Brand Packaging: Why It Matters and How to Nail it (With Examples!)
By Elly Strang • 5 min read, Aug 15, 2022
When it comes to starting a business, brand packaging can often be an afterthought.
But neglecting brand packaging bypasses a golden opportunity to influence brand perception! eCommerce businesses don’t have as many touchpoints with customers as brick-and-mortar businesses do. So, it’s important to tap into the ones that are available!
We’ll cover the benefits of brand packaging, along with some examples of the best brand packaging out there. Let’s dive in!
What is brand packaging?
Before a customer sees and experiences your product, their first impression of your brand is of your packaging. Brand packaging is the physical wrapping or container that holds your product and represents your brand identity.
This makes it a key touchpoint for establishing a connection with your customer and an important extension of your brand experience. In fact, 40% of online shoppers say branded packaging makes them more likely to recommend a product to friends.
If you’re not quite convinced yet, here are four reasons why branded packaging can make all the difference to your brand.
Why brand packaging matters
Let’s look at the reasons brand packaging can improve your business and amplify your customer’s experience.
1. Branded packaging is a point of difference in a competitive market
Logo make with the looka logo maker
With US eCommerse sales expected to reach $875 billion by 2022, branded packaging is an effective way of differentiating your product in the increasingly populated online space.
Companies that use standard stock shipping boxes or parcels run the risk of looking bland. This means being more easily forgotten by their customers.
Having packaging that’s unique to your brand is a big advantage to help you wow your customer and stand out. Humans are visual creatures and appearances help us form first impressions. As a brand, you want to win over your customers and that starts with a strong visual identity.
2. Branded packaging reinforces your brand’s identity and tells its story
Source: Forner Studio on Behance
Delivery packaging is a crucial part of brand consistency. Think of it as an extension of your brand from its digital channels, right through to the tangible experience the customer has when they receive the product.
It’s a part of your brand’s story. Think about the mission, values, and personality behind your brand and how you can bring that into your packaging. Adding your logo and brand colors is a good start, but there are tons of other elements to include!
- Tissue paper
- Postcards
- Printed art
- Business cards
- Stickers
- Branded ribbon
- Custom logo stamp
- A handwritten thank-you note
These are just some ideas for how to further your brand’s story in your packaging.
4. Branded packaging can help with your online marketing strategy
Stay Hungry on Behance
Remember the childhood thrill of opening gifts on your birthday? The grown-up version of this is the unboxing experience.
An unboxing experience is a phenomenon that’s swept the internet where customers document themselves opening beautifully packaged products. Some YouTube unboxing videos have racked up views in the millions.
As Packlane’s CEO Miriam Brafman puts it “For an unboxing experience to be successful from a business standpoint, it should delight the customer so much that it elevates the perceived value of the product inside and the brand behind it.”
The unboxing experience is the type of user-generated content that can be influenced by branded delivery packaging. If a customer has an enjoyable experience opening your parcel, they’re more likely to share videos and photos of it online and tag you in it.
User-generated content like this is an amazing asset to use on your brand channels as a marketing tool. As an added bonus, it helps spread the word about your products to their audience, creating further brand awareness.
39% of online shoppers have shared an image of packaging on social media that was unique or branded. And 25% of those who hadn’t shared an image would be more likely to do as a result of beautiful packaging.
5. Branded packaging makes for a special customer experience
People have high standards for what constitutes great customer service, so it’s important to make sure your brand is perceived as adding value in every interaction you have with them.
Branded packaging is a great tool for this. It adds layers to a customer’s unwrapping experience, creating a feeling of excitement and anticipation. It also makes them feel like they’ve received more than the sum of what they ordered.
“The unboxing experience has to tell your brand story. Highlighting the benefits of the product on the inside of the top of the box, an area immediately visible upon opening, can make a strong impression.” – Miriam Brafman, Packlane CEO
5 brands with the best branded packaging
Let’s dive into 5 examples of brands with branded packaging that matches their values, brand personality and resonates with their audience.
1. Allbirds – sustainable brand packaging
Built on the premise of sustainability, Allbirds carries these values in the way they package their shoes. Its simple, minimalistic, and aligns perfectly to their sincere brand personality.
2. Pottery with a Purpose – quirky brand packaging
Sydney Michuda on Behance
Pottery with a Purpose includes a fun message once you open the DIY kit, and incorporates illustration and color through its package label and guide. It’s simple, cute, and relies mainly on product packaging to get its vibe across.
3. Brightland – unique brand packaging
A far cry from traditional olive oil branding, Brightland reimagined the olive oil experience with bright and fun colors and curved illustrated text. The packaging beautifully displays the bottles and incorporates the brand colors in both the box design and label for a delightful visual experience.
4. Patagonia – efficient brand packaging
Functional and conscious, Patagonia reflects its values through its unique and functional hexagon cardboard brand packaging. With no plastic or unnecessary packaging, it’s a unique and efficient way of delivering products while staying true to its sustainable business brand values.
5. Blueland – colorful brand packaging
Blueland leveraged its colorful products to add a wow factor to its brand packaging. The blue cover and slogan are centrally placed and enforce the mission of refilling, not recycling. It also protects the product and makes a solid first impression.
6. Mejuri – customized packaging
Source: krxssy.com
Jewelry is all about treating yourself or others. What’s better than a handwritten thank you note to solidify the personalized experience? It’s great for instigating user-generated content and making an impression. Mejuri’s presentation is minimal and plastic-free – using only cloth and cardboard to get their product and brand across.
How can you make branded packaging?
Branded packaging is a really important part of telling your brand’s story, just like your logo. It’s a strategy that goes beyond just making your products more aesthetically pleasing: it helps with marketing, brand identity, and enhancing customer experience.
Top packaging suppliers
Looking for a platform to help you create stunning brand packaging? Here are your best options with a full range of printing and package variety.
- Packlane
- Vistaprint
- Packhelp
- Refine Packaging
They all offer boxes, mailers, tissue, and everything in between.
Brand Packaging FAQs
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions branding your packaging:
What is brand packaging? It’s the physical wrapping or container that holds your product and amplifies your customer’s experience with your brand.
Which brand has the best packaging? Established brands like Hermes, Mejuri, Allbirds, and Patagonia are all examples of the best brand packaging.
What is packing and branding? Packing is the physical materials you use to present your product to your customers. Branding the packaging means adding the colors, design elements, and brand assets (like fonts and messaging) to your packaging.
How do I make branded packaging? You can use brand packaging suppliers like Packlane or Vistaprint to make your packaging, or you can order plain boxes and use stickers or handmade elements to make them on-brand.