How custom packaging affect brand awareness

Whether your products will sit on shelves, or they will be shipped directly to distribution centers, the packaging you choose will make in impact on how customers perceive your brand. In retail applications, it is vital that your packaging sets you apart from your competitors. An eye-catching box with a strong, durable feel in the hands will communicate that quality and craftsmanship has gone into your goods. This will create lasting effects and lead customers to come back again, and more importantly – recommend you to friends and colleagues.

Charge more and increase your profit margins

When a product gives off the feel of higher quality, customers feel comfortable spending more. Price perception also comes into play and can solidify confidence in buyers simply by adding higher-end packaging. When you increase the perceived value of your products, you can increase the MSRP of your product. Of course, your cost of goods sold will bump up, but with proper supply chain management, and a packaging partner that provides custom pricing, you can optimize your costs to an efficient level.

Go with an American supplier and save on shipping

One of the quickest ways to shave costs is by reshoring and localizing your supply chain. When you do this, not only do you support American workers and manufacturers, you also add savings to your margins by lowering your transportation costs and inventory carrying costs. The same way we’re encouraged to shop local in our communities, shopping domestically for a packaging partner does good for everyone involved.

Leverage your packaging supplier’s space

An added perk of working with an American packaging supplier is being able to easily access your boxes without having to take up space in your own facility. Customer-oriented packaging manufacturers will offer warehousing programs that allow you to use their space, only be billed when you pull product, and give you the ability to order in higher quantities and mitigate labor and material price fluctuations.

Dollars and Cents

Don’t be fooled by cheaper prices overseas. American-quality boxes made from American raw materials are unmistakable next to their offshore counterparts. If your products have been meticulously crafted, they deserve premium packaging with the same attention to detail and craftsmanship. Choosing a domestic packaging partner that guarantees the highest quality will trim your expenses in the long run and build your brand to be held with prestigious value.

Graphics are the differentiating factor of your set up boxes. Add a simple, one-color line art logo or a vibrant, four-color photographic image to your box. Process printing, foil stamping, and embossing are other great options and can be done inside and out of the box. Varnish, aqueous, UV coatings, and film lamination can be added if needed if you really want to jazz up your box.

Process Printing

This is commonly referred to as 4-color printing, because it uses 4 ink colors layered on top of each other to create a full variety of colors. Dig back into your memories of art class, and you may remember hearing about CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. These 4 colors are the building blocks to print whatever color you need.

You can add graphics to your set-up box with conventional printing. You can keep it simple and sophisticated with one- or two-color line art on white, or you can go crazy and print rich, four-color process, photographic images on your box to catch consumer’s eyes.

Embossing

Embossing is the process of adding texture by raising your graphics off your box. You can add any pigmented or shiny foil stamping on top of the embossing, or keep it “blind” for a classic, elegant appearance.

Blind embossing is the creation of a raised image that is not foil stamped, and the resulting raised image is the same color as the paper. Create a picture through texture with blind embossing. Embossing your box will add value and class.

Foil Stamping

Foil stamping is a very sophisticated application and a great way to elevate the value of your products. Foil stamping adds a look of distinction to your set-up box by adding a shiny exterior to all or part of the box. With foil stamping, you can achieve a brilliance that cannot be duplicated with ink.

A wide spectrum of matte, gloss, metallic, or holographic foils are available. Combine the perfect foil color with one of thousands of colored, patterned or theme papers to achieve a look that fits your corporate image.

Coatings

You can also add a layer of protection or a gloss or matte finish to your set-up box by coating the printed wrap. Choices of coatings include varnish, aqueous, UV or film lamination. For simple logos, varnish can add extra protection to logos and graphics. Aqueous coating is a harder coating and offers the protection needed on heavy print coverage. UV coating really makes the difference by making the images pop off the paper. Film lamination is used to provide protection when no other coating will do.

Conclusion

Adding graphics will increase your product’s value, communicate product information, establish brand recognition, convey marketing messages, and separate your product from your competitors’. Your products deserve packaging that crafted with the same artfulness and attention to detail as them. Don’t settle by putting your goods in cheaply constructed and haphazardly printed packaging.

You can always ask a Brimar Custom Box Expert what graphics would be best for your project!

The difference between Custom Boxes and Stock Boxes is easy to understand. Custom boxes are designed specially for a product with unique specs, and Stock Boxes come standard, usually in limited sizes, features, and colors.

When to Choose Custom Boxes

You don’t have to be a large manufacturer to afford and acquire premium custom packaging. Many small and mid-sized companies choose custom packaging every day because they understand the value and the return on investment. Sure, a custom box will cost you dollars per box versus cents, but the increase in value, durability, and function will pass through to your top line and improve your brand recognition.

