First impressions can be everything when it comes to the way people perceive your brand, especially when the stakes are high and you’re up against the fierce competition. For many manufacturers and retailers, the opportunity for attracting new customers and making an excellent first impression that lasts lies in the secondary packaging of their product.
In total, there are three types of packaging. The first layer (known as primary) is the material that physically touches a raw product. The second layer (or secondary packaging) is the additional material surrounding the primary packaging of a product that often holds multiple units together.
For example, the aluminum can, which contains a soda, is the product’s primary packaging, while the case holding multiple cans of that soda together is its secondary packaging. The third layer (known as tertiary packaging) is the material usually used behind the scenes for the transportation and distribution of a product, so there’s not as much to say about it as it relates to improving sales.
Although secondary packaging is the second layer, it’s the first layer a customer sees, so it needs to be right. As the supplemental layer of packaging, it serves two primary purposes: it protects both the product and the primary packaging of the product while also helping to market your brand.
However, there are many ways companies can leverage this layer of packaging that extends beyond its essential protective functions. Here are some of the secondary packaging trends we’ve seen co-packers and manufacturers capitalize on to add value and increase customer satisfaction.
Advantages of Secondary Packaging
1 - Improving brand visibility
In an overcrowded marketplace, you can’t rely on pricing alone, so every detail counts. Critical factors such as an attractive, dynamic appearance and enhancing product visibility can be the difference between a customer choosing your product over a competitor’s.
Luckily for many companies, secondary packaging provides an inexpensive way to market your brand and bring in repeat business. If you’re looking to make an essential first impression, check out the private branding options leading co-packers have to offer for unique in-store point of purchase displays.
2 – Reducing waste
One strategy that’s becoming popular for a lot of companies is adopting eco-friendly packaging that protects both their product and the environment. This solution involves using as little material as possible to reduce unnecessary waste and increase efficiency, which also helps decrease the costs associated with packaging and transportation.
With this strategy in place, you can play a part in conservation, save big, and as a bonus, draw in environmentally conscious consumers or stakeholders who share the same commitment to improving how we all use resources today.
3 – Automating packaging
Automation is another trend that’s drastically changing logistics processes, like packaging, throughout the entire industry. By integrating more automation, you or your co-packer can use new technology and packaging equipment to streamline manual processes and produce more accessible, easy-to-open material in less time.
Secondary packaging plays a vital role in shaping customers’ first impression of your product at a crucial moment when many buying decisions are made – on the shelf. To learn more about product-enhancing packaging services, check out our post on our primary and secondary packaging capabilities.
