{"id":16990,"date":"2017-12-19T16:30:09","date_gmt":"2017-12-19T22:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/?p=16990"},"modified":"2022-08-10T10:12:50","modified_gmt":"2022-08-10T15:12:50","slug":"design-awesome-holiday-packaging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/blog\/design-awesome-holiday-packaging\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Secrets to Designing Awesome Holiday Packaging"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve literally put your blood and sweat and tears into curating every product in your store. (Well maybe not literally<\/em> \u2014 I\u2019m pretty sure your customers would rather not have your blood or sweat or tears on their shipment.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So doesn\u2019t it seem silly to just throw an order in a plain brown box<\/a> or boring white envelope and send it out the door? Especially during the holidays, when it\u2019s bizarre not<\/em> to be over-the-top?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want your holiday packaging to make your competitors jealous, take note of the three secrets below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design an Original, Un-Boring Exterior<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Considering Americans spend an average of $3.2 billion on wrapping paper<\/a> every year, shoppers are clearly concerned with the outside of the package in addition to what\u2019s inside. In fact, in a survey by Dotcom Distribution, nearly half of the respondents said branded packaging<\/a> made them more excited about opening the box<\/a>. And in that same survey, 40% of participants said they were more likely to order from an online retailer again if their package came in a premium package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So even if we\u2019ve been taught since grade school to \u201cnot judge a book by its cover,\u201d we\u2019re still going to (sorry, Mrs. Kopec.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shipping box<\/a> is the last thing shoppers see before they get to enjoy the items they purchased. And since shoppers are (hopefully) already stoked about receiving their order, you can make them even more excited to break into the package with a super cool design on the outside and inside of the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real-World Example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MeUndies<\/a> \u2014 an ecommerce store that sells underwear, socks, and casual clothing \u2014 usually keeps its packages discreet. But for the holidays, the online merchant of unmentionables spruced up its packaging with colorful lights and the tagline, \u201cLight Up the Holidays\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"MeUndies<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The envelope still has the standard black background and large logo MeUndies sports on its regular packages. But the lights and tagline help give the package a little more pizzazz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Care of Gift Wrapping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Holiday shopping<\/a> is exhausting. And as much fun as picking out wrapping paper is, the actual process of wrapping presents is kind of a drag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what if a present ordered online came pre-wrapped? What if all the shopper had to do was hand the item(s) over to the recipient, without even opening the box? Personally, if a brand eliminated the need for me to wrap presents (even though, to be honest, I\u2019m a really talented gift wrapper), I would definitely order from them again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real-World Example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Love<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Love with Food<\/a> is a monthly subscription service that delivers organic and all-natural snacks. The retailer\u2019s colors are already red and white, so it didn\u2019t have to make major changes to its shipping boxes. All it took was a simple graphic of a gift bow and boom \u2014 the box is holiday-themed and ready to be gifted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easier you can make the process of gift-giving, the better. It\u2019s the reason big brands offer holiday gift guides<\/a> and simplify checkout as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Forget the Inside of the Box<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The inside of a shipping box is prime real estate for holiday messaging. And whether you decorate the interior or include small goodies, discovering these little extras is a nice surprise for shoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few ideas of what you can include in your holiday shipping boxes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n