Guide to Personalised Bespoke Packaging

What is bespoke packaging?

Bespoke packaging is packaging that has been designed uniquely for a product and a client’s specifications.

Bespoke packaging factors in everything — from how the product is protected inside the packaging and how practical it is to visual design work to entice people to buy.

It’s seen as the preferred choice for businesses to showcase their products, improve user interactions and experience with it and limit the number of returns and damaged units.

The advantages of bespoke packaging

There are many advantages to having packaging customised and not ignoring the importance of durable, well-designed solutions.

The main benefits of bespoke or customised packaging include:

Decreased risk of damage — Bespoke packaging is designed for a specific product and nothing else. This means that a business’s products are likely to fit snugly inside the packaging and offer better protection than a one-type-fits-all approach to packaging. Depending on the product, the packaging can be better designed, and weak points can be reinforced to minimise the risk of upsetting customers with damaged goods.

Long-term savings and money-making opportunities — Because bespoke packaging solutions are often tailored to the product, they often use less materials and are smaller in volume — saving businesses money on materials, manufacturing, and transport costs.

While businesses can save money in the long-term with bespoke packaging, they can also make businesses money. Customers will always be attracted to high-quality products with simple, aesthetic packaging that can easily be disposed of or reused — meaning higher consumer retention and revenue for those that invest in bespoke packaging. 

Improved customer experience — With unboxing being part of consumer enjoyment, visually aesthetic packaging with engaging and helpful features help foster positive association with a business’s products. For example, cleaning solutions with helpful packaging — like dispersion mechanisms or built in brushes — assist the consumer more than rivals, making them more desirable than packaged products that don’t go the extra mile for customer convenience.

Bolstered brand visibility — Bespoke packaging offers variation in a congested market – a business’s packaging can set them apart from the competition, unveiling more opportunities for growth and notoriety.

Improved manufacturing speed — With bespoke packaging made with simplicity in mind, producing and assembling packaging that’s custom-made to fit a business’s product is often quicker and easier than trying to shoehorn third-party or untailored packaging solutions into their manufacturing process.

Modern technologies used in bespoke packaging — for example, self-seal closure — can help speed up the output of packaging, letting businesses pack and ship products quickly and more easily.

Considerations when designing bespoke packaging

Unfortunately, creating bespoke packaging isn’t an easy task — a lot of thought and planning goes into designing and preparing bespoke packaging solutions for products.

Some of these considerations include:

• Materials used
• Target audience
• Durability
• Cost
• Legal compliance
• Scalability
• How it looks on the shelf

Future bespoke packaging trends and innovations

As consumer needs and desires change, so will the packaging landscape. Here are some of the trends that are expected to be commonplace in the future.

An increased focus on sustainability — As people become more environmentally conscious, their attention shifts towards excess packaging. Although the amount of packaging used for products have significantly reduced, designs are expected to push in an increasingly minimalist direction — as well as a hyperfocus on sustainable or biodegradable materials to minimise environmental impact.

Smart and interactive packaging — Rather than using valuable packaging space printing information or labelling offers, QR codes and AR chips are expected to replace conventional labels. Using this technology, customers can not only access more nutritional and manufacturing information, but tap into an array of games, interactive experiences and offers — setting them apart from conventional packaging.

Hyper-personalisation — Bespoke packaging is all about personalisation — so it’s expected that businesses and retailers will take this one step further. Technology that lets users customise packaging designs and colours and add messages to tailor the experience will no doubt become more common in the future.

An emphasis on the user experience — With some packaging choosing not to go down the minimalist route, one way they will set themselves apart is by enhancing the user experience. Packaging that has a secondary function — for example, converting into a storage unit or having dispensing capabilities — will also be on the rise as people demand convenience in their busy lives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)