5 Emerging Packaging Trends In 2021 Your Small Business Should Look Into

Packaging plays a vital role in attracting potential customers. People will first notice the packaging before they see the actual product. For this reason, it’s crucial to stay on top of packaging trends. Thanks to technological advancements, packaging has experienced exponential changes regarding designs, materials used, etc.  

This article discusses all you need to know about packaging trends. You’ll learn what packaging is, the importance of staying on top of packaging trends, emerging packaging trends, and much more. Read on. 

What Is Packaging? 

Packaging is the process of covering a consumer item with an approved material. The purpose of packaging is to tell more about the product and keep it in good shape, as well as preserve, promote, and make the product marketable.    

What Are The Benefits Of Proper Packaging? 

Some of the benefits of proper packaging include: 

  • Product Identification – Materials, size, and packaging shape help differentiate your product from rival producers. Such factors can make it easier for potential consumers to identify your product in such a competitive marketplace. 
  • Product Protection – Another function of packaging is to protect your item from environmental factors, such as dirt, insects, and moisture. This ensures that the customer receives the product in the right condition, thus, improving customer satisfaction.  
  • Convenience – Proper packaging makes it easier to transport your product from the production or assembling center to the consumer. For instance, FIBC bag manufacturers and other similar producers have made it easier for business owners to ship their products worldwide. 

Factors To Consider When Choosing Packaging Trend 

With so many trends you can choose from, it’s crucial to conduct enough research to be able to choose a packaging trend that’ll serve its purpose. Some of the factors to consider before choosing a packaging trend include: 

  • Security And Durability – Although the packaging you’ll use should be strong enough to contain the product, the amount of protection needed depends on your item’s fragility. For instance, if you’re dealing with food products, the packaging used should maintain the freshness of your food items. 
  • Customer-Friendly – It may take you longer to prepare a complicated packaging design. Also, it’s important to understand that customers may not be willing to sweat while opening your products. For this reason, it’s important to choose a trend that’s easy to use and affordable for your customers. 

What Are The Emerging Packaging Trends For Your Business? 

Today, there are several product packaging trends. Some of these include: 

  1. Revealing Packaging 

Revealing packaging is one of the emerging trends you can use for your business. It involves incorporating a sense of transparency to your packaging. This makes it easier for customers to know what’s inside their packages. Besides, it helps improve the authenticity of your business, thus attracting more customers. 

  1. Personalization And Storytelling 

Gone are the days when shopping was just a simple commodity purchase. Nowadays, it has increasingly become an experience for most people with ever-changing expectations. For this reason, it’s crucial for business owners to ensure they deliver an experience for their shoppers, leading to customer loyalty. 

Technological advancements have made it easier for businesses to achieve custom packaging to meet customers’ expectations. This is one of the techniques utilized by companies to develop an experience. Another technique employed by most brands to evoke an experience is storytelling.  

Over the years, packaging has gone way beyond the norm of just looking pretty. Most business owners are now using packaging to convey a story by way of illustrations and characters. This makes it easier for potential customers to connect with your brand. 

  1. Sustainable Packaging 

Recently, more and more individuals have expressed their concerns about sustainability through lifestyle and product preference changes. Thus, if your brand has sustainable values and practices, this may increase your chances of visitor conversion. One of the sustainable practices includes the use of sustainable packaging, which can help improve your overall image and connection with your customers.  

Some of the sustainable packaging trends include: 

  • Use Of Mono-material packaging – Unlike multi-material packages, which use different materials, mono-material packaging can be recycled easily, reducing the volume of your waste.  
  • Minimalist packaging trends– “Less is more” is a famous saying encouraging brands to use fewer materials while packaging their products. This makes it easier for customers to unbox your items and shows that your business cares about the environment.  
  1. Connected Packaging 

This is another packaging trend you can use for your business. It involves using QR codes, barcodes, and image recognition feature to connect consumers to videos and other relevant pieces of information. For instance, you can incorporate a simple questionnaire to extend your conversations with consumers through the packaging. This will help you develop a deeper understanding of your customers, ensuring you develop packaging that meets their needs and expectations.  

This packaging trend aims to incorporate simple packaging into the digital era. You and your workforce may use this trend to add more information about your product, and entertain and engage your customers to improve customer experience. You may also use connected packaging to collect valuable information about your target customers and use it to improve your marketing strategy. 

  1. Old Is New 

Technological advancements have made it hard for millennials and boomers to keep up with packaging trends. Also, the need to conserve the environment has contributed to the trend of ‘what’s old is new again.’ This trend has evoked a sense of nostalgia for the target market. 

The designs included in this trend are taking consumers to the past, creating memories that they can share with the younger generations. Some of the vintage packaging trends you might consider include hand lettering, blind embossed background patterns, ornate crest, etc. it’s important you conduct enough research to discover a vintage design that might be helpful in attracting more clients. 

Takeaway 

Packaging plays a vital role in protecting, promoting, and differentiating your products from those of rival suppliers. As discussed above, packaging has experienced changes in terms of design, the material used, etc. Some of the packaging trends you can use for your business include revealing, personalization, storytelling, sustainable, connected, and vintage packaging designs. 

June McGown