Branding With Shipping: Why Creating A Costume For Your Product Matters

With Halloween right around the corner, Americans are getting their costumes ready to make a statement. That statement could be fear, it could be funny, it could be scandalous, but no matter what it is, the hope is that it will be remembered. This same tactic can be used for branding with shipping year round.

The packaging itself (a.k.a your product’s costume) can leave a lasting impression for first-time buyers and can help to reinforce your brand at the final stage of the buying experience.

According to Dotcom Distribution, 50% of shoppers would recommend your products if the package it came in was branded or gift-like.

There are several ways you can go about branding with shipping and packaging, and each way is an opportunity to grow your business and expand your brand.

What Is Branded Packaging For E-commerce Businesses?

Branded packaging is essentially designing and distributing packages that share your trademarks, colors, and other unique designs. There are several ways to achieve this. Some examples include:

• Sealing the package with branded tape – This is a tactic used by Amazon and is a cost-effective way of using simple boxes while still reinforcing your brand.  
• Include logos on packing slips– Shippo offers this feature which allows you to include your logo and custom messaging onto the packaging slip itself. It’s a subtle, yet effective way of reinforcing your brand. 
• Match the color/design of the package to your business – Stand among all the brown boxes sitting in front of a shoppers door with your business’s colors front and center. 
• Choose a package shape specific to your product – A great example of this would be the business The Black Tux, a tuxedo rental service. Their clothes ship in a package the shape of a suitcase, allowing their product to stay intact, and for customers to take the package everywhere they go and show off the brand to anyone who sees the box.

Branded packaging for e-commerce businesses can even get simpler. For example, simply including a sticker of your logo on your package can be enough to further brand awareness with your current customer base.

Create A Sharable Experience

While it may seem like branding through shipping is a physical process, there can be some beneficial digital components to it. Some ways to to this are:

• Getting people to post about your box online – If your branded packaging is done well enough, it could incite people to share photos of it online. Allbirds is a great example of this, featuring whimsical illustrations on their boxes that fit their brand and their messaging.
• Get customers to create unboxing videos – Unboxing videos are powerful ways to get potential customers on board. Approximately 35% of consumers report viewing unboxing videos, so having a box with your brand front and center of the camera can help drive awareness and potential customers.
• Put your social info on the box – Shipping label barcodes aren’t the only thing that can be scanned on your package. You can also include a QR code to take your customers directly to your social media pages, where they can follow your business, learn about new promotions, and potentially become some of your biggest fans and advocates.

These are just a few ways to create a sharable experience through packaging. If it makes sense for your business, you can even incite your customers to share pictures of your package by offering a discount.

Capitalize On First Impressions To Build Brand Loyalty

Unlike a retail store, an e-commerce business has less opportunities to make a human connection with a customer. The post-purchase experience is ultimately your last opportunity to make an impression on your customer and you’ll want that to be long lasting.

A basic brown box likely won’t accomplish that, so, you’ll want to make sure that the aesthetic of your package matches the aesthetic of your site.

Post-purchase and pre-purchase should feel like a connected experience for your customers.

The messaging itself on the package should also reaffirm your brand’s identity. For example, Ritual, which is an all natural supplement brand, has the statement “Everything you need, nothing you don’t” right on their box. It’s short yet memorable messaging that ties into their brand.

Your customer should also find it just as easy to remove your product from the package as it was to order it from your site. Creating a seamless experience for your customers even in these subtle ways can help them remember your brand in a positive way.

The material of your package can also help to build brand loyalty.

For example, Calvin Klein uses recycled material to make their packaging. They also feature a recycled label on each package to teach customers how to recycle the package once they’re through with it. Customers who support this cause and these efforts are more likely to identify with the brand and stay loyal to them.

One important note, however, is that if you plan on using shipping insurance for your package, you will likely only be able to use your brand’s color and nothing more. In order to deter theft, you cannot state what the contents of the package are on the exterior of the box.

How Branded Shipping Works With Shippo

Shippo is here to support all of your shipping needs even when it comes to branding with shipping.

Once you’ve created the ideal packaging experience for your business and customers, you’ll also find other ways to extend your brand presence post-purchase with Shippo. You can include logos and custom messaging on your shipment email notifications, tracking pages, and packing slips.

No matter how you customize your packages, you will need to create shipping labels to send your orders out. With Shippo you’ll get the best rates at the most carriers, which will deliver your unique and branded packages.

Sign up for Shippo free today and start generating labels for your custom made packages in minutes.