Packaging is a form of art and an important part of your customers’ experience with your brand. It’s one of the best ways to show off your brand’s personality and set yourself apart from similar businesses in your industry.
Small business packaging ideas do not have to be expensive or complicated, and they can pay dividends in terms of customer acquisition and retention for your business.
Creative packaging ideas for products not only differentiate yourself from competitors but create a brand identity that immediately becomes recognisable for your target audience.
Here are 5 small business packaging ideas that you can use in your business to get your product noticed.
Be Playful with Illustrations and Colours
Creating stunning packaging should be individual and a reflection of your brand’s ethos and vision.
Use your creativity!
This is the most important thing when deciding on your packaging design! You can use your creativity in many ways.
Product packaging can be entertaining, suggestive, and colourful by combining different graphics with a colour scheme that is easily recognisable for your small business.
It pays to be playful – inject energy and life into your packaging. Use your brand’s colours or logo on every part of your package—from logos printed on stickers, to labels stuck onto cardboard boxes, or even writing with permanent markers on used boxes. The possibilities are endless!
We thought it would be helpful to share some of the best packaging ideas we’ve seen. We hope they inspire you and help you find the best option for your business!
Seasonal and Trendy
This is your reminder that seasonal design is not just for Christmas!
Seasonal packaging design is a huge asset to your small business. Not only does it keep your brand relevant in consumers’ minds but gives you the opportunity to cross-sell.
One of the best ways to create a sense of exclusivity is by capitalising on busy times in the retail calendar.
This branding tactic works to spread brand recognition, it’s important to research and design product packaging based on industry trends to help boost attractiveness and possible sales.
Trendy packaging will help to attract customers who like novelty items or an ‘experience’ when receiving a product.
Creating a memorable unboxing experience with custom packaging establishes a valuable touchpoint with your customers and is the perfect opportunity to create social media buzz.
Minimalist and Simple
What is the main component of minimalist product packaging? Simply, it does not contain distracting graphical elements or bold complex colour schemes. This feature spotlights your product by providing packaging that is sustainable and beautiful yet simple in its design. This appealing style can boost your artistic merit without compromising on your budget, branding, and product itself.
Achieve a minimalist and simple design with these packaging options:
- Minimal packaging
- Simple packaging
- White packaging
- Black packaging
- Neutral packaging
- Brown packaging
- Natural/organic packaging (e.g., eco-friendly, recycled, etc.)
Still not sure if minimalism is the right choice for your small business packaging? Here are the pros and cons:
Pros:
- Create a positive and eco-friendly effect
- Express the details/formulas of your products easily and simply
- Capitalise on stylistic trends
Cons:
- Your packaging may not stand out amongst competitors
- Failure to communicate your brand’s personality and vision
Eco-friendly or Recycled papers
From a customer’s perspective, one of the best things about sustainable packaging is that it makes your brand look good. Customers want to support companies that are environmentally conscious and socially responsible.
A lot of people want to do good, but they don’t always know how—or where to start. With sustainable packaging, you can make it simple for them: just by choosing a green box or bag over traditional cardboard or plastic options, you show customers that your business cares about the environment in addition to your other goals.
The benefits go beyond ethical appeal though; sustainable packaging also has tangible financial advantages for small businesses.
For example, using recycled materials instead of virgin ones means less waste production and lower costs when it comes time for disposal (or recycling).
It also helps reduce energy use since you aren’t using as much raw material per unit shipped out; plus, there’s no need for additives like glue which adds extra weight to each unit shipped!
Finally, while not everyone values this aspect per se; reducing carbon footprint helps keep our climate healthy which translates into cleaner air quality locally too!
Try out these eco-friendly packaging materials:
- Recycled paper
- Compostable packaging
- Corrugated packaging
A good starting point is Davpack, an eco-packaging ranger that offers various sustainable packaging options to help your small business go green.
Use Patterns
Patterns are a great way to create a unique look for your packaging. They’re also great for creating a brand identity or keeping your packaging fresh and seasonal by reinforcing your brand’s personality and identity. You can also use patterned designs to make your product stand out from the crowd and be more trendy, minimal, or even recycled.
By integrating these tips into your design, you can help reassure consumers of the quality of your product:
- Make sure that the packaging clearly conveys what the product is and what it does. This will allow consumers to easily identify and understand your products, which will increase sales.
- Make sure that the packaging is durable and won’t break easily when shipped or handled by customers. Customers want their purchases to arrive in one piece!
- Use high-quality materials when choosing a material for your packaging such as cardboard, tin or glass that look great but are also strong enough to protect contents inside from damage during shipping or handling by customers.
- Use high-quality printing techniques when designing printed parts like labels so that they look nice without being too expensive for you to produce (and therefore less profitable).
When it comes down to it, you want what’s best for your customers—and that means providing a package that is both high-quality and durable. First impressions are important, but so is what happens after the first purchase. The most important thing when designing a package? Keep your brand in mind. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our recommended packaging design tools, Pacdora and Duncan Print Group, and see if anything catches your eye!
