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5 Inspiring E-Commerce Packaging Ideas

by The Dieline on 05/06/2022 | 4 Minute Read

We all know that, in a crowded market, e-commerce brands need to differentiate their brand experience in addition to their products. By optimizing every point of contact, including the all-too-important unboxing ritual, a business can provide more value to its customers.

Quality products sold at a competitive price via a smooth online shopping experience go hand in hand with the anticipation of unboxing a premium package when that product finally arrives. That's why original e-commerce packaging ideas instantly set your company apart and leave long-lasting impressions with your customers.

Better branding ultimately leads to better business, and extraordinary packaging that creates an outstanding impression will not only keep customers thinking about your brand for longer but also talking about it. Here are five suggestions for creative packaging ideas that can help your brand connect with customers on another level.

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Think Inside the Box

Customizing the interior of your packaging already puts you miles ahead of the competition. No matter what you choose to print on the inside, you’re instantly demonstrating a willingness to go beyond the industry standards. That simple fact can speak volumes about your brand. Something as basic as including your brand logo on the inner lid or a crafty pattern that seamlessly transitions from the package’s exterior will automatically extend the duration of a customer’s initial interaction with that packaging. Some companies even decide to print a sentence or two disclosing that they use sustainable packaging to demonstrate their company’s efforts to be eco-friendly. It goes without saying that in 2022, environmental awareness is definitely a critical asset to any brand.

The Shape of Things to Come

Ditch the plain old brown cardboard box in place of an original packaging design to fascinate your customers when they first lay eyes on their shipment. Something as simple as a distinctly shaped custom box can be enough to make your entire brand seem novel. You can even keep the same old shape but change how it unfolds! Predictability is boring, and product packaging is no exception. By putting effort into something often overlooked, you can immediately snag a customer’s attention and set the tone for a refreshing experience.

Get Ready for the Photoshoot

High-quality digital photo printing has become accessible and affordable as the technology has become more commonplace. Countless businesses now use high-quality imagery to boost anticipation surrounding their products. Many companies feature a single, sharp image of their luxury item on the cover of its packaging against a clean, minimalist backdrop to give it the center of attention. This strategy builds excitement by teasing customers with a sneak peek of what they’ll receive upon opening the box. 

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Packaging With Re-purpose

If you create packaging with a function beyond its initial use, you can increase the number of people that will come into contact with your brand. Packages that transform into dispensers for their products end up advertising themselves. Whoever uses that product will be reminded of your brand each time they reach for one. A huge plus is that everybody who walks into that space will also get introduced to your brand. You can take that concept a step further by transforming packaging into an attractive display for the product. 

Depending on your target audience, packaging can also get repurposed as arts and crafts projects for young children. Several companies do this by adding nothing more than dotted lines and a link. This link works double duty by bringing more traffic to their website, where parents can print instructions that show their kids how to repurpose the packaging into cardboard artwork. Talk about extending interaction time and increasing value!

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Wrap it Up

Let’s say the budget you allocated for product packaging is already getting used or that you’re looking to further emphasize your brand without adding additional cost to your marketing campaign. It only takes a small investment to add a simple custom sealing tape to the outside of your shipping boxes. With this strategy, your packaging cost per product doesn’t increase substantially, but your brand awareness will. This subtle change in packing tape can be what’s needed to put your name on the map and create more brand recognition for those that come in contact with your shipping boxes every step of the way. It’s hard to believe that Amazon would be allocating money from their budget to sealing each one of their boxes with custom packing tape if it wasn’t worth every cent.

The Bottom Line of Branded Packaging

Whether you choose to adopt one of these ideas, work several in sync, or come up with something entirely different on your own, the end goal will always be to create a unique design that sets your brand apart from the rest. The success of an e-commerce business relies on its ability to service its target market in ways that other businesses can’t. 

Most people ignore the simple fact that product packaging is a subtle yet critical aspect of customer service. If changing your branded packaging adds that wow factor for a competitive edge, go for it—you either get ahead or get left behind.

Go here to learn more about Packwire!