There are so many products on the market today that each one doesn’t just have to look different in order to stand out — it also has to be different. However, the packaging industry generally doesn’t allow brands to customize their product packaging, at least not without incurring a significant cost. 

Nevertheless, leading innovators in the field are disrupting the industry and paving the way toward greater customization and sustainability in plastic packaging. Businesses should invest in innovative packaging solutions to not only help their brands better appeal to consumers, but also provide an exciting opportunity to simplify their supply chain. 

The Need for Customizable Packaging 

Businesses are looking for edge-to-edge customization on their packaging, and the most effective solutions offer 360-degree artwork with no label limitations. Often, plastic packaging will only be customizable via labels on the front and back of a bottle, but even then, the label on the back of the bottle must be used for required and practical information, such as an ingredient list. Effective packaging allows companies to have a much more extensive level of control over their brand image. 

Traditional plastic packaging also requires rigid and costly molds to produce. For products that wish to customize their designs for traditional plastic packaging, it can be a complicated process because of the cost and time it takes to change a mold. Since these innovative packaging options do not use molds, they can be produced in several sizes and variations to meet the needs and specifications of a given product. 

For businesses selling their products in brick-and-mortar stores, traditional plastic packaging does not allow their product to stand out on the store shelves. The lack of customization options for traditional plastic packaging means that consumers are used to seeing shelf upon shelf filled with the same bottle. A product with a sleek, modern design will certainly catch their eye and stand out amongst the mundanities. 

Using Packaging as a Marketing Tool 

Additionally, many of the advantages that innovative packaging offers include an enhanced product experience. No more searching for scissors in drawers or having to deal with small, difficult-to-open tabs — consumers can just tear and squeeze, then the perfect amount of the packaging’s contents will be dispensed. 

One innovative proprietary technology shifting the paradigm of packaging design is the self-sealing valve, which provides brands with another significant selling point for consumers. While some packaging includes caps with dispensing nozzles that can be sealed, the inclusion of a self-sealing valve — designed to offer no-spill packaging — means the package only opens from the pressure of the consumer squeezing the packaging and immediately re-seals when the pressure is released. 

By ensuring that the precise amount a consumer intends to dispense is, and that nothing is spilled should it be dropped, this packaging presents the most innovative and sustainable solution available for both the brand and its consumers. These new innovations in plastic packaging not only reduce the total amount of plastic used upfront to help accelerate brands’ sustainability goals, and since they are also curbside recyclable like traditional bottles, it makes them far more consumer centric. 

Because of the way the containers are designed, brands can just box up their products and ship them without having to worry about putting anything else in the box to prevent damage. And since the packaging is virtually impermeable until opened by the consumer, refunds for goods that arrived damaged can also be significantly reduced. 

This design also allows businesses to save money during the shipping process when they use these innovative new forms of packaging. Saving space means saving money. Not only do you cut costs by eliminating expensive (and environmentally destructive) packing materials such as bubble wrap or packing peanuts — you can also ship more at once thanks to their sturdy, nearly unbreakable qualities and slim, waste-free design. In other words, eliminating the need for bubble wrap and other packing materials saves space for more products in the box. 

Many think of packaging as an afterthought, but it cannot be dismissed as a powerful marketing tool; especially when it encompasses all the features detailed above. It is often the consumer’s first impression of your product. They see your product on the shelf, and they see the packaging before they have the chance to open it. This is why businesses should invest in innovative packaging solutions, which not only help brands better appeal to consumers but also provide significant cost-savings that make it an exciting opportunity.  

The author, Andrew Meyer is CEO at Aeroflexx.