In today's market, packaging is a vital aspect of your company's products – from both a logistical and a marketing point of view.
Influencer unboxing videos are becoming increasingly popular, for instance, while your customers receiving their purchases undamaged and in good condition is the bare minimum of what they expect.
Therefore, understanding how to package a product from start to finish is essential.
How to Package a Product
To simplify the process, we've compiled a comprehensive guide on what you need to do, regardless of if you're shipping to retail locations, individual customers or in bulk to a wholesaler.
Here are the main points that you need to address:
1. Identify How Much Protection the Product Needs
There is a wealth of potential ways in which your goods can be potentially damaged during the shipment process: temperature; odours; vibrations; static; contamination; external compression or pressure; all of these things should be considered.
As a starting point, you can remove (or, at the very least, significantly reduce) the risk of breakage by adding a minimum of five centimetres of cushioning from the external packaging. This could be in the form of airbags, foam, cardboard inserts, or bubble wrapping, all of which are sufficient methods for achieving this. You should also consider the service you will be using to send the product, too, including the performance history of the company in question for delivering items safely from door to door.
If available, it also helps to consider any customer feedback that you may have received from previous shipments. Determine what methods of packaging are preferred, which will prove the least likely to cause damage to a product, and the ways that you can accomplish a safe shipping process with minimal expenses. The less waste needed to package your product, the less money you will need to spend.
2. Take Size Into Account
Of course, the larger a product's size, then the more substantial the box needed. What is not necessarily clear, however, is the fact that to make packaging for your product work, you need to take other considerations into account. Larger bundles may require customised packaging that better supports heavier products, such as switching to corrugated cardboard or heavy-duty foam inserts to better protect the items. Such a change will also simultaneously take preventative measures to avoid box breakage.
Consider your definition of what a "large product" is, too. If it is a single item that is significant in size, then a sturdy form of packaging is required to get it from your warehouse to the retailer (or directly to the consumer). However, if the product is a high quantity of smaller items, then you could instead opt to ship them in multiple containers to avoid the extra expense of higher quality shipping materials. It's also more accessible to handle upon the shipment's arrival (both in terms of stocking shelves or bringing it directly into the customer's home).
3. Consider the Need for Custom Packaging
Now that you have determined your basic packaging needs, you have the opportunity to obtain packaging materials for your product that stands out. By using branded, custom packaging, your product becomes instantly recognisable to customers when they see it, as evidenced by the likes of Apple. This can play a significant part in your company's brand strategy.
Strive to make the packaging appealing to your target audience, taking into consideration the colours, images, and shapes they find most appealing for retail. In most cases, it is advisable to hire a design professional (or even an agency) to create a unique and eye-catching layout.
In addition to making your packaging visually appealing, decide if you need to introduce supplementary features, too, such as special labelling. Even seemingly mundane things such as these can be incorporated in a novel way.
4. Consider the Immediate Destination
Assessing how to package a product involves taking into account who exactly will be receiving the item. When the items are purchased for retail purposes, you must ensure that the packaging stands out on the shelves amongst your competitors. This is when your use of colours, fonts, materials and foiling, will play a pivotal role.
When considering how to package a product for wholesalers, however, appearance is not as important. Instead, you should focus on the durability of packaging for a consumer seeking to buy (and thus, transport) items in bulk.
5. Identify and Select a Packaging Partner
Lastly, you must decide on a company specialising in packaging to create your desired casing. Ensure that you conduct a thorough amount of research into businesses that create packaging for your specific niche. When seeking this information, make sure that you are reading customer reviews and client testimonials, as this will give you a better understanding of what you can expect from each producer.
Once you have narrowed down your list of potentials, reach out to each and arrange a meeting. Bring samples of your products to these consultations, as well as any designs you have in mind for the packaging. If they feel that they can create the end product that you want, request a mock-up, and test these prototypes for quality and cost when making your final decision.
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Knowing how to package a product is essential, as it creates a number of statements about your business. Though, of course, it is vital to have your products arrive at their final destination in the pristine condition that it initially shipped out in, it's also critical to consider the visuals of the casing (that is, the benefits of custom packaging).
In taking into consideration how your company can benefit from exceptional product packaging, you'll also learn how to stand out from the competition.
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