CPG packaging can be costly, especially when you factor in containers, packing materials, and the printing on the outside. Consumers rely on quality packaging from the brands they trust.

It's possible to reduce packaging design costs while maintaining quality and consumer appeal. Here are some ways to stick to your budget and ensure your packaging still stands out on store shelves and online.

Why Packaging Is Important

Packaging is a great means of connecting consumers to your products and brand. It’s a crucial part of your marketing strategy and should be sharable on social media.

Your CPG packaging is an important part of advertising your product. Consumers form first impressions from seeing packaging designs before ever getting to the products inside. Creative packaging unique in look and function will positively impact your digital marketing efforts while increasing brand recognition.

It can be difficult to communicate through CPG packaging and adhere to your budget. These six creative packaging design ideas will do both.

Die Cut Boxes

Die cut boxes are classic packaging design choices. These cartons are made from paper board and are extremely customizable.

They're called die cut boxes because a die press machine is used to cut the cardboard to form them. This type of CPG packaging is popular and affordable.

You can add printing to both the outside and the inside. Pak Factory says including printing on the inside adds only five to ten percent to your production cost.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is innovative. It shifts along with consumer trends and can easily be personalized to fit your brand.

Digital printing is less costly than offset printing. Also, offset combined with digital technologies is expected to become better and easier in the future.

Digital printing will save you money because you won’t have to worry about the setup involved in offset printing. Turnaround time will also be faster.

Custom Sleeves

Custom sleeves leave lots of room for creativity. They can include printing and are unique for dressing up your product packaging.

Custom sleeves can be made for any size box including tubes. They also make for great unboxing experiences.

Custom sleeves can make your packaging design look sleek. They can highlight your branding and are available for only a fraction of the cost of custom boxes.

Custom sleeves are also eco-friendly. They're typically made from cardboard or other types of paperboard, which is sustainable. Also, sleeves help protect boxes, so consumers can reuse them after removing products.

Foil Stamping

There are several foil stamping options available. This decreases the costs, making foil stamping a more affordable feature to add to your CPG packaging.

Foil stamping enables you to add additional embellishments to your packaging design. This adds value to your brand without high expenses.

Choose from contemporary, modern, luxury, or patterned designs. This allows you to customize your brand in a unique and recognizable way.

Box Inserts and Tissue Paper

Whether your box is standard or customized, adding inserts and tissue paper inside can customize your packaging design even more. This ensures consumers receive fully branded experiences.

Inserts add to an unboxing experience. Including a thank you card or additional information about related products further personalizes the CPG packaging. Inserts are not costly. This is especially the case if you keep the printing on them to a minimum.

Tissue paper is also cost-efficient. It adds a luxurious feel to your product while not taking up much space.

The unboxing experience makes a great impression on consumers, one that will last a long time. It also increases the chances they'll purchase from you again in the future. That’s why details like inserts and tissue paper matter.

Stickers

Stickers are a great option for customizing your CPG packaging. Use stickers with your logo to secure the tissue paper inside the box or even the box flap. This ensures consumers will see your logo in multiple places and they'll be more likely to remember it.

Since sticker costs depend on sheet or roll printing, they'll be lower when you order higher quantities. This saves on the overall packaging design while giving consumers unique brand experiences.

Conclusion

Think of packaging as an important part of your product. Consumers rely on it when making purchasing decisions. This makes it a powerful way to sell your brand.

Today’s market is very competitive. This means you have to make sure your packaging design stands out from the rest. Custom packaging can shape how consumers think and feel about a product. It also helps your enterprise stay on-trend for the future.

Establish a packaging budget for each product. This will help you plan what materials you'll use. It also reduces waste caused by using too many materials or the wrong ones entirely.

Reducing package size also makes a big difference as it means using less materials. In 2017, Dell reduced its laptop packaging, saving more than 49 pounds in packaging for a single laptop. This enabled them to increase the number of laptops on each shipping pallet by 13%.

Redesigning your packaging and reducing its size where possible will help you meet budgetary goals. The cost savings will occur annually over time, which will positively impact your bottom line year after year. An article that delves into the intricacies of Ecommerce Contract Packaging highlights the importance of an efficient packaging strategy for e-commerce businesses.

PKG Brand Design is always at the forefront of new CPG branding and packaging initiatives. Subscribe to our blog for the latest package design industry news!