Custom boxes put you in the driver’s seat, and they give you control of how you store, ship, and showcase your products. Custom boxes have long been established as a tried and true way to attract customers, offer confidence in their purchase decisions, and increase their customer retention.

You should consider a Custom Box if:

• Your product is uniquely shaped and sized
• Your packaging needs to meet special safe-handling requirements
• You want to increase sales on store shelves
• You want to differentiate yourself from competition
• You want a high-end look
• You want to increase the perceived value of your product and brand
• Design and function are both equally important

When to Choose Stock Boxes

Stock boxes are a great alternative if you are operating your business in sprints or short runs. They also are well known as a budget-friendly option when you need to keep costs low.

Often, choosing a stock box is a steppingstone to a Custom Box run. If you are a younger business, if you are still working on improving your operating costs, or if you just need a simple box that functions well, a stock box is a great choice.

You should consider a Stock Box if:

• You need a budget solution with the most bang for your buck
• You can only afford to purchase small quantities at a time
• You are a startup and want to run testing before committing
• Graphic design is not as important as simple, functional boxes
• You plan to adorn your boxes with stickers or labels in lieu of custom printing

Making the Right Decision

Choosing the right box for you and your business comes down to how you evaluate your needs right now. For some manufacturers, a stock box is a right-fit solution for packaging products. When budget and a simple box matter most, it’s the way to go.

When you need something with a little more specification and sophistication, a custom box is hands down the best option. Brimar Packaging specializes in manufacturing custom boxes – and all boxes are made here in the USA with 100% American made raw materials! 

Call a Brimar Custom Box Expert to chat through your specific needs or visit wildcatwholesale.com to instantly shop for high quality Stock Boxes made here in the USA too.

Customization

Can you have whatever you want, and can they bring your vision to life? If intentional thought and design has gone into the production of your products, the same attention should be given to the selection of your packaging. You manufacture products that are distinctive and require unique specifications.

Customer service

Do you get to actually talk to a real person, or are you left to just answer your own questions? You should be able to ask as many questions as necessary and get answers from the customer service rep you spoke with. You should feel cared for and that you are just as important as any other client. If you feel like you are getting pushed aside, it might be time to consider a new packaging supplier.

Minimum runs

Do they create a barrier for small and mid-size manufacturers, or do they offer solutions for all sizes of runs? A custom packaging manufacturer with the right amount of experience and years in the business should be able to offer solutions for both small quantity runs and large scalable productions.

Raw materials

Do they source the highest quality materials, and are their materials made in the US? Ensure your intricately designed and carefully crafted products are not falling victim to poor raw materials packaging. The quality and rigidity of your packaging will determine perceived brand value of your products. Cheap materials can easily be spotted, but quality, American made materials are unmistakable.

Eco-friendly

Is there a consciousness and awareness for environmental responsibility? If you can, try to find a packaging manufacturer that has a responsible approach to sustainability. Check to see if eco-friendly materials and post-consumer waste materials are available for your products.

Manufacturing location

Are they centrally located in the US, and can they easily ship your boxes with a quick turnaround? One of the biggest downfalls manufacturers experience when working with packaging manufacturers overseas is the lag time it takes to turn around orders. You must ask yourself if your business can really afford to delay weeks, as opposed to days, to receive products turned around. A company that is centrally located in the US is a great alternative!

Freight options

Can they extend competitive pricing for FTL and LTL? Speaking of the cost of doing long-distance business, you will want to make sure you can also receive the best shipping rates possible. For manufacturers that have been in the business for a long time, they can leverage their discounts and special pricing for freight – saving you dollars on your orders.

Warehouse availability

Are there options for warehousing or pulling cases at a time, saving you space and lowering your costs? One huge advantage you can leverage from choosing a packaging manufacturer with warehouse availability is saving space in your facility. Even if you have the needs and capabilities to run large orders, you may not have the space for pallets of boxes to just sit for months on end. If you can have product sit with your packaging manufacturer and pull cases as needed, you can save yourself money and free up space in your plant.

Age of business

Are they experienced and have navigated all kinds of projects, and leveraged how to make the best boxes at competitive prices here on American soil? Businesses who have been making boxes for decades will have the true experiential advantage when producing custom boxes for your products. The attention to detail and knowledge of logistics will set you up on the right foot, and not have you backtracking on poorly delivered orders.

Industry specialty

Do they understand the unique challenges of your industry, and know how to incorporate all the necessary features for your specific types of products? From candy boxes to laboratory boxes, each design for each industry demands specific knowledge of what needs to go into each and every box. Make sure you select a box manufacturer that has worked in your industry and understands your needs and every detail.

