Product packaging has many functions. On top of protecting a product from damage and providing important product information, packaging is often key to the visual appeal of a product. However, you also need to consider the cost when designing packaging. By striking the right balance between budget and premium packaging, you can design a covering that is both eye-catching and affordable. This post explores the differences between these types of packaging in greater detail.
What is the difference between budget packaging and premium packaging?
Budget packaging is designed to be cheap. For businesses that want to save as much money as possible, this is the best choice of packaging. Choosing budget packaging also allows you to price your product lower. While there are many high quality low budget packaging options, it’s important to remember that such packaging does not always look high quality – and may put off buyers who are looking for a premium option.
This is where premium packaging comes in. Such packaging typically costs more to manufacture, but looks more sophisticated and luxurious. By using this premium packaging, you can encourage customers to trust that your product is high quality. Of course, there are some tricks to create the illusion of higher quality packaging that may not always require spending huge amounts of money, which this guide delves into later.
7 budget packaging tricks to save money
When trying to design budget packaging, there are a few measures that you can take to cut costs without sacrificing quality too much…
Stay minimal
Embracing minimalism can help you to save money on your packaging. Try to avoid using too many colors and materials, and avoid intricate cut-outs or details that will require more specialist tools to produce. Sticking with a simple design will make your packaging easier to manufacture and therefore reduce costs. Minimalist packaging can often be less striking, but it doesn’t have to be boring – check out a few great examples of minimalist packaging here.
Use paperboard
Paperboard is a popular packaging material that is cheap and lightweight. It’s also an eco-friendly alternative to plastic that can be highly customized to incorporate various patterns and textures. You can buy paperboard in various thicknesses for storing different products. While commonly used for budget products, some premium products also use paperboard when trying to sell the fact that they are environmentally-friendly.
Try tissue paper
Interior packaging is often used by premium products to improve the unboxing experience and can help to further products from damage during transit. Unfortunately, many forms of interior packaging can greatly increase the cost of manufacture. An exception is tissue paper, which is very cheap. Tissue paper can be great for wrapping around products to increase anticipation when unboxing, or it can be used to cushion products. You can buy tissue paper in various colors.
Swap labels for stickers
Custom stickers can be cheaper to produce than labels while still serving much of the same purpose. You can slap them onto a cardboard box or plastic pouch without having to abide by the same neatness as a label. They are also ideal for products that don’t need a lot of packaging such as apples or candles – helping to preserve a fresh and rustic look that puts the focus on the product itself. The only disadvantage is that you can’t put as much information on a sticker as you can on a label.
Bulk buy materials
Buying packaging materials in bulk can often result in discounts. While you may initially want to test out a product in small batches, you may want to consider ordering packaging in larger batches once you know a product has the ability to sell. Compare bulk discounts when shopping around for packaging manufacturers. Buying in bulk may even allow you to more easily afford more premium materials.
Embrace recycled materials
Recycled materials are often cheaper to buy. They are also a sustainable choice that is likely to appeal to many customers who are trying to live a greener lifestyle. There are many packaging manufacturers that offer the option to use recycled paper or cardboard. Consider whether this could be a good choice of material for your product.
Consider DIY assembly
While you may still want to hire companies to manufacture packaging for you, assembling this packaging could be a task that you are able to take on yourself. This could save you money in third-party labor. Cardboard boxes with labels on are an example of packaging that many companies choose to assemble themselves by hand. More complex packaging may need to be assembled by professionals or a machine.
7 premium packaging tricks to create high-quality appeal
When selling a premium product, there are meanwhile many packaging tricks you can use to create a sense of perceived higher value without having to splurge too much…
Add weight
Making a product feel heavier can make it feel more valuable. This is because extra weight creates a sense of extra protection against damage, which helps the contents to feel more precious. Using thicker card or wood can help to add weight and sturdiness. Some product manufacturers even add in metal plates to cases and boxes to add extra weight, but this will increase the packaging manufacture cost.
Paint it black
‘Black label’ has become a term to describe high end products. This is because black has long been associated with formal occasions (e.g. black suit and tie). Choosing to color your packaging black can help to make it feel more rare and sophisticated. The great thing about this trick is that it doesn’t come at any added cost. In fact, black ink is typically cheaper than color ink. You can dye the entire packaging black or infuse black with other colors. This post delves more into using the color black in packaging.
Use a hinged lid
Hinged lids have historically been associated with precious contents. They remind people of engagement ring boxes and treasure chests. Therefore, using a hinged lid on your packaging may help to make your product feel more valuable. You can use a box with actual metal hinges if you’re packaging a legitimately precious item like an expensive bottle of wine. However, for cheaper products that are still considered premium within their category (such as a chocolate selection box or designer sneakers) you can mimic the hinged lid with a cardboard hinged lid instead.
Emboss lettering
Adding embossed lettering to packaging helps to add extra texture that can create a sense of superior craftsmanship. Originally, embossed lettering would have been created by hand. Nowadays, this type of lettering can be easily achieved with machines and is actually relatively affordable to produce. Consider looking into this type of lettering when printing your logo on the box of a high end product.
Consider foil stamping
Foil stamping can also be used to give lettering a shiny silver or gold appearance. This has long been used on premium packaging. However, like embossed letters, it is surprisingly inexpensive. Types of products that commonly use foil stamping on their packaging include jewelry, perfumes and aftershaves. Check out some great examples of foil packaging on products here.
Explore unique shapes
Uniquely-shaped packaging is often more likely to stand out on a shelf. It is commonly used when packaging premium products to showcase that a product is truly different to others on the market. When exploring unique shapes, make sure to consider aspects such as tessellation (choosing shapes that can stack can help to make storage and shipping easier).
Invest in high quality materials
One of the best ways to make packaging feel premium is to choose high quality materials. Examples like glass and wood can immediately provide a luxurious feel, but can be pricey. When it comes to choosing card and paper, consider textured options such as hammered cardstock and linen cardstock. The feel of these materials can help to elevate the unboxing experience. The likes of crinkly paper can meanwhile add to the sensory experience by creating a rustling noise, which can further add anticipation and make a product feel more premium.
How to strike a balance
Striking a balance could be important when trying to package a mid-range product. In this case, you want to add a glimmer of luxury while also not spending too much so that you can still charge a mid-range price. Consider mixing and matching some of the above packaging tricks to achieve this.
A growing number of budget products are starting to adopt more premium tricks to stand out from competitions. Meanwhile, some premium products are starting to integrate elements of minimalism and sustainability to keep costs down. In other words, your packaging doesn’t have to abide by the rules.
Wrapping things up
Understanding the various budget packaging tricks can be essential to reducing your overheads, while having an understanding of various premium packaging tricks can help you to enhance perceived value and create a product that’s more appealing. Consider a mixture of the two to make your product successful.
