're getting the best possible printed design, it’s important to find the right ink for your application.  

How Product Branding and Packaging is an Opportunity for “Free Marketing” 

In sales, it is well known that the first seven seconds are the window to make a lasting impression. 

Branding and custom packaging is the way to capitalize on this time frame. The company’s brand identity is enhanced when the colors and logo on the packaging are easily recognized. This recognition comes from not only the customer receiving the package but also anyone in the postal service or anyone who is in the area when the package arrives. 

For those eCommerce or subscription services, the package arriving at someone’s front door is tangible evidence of the company’s success. It pays to make it stand out from the other deliveries of the day. 

Have questions about how CS packaging can help promote your brand image? Contact us today.