A strong brand identity provides a leg up in today’s competitive market. Consumers crave connection and authenticity, but this is not possible unless branding is built into every detail.
While many brands have succeeded in crafting a powerful digital presence, they often neglect tangible elements such as product packaging.
The result? A disjointed experience, in which real-world brand interactions fall far short of consumers’ heightened expectations.
Thankfully, a powerful solution is well within reach: strategic, brand-centric packaging that builds on digital strategies to create a cohesive experience.
What Is Branded Packaging?
From boxes to custom label printing and even packing slips, a variety of packaging elements can be adorned with logos, dynamic color palettes and other elements to reinforce the consumer’s perception of the brand.
These wrapping and labeling materials are known as branded packaging. This concept encompasses any materials handling during the unboxing process. Such elements form an extension of the organization’s already established brand identity.
Benefits of Branded Packaging
Brand-centric packaging amplifies the effect of a solid brand strategy by building core visual details into in-person experiences. This should bring a much-needed visual boost to otherwise dull or uninspired packaging. Advantages include:
- Create a memorable unboxing experience. Unboxing is a crucial part of the purchasing cycle. Dynamic packaging can build anticipation into this experience. The goal is to produce a strong emotional response that begins before the consumer has even laid eyes on the product in question. This should echo the childlike wonder of opening birthday presents. Simply put, curated wrapping brings joy to the unboxing process.
- Enhance brand awareness and engagement. Strategic packaging can build on earlier efforts to produce brand awareness. Through delightfully tangible experiences, customers form lasting connections with brands. These, in turn, create stronger memories that encourage consumers to continue engaging long after they’ve completed the unboxing process.
- Deliver cohesive branding. The most impactful branding efforts are also the most consistent. Consumers feel misled when they encounter disparate branding efforts. In the digital realm, this is addressed through consistent branding across various platforms, for example, similar messaging between marketing emails, social media updates and web design. Branded packaging brings this push for consistency into the real world.
How to Boost Branded Packaging
The why of branded packaging is easy to understand, but many businesses struggle to put this knowledge into action. Remember, branding is an all-encompassing pursuit that strengthens connections across every facet of the consumer experience.
This effort should begin developing a strong brand identity. This means researching the target audience, determining consumers’ preferences (and pain points) and examining the competition. These insights can reveal which branding strategies will provide a differentiating edge while also meeting consumers where they’re at.
From there, branding should be carefully curated across all marketing initiatives and brand representations — packaging included. Examine every packaging detail to determine where branding falls short. This might mean overhauling the boxes or labels to emphasize brand logos or core brand aesthetics.
Materials matter; some are simply poorly suited to displaying dynamic visual elements. Opt for high-quality materials that bring design to the forefront. Be sure to work with a trusted manufacturer to ensure consistent quality across all packaging elements. Quality control is essential; manufacturers should perform rigorous testing to ensure that branded details will hold up in a variety of settings and scenarios.
Today’s detail-oriented consumers crave memorable unboxing experiences. Satisfy this need with curated packaging that emphasizes branding while building an authentic and lasting connection.
