Imprint Magazine

PACKAGE PERFECT
by Cliff Quicksell

We’ve all heard that presentation is just as important as product. But the sad truth is, many of us fail to consider the box itself when thinking outside the box. Here’s how to raise the perceived value of your next promotion.

You know the old maxim about selling the sizzle rather than the steak? In a way, that’s what packaging is all about. It provides a product with context. It creates a sense of mystery. It increases perceived value. Unfortunately, not enough of us stop to consider packaging – and many who do just rely on the stock array of boxes, sleeves and bags rather than doing something really creative and memorable.

Differentiating your firm from the competition is what it’s all about these days, and value-added is where it’s at. So do yourself a favor. On each and every promotion, premium and business gift, always give the packaging as much thought as all the other critical details – you’ll be surprised at the results.

Don’t Forget To Ask

Most products come in some kind of packaging – a cardboard box, plastic bag or maybe wrapped in bubble wrap. This type of packaging is mostly to protect the product from being broken, scratched or otherwise damaged during shipment. It isn’t, for the most part, meant to be aesthetically pleasing. However, most counselors can arrange to place products in more decorative boxes or other types of packaging – if you ask.

Of course, it’s not just a matter of selecting a fancy box or envelope. The real promotional potential lies in decorating the package. Tubes, for instance, can have colored paper on the outside with a step-and-repeat design of the company’s logo or a corporate message or theme related to the promotion. And don’t forget about custom, die-cut boxes.

I once had a dozen special boxes made for a self-promotion. Including imprinted product, packaging and delivery, the total cost came to $240. Sound like a lot for 12 boxes and a dozen monogrammed pizza-cutters? Well, I got 12 appointments and $27,000 in new business from that investment, most of which was tied up in the packaging and delivery, not the product. And that’s my point: Sometimes it’s the sizzle, not the steak, that creates the impression you want in the mind of your target audience.

Another benefit of packaging is that it can often carry a message that the product itself can’t due to space constraints. Understanding that you can get around many perceived limitations – that you can utilize more copy and graphics on the packaging – can help make your promotional message more memorable and effective.

Padding The Package

Along with creative packaging, your counselor can also help you add value by handling fulfillment. Creating a custom box, mailing tube or polybag is just one aspect of packaging. Promotional consultants can also handle the insertion, kit-collating, stickering and other piecework for a particular project at minimal cost.

Several years ago, a client ordered 3,500 T-shirts, which we produced for him. How did we add value to a straightforward sale like that? After further discussion, we offered to create a mailing tube, roll up the T-shirts along with a cover letter and insert them into the tubes. When we delivered the packages to the client, all he had to do was put the label on and ship them out – clean, simple and very memorable. The main thing to remember is to think beyond the product.

Consider things like:

the nature or purpose of the product/program
how you plan to get it to end-users
creative ideas that would increase the product’s perceived value
special packaging or add-ons.

Lurking within these points are a multitude of value-added opportunities – but you have to seek them out and develop them. Here’s another example: Say you’re buying a rainjacket. Why send it folded up in a box when you can present it on a wooden hanger that’s laser-engraved with the same logo that’s on the jacket? You can add even more perceived value if you take the time to have the person’s signature engraved on the hanger as well. Or get ahold of an inexpensive garment bag and have your logo printed or sewn on, presenting it as a complete package. Ask your counselor about his/her ability to do this kind of work.

Priceless Packaging

While wearables is the largest single product category in the industry, creative packaging needn’t be limited to apparel. Think back to the last time you used a clock, coffee mug, keytag or business card holder in a promotion or as a gift. Did you ever think to ask about how it would be wrapped and presented?

Most counselors have special packaging available – savvy promotional consultants make it part of their regular presentation. And even if they don’t have the items at their fingertips, they usually have the contacts and resources to get the job done anyway.

Keep in mind, however, that special packaging isn’t free. Various cost factors include materials, time, shipping costs, hired help, even a creative charge. The thing to remember is that packaging and fulfillment are value-added services – they add to the perceived value of your promotion, making it worth far more in the mind of the recipient than the extra few cents per item you might spend.

Promotional consultant Mike Patton sums it up this way: “If you have a very upscale item, why put it in a plain brown wrapper? Why not make the outside as nice as the inside?”
I couldn’t agree more.

Cliff Quicksell is a regular contributor to Imprint.