Despite all the warnings in folk wisdom about not judging a book by its cover, packaging does matter. It’s a kind of shorthand, telling customers what’s in the package – its size, uses, color, quality, and even directions for use. Custom branded packaging allows the manufacturer to engage in a kind of conversation with the customer. For point of purchase displays and retail packaging, any and all information on the carton helps the customer make a decision about buying that product.
Corrugated speciality packaging is versatile, eco-friendly and cost-efficient. It contains recycled materials and can be recycled. Print and graphics on custom branded packaging play a major role in customer purchase decisions. In fact, retail display is one of the most direct and effective forms of advertising because it influences customer decisions in the store.
Why packaging matters
Packaging serves many functions. It prevents tampering and damage to the products during shipping. It also plays an important role in retail display, because this is where purchasing decisions are actually made. Researchers have found that around 70% of all purchasing decisions are made on the spot.
The appearance of the packaging is thus crucial in consumer decision making. In fact, an article published recently in Packaging Digest discusses research showing that consumer decisions are made in five seconds at the retail shelf. Custom branded packaging plays a major role in improving sales.
Corrugated packaging is versatile and cost-efficient
Corrugated packaging is highly versatile, used in everything from industrial packaging to e-commerce packaging. In fact, it is estimated that in North America, nearly all, or 90% of all products are either shipped, packed or displayed in corrugated packaging. That makes it the largest segment of the packaging industry. The corrugated industry comprises more than 1,500 plants in North America, and employs over 70,000 people in the U.S.
Corrugated packaging had been used for more than a hundred years. It is cost-efficient. New technology has produced lighter weight liner board, which makes corrugated cardboard today 10 to 15% lighter than it was just ten years ago. Lighter weight corrugated also uses less material in production, reducing its carbon footprint.
Corrugated is environmentally-friendly packaging
From start to finish, corrugated is an eco-friendly type of packaging. Boxes and packages made from corrugated cardboard contain up to 45% recycled material. And they can be reused and recycled. In 2012, as much as 91% of all containerboard produced in the U.S. was recovered and recycled.
Recycling reduced the environmental impact, cutting greenhouse gases, acidification, and the use of non-renewable energy. Recycling cardboard also saves space at the landfill. Keeping one ton of cardboard out of the landfills saves more than nine cubic yards of space.
Cardboard packaging can be customized
Corrugated packaging can be customized for manufacturers and retailers. Manufacturers need good quality shipping cartons, designed specially to keep the products safe. Printed cartons help with marketing as well.
For retail products, high quality graphic displays and custom branded packaging are a great marketing tool, influencing customer decisions in the store itself. Retail display containers can be of any size from counter-top displays to pallet-sized. They are structurally sound and printed with high end graphics.
Custom branded packaging serves many different purposes for the manufacturer, retailer and consumer. It is also environmentally friendly. More than a hundred years old, it could be the packaging of choice in the twenty-first century.