Some packaging designs are created simply to capture people’s attention and say “Look at me!” The product stands out from its competitors with custom packaging.

Custom packaging makes products unique and also helps differentiate products from other similar items. The key to custom packaging is to be visually appealing.

Take Red Bull Cola’s custom packaging for their popular beverage. The package features a wooden case that displays each of the 17 key ingredients that make up the Red Bull Cola taste. The packaging is designed by Design Friendship, a design company located in the United Kingdom. Instead of simply packaging single cans of Red Bull Cola, the packaging design features the product’s quality and value. The custom packaging distinguishes the beverage from other energy drinks. Besides, who doesn’t want to know all of the ingredients in Red Bull Cola?

We all know slimmer packaging equals less packaging waste and an effective way to reduce your carbon footprint.  But did you know that efficient packaging can also save money?

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer saved $3.5 million in transportation costs last holiday season because of efficent packaging for toys.  The company used slimmer packaging by reducing one-inch in the cardboard for individual toys going from Asian countries to the United States.  The reduction resulted in 727 fewer ocean containers, which also saved 1,300 barrels of oil.

What can we learn from Wal-Mart’s packaging solutions? As we take a step  in improving our environment through packaging, we can also recognize other benefits.  You can follow Wal-Mart’s lead with your own sustainable packaging.  There are many solutions to save money with efficient packaging apart from size.  Packaging materials can be reused for other packaging needs or used for creative innovations.  Instead of buying more packaging, save your money and use what you have.

For more ideas and tips about efficient packaging visit Sunrise Packaging’s green center!

Packaging can create value for consumers. Yes, the box a product comes in is designed to keep the product clean and prevent it from getting broken during transportation from where the product is made to the place it is finally removed from its packaging.

However, a box can do so much more:

• It can be designed to enhance the consumer’s first experience of the product. (Like wrapping presents in pretty paper during the Holidays)
• The packaging can (and should) show off the product and demonstrate how it benefits the consumer.
• The packaging can be designed to be used over again after the product has been removed either for the product itself or for another use.
• The material that makes the box can do something special like be impregnated with flower or grass seeds so that it beautifies the environment after disposal.

Take the new “green” pizza box company that launched in October. ECO Inc., a maker of environmentally friendly and multifunctional packaging, introduced its product Greenbox. The Greenbox is a pizza box made from 100 percent recycled material that also breaks down into serving plates and a storage container for leftover pizza.

The Greenbox promotes less waste and reusable packaging material, while serving as a convenient product for consumers.

Like the Greenbox, when a new product comes to market, the packaging it comes in will influence its success. A great product in a plain brown paper bag will be overlooked every time.

Be sure to work with a packaging company that can help you create custom packaging that stands out, makes consumers feel good about their purchases when they open the box, and is environmentally friendly or reusable. Check out our green packaging options at Sunrise Packaging.

I came across an introduction to the Brand Packaging’s Packaging That Sells V show that is scheduled for October 2009. They say:

“Your packaging is critical to your brand. It’s the last three feet and last three seconds (and the ultimate measure of success) of your marketing program. But, these days, packaging has to do more than just “pop” at the shelf; it must communicate the story of your brand and become an essential part of consumers’ daily lives. Is your packaging powered to do all that?”

This is so very true and good packaging design can help you make your product, your brand, and your packaging an “essential part of consumers’ daily lives.”

Examples of custom, limited edition, water bottles by Evain designed for different audiences.

So you may ask, what’s the recipe for creating this type of packaging?

1. Meaning: The first step in creating packaging that will communicate the story of your brand is to know what story you want to tell. People don’t want to simply purchase your brand they want to be apart of it and by knowing exactly what you want to communicate you can achieve this. Figure out your story and then try to make this visual through your packaging.
2. Audience: Packaging is an interaction between the product, your brand, and the audience so to better communicate through your packaging you must know your audience. Knowing what they relate to, what issues affect them, and their lifestyle will allow you to create a packaging that centers on these things.
3. Response: Once your brand has meaning, create a list of outcomes that your packaging could achieve. Think about your audience and what types of emotions, feelings, and reactions the product packing can evoke in your customers.
4. Stay Informed: The last ingredient in the packaging recipe is to stay informed about your competition. This is a simple task that is often over looked. Staying on top of what the competitors are doing allows you to be innovative and stay ahead.

Put all these things together and your packaging will have a recipe for success.

So when the above quote asks you, “Is your packaging powered to do all that?” Your reply will be, “Yes it is!”

You only have a few seconds to catch the shopper’s attention, so what are you going to do with your packaging to not only catch their attention, but to get them to want to buy your product?

