‘Tis the Season, as they say, and we all know what that means – big spending. According to Finder*, Australians planned to spend a combined $23.9 billion across the festive season in 2021. That included presents, food, alcohol, eating out and travel expenses. On gifts alone, each individual planned to spend around $374. So, how can your business make the most of this increased spending? With seasonal packaging. Here’s everything you need to know for a successful seasonal packaging launch.
The basics of seasonal packaging
Seasonal packaging is a broad term. It could refer to specialty packaging, like a gift set, or it could mean giving your regular packaging a simple holiday twist. To narrow it down, we can define seasonal packaging as boxes that are designed for a limited edition run or a significant time of year. The most popular time is Christmas, but other options include Easter, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, Halloween and even spring.
Most people think of B2C businesses for this kind of packaging – and it definitely is popular. But there’s also a B2B market for seasonal packaging as it makes a great impression for corporate gifting, like a branded gift hamper.
When to start planning for gift boxes
When it comes to planning, the earlier the better. It takes time to design and manufacture a great seasonal gift box and we’d hate to see you miss the mark due to poor planning. Plus, many people like to kick off the season early – to save money or extend the fun.
Let’s use Christmas as an example. The Finder survey also found that 27% of Australians planned to save money by shopping early on days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These days happen around November, which means a seasonal packaging run that launches in December is already late.
In good news – Echo Cartons have a 5-day lead time on most new product work. However, if you planned to order any product samples before launching your box, you’ll want to buffer in extra time.
How to update your existing box design
Investing in a new design for seasonal boxes can be expensive. But, there are some simple tweaks to add novelty at special times of year. First, you could refresh your regular box design with seasonal imagery. We use flexographic printing at Echo Cartons and recommend line art for the best results.
Another option is to use internal box printing. It makes a nice addition to your regular box and is a fun way to surprise your customers. It could be as simple as adding in a holiday themed message or quote. We love coming up with creative solutions at Echo Cartons and will be happy to give you some seasonal packaging ideas that stay within budget.
5 top tips for seasonal packaging
Whether designing for seasonal packaging or an influencer marketing campaign – we know a thing or two about impressive boxes. Here are our top tips.
Be prepared to splurge a little
The most effective seasonal packaging has all the bells and whistles. This means investing in custom design, die cutting, internal messaging and full-colour printing. We like to warn business owners upfront that specialty designs can push costs up. But, we also think it’s worth it for a short time and we’re committed to working with you on a suitable budget.
Design for the unboxing
Seasonal packaging is highly likely to be given as a gift. When designing your boxes, think about the gift receiver’s experience. Opening your products should be memorable. If it is, you increase the chances of them recommending your products to friends, family and even social media networks.
Learn more about the unboxing trend in our previous blog.
A box that doubles as gift wrapping
Sustainable gifting is a trend on the rise and many consumers prefer to skip the gift wrapping. If your seasonal packaging makes for a great gift box, you’ve helped your customer meet those needs. Our tip is to hide your branding with internal printing, so that the box contents remain a surprise.
Find a manufacturer who do short runs
The key to seasonal packaging is that it’s limited edition. You want to order less, so that you sell out by the time the season ends. Not every box manufacturer supports a short run and it’s worth shopping around to find one who can. Echo Cartons are specialists in small orders – making it budget-friendly to order only what you need, when you need it.
Choose local manufacturing
Time is of the essence with seasonal packaging. It would be a disaster if the boxes you ordered overseas fail to arrive. Finding a local packaging producer can help mitigate this risk. It also means lower shipping costs and local customer support. Echo Cartons are based in Braeside, Melbourne – a great choice for any Australian business.
Start your seasonal packaging with Echo Cartons
Echo Cartons are expert box manufacturers 365-days a year. Whether you’re planning a specialty gift set or a seasonal packaging launch – we’re here to help. Request a quote from our team to get started.
*Finder Stats: https://www.finder.com.au/australias-christmas-spending-statistics
