The value of gift packaging for your product

Image: Charbonnel et Walker Valentines Day heart shaped box

Now that Christmas is over, I felt it was necessary to discuss the importance of packaging your product beautifully to not only meet the demands of the season but to also meet customer's demands for beautifully packaged goods on a year round basis.

Maybe you have a product that could be purchased as a gift for almost any occasion. For example, if you are a luxury chocolates business, you are likely to have sales all year round (people purchasing for birthdays, anniversaries, get well presents...) and then find you have spikes in sales around Valentines Day, Easter and Christmas.

To stand out from your competitors on the shelves, why not customise your packaging to to the season? You can continue to stock your standard packaged products alongside your promotional stock, but keep in mind people will most likely buy a product in the appropriate packaging for that celebration over other packaging options.

Take Valentines Day for example (which you should be thinking about and developing packaging for now that Christmas is over) - you could be the best chocolatier stocked on the shelves in your local boutique chocolate shops, and your loyal customers might buy your chocolates on a regular basis....but come Valentines Day, those same customers could grab your competitors product over yours if your product is not presented the best packaging design on the shelf, or if your product is not packaged for the season at all!

Not only that, as a luxury product supplier, you would be expected to package your product for the season.

Remember to also keep in mind your product packaging should be beautiful all year round - not just during Valentines Day, Easter and Christmas to secure sales. People love giving beautifully presented gifts that are packaged beautifully and in a professional way. People also love to receive beautifully packaged gifts. It makes them feel special and valued if the gift looks expensive.

Take some time to think about your packaging, and compare it to others on your 'level'. If you are a luxury chocolatier, are all your competitors using rigid boxes with their brand colours and logo printed on the lid? are you only using flat packed boxes with a sticker on the lid? maybe your customers are buying your chocolates for themselves to eat, but go to the competitors when they are buying gifts for friends and family, due to your packaging not being perceived as luxury packaging. As with all changes, do lots of research before, during and after you trial something new.

A lovely quote to finish off:
"Everyone loves a pretty package. Unwrapping, opening, unfolding – customers enjoy the experience of receiving a package almost as much as the product itself. Your product packaging is your best way to make sure that your customer’s first impression of your business is a good one."  Dionne Christiansen

Reference:
http://meylah.com/meylah/the-whole-package-how-creative-packaging-can-set-you-apart

Image reference:
http://www.chocolate-hearts.co.uk/heart-shaped-chocolate-boxes