PUTTING E-COMMERCE PACKAGING TO WORK

TORIONO GRANGER is MANAGING DIRECTOR for RADIUS CHICAGO. With over 20 years of experience in product development, manufacturing, consulting, and management, Toriono is responsible for the overall management of the Chicago studio.

Your ecommerce packaging matters. Think of the last product you purchased online – when it arrived, were your thoughts similar to: “what is with all this packaging?”, “this package is impossible to open”, “where are the instructions?”, “this is clumsy and ugly. I hope I made the right decision”, or ”was the product damaged?”

You have the power to change these first impressions. This is what innovative smart ecommerce packaging can and should be doing. It’s a crowded ecommerce marketplace and you need more than a slick website and mobile apps to stand out. You need packaging that gets your customers bragging about their decision to buy your products.

Be remembered for your packaging for the right reasons. The technology, materials, and knowledge of consumer behavior are perfectly aligned to deliver on packaging that works for you not against you.

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Consumers Do Care About Packaging

Packaging cannot be an afterthought. A survey by Sealed Air conducted by Harris Poll highlights why companies must put innovative ecommerce packaging at the top of the “to do” list. While this survey dates back to 2014, the results are relevant today and highlight how far most companies still have to go.

Consider these survey results from the Sealed Air 2014 Packaging for e-Commerce Success survey of 2,000 American consumers:

  • 58% say that if they received a damaged or broken product from an online order, they would either order from a competitor or not purchase from the retailer again.
  • 78% believe their ecommerce purchase should be packaged and processed for shipping within 24 hours of the purchase time.
  • 94% of respondents believe there are environmentally-friendly packaging options and 77% state that a company’s packaging should reflect their environmental values.
  • 48% believe the better the packaging, the better the product inside. This belief is more common with the 18 – 34 demographic.
  • 66% say the packaging reflects how much the retailer cares about them and their purchase.
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The numbers cannot be ignored any longer. It’s time for companies to step up and address these ecommerce packaging concerns head-on. The good news is that this is the ideal time to be focusing on packaging innovation – the technology, materials, support systems, and packaging expertise are perfectly aligned for success. Yes, change is hard – but when it comes to packaging, it has to happen.

With the survey results from consumers in mind, we want you to think hard about the numbers from a recent Jabil survey conducted in May 2017. In the Jabil 2017 Trends in e-Commerce Packaging survey, Jabil surveyed more than 200 professionals responsible for packaging to learn more about the trends in ecommerce packaging.

  • 95% believe packaging impacts online experience.
  • 95% say bad packaging can ruin the online customer experience.
  • 97% say good packaging can create a memorable customer experience.
  • 7 in 10 say packaging costs are a barrier to expanding ecommerce initiatives.
  • 96% think about worst-case scenarios in packaging but only 54% test for them.

These 200 packaging professionals are working hard to think like consumers and highlight the following as the top five opportunities to drive innovation in ecommerce packaging:

  1. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).
  2. Sustainable packaging.
  3. Cost reduction of materials previously out of scope.
  4. New models for replenishment solutions.
  5. Ability to self-report issues in shipping.

These numbers and survey results speak to the need for companies to shift focus and energy to ecommerce packaging. It does matter. It is a differentiator. Companies who fail to move forward with packaging technologies and innovation will be left behind.

The Time to Innovate is Now

Successful innovation in the consumer packaged goods space is hard. But not impossible.

In a world where people are constantly on the go, a product’s performance, convenience, and sustainability are game-changers for leading brands. Knowing how to connect with the instant gratification generation is vital. With the right innovative steps, you can better serve your customers and win in the face of powerful competition – on the shelf, online, and in the home.

The reality is that consumer goods companies need help with innovation packaging. After all, your specialty is your consumer good – not the packaging. This is where Radius and Jabil come together to give you a win-win scenario. Our sole focus is on realizing innovation for the right outcomes – and for you this means delivering the ecommerce packaging solutions that set you apart from your competitors and enable you to make a good impression with your consumers.

Real packaging innovation influences and reinforces:

  • Price. With top quality design, materials, and complexity, you’re able to reinforce the inherent value in your product and justify the price.
  • Performance. Packaging has the power to educate, inform, and make it easier for your customers to use your product. Innovative messaging, graphics, and lay-out can make life easier for your buyers.
  • Convenience. The better designed, the more able packaging is to create a connection with your customers. Remember, the customer wants to feel like she made the right purchase decision, the wrong packaging can stimulate feelings of buyer’s remorse.
  • Brand Values. Your customers care about the environment and global issues. Innovative ecommerce packaging has the opportunity to take advantage of the latest in sustainable packaging materials and technology.
  • Brand Position. You need to avoid the negative social media publicity that comes with too little or too much packaging. With smart labeling, the right materials, informative language, and supportive design – packaging can be an extension of your brand.
  • Differentiation. Consumers shop with their eyes first. With ecommerce packaging, what they see when they open their front door or mailbox is key. Remember this is the first impression you’re making – first impressions count. Stand out for the right reasons.

Giving consumers what they want while ensuring product integrity, market relevance, cost controls, and market-leading status is not easy. Often, we see companies trying to do it all. You know what happens next – the product suffers, the innovation falls behind, and the packaging is sub-par.

We want you to embrace innovative packaging but we want you to do it the right way. Watch our webinars, contact us, and learn more about our Packaging Innovation Sprint.

Stand out for the right reasons. Smart, innovative packaging that gives you and your customers all the right feelings. Use your packaging to deliver on innovation realized.

Remember to watch our free on-demand packaging webinars: