Is packaging important?

I’ve been sending quite a few orders out recently, which is a great feeling. As this is my first year working with trade orders it has led me to ask the question about whether shops or galleries use their own packaging or that of the designers whose product they stock. It has made me think about my packaging.

Packaging is so important – it forms part of your brand image and can be a significant marketing tool.

When you’re starting out, with so much to do and not much money to do it with – you have to prioritise. However, even if you start with packaging that you know you will upgrade when you can afford to, you should still use your choice to convey a message – about you and your product – even your company values.

It is imperative that you think about the long term and don’t tie yourself to a narrow design that speaks in a very specific way to the current product, or collections if you’re a jewellery designer/maker, which may evolve over time – still reflecting your style but growing. Your choice of packaging needs to accommodate that. Think about the likes of Coca-Cola or Tiffany’s. The packaging of these brands have evolved along with their products but always remain recognisable by not deviating from the original brand image.

Statistics show that one third of consumer decision making is based solely on product packaging.

So, I remember I took so long to choose my packaging. I love colour and I’ve always doodled flowers – so I jumped into a design which heavily incorporated both and loved it. But underneath, I knew it wasn’t quite right and would tie me to a certain look – a look that didn’t necessarily appropriately represent my jewellery. It didn’t help that I read that the more colours used, the less sophisticated the result tends to be. Whilst I don’t tend to let what I read influence every decision I make, I could see the point being made. The same with the flowers all over the boxes – too busy.

This went back and forth for a while as I struggled to create a design that was right for my jewellery whilst also representing me the maker. In the end I chose the colours to do the job – simple, sophisticated, professional but in two of my favourite colours.

Then I added a few extra touches – pretty coloured tissue paper, a velveteen pouch for the jewellery, a complimentary chocolate in a foil colour to match the packaging and a compliment card.

This moves me onto the notion of the packaging experience. Think about Tiffany’s and Pandora. If you’ve ever bought from them you will know about the ‘packaging experience’. The unwrapping of the item – working through the layers, each as lush as the next, indicating the value of the end prize and exciting anticipation – it all adds up to a good experience……….and conveys a message about the

brand.

This is what I was aiming for and I ended up very happy with my bespoke packaging. Each piece of my jewellery is sent out in this packaging and I still love to see it.

The couple of photos show the box and the contents inside - some fine tissue paper to match the bottom of the box, a velveteen pouch for your purchase, a compliments card and a little chocolate to be enjoyed as you look at your purchase.

I hope you like the packaging. Why not drop me a message and let me know what you think.