Have You Made Enough Of The Christmas Packaging Opportunity?

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Christmas. A time to take a break and spend time with those we love (and maybe those we’re obliged to put up with). And for consumer brands it’s also a time when they reflect on the annual seasonal question: ‘did we make enough of the opportunity?’

In the world of packaging, Christmas should be the time to push the boat out and make a statement. It’s a time to throw off the shackles of brand guidelines and practicality. To have some fun and wow your customers.

A big part of any Christmas is giving and receiving gifts. Unwrapping and unboxing is all part of the experience. Did your Christmas packaging help lift the mood or was it the same old, same old experience?

There’s a serious point here. Packaging makes a gift feel more special. For a gift buyer looking to make an impression (that’s most of us) it can make all the difference to their choices.

And with so many opportunities to create small batches and even personalized packaging, there’s no reason why smaller businesses shouldn’t get into the festive spirit - or worry about ordering stock you won’t use.

Christmas Packaging Colours

Green and red are the classic Christmas hues. If that’s all a bit too bright and obvious you can get creative with gold, silver and even plain old black and white.

If your brand image is about subtlety and understatement the full-on Christmas packaging might be a bit jarring. But Christmas can do ‘understated’ too.

The great news is that we all have a gallery of Christmas imagery buried in our subconscious. Sometimes you just need to hint at it with the subtle outline of a pine tree, bauble or sleigh for people to get the message and feel the joy.

And don’t forget you can use embossing, varnishes and other effects to hint at the Christmas experience without pulling a cracker right in someone’s face.

What About My Brand?

Christmas gives brands license to do the unthinkable - play around with their logo and brand colour schemes. Why not change the colours around or add a bit of decoration? 

Ignore those who say ‘branding is for life, not just for Christmas.’ Stick some antlers on your logo and join the party.

If you’re not that brave you can explore different materials such as frosted boxes, foil stamping, magnetic rigid boxes and tubes.

Christmas Packaging Upgrades

When you give a Christmas gift you want to make someone feel special. So packaging is about the giver as well as the receiver. Gift givers want to feel they are giving something a bit special that will be appreciated. So they’re going to be attracted to packaging that helps make that happen.

Remember too, just how much of a slog many people find Christmas shopping. We like to give presents and we certainly love to receive them. But shopping for them? A different story altogether. 

Great packaging will make your product stand out on the shelf. It makes the shopping task easier and might even save someone the hassle of wrapping.

And don’t forget the unboxing experience. Upgrading inner packaging such as tissue paper and box liners is a fairly inexpensive option that helps leave a lasting impression.

For branded retailers who sell hampers and gift boxes made up of other people’s products, packaging is always important. It’s the best way to stand out from competitors selling the same or similar items. Christmas multiplies the significance of unique packaging many times over.

When to Start

Christmas shopping seems to start earlier every year. You should probably have your special Christmas packaging ready to go from about October. If you wait until December you might already be too late.

So maybe put a note in your diary to start thinking about it as you unpack the cases from your summer holiday. You might not feel in the Christmas mood in August but time flies. The festive period will be upon you before you know it.

And in the meantime there are plenty of other special occasions when unique packaging can help to boost your sales: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter are the biggest sales events after Christmas - make sure you’re ready.