How Packaging Affects Your Company Image
Remember that feeling of excitement and anticipation as you impatiently wait for the arrival of something you ordered?
What a buzz!
But have you also had the unfortunate experience of that parcel or product arriving to you damaged?
Or arriving in packaging that has clearly been re-used multiple times and your precious order has just been dropped inside to smash around during transit?
Perhaps you have had to then return the product to be fixed or replaced and now you have to wait 3x as long to get what you ordered.
What a frustration right?!
If I was to then ask you what your feelings where towards the company or business that you purchased from, I’ll make the assumption that they would be negative feelings…am I right?
I will also assume that either consciously or subconsciously, your perception of the brand of the company or business would be shattered as well.
You might still feel inclined to spread some ‘word of mouth’ with your friends but it would not be the positive type.
This scenario happens on a daily basis.
This is how packaging affects your company image!
We recently sat down with Ross Buchner, GM at Trans Tank International to discuss this…
How Packaging Affects Your Company Image | ft. Ross Buchner – Trans Tank International
Packaging affects your company image
As Ross mentions in the interview; “a company image is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain”.
There are many details that can be overlooked and one of them is often packaging.
So often we focus on getting our product packed fast and shipping it as quick as possible.
But once it leaves the store, the warehouse, or it’s put in the post…whichever it might be, that’s it.
We don’t think about what happens after that.
What happens in transit?
What is the first impression that the customer gets when that package arrives?
It can have a pretty big impact on our brand.
The problem is that, as a company shipping products, regardless of whether we’re using our own carriers or third parties, it is our responsibility to ensure those goods arrive in the state that they left.
And that’s where many companies fall over in not acknowledging that when it’s a third-party freight company, they still have an obligation to deliver it in the condition the customer’s expecting.
Many believe they can’t control what the freight company does and can very quickly fall into the trap of, if there is an issue with the delivery, they blame the freight company.
And while there are certainly times that products are damaged in transit, the customer doesn’t care who’s fault it is.
They paid not to have to worry about that.
This is where taking extra care and pre-cautions with our packaging can reduce these issues and increase the positive first impression on arrival to the customer.
Packaging and Marketing
Packaging supplies are also an excellent opportunity for marketing your business or brand.
Think of how many people come into contact with that packaging during its journey to the customer.
It is such a great opportunity that we often overlook when treating packaging as just being a necessity or a consumable.
Why not use the opportunity to market your business or brand?
You’re paying for the freight as it is, extract some extra brand awareness along the way!
By paying a little bit extra, you can gain a lot of exposure.
For example, take palletised products that are stretch or shrink-wrapped.
There are great branding and marketing opportunities here.
Why not ensure that the stretch wrap film or shrink wrap has your logo on it?
What about using custom printed tape with your logo or branded message included?
Another idea is creating a custom adhesive tape that has your social media handles for the different platforms your business is on and running that around the pallet as well?
In the end, it simply comes down to the business asking this question:
“What can we do to make our branding and our packaging work harder for both us and our customers?”
What do you do to ensure your packaging makes a good first impression?
Have you incorporated branding and marketing into your packaging?
If so, how?