The Christmas season is just around the corner and the e-commerce marketplace is expected to see an avalanche of purchases. Consumers are expected to rush to online marketplaces and regular stores in November and December to do their holiday shopping. Therefore, brands need to start preparing for the holiday season as early as September. Packaging products for the festive season becomes important for e-commerce companies to retain customers and attract new ones. In this article, we will discuss the importance of packaging and how companies can use it to attract more customers and increase sales.
The Importance of Packaging
Apart from online and offline promotional campaigns and advertisements, it is important for brands to develop creative and quality packaging to attract customers to their products. 7 out of 10 consumers consider packaging as a major factor when shopping. Unique packaging can help attract new target audiences and increase loyalty and sales from current audiences. Buyers like to purchase a product that already has beautiful packaging and can be given as a gift immediately, because many people are busy at work and buy gifts at the last minute - save them from having to look for wrapping paper and spend the night wrapping gifts. In addition to aesthetic purposes, quality packaging is also practical and can protect goods during transportation.
Use Holiday Themes
There is no doubt that in the upcoming New Year season, packaging should match the theme and colors of the holidays.You can use your creative ideas and come up with quirky, witty and fun packaging with the theme of the season but still in the style of company branding. A well packaged product will surely make customers visit your online store again and again.One of the notable features of seasonal sales is that sellers can come up with limited edition packaging, which many shoppers find exciting because the quantity of such merchandise is limited and will not be repeated. Limited edition reusable packaging can also be marketed as “collectible” packaging, which may appeal to many buyers. If you have the opportunity, try using tried-and-true holiday hits such as collectible mugs, jars, and even boxes.
Use eco-friendly packaging
These days, most consumers tend to support products that promote a “green” lifestyle. Shoppers tend to buy products packaged in paper, cardboard and materials that can be recycled. You can also create packaging using recycled materials. Another idea is to create reusable packaging and give shoppers instructions on how they can use it. Not only are you promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle, but you will also remind the customer of the brand and increase loyalty if they have a reusable item with the brand logo at home.
Add a personal touch
It's great if a brand puts their messages or holiday greetings on the packaging for customers. You can add a handwritten note or personalized stickers to your packages. One of the positives of handwritten notes is that buyers will see that even during the busy season, you as a seller still value each customer.Holiday wrapping doesn't have to be stressful, and your main goal is to make your customers happy. Don't forget that the unpacking process can also serve as a way to promote your brand or store. Not only can you come up with original packaging, but you can also think of the unpacking process. For example, one brand has made a box from which paper butterflies fly out when opened. This will add even more positive emotions to the gift. The brand should clearly make the customer feel special when they buy the product. When the customer feels that the brand is giving them special attention, this in turn leads to brand loyalty.
Tips for creating holiday packaging
1. Start preparing and brainstorming ahead of time.
2. Watch out for deadlines. Print shops can have huge lines, so you need to take care of deadlines well in advance.
3. Use quality materials.
4. Differentiate yourself from your competitors, be creative.
5. Think with customer care in mind. You don't need to chase trends, put the customer and his needs first, then sales will be good too.
Bonus! Timeless Holiday Packaging Trends
Holiday patterns
Luckily, if you don't know where to start, there are a few timeless and classic holiday wrapping trends you can rely on.Topping the list are holiday patterns such as snowflakes, snowmen and red sleighs for Christmas and New Year's Eve or pumpkins and witches for Halloween. Positive patterns lift everyone's holiday spirits, especially those who love celebrating these holidays.Also, by getting creative, you can incorporate your brand's logo, icons, and branded graphics into your holiday patterns.
Design “surprise”
The idea is that the gift recipient sees one image first, but ends up receiving a different gift. It can be, for example, a box or package with an unusual shape or association with one product, and inside will be another completely different gift. For example, a package in the shape of a large candy, and inside is a perfume with a sweet scent. This adds more surprise and joy to the gift.
Bright colors
Red, green, white, gold and silver are classic holiday hues that are perfect for packaging and card designs. They are great for associating with the holidays.
Packaging remains a major component of successful e-commerce. With the help of enterprise packaging, brands will be able to focus on important points such as brand awareness, values and market positioning. Undoubtedly, using holiday-themed packaging increases the value and appeal of products to customers.