A picture is worth a thousand words – there are probably very few people in the world who don’t know this phrase since it’s universally valid regardless of language and culture. However, when it comes to sales, it should be the very foundation of every campaign! According to researchers who have studied how the brain processes information, people are more likely to understand and be attracted by an item that’s appealing from a visual standpoint. After all, that’s why companies everywhere hire hoards of specialists to create unique and enticing designs for everything that has some sort of commercial value. Plus, when it comes to sales and marketing, the product itself is just half of the offering. The other half is the packaging and the design that goes on the packaging.

First, this is important because it protects the product until the time of unboxing (also an experience customers love).

But you can’t just put your product in a bag/box/paper wrap and be done with it. As we already mentioned, humans are visual creatures and they use visual cues such as images, colors, and shapes to understand the items they may want to buy. That’s why the packaging is also important for presentation purposes.

And when it comes to communicating with the customer (paying or lead), the package serves an important role. So, moving forward we’ll talk a bit about this role and how to choose the best package option for your brand. 

Client Communication Through Packaging

As you can probably tell by now, companies use the packaging to communicate various information about the product.

For instance, a company that sells food products will have to print on the packaging a series of information such as nutritional values, the list of ingredients, and a description of the product (so the customer knows what to expect).

Besides these, companies also use packaging to promote brand information such as brand colors, logo, brand image, and more. These are not mandatory, since they are marketing elements, but it’s a tested way to attract attention and stand out from the crowd with customers who already know and like the brand.

Overall, there is quite a lot of information that the customer needs to know before they can decide whether they’ll buy the product or not. 

And here comes the million-dollar question: how are you going to present it?

Are you going to use standard packaging with printed labels or are you going to choose custom-made packaging and stickers, like the ones promoted by StickerYou? If you’re not yet sure, here are a few pros and cons for both situations so you can decide which one works best for your brand.

Stickers vs. Custom Packaging – Which One?

#1: Cost Efficiency

If you are on a tight budget, stickers with standard packaging are the best option. You can decide on one type of packaging material and sticker design and apply it to all your products. This way, you show branding consistency while also keeping the cost down.

However, if you want to stand out, custom packaging with designed labels is the way to go. It may be more expensive, but the result is impressive. Just by using colors and a design that stands out, your products will attract the eye of the viewer (especially if you’re using a big retail platform like Amazon). 

#2: More Variation

Standard packaging and labeling offer a lot more room for creativity than custom-made ones. That’s because you can play with the colors and label design to mark different products. And, since the packaging is simple, the colors will stand out.

Custom packaging, on the other hand, is already unique and you risk confusing customers if you change it constantly. So, once you find a color combination and design that works, it’s best to stick with it. 

#3: Professional vs Unprofessional Look

In today’s crazy world, customers only have a few seconds to decide if they like a product or not (before making a purchase decision). That’s why packaging design is one of the deciding factors when you want to sway people your way.

Custom packaging with high-end materials and special printing methods (without labels) looks and feels professional. Plus, labels can be misplaced and tend to wear out during transport and manipulation.

In short, if a customer has to choose between a product that tells its story via a torn label and one that’s all colorful and has its message nicely printed directly on the packaging, chances are the latter will make the sale. 

#4: Easy to Use & Long-Lasting

Quality packaging should be easy to use, long-lasting, and (if possible) reusable or recyclable. So, even if you invest a bit more in the materials and custom printing, in the long term it makes more sense to use custom packaging as opposed to stickers. 

Packaging that’s designed to fit your product is easy to fill, pack, and sell. It’s also something you don’t have to adjust unless you change the branding or the product. On the other hand, standard packaging and stickers need extra work and can be a pain to get right each time. 

Wrap Up on Packaging

The unboxing experience is as much part of the sale process as the product itself so you have to be careful how you choose the packaging. This is one of the tips every business owner needs to know when they first start in the industry!