5 Tips for choosing packaging

1 Ample protection of your products

Packaging is so much more than the protection of products. But it is still the most important function of packaging. When you are choosing your next packaging solution, you should spend some time contemplating: “Will this offer ample protection for my creations?""

Let’s look at an example. If you want to send jewellery by mail, there are several things to consider:

• Will the jewellery box remain closed during transport? If you use jewellery boxes in conjunction with postal boxes, you should make sure that the lid of the jewellery box stays securely in place. Our Frankfurt boxes are notorious for this.
• Are my creations relatively fragile? Depending on your choice of materials, and the techniques you use, your jewellery could need some additional protection. There is a big difference between a sturdy silver bracelet and a pair of earrings made from glass, bird feathers and freshly harvested oat straw (Okay, it is probably best if we leave the jewellery design part to you). If your design is relatively fragile, it would be a good idea to use jewellery pouches in conjunction with jewellery boxes.
• Do I need a padded envelope? If the alternative is a regular envelope, we would always advise you to choose a padded envelope. If used together with a sturdy jewellery box like Amsterdam box, you have enough protection for most types of jewellery. Our Amsterdam box (as well as Frankfurt) would also allow you to send the jewellery as a large letter – because the boxes are only 17 mm in height. We know, it’s amazing!

2 Brand identity:

Have you ever thought about how packaging can be a communication medium? It is! In a way, you can see packaging as a piece of functional print advertising aimed at existing customers. It is a genre of its own. Often, you just want to go with your brand’s logo – and perhaps a slogan.

Because, obviously, your brand logo is important. You don’t want your customers to go: “Who is this package even from? Could this be my way overdue acceptance letter from Hogwarts?”

But if we are talking multiple layers of packaging (jewellery inside a pouch -> inside a jewellery box -> wrapped in branded tissue paper -> inside a postal box), it is also possible to state a brand name too much.

You don’t want your customers’ reaction to be: “No need to call Sherlock for this one. The package virtually screams “BRAND!”

An advice we often give is, that if you order postal boxes, you could have your logo on one side of the lid and a message on the other. You know, one side will say “Brand”, and the other will say “When you can’t get enough of that freshly harvested oat straw jewellery” (again, we will leave the jewellery design part to you).

3 Consider environmental impact

For this part of our bulleted list, we are not going to make jokes. Packaging (as almost all parts of modern consumerism) is a cost to the environment – there is no doubt about that. But we have created an article with advice for how you can optimize your own and your customer’s consumption of packaging.

Improve your packaging consumption with these 7 tips >

4 Seasonal variations

If you are a larger brand, perhaps it is time to think about seasonal variations in your packaging?

And no, we are not talking about using Christmas wrapping paper that looks like Santa and his elves got lost in a hall of mirrors.

We are talking about subtle changes in your packaging range that follow the seasons in a delicate way. Perhaps our Terracotta-coloured packaging options could be ideal for the Autumn season? And perhaps our grainy white jewellery boxes would be fitting for winter?

Our best advice is to incorporate seasonal variations in a moderate way. If you change one colour drastically, make sure that the remaining colours blend well with it. Too many eye-catching colours at once can result in a cluttered look. In other words, make a few bold choices but steer clear of the brighter-than-bright colour scheme.

5 Cost efficiency

Wow, wait. No need to open a new spreadsheet tab. We are mainly talking about how you can avoid excess packaging. In a previous bullet point, we discussed how you can achieve ample protection for your jewellery. On the other hand, you can obviously have too many layers and too much tape.

You don’t want your customers to feel like they are participating in a jewellery heist, humming the Mission Impossible theme as they make their way into the centre of what they can only assume to be a miniature replica of Fort Knox.

In all seriousness, it is worth having a minimalist approach when you choose packaging. Start with the most necessary elements (the jewellery box/pouch) and work your way outward from there.

Look closely at the dimensions of the packaging, and choose the elements that fit together. A slightly too large jewellery box will lead to a slightly over-dimensioned postal box. The air-to-content ratio should be as low as possible, and it is worth sketching different packaging solutions. One of the benefits is that the packaging will come across as more professional if there is less empty air in the packaging.

The mark of responsible forestry. www.fsc.org. Our FSC licence number is FSC®C112509.