Size Does Matter for Packaging in India

Packaging sizes do matter for consumers in India but there is not fixed rule of the thumb which would define all the needs in a general manner. The perceptions and needs of the people are different and in keeping with that, the package sizes need to be determined. One of the main areas of focus while deciding package size is the ease of use and convenience in portability of the contents. While flexible Packaging seems to be doing the trick, it is not a standard solution.

A recent study conducted for identifying the role of package sizes in India revealed some interesting facts, especially for the two test products that were being considered for the study – deodorants and shampoo. People found it highly convenient to carry sachets of shampoo around with them as per their need instead of keeping a bottle of shampoo that is not only cumbersome to carry around but if the cap is not screwed on tightly to the top, then the chances for leakage are considerably high. Flexible packaging is the most significant pack type in beauty and personal care in India, accounting for 54% of total packaging volumes in 2013.

If you were to consider the figures for 2013, almost 98% of the revenue for shampoo manufacturers came from the sales of small sachets in comparison to bigger packages. The large sized Packaging Material is good only for applications such as salons where bulk purchases are common. But nowadays, all major salons have their own cosmetic products so they have no issues as such with packaging.

Another benefit of small sachets is that the customers may try out various shampoo brands before settling for a brand that suits their needs. But is more due to their convenience of usage and portability that the small sized sachets are preferred in India. The same applies for soap bars where simple packaging is provided to small bars or soap. If the soap is in a liquid form, then the flexible packaging makes it convenient to use the contents right from the package itself.

Such trends have been evident in almost all sectors for products as consumers prefer convenience and portability while the big packaging is usually preferred by few clients who have constant and large needs. Businesses should understand their target consumers before deciding upon the size of the package for the Indian market as the success or failure of the product will be largely influenced by it.

The Success Mantra for eCommerce Packaging

eCommerce is one of the most flourishing businesses in the internet obsessive world today. People want everything to be delivered to them with a click of a button. The internet has made it possible to shop online, make payments and get things delivered to your home without having the need to commute to a physical store. With competition levels increasing in the eCommerce sector, presentation matters a lot.

Right from the way it is packed to the overall experience of the customer while the pack is opened – every bit of visual element helps to secure better customer relations with the possibility of new customers being attracted by the brand. If you please your customer, then he will share it in his social circle which means tremendous and extensive marketing of the brand without any expenses other than packaging design and development costs. Check out the most effective success mantras for eCommerce Packaging.

Share and Create the “Brand” Experience

All eCommerce businesses are striving to bridge the gap between online shopping and in-store shopping experiences. While customers have more confidence in products from a physical store, they will try out online stores if the packaging is attractive enough to justify the associated costs and the expected presentation of the package. The products as well as the packaging collectively create the Brand experience and it is this experience that drives sales for any business. One of the reasons why customers look out for such visual treats in eCommerce packages is that the store packages simply lack the WOW factor.

According to a study conducted to identify the consumers’ perspectives on packaging, 51% of consumers expect that the packaging would be equivalent to a store packaged product in terms of quality. 71% of the customers even expect that the quality should increase with the increase in brand value.

Maria Haggerty, President – Dotcom Distribution, has stated in the study that, “Premium packaging for online purchases delivers a brand’s in-store experience to an eCommerce customer.” This goes on to show the importance of packaging, especially relevant Packaging Material, for eCommerce businesses today.

Sharing with the Help of Enhanced Visibility

The study reports that even in the current era of internet connectivity where finding new products and services takes a matter of seconds, almost 35% of the customers were introduced to a new brand because an existing customer was seen using the brand’s exclusive and visually appealing package. This random sighting of branded accessories is the most effective time tested way which gets customers even today when online marketers try their best to target customers in the online space.

