Printed ecommerce boxes: Branding ideas for packaging

Packaging is now so much more than just a box. It has become an important branding tool. And ecommerce boxes are no exception.

In fact, the explosion in unboxing videos mean that if your parcels arrive looking tatty, tired or even just failing to excite, then you could be missing out on a huge amount of free publicity or, worse still, find negative reviews are posted about you online.

As such, it is widely recognised that for a wide range of sectors, products and markets, using printed ecommerce boxes is now almost the default.

Saying that, it is branding opportunity that still requires a large amount of attention to detail. Many brands invest significant sums in making sure the experience their customer receives lives up to – and even exceeds – expectations.

A common example given of how packaging can help to position a brand is with handbags.

Well-known names such as Gucci, Chloe, Valentino and others have a hard earned reputation for quality and luxury. This is reflected in their desirability – and price tags.

But imagine if you were to order one of these items (or indeed any high value item – it could be any fashion, footwear, high end appliance, device etc.) and it was delivered in plain poly mailer bag.

To say you would feel disappointed would be an understatement.

To say it would cheapen the brand, and affect your perception of it, as well as your likelihood of purchasing from them again, would also be true.

Even being supplied in plain brown cardboard box would be unlikely to get the pulses racing.

The reason that these high end brands can charge a premium for the products is that their audience and customers are excited by the prospect of purchasing a new product. The whole experience from buying online to the unboxing of the product must be seamless and, ultimately, make them feel good.

The packaging you choose to use plays a crucial role in this.

This could be seen as an extreme example, but if you are serious about establishing a brand, or growing a business, market positioning is hugely important.

It may be that you are budget offering. It may be that you are pushing yourself as the eco-friendly option. The retro choice. The tried and trusted brand. Even the futuristic cutting edge option.

Regardless of how you see your brand and products – and more importantly how you want the public and target customers to see it – your packaging plays an important role.

As such, there are a number of different options for printed ecommerce boxes, all of which can help reach, influence and delight the consumers you are targeting.

As a summary, these are as follows:

• Bold colours
• Full colour
• White inks
• White out
• Spot laminating
• Internal print
• Use of kraft cardboard
• Single colour logos
• Tessellating patterns
• Labels
• Combinations

Please continue reading for further information and examples of how these could be suitable for your business.

It may sound obvious – and it probably is – but the use of bold colours can really make for a striking, impactful appearance when your customers receive their order.

Perhaps even more importantly however is to make sure that the colours chosen reflect your brand.

Whilst they may not have to strictly follow the exact colours you use elsewhere (as your logo can still be used to tie it all together), if it is completely different from what your customers have seen before, it will inhibit recall and potentially seem a bit jarring.

Large blocks of colours with contrasting text and logos can work particularly well, and shouldn’t be difficult or too costly to achieve either.

The key points to remember are that as well as creating aesthetic appeal, any print of this nature should be on brand.

Whilst usually reserved for retail packaging applications – where appearance of your product packaging can make or break its success in crowded retail spaces – some high end brands are beginning to use full colour graphics and designs on their printed ecommerce boxes.

Full colour print can, as with bold blocks of colour, create an impactful appearance – crucial when aiming to foster engagement and loyalty with your customers.

However, it can also be used for more than this, being useful for conveying instructions, example uses, returns info and even upselling accessories or other products in the range.

The drawback of full colour print however is the cost, although 4 colour flexographic techniques can produce good results (although still some way short of lithographic or high end digital print).

Care must also be taken that the print is not damaged during transit – as certain designs can actually lead to minor damage appearing more prominent.

A popular trend is the use of white inks.

Whilst many packaging companies are not able to print in white, for those that can it creates a unique and interesting appearance which can help your brand stand out.

It can convey a sense of luxury and help with positioning as a premium brand, yet can also be used on brown corrugated material (kraft) to create an eco-friendly appearance.

It can of course be used with other colours to create some interesting and unique effects.

Kind of like a mixture of using bold colours and white inks, “white-out” refers to the process of printing a large block of colour but excluding the logo.

This allows the white – or in some cases brown – corrugated material to show, creating a pleasing visual appearance.

It works particularly well with black inks and bold colours, and is also a good way of incorporating both a brand hue and contrasting logo whilst only using one colour.

Another way to create a striking (and fairly unique) appearance is to use spot lamination.

Often used on glossy brochures and book sleeves to add areas of high gloss to otherwise matt surfaces, a similar technique can be used on corrugated packaging too.

This can involve picking out specific colours – effectively used in conjunction with other printing techniques – or can even be used in isolation to create a very subtle, high end effect.

Whilst many companies will look at printing a logo on the outside of their printed ecommerce packaging, doing just this can be missing a trick.

Many of the most striking unboxing packaging experiences look fairly innocuous on first appearance – a plain brown box. But upon opening, the customer is greeted with bright colours, logos and information about their purchase.

This is also a very suitable technique for shipping high cost items – where putting a logo on the outside could alert potential thieves to the value of the contents.

All of the various techniques listed previously bold colours, white inks and so on, can be used successfully on the inside of the box too.

Whilst mentioned above when discussing white inks, and not strictly a printing technique in its own right, unusual and even spectacular results can be achieved using brown kraft corrugated material for the print substrate.

Providing a natural, organic looking appearance, it accentuates the recyclability of the packaging and helps position your brand as one which is environmentally responsible.

It can also provide a point of difference from your competition, with this technique still being used quite rarely in certain markets / sectors.

Even if you cannot afford to do something more advanced – or your target market / brand positioning do not warrant it – it is nearly always a good idea to print a simple company logo somewhere on the box.

This effectively provides free advertising throughout its journey to your customer, where it may be handled by 4 or more people.

It may also be kept for other uses in your customers or workplace, where it may again be seen by other people.

Choosing a single colour print also means that you can safety and handling information that can help in getting your parcel delivered in one piece.

Taking this a step further, if you are looking to create a unique look but are limited in terms of costs, a tessellating or repeating pattern can often create a surprisingly striking appearance.

Covering either the inside or outside of the box (or both), it not only creates interest but also hammers home your branding!

Make sure however the logos aren’t too small or positioned too close together however, as this can make the box look fussy and affect brand recall too.

If printing isn’t an option due to cost, then getting some custom labels produced and affixing them to your packaging can be a good, low cost substitute.

Whilst not as striking as directly printing the box, a premium feel can still be achieved, and it can also allow you to use the same box for different products / brands / customers as appropriate.

Labels can also double up as a security measure and sealing device too.

Finally, don’t be afraid to consider combinations of the above options.

Some of the most beautiful packaging designs combine various colours, techniques and ideas to create truly breath-taking appearance that your customers are certain to remember.

Just remember to stay on brand and don’t overdo it – or you run the risk of ruining the aesthetics. Sometimes, less really is more.