5 Must-Have Features in a Gift Packaging Box Factory Direct

From garment hang tags to mailer boxes, product packaging serves a number of functions, such as identifying product details and providing protection during shipping. It’s also one of the most overlooked marketing opportunities for online brands. 

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By , almost a quarter of consumer purchases are expected to happen online. This growth has coincided with an increased focus on improving the packing and shipping processes to recreate the personal touch of in-store shopping.

While most packaging is designed to protect or identify your products, taking a purely functional approach means you might be missing out on its full branding potential. Ahead, learn how to use customized packaging to deliver your products safely while also creating a memorable unboxing experience.

What is product packaging?

Product packaging refers to the physical materials that house your product. Its main function is to protect products, and it often serves other functions like sharing usage information, helping your product stand up on a retail display, and maintaining its contents’ shelf life. But beyond its practical purposes, product packaging is also an opportunity for businesses to delight customers and build brand loyalty through a memorable brand experience.

Product packaging for ecommerce includes both the product packaging itself (say, the glass bottle that contains body cream or hang tag on a sweater) and the outer packaging (box or padded envelope) that gets that product to its final destination. Both of these types of retail packaging can be branded and customized to deliver impact.

A holistic branded packaging experience is a set of thoughtful design choices as well as the careful selection of shipping and packing materials. Its purpose is to provide additional value for your customer and your business by way of creating a positive first impression of your brand identity—ideally, one that’s memorable and shareable.

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The importance of product packaging

Online stores have fewer direct touchpoints to deliver delight compared with physical retail. While there are many advantages to ecommerce for both seller and buyer, the tradeoff is a lack of direct connection between them. When ecommerce shoppers interact with your package after delivery, it’s your first chance offline to make an impression through a direct touchpoint.

Add brand value

Product packaging can become an extension of your brand. The choices you make can reflect your brand voice, aesthetic, and values. For example, Seed, a direct-to-consumer retailer selling probiotic supplements, uses simple branded packaging made from biodegradable sachets and paper foam inserts. This reinforces Seed’s brand values and increases customer satisfaction among its target audience of eco-conscious buyers. 

Create a sharable experience

A great experience is worth sharing. If you deliver a delightful experience from the first website interaction to the moment your customer opens their package, they’ll be more inclined to share it. User-generated content and word-of-mouth marketing are both valuable forms of organic marketing.

Build loyalty

A positive unboxing experience can also increase customer loyalty and affinity with your brand. Building a long-term brand means bringing customers back time and time again. Investing in retention can move you off of the acquisition treadmill, giving you more time and money to improve your brand experience for your biggest fans.

“We pay attention to every detail … even the font size on the inside of the packaging, or this little phrase, we scrutinize these tiny details,” says Mark Rushmore, co-founder of SURI. “It’s almost invisible to the naked eye, but it’s the culmination of all those little tiny decisions across packaging, across your checkout, across the whole user experience, which add up to people having a really great experience because they can see and appreciate the detail and thought that’s gone into a lot of small decisions.”

Grow sustainably

Demand for sustainable options has meant that companies are popping up everywhere to meet that demand. It’s easier than ever to walk the walk and truly be a sustainable brand, from manufacturing all the way to shipping.

When Hero Packaging ran Google Ads for its biodegradable shipping supplies, the response was overwhelming. “In a week, we got a thousand people signing up [for a free sample], and that was the first sign where we said, ’People are really interested in this,’” says co-founder Anaita Sakar.

Types of product packaging

Product packaging refers to both the packaging in direct contact with the product and the packaging used for shipping. Both types can be customized through a digital printing company that specializes in custom packaging. Before you dive into packaging design, let’s look at the different types of packaging you can customize.

Primary packaging

Product packaging that is in direct contact with your product is called primary packaging. This refers to the packaging of the product itself, before it’s placed in a shipping box with added materials. 

There are six primary types of printing for primary product packaging: 

• Flexography printing
• Digital printing
• Gravure printing
• Offset printing
• Screen printing
• Litho-lamination printing

Each type of printing has its own pros and cons. When you’re designing primary packaging, make sure you mock up samples before finalizing so you can be sure the printing style fits your vision both practically and aesthetically.