Choosing the right one

You need a packaging partner who will be with you from start to finish and help you get the boxes your products deserve. At Brimar, we have dedicated the last 25 years to making premium packaging to store, ship, and showcase your products better than you ever imagined. Your products have been specially crafted, and your boxes should be too.

Unboxing videos are when happy customers choose to record and upload a video to the Internet of them opening a new product. It sounds trivial, but as it stands today, the footage of unboxing videos is equivalent to watching a full-length movie 20 million times.

Here stands an opportunity for apparel manufacturers to easily generate user generated content with minimal involvement. It comes down to a simple factor: Does your custom apparel packaging excite your customer enough that they want to broadcast it from their living rooms? (Hint: It should.)

What is custom packaging?

Custom boxes are like fingerprints, no two are alike. This means that the stock boxes or generic sized mailers you’ve been eyeing just won’t cut it. When you offer a premium brand with a lifestyle attached to it, you require packaging that meets higher-end desires and gets customers excited.

Custom apparel packaging is created to center around your products and create a customer-centric experience. Let’s say you make shoes. A custom box will not look like your average shoe box. It may be square instead of rectangular. It may have a custom insert that nestles your footwear securely and safely, almost as if it were designed uniquely for that shoppers’ shoes.

Custom packaging shifts the focus to the customers themselves. It makes them feel special and contributes to their elevated experience interacting with your brand. Your custom boxes are spec’d out uniquely for your products and set your company apart from anything else on the market. It’s your opportunity to be the creative and cutting-edge company that you are and make a memorable mark with your customers.

Packaging that “Wows”

In the old days, a box was a box was a box. No matter how you turned it, it served one simple purpose; keeping products contained for shipping and for sales. Now a box can be so much more when you think outside of the box.

How can brands get customers to go crazy over their products so much that they will record themselves opening it on the Internet? Better packaging.

This can mean many things. For some companies, it means beautifully designed, eco-friendly packaging. For others it means incredible graphics that speak to a customer’s soul.

However your company chooses to go about elevating the buyer’s experience, the boxes must be custom.

The value of custom packaging

Custom boxes will initially seem more expensive that their overseas counterparts, but when you crunch the long-term numbers, keeping your supply chain close to home saves you a ton. Custom boxes will be dollars per box instead of cents, but you will get that back in brand recognition, brand perception, and higher product price points.

Customers are willing and ready to pay a premium for brands that meet their physical, emotional, and philosophical needs. The objective for clothing and apparel manufacturers here is to create an emotional attachment to not only the products, but the brand as well.

Making it worth it

When choosing custom packaging, you must be reassured that the added dollars to your cost of goods sold will come out on the other side in returns.

It can be difficult for some manufacturers to justify the added expense of premium packaging, but let’s consider the cost of your salesforce. Is your salesforce capable of speaking directly to every prospective customer that comes across your brand? Probably not. In their absence, your packaging becomes your salesperson. If you’ve ever had to deal with a salesperson, you know the best ones say the least. Your boxes can speak volumes simply through the quality and craftsmanship of your products and packaging.

Quality packaging leads to the elevated brand experience we discussed earlier, and that is what gets customers excited. Those evangelists become salespeople for you too – without the overhead costs! If you can get a few customers excited about your brand and encourage unboxing, you can grow your sales rapidly.

Deciding if you should get custom packaging

Custom packaging is not for all brands. It is reserved for those that want to deliver premium experiences to their customers and aren’t afraid to invest in their long-term success. Think of custom packaging as a boost to your sales team with the goal of improving and increasing customer loyalty. When you get your customers as excited about your packaging as they are about your products, it creates a full spectrum experience, and they will come back every time.

If you’re ready to invest in better packaging, talk to a Brimar Custom Box Expert to see how you can elevate your customer experience with premium custom apparel boxes.

The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented and will hopefully be the last of our generation, yet it begs the question: should small and mid-size US manufacturers bring their supply chains home?

Reshoring has been a topic of discussion for many American manufactures, even before the landfall of the virus. Some businesses have experienced raw materials and packaging supplies being locked down on vessels with no means of access. These kinds of uncertainties can cause catastrophe for smaller businesses, and many are agreeing that securing their supply chains on American soil would mitigate global volatility risks.

On top of business security, it is also part of our nature as Americans to support American workers and keep jobs occupied here at home. Unemployment numbers have soared, and it is unclear when many of these workers will return to work and if the demand for certain industries will resume to their previous levels.

Here are 9 reasons why US manufacturers should consider bringing their supply chain home:

1. Eliminate Risk of Foreign Policy Disruptions

One of the biggest advantages of moving your supply chain back to the US, is eliminating the possibility of foreign policy disruptions. There is an incredible amount of volatility in the world, and your business does not deserve to get the brunt of it.

