By this time every year, customers from around the world begin to catch the scent of the holiday season. Statistics show that 29% of customers expect holiday-related marketing as early as Halloween.
After Thanksgiving, the busiest holiday shopping season begins. It starts with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping activities. About 61% of consumers like to get a headstart on holiday shopping. Some start even before Thanksgiving.
Only 15% of shoppers wait until December to join the shopping frenzy, and a smaller 2% do not shop until January. They like to wait for the post-holiday bargains. So, it is clear that every holiday season comes with a huge rush from buyers.
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A good business owner must then know how to leverage custom packaging skills to match the season. In this article, we will give you some tips to delight your customers during the holidays.
Planning Custom Packaging for The Holidays
The holiday season is the perfect time for businesses to make massive sales. Experts predict that every household spends an average of $1,387 on holiday shopping.
Gifts account for about $487 of that money. In 2020, retail e-commerce made an estimated 186 billion U.S. dollars in the holiday season.
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Analysts further predict a 14% growth in online sales during the holiday season. It will now bring the estimated spending to almost 207 billion dollars at the end of 2021.
There is no time like now to get started on creating custom packaging to reflect the festivities. Preparing ahead of time can help reduce design time and manufacturing costs.
Also, it will make your client’s costs much cheaper, so they will want to spend more money patronizing you. Here are a few guidelines for you to know what to do and when to do it:
1. Consider Your Buyer Demographic
As the year draws to a close, it is common for businesses to make holiday mistakes. A popular mistake is to think that Christmas is the biggest holiday to put marketing efforts on.
Not all buyers celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. So, you need to study the kind of customers you have or plan to attract with your holiday packaging strategy.
There are many other holiday opportunities to consider. A few examples are Halloween and Thanksgiving. Also, take time to think about other holidays that can link your brand with your target audience.
For instance, you may have a large customer base that is veterans. It makes sense to create packaging for veterans day on November 11.
Consider using the patriotic red, white and blue colors to create a packaging box. It strikes the right tone and gives thanks to the veterans who served the country so well.
The Mexican Día de Los Muertos also falls during the holiday, from October 31 to November 2. It serves to remember deceased loved ones. So, your packaging can revolve around the traditional colors to mark the event. They are green, pink and yellow.
Yet, it doesn’t mean that you should ignore Christmas. A good number of people celebrate the holiday. Customizing packaging can help customers re-gift your products without extra wrapping. Look at it as free advertising.
2. Look For Inspiration from Popular Trends
Your custom packaging must speak to the popular season trends. It is a good way to resonate with clients. Suppose your business is in the food industry. In that case, look to the variety of food holidays for packaging inspiration.
Take, for instance, National Nachos Day on November 6. It is a perfect opportunity to design packaging showing off attractive food imagery.
You can also print out recipes in the flap or bottom of the delivery box. In 2021, intricate patterns and illustrations are the in thing.
Using simple designs on your packaging can give it an artistic feel that customers love. It also gives them an idea of what is inside the package before getting it.
Imagine your company produces cannabis-infused packs of tea. How best would you brand it during the holidays? Print tiny illustrations of the cannabis plant on the packaging, using festive colors.
The cannabis plant and the traditional Christmas tree look almost the same, and it fits the theme. Also, the cute, minimal patterns will show the customers what to expect. Yet, it doesn't overwhelm them, as it does not present a detailed image.
A good custom packaging concept is a massive investment for your business. So, leverage trends to make your holiday designs timeless. Unless you are certain that you will use all your packaging this year, do not write specifics on it.
Avoid putting dates like “Merry Christmas 2021” or “Happy New Year 2020.” These will only make your packaging useless in the next year. If you are on a budget, you should plan to use your festive packaging for as long as it can last.
3. Create a Buzz Using Holiday Packaging
Many companies have specific packaging items for different times of the year. There are designs that these businesses roll out only during festive seasons. It is good to have special offerings for the winter and holiday season. Any brand that does this stands to gain more recognition and customers.
Holiday products that reflect the festive season are big sellers for business owners. If you run a beverage business, use sample packs displaying snowflakes and wreaths. Don't forget the standard red and green colors of Christmas.
You can also try advent calendars to allow customers to try new products on the days leading up to the holidays. There must be a clear difference between your holiday and regular packaging. It is the only way to create a buzz during the festive season.
If your custom holiday packaging is not unique, it will not get the attention of customers. Look at it as a good opportunity to experiment with designs and patterns. Play around with designs that your brand will not use on a day-to-day basis.
Still, do not go too far from the norm, so you don't get customers confused. Make sure your holiday packaging still represents your company logo and design. Doing this helps your regular customers to recognize it at once.