Secondary (shipping) packaging

Before you can ship your products, you’ll need to package them for safe transport. Most products will require some type of box or envelope to protect the order for safe transport, as well as a cushioning material.

Corrugated boxes

Cardboard boxes are the most common type of product packaging used by online retailers. They’re sturdy, don’t add a ton of weight to packages, and can be recycled. Double-walled corrugated boxes can provide extra strength and durability for heavier weight items. Many cardboard boxes are also made from recycled components for a sustainability factor.

Padded mailers

Padded mailers are best for shipping smaller, flat, or delicate items such as jewelry, handcrafted goods, or books. Many of these mailers are made from polyethylene and contain a cushioned or “bubble” insert. In recent years, more companies have switched to eco-friendly versions made from biodegradable materials or recycled paper. 

Bags and envelopes

Unpadded polyethylene mailers, Tyvek envelopes, or sustainable alternatives are great solutions for soft items that don’t require impact protection. They’re a perfect packaging solution for apparel companies. Bags and poly envelopes are inexpensive, lightweight, strong, and self-sealing, adding efficiency to your shipping process.

Tertiary packaging

Tertiary packaging is the outermost layer of packaging and is used for shipping and distributing products. It protects products from damage during transit. A corrugated cardboard shipping box containing multiple units of a product is an example of tertiary packaging. 

Custom product packaging

All packaging types described above can be customized with your branding and to your product’s specifications. For specific primary packaging, you may need to work with a manufacturer to design and produce your packaging from scratch. But many standard shipping products can be customized using a company like Hero Packaging or Better Packaging Co.

There are many options for printing and customizing everything from tissue and gift wrap to jewelry boxes and shipping envelopes. Branded outer packaging makes an impression the second it lands on your customer’s door stop.

11 steps to create a product package

1. Choose the right packaging
2. Add branded tissue paper
3. Consider packaging filler
4. Brand with stickers
5. Tuck in promotional material
6. Add a packing slip
7. Write a custom note
8. Include educational materials
9. Consider custom tape
10. Design seasonal packaging
11. Add a free sample or gift

1. Choose the right packaging

The most significant element to consider is your ecommerce shipping container. Depending on your product, this might be a box, bag, or poly mailer. White and brown corrugated packaging options once ruled as the sole option because they’re cheap, sturdy, and get the job done, but they may not create the first impression you’re looking for—or be the right fit for your product.

Do you own a sustainable company? You can opt for biodegradable packaging alternatives made from compressed coconut fibers or compostable mailers made from corn rather than plastic.

2. Add branded tissue paper

Wrapping your products in tissue paper adds an extra level of luxury, creating anticipation during the unboxing experience. It can also provide protection for delicate items. Custom-printed tissue is another opportunity to build a customer experience that reinforces your brand aesthetic.

3. Consider packaging filler

Traditional filler includes Styrofoam packing peanuts, foam inserts, air pillows, and bubble wrap. Many brands are meeting customer demand for sustainability and opting for eco-friendly alternatives like recycled crinkle paper (colored or brown), excelsior (wood fibers), and biodegradable packing peanuts made from wheat or cornstarch. The type you choose depends on your product and brand values.

4. Brand with stickers

Using stickers on a plain box or bag is a versatile and fairly inexpensive alternative to creating custom packaging. A branded sticker can seal tissue paper or brand the outside of your packaging. You may also want to include a few extra stickers in the package as a way to thank your customers for their purchase.

5. Tuck in promotional material

Business cards or postcards can be added to packaging to tell customers more about your brand, thank them for their purchase, and even offer a discount on a future purchase. Use QR codes to link customers to a special landing page that you can update more easily (and affordably) than a printed business card. 

You can also send other types of packaging inserts such as newsletters or a branded magazine. This unique packaging idea serves as reading material that deepens the brand’s relationship with customers.

6. Add a packing slip 

It’s standard to include a receipt in your pick and pack processes, but many businesses don’t use this as a branding or marketing opportunity. Add your logo and on-brand messaging. Then, place the receipt and packing slip in the package at a point that makes sense. Just make sure it’s not at the top of the box where you want to make the biggest splash with your unboxing experience.