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Packaging plays an integral role for retail businesses operating in both the retail and eCommerce industries.
Creating an exceptional brand experience for the customer starts the moment the product is in their hands.
Custom packaging, including custom gift boxes, is one of the best ways to create an unboxing experience, make a positive first impression on new customers, and keep loyal customers coming back.
So if you’re considering ways to enhance your branding, considering high-end packaging such as custom gift boxes should be a top priority.
One of the reasons why gift-like packaging is a powerful tool for gaining customers is because they communicate a lot about your brand and products.
It adds a higher perceived value to your products and help build better relationships directly with your customers.
The Benefits of Custom Gift Boxes
Custom gift boxes are a powerful asset to almost any industry as it helps to improve buying experiences and shows customers you care in a meaningful way.
There are many benefits that come with custom gift boxes for a range of brands, such as:
- Affordable: custom gift boxes are a cost-effective method to elevate your brand experience without needing to overhaul your entire budget. High-quality packaging elevates the experience, but it does not need to be insanely expensive to have the best effect on customers.
- Durable: Custom gift boxes are sturdy and durable enough to protect your products from damage while still creating an impactful unboxing experience for customers. Especially when paired with foam inserts to keep your products safe yet displayable. \
- Brand Differentiation: You can distinguish your brand from your competitors with custom-branded gift boxes. It allows brands to showcase their competitive edge and deliver a unique experience to customers that really stand out in their niche.
- Brand communication: Using custom gift boxes, brands can communicate their values to customers, including core missions such as sustainability, brand stories, and more, helping build more authentic relationships and therefore more loyal customers.
These efforts are instrumental in driving revenue and helping businesses grow.
Custom gift boxes are a small investment that can yield significant returns when done right. Rather than spend more on customer acquisition, you are in a better position to retain customers – which means the potential for profit is much higher.
So how do you get started designing your very own custom gift boxes?
Identifying Brand Values
What is it you want customers to remember about your brand?
That they’re getting a premium experience?
That you care about them?
That your business values sustainability?
These are just some questions to get you started, but the first step is really about nailing down what you want your packaging to communicate.
As social media becomes more prominent in consumer behavior, you want packaging that customers feel excited to receive and really take in your branding.
The Customer Experience
Once you have thought about what you want to communicate, you will have to think about the customer.
What do you want them to experience when they see your product?
What are their current expectations of your brand, and where can improvements be made?
A thorough understanding of the customer journey and expectations ensures that your packaging will be as relevant to them as possible.
The Brand Elements
Do you want a minimal look or something flashy?
You can incorporate many types of brand elements to be eye-catching, including your colors, logos, and other designs.
You can work with a packaging expert to get the right look and feel for your custom gift boxes and ensure that your brand is represented as best as possible.
Explore different finishes, specialty printing processes, and material options to create a packaging design that represents and speaks for your brand.
The Messaging
Do you want to communicate any clear messages through your packaging?
This can include taglines, straplines, social media hashtags, and more.
These are all great ways to make your packaging distinctive while creating a cohesive brand impression that starts when packages arrive at the customers’ doorsteps.
74% of consumers say they are influenced by word-of-mouth marketing.
One of the primary ways this happens today is through unboxing videos and reviews!
Custom gift boxes are the perfect way to create an unboxing experience and generate user-based content to spark more credibility and reach for your brand.
Types of Gift Boxes
When considering custom gift boxes for your brand, there are some considerations that you must bear in mind.
The right box type can convey a lot about your brand and what it stands for, so investing time in selecting custom gift box designs will immensely benefit the overall customer experience.
Magnetic Rigid Boxes
The satisfying ‘snap’ of a magnetic closure rigid box can be oddly addicting as the two magnets in the rigid boxes lock together to a firm close.
Magnetic closure rigid boxes have two magnets placed in the rigid boxes that lock together to firmly seal the box shut.
Because of its sturdy and solid construction, customers will be very hesitant to throw these boxes out, making it a sustainable option since rigid boxes can make excellent storage units for jewelry, makeup, and just about anything else (depending on the size of the box).
