Holiday Packaging Guide 101: How to Create a Personalized Experience for Your Customers
The holidays triples the work for businesses. There’s a surge in sales, tight schedules to follow, and tougher competition. Holiday packaging is one way to stand out and distinguish yourself during the busiest season. Your strategy needs to go beyond dressing each gift with festive designs. Will you be streamlining ready-made packaging customers can deliver to their loved ones? How customized will each package be, so the recipient remembers your products after the unboxing?
Several factors go into creating holiday packaging ideas that guarantee repeat sales and increase brand recognition in the long run. But it all begins with what you will be customizing, so every gift recipient and buyer gets the most out of your package. Find out how to design the entire experience to your customer’s advantage.
What to Customize in Your Holiday Packaging
Packaging tape saves your business time and money. If you can’t afford an elaborate packaging design, you can customize several yards of tape and use them to seal blank boxes. Print fun patterns of holly, snowmen, snowflakes, Santa Claus, and other yule season themed designs to put shoppers into the holiday spirit. The tape is also made of tamper-proof material that protects your e-commerce deliveries during transit.
Custom boxes with holiday art show customers you’re willing to go the extra mile and save them the trouble of wrapping the gifts themselves. Showcase intricately designed holiday boxes that buyers can deliver straight to their friends or family’s doorsteps. Include several options on your site and highlight the box design as a freebie with every order. Customers will remember the convenience your business provided during the busiest season of the year.
Custom stickers offer another convenient and affordable means to decorate blank packages like boxes or pouches. Choose from several standard shapes that can fit a holiday greeting or customize in the exact size you need . Stickers can be printed on waterproof vinyl and indoor-friendly material that suits store displays. Choose between singles for for small-batch items or rolls for automated application using a label dispenser.
Personalized packaging inserts give every gift that warm holiday touch. You can include postcards with the gift recipient’s handwritten name or unique business cards that offer an exclusive discount code for loyal customers. Whatever you have, think of a message or offer on a flyer that will appeal to your customer’s demographic. Putting extra thought and care in their custom packaging can inspire them to continue supporting your establishment.
Custom tissue paper adds an elegant touch to your package. It’s another affordable alternative for a luxurious gift expected of Christmas traditions. Wrapping the item in personalized tissue paper also protects the items during transit, increasing their anticipation and excitement for the present.
Top Design Tips for Unforgettable Holiday Packaging Ideas
Not sure where or how to get Christmas packaging design inspiration? Apart from looking for famous patterns or standout packages from top brands, you can follow these essential design principles.
1. Build brand recognition.
While your packaging needs to reinforce the holiday cheer, the design should still work toward distinguishing your business from the competition. Veer away from repetitive holiday patterns and find a way to integrate festive themes into your brand elements. For example, you can print holiday greetings that use your company’s unique tone and show them bright colors like gold and red. You can also reframe your logo to have a Christmas theme so that customers still see where the package is coming from. Whatever you decide, be consistent and make sure there are elements customers can still associate with your brand.
2. Personalize the small details.
Show customers how much time you spent on preparing the holiday package. Provide several customization options so that gift-givers can add personalized greetings or special notes on the delivered item. For customers buying gifts for themselves, add a surprise freebie that serves their lifestyle. For example, skincare companies can include a moisturizer or serum that fits the customer’s profile based on past orders.
3. Achieve a balance between minimalism and maximalism in your final package design.
Minimalist designs showcase luxury but can easily be lost or forgotten amid the brighter and bolder Christmas packages. However, designs that are too busy tend to be distracting and will have customers looking away from their presents. Find the perfect balance between minimalism and maximalist details so that customers enjoy looking back at the package.
4. Highlight a call-to-action like visiting their website for a discount.
Every design element should lead to the package’s primary call to action. While unboxing the gift is the customer’s benefit, you can show them toward another repeat sale or new product promotion. Include a customized postcard or greeting card that highlights an exclusive discount code. You can also add brochures or flyers announcing a special product launch. Whatever you decide, make sure the call-to-action aligns with the package and your brand’s overall messaging.
Avoid cramming your holiday packaging design and planning. If you want all customer gifts delivered weeks before December 25, follow the production schedules below when ordering your mailer boxes and shipping boxes:
| For Delivery By: | Standard Production w/ Ground Shipping |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks before December 25 | November 9, 2023 |
The date above does not consider any delays from the UPS/FedEx/USPS holiday schedules in 2023. Shipping times tend to be volatile during the holiday schedule in 2023 due to the demand across the country. To beat these considerations, we recommend you pay additional for the 2- or 5-day transit time upon checkout to expedite delivery of your order.
Once you’ve smoothened the overall package design and process, you’ll soon enjoy consistent feedback and potential repeat sales from satisfied customers. Start strategizing for your holiday packaging today.