Do not sacrifice your brand identity for the sake of standing out or because you want to generate a buzz.
4. Emphasize Convenience
A leading influence in customers purchasing decisions is convenience. During the holiday season, most of the items people buy are to give out to others.
So, consider putting your items in ready-to-gift holiday packaging. It saves them the stress of thinking of creative ways to re-wrap these gift items.
Buyers indeed spend more during the festive season. So, you can get a large market share from creating convenient packaging. Wrap your holiday products in attractive customized gift paper or gift bags. On the inside, decorate them with colorful tissue paper printed in holiday themes. These holiday themes may represent snowflakes, Santa hats, or snowmen.
You may also put gift cards to go with your packaging. Or, create space in your custom gift boxes for customers to write special notes to recipients. Include extras, like a “Thank You” note, product sample, or even coupons, to make the season a little special.
Any brand that prioritizes ease of gifting will see an increase in sales and brand value. A lot of buyers also rate wrapped items more than basic, unbranded ones. So, you must bring your A-game with your holiday packaging.
5. Make Your Packaging Reusable
Reusable packaging is packaging that buyers can use again and for a prolonged period. These include handheld totes, pallets, and other related items.
A great way to make your packaging reusable is to pack items with inner packaging made of cloth bags. Who doesn’t want a cute bag to store little odds and ends or a tote to dash to the store with?
It is the time of the year to ditch generic disposable packaging. Instead, go for materials that buyers can repurpose. In 2016, the US generated about 42 metric tonnes of plastic waste. It was double the plastic waste produced in China.
As a result, many buyers now avoid single-use plastic products. A survey reported that 50% of persons wore reusable masks during the 2020 pandemic. They chose that instead of disposable ones because of the impact of plastic on the climate.
The holiday season is a good time to switch to recyclable and reusable packaging options. Most buyers prefer to reuse their packaging bags and boxes, days and months after buying.
So, when they pull things out of storage, they have your branded boxes to remind them of your company.
6. Make Your Packaging Social Media Worthy
There’s nothing the average buyer likes to do other than to show off. That is why unboxing videos are such a big deal these days.
The rise of social media platforms in the last two decades can benefit businesses. Some of the popular platforms right now are Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. So, your packaging needs to speak to your brand’s target audience.
Start with eye-catching holiday designs to encourage social media sharing. Not only will it result in visibility for your brand, but it will also boost sales.
From the point of unboxing, your packaging should deliver a visual punch. Creating a memorable experience will make customers return.
Compare getting a plain brown box at your doorstep to a colorful, custom package. The second option is a more eye-catching one. As a result, it is more appealing to take a picture of it and share it with friends on social media.
We are in the age where having a social media presence can make or break a brand. So, in a way, custom packaging is a growth strategy.
Remember to place your business social handle at strategic places in your packaging. It is a psychological prompt for buyers to share and tag your business handles. See it as free and easy advertising and visibility on many platforms.
Knowing the right place to position your handles is key, so you don’t waste your effort. Suppose your custom packaging features colorful Christmas trees in green and brown.
In that case, embed your social media handles on the tree trunk, or leaves, in white or red.
White and red are popular holiday colors. They also stand out while still matching the color scheme of the entire design.
When tagged, don’t forget to repost clients’ pictures, as it will make them feel appreciated.
7. Use Printed Packaging Tape, Stickers, and Ribbons
The first contact between a buyer and your product should spark attraction. It starts with the little things like custom packaging tape.
From the point of unwrapping, buyers need to feel excitement for the holiday season. As packaging tape is what you will need to secure the item during shipping, why not add a little cheer to it?
You can also use custom stickers to show off holiday messages and get customers in the holiday mood. It is a good option for business owners on a tight budget. Stickers are cost-effective and durable.
Another perfect holiday packaging accessory is the good old ribbons. There is no clearer sign that a package contains a gift than a ribbon.
Over the years, many brands have used ribbons to build excitement for the holiday season. From what we can see, this is a tradition that will not go out of style.
If you choose to tie your custom packaging with ribbons, make sure not to cover the design of your packaging. Whether packaging tape, stickers, or ribbons, stick to the basic holiday colors - red and green. If you want to experiment, ease it in slowly so as not to confuse buyers.
Conclusion
The holiday season comes with the need to impress old and new customers. Businesses around the world have to plan their packaging ahead of time.
It helps them to avoid manufacturing and shipping rush. This guide has all you need to know to catch your customers' attention during the holiday rush. At Arka, we prioritize eco-friendly packaging and help create memorable unboxing experiences.
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