Jim George from Shelf Impact came up with 5 labeling ideas to solve marketing challenges:

1. Highlighting innovative shape. Kids like products that feature fun colors and design in their packaging. Clear Beverage Corp. did just this with their “Kid Fuel” naturally flavored water. They also designed the shape of the bottle to resemble a sports bottle with curves for a child’s small hands to easily grip. They also made the packaging educational. Each bottle has a quiz question and Professor Smart’s answer is revealed after the beverage is consumed and the bottle is refilled with water.
2. Sizzling as bacon’s main ‘touchpoint’. It is important for the packaging of a premium product to reflect the quality of the product. Tyson changed the packaging of their bacon by adding a label that featured a gold-outlined shield area with red, white, and gold on a blue background, while still leaving room to view the meat. The new design improved how easy it was to find and recognize the brand.
3. Encouraging participation. Campbell’s made 7.5 million special-edition labels to show the quality ingredients that they use. Along with the new label, they started a program where you enter a code online from your can to receive a free pack of tomato seeds for yourself, as well as 100 seeds for urban communities and schools.
4. Pulling double duty. Sometimes marketers have to create a package that both attracts attention, as well as protects against theft and counterfeits. Nutrex Research did this by creating a shrink-sleeve label that is both eye-appealing and protects the product from tampering.
5. Signaling cause marketing. People like companies that help people and allow the customer to help by purchasing the product. Tide showed this with their packaging for the Loads of Hope campaign. They have special yellow caps that read, “You can help”, and it features pictures of Hurricane Katrina victims on the front.

Successful packaging can lead to increased sales, monetary savings and a more positive public image. The following are some examples of packaging successes and their outcomes. Now would be a good time to take notes.

Wal-Mart – a company that is known for attracting negative publicity but has been working toward sustainability – received positive attention recently for choosing Winterborne as their packaging provider. Winterborne was awarded a Converting 2007 Innovator Award for its EnviroShell package. EnviroShell is a 90 percent recyclable and recycled clamshell and the use of this packaging product reflected positively on Wal-Mart in the news media. The take-away? Sustainable packaging has benefits for the environment and for your business image.

Vaseline recently redesigned its brand through a packaging change. Prior to the change, the brand’s identity had been lost as it expanded. Different products in the Vaseline line had different logos and package designs and there was a lack of consistency. Blue Marlin stepped in and created a consistent, attractive, brand-cohesive logo that would stand for all Vaseline products. Blue Marlin made sure that each Vaseline product included classic blue plastic lids and they put a great deal of effort into matching the color of the logo to the blue plastic lids. Vaseline is now the fastest-growing personal care brand for its parent company, Unilever. What’s the take-away here? A strong, consistent brand combined with refreshing packaging can lead to an increase in sales for your business.

Mrs. Fields revamped its retail packaging to reflect a design similar to the redesigned Mrs. Fields stores nationwide and to play on the nostalgia associated with the brand. Tempting shots of cookies adorn the new packaging, which is now more consistent with the Mrs. Fields brand. This new packaging has earned positive reactions from media sources, especially within the packaging industry, appearing in such magazines as Packaging World. The take-away? Refreshing your packaging can strengthen your brand image and generate recognition for your company!

Get to know the message behind your brand and whether your packaging reflects that. Not every product needs repackaging, but, as in these cases, refreshing your packaging may lead to positive consequences for your company and brand.

With the ever increasing popularity of USB flash drives, also known as jump drives or thumb drives, companies are coming up with more and more creative designs for these devices. Here are some that we found at Gadget4all:

Care for a flash memory shot?

This one is a mp3 player, voice recorder, AND a flash memory stick:

Like to eat/cook? There are plenty of creative food designs:

Don’t go without protecting these valuable devices. When you need to package all of your creative USB flash drives, give Sunrise a call. We can help create a custom package to go with your unique devices that can help prevent them from being lost/damaged.

(All pictures from gadget4all.com)

When customers are running through a store, they don’t have time to search through the shelves to find what they want. They want packaging to be distinctive and descriptive. Successful packaging will not only be eye-appealing and attract the customer’s attention, but it will also convey the message you are trying to send and show them what they are getting.

Here are some great descriptive packaging examples that we found:

You only have a few seconds to catch the customer’s attention. What are you going to do with your packaging to stand out on the shelf above your competition?

Christmas is still months away, but Nestle is already thinking about their seasonal packaging and going green for the holidays. In the past, chocolate makers have often been known for wasteful and unnecessary packaging, especially for special seasonal promotions. This is the new target to work on, and Nestle is going at it.

According to Food Production Daily, Nestle will be making all of its Christmas selection custom boxes fully recyclable. One change they made was removing the plastic inserts that held the chocolate bars in place and replacing them with a card presentation tray. This way, the chocolate can still be nicely displayed in the custom box and be easily recycled when you are finished with it. This is one step for Nestle to be more environmentally-friendly in their packaging to reduce waste and address the concerns of their environmentally-conscious customers.