As per the study, 84% of consumers have reused branded bags to cut down on waste. This is a great initiative if you consider the sustainability aspect of eCommerce packaging. Encouraging re-use further enhancing the visibility of the brand as people get to see it in real life applications. Compared to the suggested applications that are mentioned in online marketing efforts, seeing the product in real life usage is something that cannot be compensated with anything else. Probably this is the reason why people still prefer to get attracted by brand when they see it in actual life implementations rather than believing in online marketing.

Utilizing the Potential of Powerful Social Media

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have made people compulsive “sharers” as they share anything and everything that they like. It could be a new purchase, a brand’s design, health issues, comments, opinions and just about anything that they may think of. According to the findings of the study, 40% of consumers – 74% of which come from the 18-25 age bracket, are likely to upload a picture of the packaging if it appeals to their expectations.

Such social sharing can actually trigger the ripple effect which is a great leverage for brand awareness. As per the concepts of social shopping, recommendations arising from social circles tend to be the most powerful in terms of generating strong conviction levels for the customer. So every time a customer gets to know about a brand through his / her social circles, the chances for increased conversion become high which is an extremely beneficial situation for the eCommerce business. 

Top 4 eCommerce Packaging Trends of 2014

Packaging trends keep changing every year, especially for the eCommerce business that need to constantly renovate as well as innovate for capturing the interest of its customers in addition to increasing brand value / awareness. From the packaging design to the choice of Packaging Materials every step in the process helps in defining a characteristic package for the respective business. It is not mandatory that every business should follow the trends. With a little innovation and keen insight into the customer’s preferences, one can easily come up with designs that can become trend setters in the industry. Check out the top 4 trends that would be evident in the eCommerce industry for the year, 2014.

Going Green

The green initiative is a trend that is being encourage across industries and sectors for ensuring optimal utilization of the available resources. We do not want our future generations to be left with nothing. So we need to start behaving in a responsible manner, starting with packaging. Green packaging does not only focus on the use of recycled / recyclable materials but it also emphasizes on the amount of raw materials being used for preparing each unit of packaging material. Ideally, the raw materials component should be reduced without affecting the standard specifications for quality standards. A good example of this is the “Rapid Packing Container” developed by Henry Wang and Chris Curro.

Second Life Packaging

As the name suggests, second life packaging is one which may be reused again. This is a great way to encourage people to maximise the use of the packaging box instead of discarding it after the product has been received. It is not necessary that the packaging be used just for storing things in the second life. For example, in the image provided here, the packaging opens up into a wonderful lampshade. Similarly other boxes have been developed that double as pots once the contents of the package have been retrieved.

The “Functional” Aspect of Packaging

Most businesses have used the tried and tested method of making visually appealing packages. But are they really able to attract the customers with visual characteristics? The current trend indicates a rising preference towards the use of functional packaging which means better storage capabilities and multiple applications. Customers, however, are pretty satisfied with the convenience and ease of using the contents that comes with the functional designs. For example, the food box used to pack the burger prevents any stains from being made and once the lid is removed, it opens up into a wonderful ready-to-serve place. This is the type of functional packaging that eCommerce businesses have started focusing on.

Hybrid Packaging Concepts

Hybrids are a welcome change in any industry as it allows the best-of-all-worlds approach to be used. Not only do they have a humorous twist to the visual appeal but they are really hard to leave unnoticed. Take for example this image which portrays a paintbrush. This is a simple product and hardly anyone takes notice because the Packaging usually involves a plain cover with basic product info. The manufacturer of this product took the design to a whole new level by creating sketches of faces in such a way that when the brushes are packed, they appear to be moustaches. Now this is a really creative way of going about it.

These are the trends that are currently gaining widespread popularity, even for non-eCommerce businesses. As we are just in the early second quarter of 2014, it can be a challenge to predict future trends. But these 4 trends are the major ones that would be evident this year. All other trends would probably be direct derivatives of these 4 major initiatives.  

How Does Premium Packaging Design Cause Social Media Ripple Effect

The social media has been the most prominent platforms exhibiting the ripple effect. As soon as a person posts an engaging content or something that is very interesting, then everyone in the social circle begins circulating it by sharing, tagging or just about any other way in which its visibility would increase. This is the underlying principle of the ripple effect.

