Are you considering a product packaging design with an unusual shape? This seemingly simple design choice is actually more complex than many entrepreneurs think. How so? Here are a few pros and cons of choosing a non-standard packaging shape so you can make the best decision for your business.
The Pros of a Custom Shape
The biggest reason that most businesses opt for an unusual shape is to get noticed on the store shelves. In a sea of identical square or rectangle boxes, a squat circle, sharp angle, or gentle curve can be very eye catching. If your product will have to fight for attention within a large quantity of similar competitors, it needs something to initially draw the customer in — at least to the point of picking up and looking at it.
A customized shape can also express your company's or product's personality, journey, and branding. Fox Food Company, for instance, might market their food products with a cute fox on the label. Or they could go the extra step and create a cute fox shape with their bottles or boxes. Using the latter, Fox Food Company looks more creative, more daring, and more fun than the average box on the shelf.
The Cons of a Custom Shape
Customized shaping, of course, has some drawbacks. The most serious drawback will be in the cost of packaging and shipping. A custom-designed shape must, by its nature, involve customized parts and manufacturing. This will add to the cost of the packaging materials. This can often be made up with boosted sales, but this could take some initial investment.
Unusual packaging also means unusual shipping challenges. Square or rectangular packaging boxes are a standard because they are the easiest to fit into a particular space — such as a shipping pallet or cardboard box. When you veer from that standard, you may end up being able to fit fewer items into a shipping container or on a shelf. Along with having to use larger boxes to fit the product, you'll also have to use either more packing material or customized packing containers.
How to Choose a Shape
With both financial implications and effects on your company's branding, the choice of product shape takes much consideration. Want to learn more about your options? Start by consulting with a company that provides packaging design services to learn more about the available options for your products.
Share12 May 2020
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