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What are the benefits of using wholesale custom packaging? Product packaging is evolving. Brands are using packaging trends to tune into the desires, needs, and expectations of customers. This means stronger customer connections on a subconscious level. Effective packaging is:

• Ideal for the product being sold.
• Capable of keeping products safe from damage.
• Capable of adding value to your brand.
• Intuitive to handle and carry.
• Easy to open.
• Matched to your brand’s design standards.

While custom packaging may seem intimidating, brands are discovering that setting up a wholesale situation with a reputable packaging vendor offers an easy, affordable way to make a strong impression. Packaging should be custom because the message you’ve crafted for your customers is personal. Take a look at what no brand can afford not to know about custom wholesale packaging.

Choosing Custom Wholesale Packaging: Start With Quality

Beauty isn’t the only consideration for packaging. Your packaging needs to be durable enough to keep its integrity through shipping, handling, stocking, and more. Selecting quality really comes down to these crucial factors:

• A durable material that is designed to hold weight, maintain its shape and beautifully display products.
• Lightweight materials that are constructed for structural integrity.
• The use of a qualified vendor with the training and experience needed to create packaging according to your product specifications.
• Always having bulk packaging materials ready to handle orders and shipments without delays.

Brands should keep in mind that “quality” isn’t synonymous with “heavy.” Many brands settle for heavy, clunky packaging from bulk vendors because they wrongly assume that a “bulky” package is a safe package. The reality is that packaging doesn’t need to be heavy to be durable. In fact, heavier packaging is often incompatible with a brand’s sustainability practices due to the fact that it may not be recyclable.

There are many eco-friendly packaging options available today that are designed to be sleek and streamlined while also providing the strength and durability needed to safely hold products. These packaging options allow brands to reduce packaging waste. This is something that customers notice. According to researchers, 84% of Americans are concerned about packaging waste. Many customers are especially concerned about the wastefulness of plastics. Brands that are willing to embrace eco-friendly packaging are able to convey messages of sustainability and social responsibility that won’t soon be forgotten by their customers. That’s because customers report that they are more likely to be loyal to brands that prioritize eco-friendly products and packaging. Wasteful packaging can actually cause customers to abandon brands. There’s no hiding packaging waste from customers. It’s known that being left with excessive packaging that needs to be disposed of can leave customers feeling resentful of brands.

What does all of this have to do with custom wholesale packaging? When brands choose custom packaging, they have more control over the messages they send to customers. Choosing an “earthy” packaging material like kraft paper sends an immediate visual signal of social responsibility. In addition, brands that choose custom packaging can actually include “recyclable” labels on their products. They can also include instructions on how to recycle packaging. Of course, the biggest signal of all to customers comes in the form of packaging that is the correct size for the product being sold. When packaging doesn’t seem excessive, customers understand that thought was put into creating packaging without creating excessive waste. This easily detected attention to detail actually sends the signal that great care has been given to creating a thoughtful, quality product experience for the customer.

Adding Special Touches to Custom Wholesale Packaging

The sky is the limit when a brand embraces custom packaging. Custom packaging allows brands to include aesthetic touches, elements for brand recognition, special safety features, special protection for products, and “convenience” factors for customers. Here’s a look at some elements to consider when designing custom packaging with help from a packaging vendor:

• Exterior packaging printing with text and logos.
• Special handles for easy carrying.
• Personalized packaging inserts to “cradle” products.
• Films, varnishes and coatings.
• Product windows.

Many generic bulk packaging products skip coating, varnishes, and films completely. This is a shame because coatings and varnishes actually help to make packaging appear more vibrant in different types of light. In addition, they can provide protection against scrapes, denting, UV damage, moisture, and pests. Even generic bulk suppliers that include some finishes won’t necessarily give you a choice regarding the coating that gets put on your boxes. That means that a brand won’t have a say when it comes to the type of coating that is compatible with the needs of the product inside.

Yes, custom packaging can simply make your product look more appealing. It can also make your product easy to identify through the use of brand colors, symbols, logos, or mascots. The ability to increase brand awareness through packaging provides an amazing marketing asset for brands. Ultimately, investing in custom packaging turns an unavoidable cost into a marketing investment with nothing more than some small tweaks. However, it’s important for brands to understand that the visual advantages offered by custom packaging still cannot be touched by the practical benefits of passing along a product that has been “swathed in quality” to your customers.

The Marketing Power of Custom Packaging

If your brand has been using generic bulk packaging, there’s a good chance you’ve been leaving one of your most important marketing assets completely untapped. Packaging helps to catch a customer’s attention, make your brand recognizable and establish the value of your product. In fact, decades of research have made it clear that packaging influences customer behavior like few things can. The color, size, shape, and design of packaging all help customers to form “snap judgments” that influence how they relate to a brand on a subconscious level. Packaging is such an important factor in purchase decisions made at the point of sale that marketing experts refer to product packaging as the “salesman on the shelf.”

Researchers estimate that 95% of purchasing decisions are actually made at the subconscious level. That means that a “first glimpse” at product packaging can ultimately determine how a customer feels about a product. Brands that choose generic bulk packaging are ultimately missing an opportunity to take control of the impression that is made. They are leaving this very important impression up to generic bulk packaging providers! Smart brands know that standing out with custom colors, designs and features is the best way to make an instant connection with customers that makes them feel called, curious, and impressed during that very first interaction with a product on a shelf. This applies to both store shelves and “virtual” shelves. In fact, many brands prominently display their product packaging in their online storefronts, online posts, and digital ads precisely because they understand the importance of using pristine packaging to connect with customers.

Custom Wholesale Packaging Helps Brands Save Money

Brands commonly overspend on shipping costs because they’re using packaging that’s too large. Every inch of unused space in a box represents unnecessary shipping costs. When brands switch to custom bulk packaging, they are able to size packaging correctly to create an efficient fit. Packaging that’s too large can also cause brands to lose money in the form of product damage. That’s because packaging that’s too big can often result in jostling that harms the product inside. Trying to insulate products using paper and packing peanuts can actually end up costing much more than simply upgrading to custom packaging that allows a product to fit securely in its packaging without the need for filler.

Is It Time to Embrace Custom Wholesale Packaging?

Brands don’t have to leave their destinies in the hands of bulk packaging suppliers. Many brand managers are surprised to discover that the cost difference between custom and bulk packaging isn’t dramatic. Qualified custom packaging vendors are able to work with brands to create streamlined packaging plans that prioritize certain features for efficient spending. That means that most brands actually get better packaging for a comparable cost when switching from generic bulk packaging orders to custom bulk packaging. Does your brand need to rethink how it does packaging? The Mid-Atlantic Packaging team specializes in helping brands create stunning packaging. Book your free quote for custom wholesale packaging today.