When your eCommerce business chooses packaging for shipping products to your customers, your considerations probably start with the fundamentals—picking the right kind of packaging to get your product where it needs to go safe and undamaged, without excess cost or wasted material. But if that’s where the conversation ends, you are missing out on significant opportunities to influence your brand image and recognition through your packaging.
After all, when a consumer receives their order, what does its packaging say about your company? If their items arrive on time and intact, that’s great, but there’s so much more you could be conveying with intentional choices that align with your overall branding and marketing strategy. Compared to a retail store, eCommerce businesses have fewer touchpoints in which to create a great experience, so you shouldn’t squander the chances you do get to create a good impression and build your brand. Consider some of the choices that can send a strong message.
Sustainability
Environmental awareness is extremely popular among consumers, with a solid majority indicating that they would pay more for products with sustainable packaging. You can enhance your brand image by tapping into this customer sentiment with your choice of eCommerce packaging. Options include recyclable paper packaging or polybags that include post-consumer resin (PCR) or post-industrial content (PIC), which keep nonbiodegradable plastic waste out of landfills and protect the environment. Customers will positively associate the extra effort you take to align with their values with your brand reputation.
Personalization
Why send a generic package when your materials offer a blank slate for delivering additional messaging directly into the hands of your customers? Putting your logo or slogan on the outside of your package can boost your brand recognition and encourage customer loyalty. Custom packaging can also increase the perceived value of your product and help differentiate you from competitors. In addition, this space can be used for marketing campaigns or special promotions to increase future sales. Both poly bags and paper packaging can be custom printed, giving you options for personalization no matter what your ideal packaging is. Picture your customers’ faces lighting up when they see your logo on the package they’ve just received and realize the order they were anticipating has arrived, and you’ll see the value.
Packaging and Brand Perception
Quality packaging matters for more than just getting your products from point A to point B. Your customers will make judgments about your company based on what they see in your packaging choices. For example, good strong materials and good seals demonstrate that your company takes care in its packaging, which suggests your customers can expect equal concern in the quality of your products and the investment you put into customer service. Similarly, right-sized packaging sends a positive message—after all, we’ve all had the experience of receiving one small item in an outsized box mostly full of empty space. A package that is appropriately sized for its contents is a signal that your company spends its money and efforts wisely and efficiently.
Your Source for Custom Packaging Solutions
Tension Packaging & Automation understands that the demands of eCommerce sales are different from those of traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. Our packaging expertise can help you elevate receiving a package into a satisfying brand experience that complements your overall marketing strategy. We can help you select the right packaging materials for your application (including sustainable packaging) to optimize your fulfillment operation’s workflow while protecting and promoting your brand. We can also help you choose the right customization for your packaging to produce the best return on investment for your marketing efforts.
Realizing that there’s more you could do to get the full benefit of strategic packaging choices for your brand? Don’t wait to get started. To learn more about how Tension can make your eCommerce packaging work to strengthen your brand, contact us here today.
