Jan 16 2018

Cost Effective Brand Packaging

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With online purchasing becoming increasingly popular for consumers, higher expectations are placed on packaging to not only fulfil the fundamental role of parcel protection but to also offer reassurances to the customer that their purchase with their chosen company was the right decision.

For the customer, the brand should always communicate the same values offline that it did online, and with the help of effective brand packaging a customer’s experience can continue even after a completed transaction online.

For a growing business, increasing the budget on packaging may not be the first thought, however there is a huge benefit branded packaging can bring with encouraging repeat business.

Branding your packaging doesn’t have to be complicated

For businesses without the advantages of an in-house creative team to innovate new designs, printing your company logo or slogan on your dispatch packaging is a practical first step into the world of branded packaging. The use of the company logo avoids any further design and technicality, offering a quicker implementation solution, with branded packaging often delivered within 5 working days (dependent on the product chosen and quantity needed).

A one colour print keeps branded packaging costs low

Generally, black ink appears clearer on brown cardboard than a full colour print, however this can vary dependant on the grade and quality of the board used – ask your packaging supplier for more advice on the best board grade for printing on. For businesses using packaging in pallet quantities, the set up cost for artwork origination can be very minimal when equating to a price per box, with smaller orders more likely being printed digitally where there is no print plate generation charge at all.

Printing costs start to increase for jobs requiring two or more colours; this is due to a charge for ink plates when additional colours are required. Maintain brand consistency by avoiding the use of colours that differ to the brand image and company logo – more on this later.

Utilise your print coverage effectively

Choosing to print on one side of a standard cardboard box is usually cheaper than printing on all sides, as the larger the print plate required the more costly it is to generate. For businesses with varied dispatch boxes, printing on the front or lid of a box can be a cost effective option where the same print plate is used across the range.

However it is worth bearing in mind that choosing to print in full colour on certain packaging solutions could be the necessary expense needed in making a parcel stand out amongst other deliveries. Take for instance address labels; using in-house resources to print the company logo in full colour could just be the slight change needed to help a growing business appear more professional. Custom printed documents enclosed envelopes can then take this one step further, as well as using printed packaging tape.

It’s always worth spending some time on reviewing where quick and easy changes can be made to improve your packages.

Keep branded packaging consistent

From an operations point of view, the process of pick, pack and dispatch is the same for each order, however the customer journey for a new customer differs to that of a repeat purchase and so brand image should always be represented consistently.

Whether printing on postal labels, parcel boxes or packaging tape, printing the same image across various packaging solutions where possible would help customers identify with your brand more quickly. This is particularly important to ensure buyer confidence and trust is maintained across the whole customer journey. Through a customer trusting a brand they are more inclined to trust the product!

Quality packaging is key

Investing in customised packaging of a good quality shows the customer that you not only value their purchase, but that you have put thought in every part of their buying experience. This attention to detail is an avenue to win customer loyalty and gain market share from the big players within the industry.

Customers are more inclined to trust the values of the company when they notice the investments spent in brand image. After all you do not expect luxurious products to be delivered in less than appealing packaging. The quality of the outer packaging should represent the quality of the goods within.

Next time you are considering ordering your packaging supplies, request a quote for printed options and take the time to review your options as it may cost less, be less complicated and have a much bigger impact than you expect!

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