Like all good Jewish questions, the answer is: sometimes. While impressive, stand-out packaging is definitely helpful for any brand, it’s not always a necessity for success.
There are some times when you NEED impressive packaging from the get-go. This is when you’re setting customers’ expectations for a luxury brand, an immersive experience, or incredible storytelling. If a significant selling point for your product and an integral part of your messaging is your customer journey, then you need to make sure it lives up to expectations. An impactful brand experience is in the details—the small touches that pull you in and take everything to the next level. So if your brand is about that experience, then you need to pay attention to those details that will fulfill your brand promise to your customers.
Take a look at the packaging of Last Crumb, a cookie company based in LA. Their limited-edition boxes of just 12 cookies sell for $150! They’re not just selling cookies - they’re selling the experience of hand-made, individually-wrapped and named, unique delights. And that’s worth a lot more money than a regular old box of a dozen cookies.
"It's not just cookies. It's not just a box. It's not just an ~experience~. It's THE experience. A handcrafted box, individually packaged cookies, and the clout gives Last Crumb Cookies the feel of a night club mixed with ooey gooey chocolate." —Daniel Murray, The Marketing Millennials
However, for new businesses just starting out, it might not be within budget to pay for custom packaging. If you’re still testing products and consumer demand, then it’s worthwhile to wait and grow your business before making the investment in expensive packaging. You can always start out small and improve your packaging, or add more elements to it, further down the line when business is flowing more steadily.
But, all is not lost.
Just because you’re keeping within a limited budget for your packaging, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice creativity. You can (and should!) still tell an engaging brand story and stand out from the crowd, even without a custom die cut or foil stamped print job. There are many creative ways to design packaging that’s out of the box, while still staying within cost-effective printing specs.
You can elevate your packaging design using: compelling copy, storytelling, bold typography, color, patterns and illustrations, stickers and labels, etc.
With a good idea and a good designer, anything is possible.