2. Yield a Quicker Economic Rebound

If we want to see our economy turn around as quickly as possible, we need to focus our efforts as businesses collectively in the US. When American workers have jobs and American supply chains are fully firing, our economy is proven to be strong.

3. Shorten Distances, Expediting Transportation, Lowering Costs

Many manufacturers see offshoring as a means for cutting the bottom line, and what many overlook is the added costs of transportation and the increase of carrying inventory longer than necessary. The expense of long-distance logistics is now becoming an unnecessary cost of doing business.

4. Quicker Turnaround for Products

In addition to cutting transportation costs, one of the benefits of localizing your manufacturing supply chain is being able to deliver products more quickly to your distribution channels and customers. This leads to happier clients and lower overhead costs in both the short and long run. Modifying your supply chain to turn around products on a more demand-basis can lead to trimmed expenses and better efficiencies.

5. Increase Inventory Control

When you keep your inventory close to home, it is far easier to manage, not to mention, it eliminates expensive trips overseas to check in on your operations! By bringing all your supply chain back to the US, you can have better sight on what is going on within your business. Better management of inventory will allow you to get lean and enhance your operating productions.

6. Tax Incentives

With the turbulence of trade affairs between the US and China, there are talks of additional incentives for businesses moving parts of their production from overseas to the United States. With these discussions, now might be the best time to consider bringing your entire supply chain home.

7. Improve Brand Perception

Giving your products the “100% Made in America” stamp of approval really makes a difference for perceived brand value. If you make your products in the US, avoid devaluing your brand by putting them in a box stamped “Made in China” on the side. This will cause confusion and negate the whole objective of producing in the United States.

8. Support American Workers

Now more than ever, America needs its people working. There has been incredible disruption and those affected need to be able to work to get the economy back on its feet. As American manufacturers, we need to stand by American workers.

9. Support American Supply Chains

In addition to taking care of our American workers, our fellow American manufacturers need support as well. Doing business with foreign vendors, as opposed to domestic vendors here in the US, only prohibits growth and proliferation for the American economy. If we want to see the American economy boom like it used to, we must take this opportunity to rebuild quality, close-to-home manufacturing now.

Considering the impact of coronavirus and the consequential fallout, now may be the best time to bring your entire supply chain to the United States. From supporting American businesses and their workers, to increased productivity and financial gains and opportunities for your business, it is a great time to consider moving your production and sourcing back home.

Now is the time to come together as manufacturers and make the United States the production powerhouse that it was at the turn of the 20^th century. With technology advancements, fiscal incentives, and motivated workers, we no longer need to outsource pieces of our businesses to other parts of the world. We can do it all efficiently right here on American soil.

Recent news of the Coronavirus has many organizations asking how this may affect their organization, and more specifically the supply chain.  In response to questions and concerns related to the effect of the Coronavirus, Brimar Packaging USA wants you to know:

1. All raw materials used to manufacture the products produced by Brimar Packaging USA are produced and purchased from domestic manufacturers in the USA.
2. We do not currently purchase any raw materials sourced from China in our manufacturing processes.
3. At this time, we do not expect supply disruptions due to the Coronavirus.
4. Currently, supply chains are in good standing and are not in a state of risk. We are managing this matter with the attention it deserves and we are currently in the position to maintain normal supply to customers.
5. Obviously, this is an evolving situation but one we believe to be temporary. We will keep all of our customers informed should there be an issue with or interruption to raw material supply due to any quarantine resulting from the continued spread of the Coronavirus contagion.
6. As a note, restrictions, and guidelines are in place at our facility to further help with the containment of this virus.

We value your partnership and thank you for your business.
From your Team at Brimar Packaging USA. 

| If you have any questions, please call us at 800-696-3080.

There are many reasons to buy American. It helps America become more independent. It guarantees the products were made by employees that were protected by safer and fair working conditions, and it almost always takes less time to receive products that made in America. After all, you don’t have to wait for them to ship to you half way around the world. There are many more reasons to buy American, but in our opinion the most important reason is that buying American guarantees good quality.

When you hear “Made in the USA”, you feel proud knowing that you’re buying a superior product created from excellent craftsmanship. Quality products carry increased value.

There are certain guarantees that come with buying American made products. It’s generally easy to return American made products you feel don’t meet your quality requirements. Try returning an order to the Asia that doesn’t meet your requirements. It’s not easy by any means.

When you buy from a reputable American made manufacturer, the price tag may still be a bit higher than foreign suppliers, but the cost per use is actually often lower as the made in USA quality will last far longer than a foreign made alternative.

American manufacturers take great pride in supporting the American worker by paying fair wages and benefits and keeping their working environment safe. Buy American. Guarantee yourself that you’re buying better quality.