How to Balance Form and Function in Your Holiday Packaging

When it comes to the holidays, what’s on the inside and the outside of your gift matters. You can give mom, dad, or your loved one what’s exactly on their wish list but how it’s packaged will build the anticipation and excitement for your present. According to the 2019 Dotcom Distribution survey, 40% of shoppers would be more likely to buy again from a retailer if the product “came in a gift-like or premium package.” The same 40 percent of online shoppers also said that “branded or gift-like packaging affects their perception of the brand or retailer that shipped the item.” More than two-thirds of those who said gift-like packaging affects brand perception also said that the premium look “makes the brand seem upscale.” Over 60% of respondents indicated that the “gift-like packaging gets them excited about receiving the package.”

To achieve that anticipation, excitement, and satisfaction from opening the premium package, your holiday items should stand out on display or upon arrival. The materials must also protect the item from impact during transit and extend its shelf-life if the package also doubles as storage. In other words, holiday packaging balances form and function. The form is the first impression your package makes and contributes to repeat sales with its premium look and feel. The function ensures the durability and prolonged use of your item after it’s been opened. Here are a few tips that guarantee both form and function in executing your holiday packaging.

Finding the Package’s Final Form

Combine the right set of colors.

A splash of red or having the staple holiday color as the central focus establishes the package as a premium gift. It can be the main color of your custom box or complement the white specs of snow in your design. Red also goes well with gold, blue, green, black, and gray.

If you want a more dynamic approach, a black and white themed package stands out from the typical green, red, and gold holiday colors. A minimalist approach shifts the focus on messages that are personalized to the customer or the gift recipient. Print a message like “A treat for you” or “The gift you’ve been waiting for” in white against a black background. It communicates that holiday theme without banking on the colors customers see in every other store or display. This color combination suits luxury brands for various lifestyle products like watches, clothes, and jewelry. Against a sea of bright colors, your package stands out with premium packaging that’s easy on the eyes.

If black and white are a little too “adventurous” for your consumer’s taste or for the season, opt for cooler colors like green and silver. Tone down the glitz and glamour and use the space to focus on your company name and what it has to offer. The color combination still makes things easy to read while also keeping that familiar holiday spirit alive. Green also reminds customers of themes that many associates with the holiday season: growth, life, renewal, abundance, peace, and security.

Add a luxurious touch to the custom box.

Show customers their recently received item has been decked for the holidays. Print the product’s name in spot UV or foil so that its presence shines at a glance. For a more toned-down look, soft touch in silk or textured embossing are also available. A Milward Brown study reports that physical material facilitates greater emotional processing. It adds that tactile items in offline marketing “leave a deeper footprint in the brain”, which results in “positive brand association and ultimately aids motivation,” as reported in this Forbes article. Amplify this experience with printing options your customers can feel upon picking up your package. These special printing options can be applied on a product box, perfect for exclusive items you plan on releasing during Thanksgiving or December.

If you plan on releasing multiple items in a special gift box, mailer boxes provide enough space and can be printed with special inserts to organize the holiday haul. Whether you print in corrugated cardboard or cardstock, dividers and inserts can be added to present the package in a clean and presentable manner upon opening. The organized presentation encourages customers to unbox and record the standout branding of your package, which gives your company free advertising on their social media feeds.

Send out a personalized greeting for your customers.

Personalized packaging is the key to reaching your market. SmarterHQ research states that in 2019, 72% of consumers “only engage with marketing messages that are customized to their specific interests.” Another report from Adobe backs this up with 66% of consumers saying that any non-personalized content will stop them from pushing through with a purchase. Thus, every message you send out must be tailored according to your consumer’s taste and needs.

The holidays are the perfect opportunity to do this. Send out postcards with exclusive discounts to loyal customers. Mail greeting cards or gift cards to consumers who regularly visit your brick and mortar or online store. Use the information available on your database to address each card with their name and send it to the corresponding address. Direct mail services provide a custom mailing list that is arranged according to your required demographic.

Don’t hold back on the holiday theme.

The holidays give your brand every excuse to go over the top. Because every other company is going glam or extra gorgeous to sparkle in the season, your design must go the extra mile. A 2018 Paper and Packaging Board and IPSOS 2018 study report that packaging design influences 72% of consumers’ purchasing decisions. Whether they’re shopping in your brick or mortar store, viewing their options online, or checking outposts on their social media feeds, how memorable and enticing the package looks can drive that final buy. A combination of heartwarming messaging, holiday-themed designs filled with holly, trees, and snowmen are sure to lift everyone’s spirits. Elevate the overall look with a bright high-gloss finish or apply shiny spot UV on the season’s greeting. You can also apply metallic printing on festive colors like red, gold, silver, and green so your design stands from afar and up close.

Assuring Reliability & Functionality in Every Package

The function is the top priority of any package, whether they’re are normally shown for display in a brick and mortar store or delivered across long distances from the e-commerce business. Custom mailers and shipping boxes are meant to protect the items while they’re in transit. Some packages such as pouches are meant to be kept for the constant reuse of the product. Find out how you can ensure the primary function of your package based on the item and how it will be delivered.

Print in corrugated cardboard that protects every item from external impact.

Mailer and shipping boxes are normally made of corrugated cardboard that’s built to withstand the impact during transit. You can add inserts into the mailer box and no extra packaging to keep the items in check. Corrugated cardboard has a flute between two liners, a structure designed to carry a variety of weights and protects the interior from moisture. It’s also made of sustainable material that reflects positively on the environment.

Brand and protect large shipping boxes with tamper-free packaging tape.

Packaging tape combines form and function with its tamper-free structure and a repetitive print of your logo. Seal large shipping boxes with the gummed tape that makes tampering evident once opened or cut through during transit. The packaging tape is also easy to apply manually and automatically. For low quantity applications, moisten the tape before applying it on the opening. Larger quantities of boxes are best sealed using an automatic tape dispenser.

Extend the shelf-life of perishables with pouches.

Releasing an exclusive line of holiday coffee blends, chocolates, candies, and other edibles? Stand-up pouches have bottom gussets that expand once filled and are resealable after opening. The white barrier film protects the product from oxygen, moisture, and light to extend the item’s shelf-life. You can further seal the item with zippers and heat seals to prevent leaking.

Seal each package quickly with die-cut stickers.

If you have a set of blank packages like boxes or pouches and need to update each according to your latest holiday inventory, stickers are a fast and affordable way to label them before delivery or display. You can print a set of cut-to-size or roll stickers in a shape that will show the product’s name, net weight, and other FDA-required information for food labels. To ensure consumers have all the necessary details, nutrition labels or ingredients lists can also be printed to communicate all required information.

To maximize the order, you can design a holiday-themed greeting to mark items that are part of the special holiday line. Standard shapes such as rectangle, square, circle, and oval are available. But you can also print in custom sizes to fit the exact surface area of your package. Cut-to-size stickers are recommended for by-hand applications, while rolls fit in automatic dispensers for high-volume placements.

Complete your packaging needs with our custom printing options. You can check out the holiday packaging available here, along with other advertising and marketing options for the season. Upload a design or create one from scratch with the online tool on your browser. Start exploring how form and function can come to life in your holiday packaging today.