Why be ordinary? If you’re using standard mailer boxes, your customers may be missing out on an important brand experience that will make them feel closer and more connected to your organization.
While it’s true that standard boxes do the job in getting products from your warehouse to your customers’ front doors, a custom mailer box can make your customers feel like they’re getting a gift. This gives you another avenue to reinforce your message and branding.
You’ll see that combining form and function on a custom mailer box is key to be a branding powerhouse.
What Exactly are Custom Mailer Boxes?
Rather than being a plain, generic box with no message, a custom mailer box achieves two goals: One is to protect your items during shipping and keep them organized. The other goal is to expand your brand in the marketplace, in this case with your brand and message designed into the packaging itself.
Remember that Internet influencers often post videos of them opening mailed packages (search for “unboxing” on YouTube to see examples). A custom mailer box being opened on camera like this will get more attention than a drab, boring box. It’s something to keep in mind as you consider customizing your packages.
How Personalizing Mailer Boxes Improves the Customer Experience
Modern digital printing systems enable us to include a wide range of personalized elements on your mailer boxes. For example, you can print the customer’s name on the package, which is bound to make an impact.
In years’ past, before the advent of high speed internet (for transmitting files for printing) and the widespread use of digital printing technology, it would have been difficult if not impossible to personalize packages to individual customers, or even just different categories of customers in your mailing list. But now, digital design and printing processes provide more opportunities for personalization to wow and connect with your customers.
Going Green
Depending on your customer demographics, you may be inclined to tout your company’s commitment to protecting the environment. Do this through the use of recycled materials in mailer boxes.
Include a message on the box explaining your recycling goals and why the box is made of eco-friendly cardboard. Customers who are passionate about environmentalism will appreciate that you’ve gone out of your way to do your part every time you mail out items.
Subscribers Feel Special
Perhaps your company is in the business of selling subscriptions for customers to receive a box on a regular interval in the mail, containing curated products that you set up for them. You can really make customers feel special when you customize each box. In addition to branding, you can include fun messages that relate to what’s inside the box that month, what season it is (if the product tends to be used/consumed during a particular period, such as summer gear).
It’s more fun to open a box when it’s already been made special for the recipient due to unique branding.
Practical considerations for personalizing and customizing mailer boxes include the ability to add artwork tailored to the individual customer’s tastes (such as differentiating between young and old or male or female).
Testing, Testing
How well will your customized mailer box do when it moves through the mail transport system? The box may travel by truck, plane, or both, which will subject the packages to vibrations and shocks. It’s prudent to test packaging to see how it holds up after being dropped, tossed or placed at the bottom or stack of some boxes.
At Bay Cities, we perform ISTA testing at your request. The process simulates transit and tests the performance of your package when it’s dropped or shaken. Testing the box’s performance will ensure it’s strong and durable so it shows up on your customers’ doorsteps just as beautiful as it was when it started its journey.
Fear of Theft
There is the issue of theft to keep in mind. Police use the term “porch pirates” to refer to criminals who quickly sneak up on a home and nab packages soon after they’ve been delivered.
If you have weighed the pros and cons of using a unique mailer box and decided you don’t want to create such a tempting target, you can tone it down a bit.
Consider using a brown box with print on it in black or white, as it can still look great while not being such a temptation for thieves. In lieu of external branding and messaging, you can focus on customizing the interior of the mailer box instead. In all events, here’s hoping that the customer has a doorbell camera that records any thefts from their porches.
Setting Yourself Apart From the Competition with a Custom Mailer
It’s a wasted opportunity if you don’t take advantage of using custom mailers when sending out items to your customers. Incorporating your brand and messaging on mailer boxes should be part of your marketing campaigns, going forward. If you have any questions about making creative custom mailers, the experts at Bay Cities are here to help.