So how does the ripple effect relate to premium Packaging Material? It’s simple – if you give your customers a premium package that is presented well and has a lot of visual appeal, then its probability of being shared on social platforms increases more. Now if we were to consider the impact of such organic sharing on a large scale, just imagine the amount of brand awareness and marketing that the business would be able to achieve in a natural manner. Not a single penny goes into this activity, yet the returns on this are phenomenal. Products that are ‘attractively packaged’ can generate a ripple of residual marketing effects, and this helps to increase the revenue of the ecommerce business. This is the best possible use of Wholesale Packaging Boxes.

With such rippling effect, ecommerce business not only earn loyalty from their customers but they also initiate word-of-mouth publicity which is great for any business. According to the findings obtained from the 2013 eCommerce Packaging Survey, the following key insights were highlighted.

·     71% customers expect premium packaging when purchasing products that have a high price tag.

·         9 in 10 customers reuse the box in which the product is delivered.

·         35% of the consumers have discovered a new brand by seeing the packaging in public.

·         Those who focus on their packaging designs can generate up to 30% increase interest in their brand.

·         40% of the customers are willing to share or post about the order along with a picture of the packaging if it appeals to their aesthetic expectations.

Customers are always on the lookout for the “wow” factor when they purchase products online. It is up to the ecommerce businesses to meet their expectations. A happy customer equates to business growth, increase in revenue and repeat purchases. These are in addition to the principal outcome – Brand Awareness. 

Packaging Options for Your E-Commerce Startup

Do you love opening gift? Just the excitement of discovering the contents and the pleasure of removing each layer of the packaging is an aesthetic as well as emotional experience that is second to none. Imagine the same experience being provided to the customers of your ecommerce business. The packaging is the first thing that customers see when they receive their delivery. It is up to you to make their experience rather pleasurable. Apart from achieving great consumer experience, you would also be doing a great benefit to your business, as people would develop brand awareness and repeat purchase would be made possible. These conditions provide great leverage to any business in terms of income generating and maximizing opportunities.

Selecting the Base Material

Let’s consider Corrugated Boxes or carton boxes as they are popularly known. The first and foremost step is to decide on the substrate. Now substrate is merely a fancy way of referring to the base material which in this case is a cardboard. The reason for considering cardboard is that almost 99% packaging requirements are fulfilled with this material and only a handful of requirements need other materials. And why shouldn't this be used? It is easily available, durable, and cost effective and can be acquired in any size and shape. 

Determining Packaging Types

Now that you decided on the substrate, it’s time to define the type of packaging. Go through your entire inventory and make a list of the common packaging needs for all of them. Do they need top-opening boxes or side opening boxes? Once the requirements have been laid out, it would be easy for you to place your order accordingly in keeping with the specific size requirements. Remember – an ecommerce business cannot run the risk of storing uniformly created boxes. There are so many products, each with their own shapes and sizes, so it would be good to find a Packaging Solutions Provider who can fulfill your requirements on a regular basis.

The External Branding

It’s as simple as placing your brand / logo on the external part of the packaging. It doesn't cost much but it adds a whole lot of consumer value to the package. The external part was plain anyways, so why not make good use of the space and give your business a much needed leverage? A major benefit of this form of branding – your business gets high visibility even as it travels. This is in addition to the relevance that customers create upon receiving the package. It makes their investments seem worth the while, especially when the shipping costs have been borne by them. In case you do not have the budget to afford custom branding, then you can always opt for plain unbranded boxes and then brand them when you have the required funds. Another good option is to use stickers or branded accessories such as tapes which can add to the marketing quotient of the package.