Plus, it’s structural engineering allows for a unique and high-end feel. The magnetic closure offers a sleek unboxing experience that your customers are bound to remember!
Magnetic closure boxes can come in standard and collapsible styles.
While the standard style is stronger and more durable, the collapsible magnetic closure rigid box is packed and shipped flat, which can greatly reduce shipping and handling costs.
Collapsible rigid boxes generally come with double-sided tape that adheres to the collapsible faces of the box making it no longer collapsible for your customers.
Without close examination, your customers won’t even know they were collapsible, to begin with. Genius!
Telescopic rigid boxes
Telescopic, or telescope rigid boxes can also be referred to as topload, 2-piece rigid boxes, or lid and tray rigid packaging with the lid coming off of the base vertically.
This is your traditional Monopoly game box or iPhone box type of opening, though the two boxes look and feel drastically different.
Higher-end telescope boxes (like smartphone boxes) are made with precise measurements to allow friction and a slow-opening speed, so the base can slowly slide out from under the lid.
Telescopic boxes are more sturdy than most rigid box styles since there are four faces of both the lid and base overlapping when closed.
This makes it an ideal choice for products that are expected to be used multiple times, making it a robust packaging option.
Partial cover rigid boxes are a type of telescopic rigid box in which the lid only covers part of the base, making it easier to open and close.
Drawer Style Rigid Boxes
There’s something gratifying about pulling a drawer open, especially a small, box-sized drawer with a new product inside of it.
Drawer-style rigid boxes are also known as slipcase, slide, or match rigid boxes since they open similarly to matchboxes.
Either with an attached ribbon pull or a semi-circle thumb hole, drawer-style rigid boxes are similar to telescopic rigid boxes, but on a different angle – literally.
Telescope boxes are great for products you want to keep straight and level for when a customer opens the box up.
Opening horizontally instead of vertically can be great to prevent an accident or even a disaster, like this clip of a user unboxing his brand-new iPhone during an interview.
Drawer-style boxes can also be made with integrated mechanisms for child safety to prevent young children from opening products that are potentially harmful.
Shoulder Neck Rigid Boxes
This type of rigid box has multiple layers, including a different nick or shoulder inner layer that a lid can lay on top of.
This is an excellent type of packaging if you want to create a unique unboxing experience since it can be customized further to match your brand colors and styles!
Once you have decided on the type of rigid box packaging you prefer, the next step is to think about what inserts will go inside.
Designers often choose to leave the neck portion of the shoulder-neck rigid box partially exposed to give a multi-layer or multi-packaging impression that can create a sense of mystery for customers as they gaze upon a high-end product.
Tube Packaging
Also referred to as rolled-edge tube packaging, rigid tubes are a unique and eco-friendly paper packaging option for those looking to stand out and be different.
Rigid tube packaging is a type of rigid box that is cylindrical in shape, has no corners, and is usually made in a telescopic or shoulder-neck style of opening.
The most popular example of a rigid tube is a Pringles container.
Rigid tubes are popular for packaging smaller products such as drinks, cosmetics, stationary, and accessories with a convenient opening method.
Additional Packaging Materials
Additional packaging materials like box inserts are very popular when designing rigid packaging.
Packaging inserts are highly recommended when you’re looking to get the ultimate unboxing experience with a rigid box.
A custom packaging insert is made specifically for your product, helping it stay in place to provide an elevated presentation while offering a high degree of shock protection, even against drops and rough handling.
There are cases where products are either round or rectangular and can fit within a rigid box perfectly, however, these cases are rare.
Custom inserts most commonly come in;
- Paperboard
- Corrugated
- Molded pulp
- Foam
- Plastic
Custom gift boxes are a great way to improve your product packaging, exhibit high-quality branding and add a personal touch that builds customer loyalty.
By using custom gift boxes, you can also increase the perceived value of your products while improving supply chain efficiency.
So if you’re looking for ways to take your product packaging to the next level, consider ordering custom gift boxes from a trusted custom packaging company.