The Inside Packaging

This is what differentiates successful businesses from mediocre businesses. Most people think that the external branding suffices the need for creating marketing value. But when people open the package and find the branding there – that is the point where a dedicated customer is created or the chances of creation are highly likely. Make sure the content is packed with the right amount of cushioning and aesthetic appeal so that the customer is left with a visual treat along with the excitement of unravelling the layers of packaging to reach the content stored inside. And while you are preparing the inside for a fabulous presentation, why not include content resources that people often look out for. For example, if a customer orders a barbeque grill, then it would be a great idea to include a short book on “how to grill the best burger” or similar titles. This would go a long way in achieving customer satisfaction and retention.

Creative Packaging for Ecommerce Product Shipments

Ever wondered why ecommerce products shipments often fail on making an impact on the consumers? Maybe the packaging is pretty bland as protection of the contents is the primary aim in the logistic of the shipment. Very few are able to gauge the benefits that can be reaped if one is able to creatively tweak the packaging so that it is able to contribute on a marketing level. If the business is able to grab more opportunities with simple modifications to the packaging design, then there is no reason for businesses’ to delay it further.

The Downside of Using Standard Packaging

It is fairly easy to get those common Brown Packaging Boxes for stuffing the product and shipping it to the customer. This is a cheap option and obviously seems attractive for its cost value benefit. After all, the product is being shipped securely. But this does not capture the attention of the consumers. By coming up with distinctive packaging designs, not only would you be able to make an impact on prospective consumers while the product is in transit, but the person receiving the shipment would also be impressed with the amount of efforts that have been made for ensuring a pleasant experience.

The Packaging Design Should Reflect the Business’s Theme
Printed envelopes, poly-bags, boxes, tapes, etc. are some of the things that can be branded with the logo and theme of the ecommerce business. These are pretty easy to acquire and do not take excessive efforts for making it relevant to the theme of the business. Alternatively, the logo of the business can also be stamped onto the packaging itself. If you are willing to test your creative abilities, then come up with unique packages such as tubes or flat boxes.

The main aim of these modifications is to develop a packaging design that becomes characteristic of the ecommerce business. Once you able to create relevancy between the package and the brand, then almost 80% of the marketing is done. The only thing that remains is to ensure high quality services to complement the effectiveness of the packaging. One of the outcomes of using a branded package is that repeat customers would be able to recognize a product sent by your company instantly without even checking out the information mentioned on the package.

Security and Cost are Mandatory Factors That Need to be Considered

Under no circumstances should you ever compromise with the security and cost aspect of packaging. Protection of the contents is the primary requirement for any packaging design. Marketing effectiveness and aesthetic appeal are secondary / additional components. Using non-standard designs can cost you more for shipping them to the customers. Try to keep the overall costs as low as possible for ensuring greater profit margins. Make sure the design team considers every aspect of the packaging and evaluates all the possible costs before making a move.

What to Include in eCommerce Product Packaging when Custom Designs are not Feasible?

It is possible that some eCommerce businesses may not be able to come up with a package design that is able to conform to its cost constraints. In such situations, it is best to include components along with the basic package so that the customer is impressed with what he finds inside the package, rather than what is on the package. Here are some suggestions to get you started. 

• Make sure the contents are packed safely with plastic bags or bubble wraps. You can even use packing peanuts to provide cushioning against sudden forces. A good add-on in this case would be to go for branded bags as these are really inexpensive and they add a whole lot of value in terms of credibility and presentation.

• Apart from the packing slip / invoice which is a mandatory requirement, you could slip in a small handwritten note for that extra personal appeal. This goes a long way in ensuring customer retention which would in turn ensure repeat sales for the business.

• You could also throw in a few offers such as free product offers, discount coupons, special gifts and so on. This really helps to achieve high levels of consumer loyalty towards a particular brand.

Custom offerings are part of a rising marketing trend which is really effective in gaining the interest of customers. Everyone wants personalized stuff. So why not cash in on this opportunity for growing your business and increasing sales prospects. There are online packaging solution providers like DCGPAC who would gladly provide consultation for your requirements so that you may select the best materials that are suited for your need.