Candles are a delicate product. Therefore, they need extra protection to preserve them. In this regard, packaging can be of great help. It will perform two functions: provide safety and act as a marketing tool. As packaging is a branding wand, businesses do not hesitate to invest in high-quality packaging as it speaks volumes about the brand’s image, which results in more sales. If you are a candle brand and have been in the business for some time, you would know the value of creating effective custom candle boxes. It is the design of these boxes that adds value to your product. All in all, it tells a brand’s story, fosters customer loyalty, and sets a brand apart from its competitors. Now, the question is how to design candle packaging that aligns with the stated factors. This article answers this query.
How Should a Candle Brand Design Its Packaging Boxes?
1. Know Your Brand Identity
The first step in designing your candle packaging is to know what your brand represents. Are you all about luxury and class or focused on planet-friendly and rustic appeal? This is important to know because it will make it easier for you to reflect it in your packaging. Moreover, you must focus on other key elements in your candle packaging such as your brand’s mission, target audience, and the visual style that makes your brand unique. The style revolves around the brand’s colors, fonts, and textures that make its packaging different. Last but not least, your brand must maintain consistency. It is the key to effective packaging. If your candles reflect a modern and minimalist effect, then their packaging must mirror that. However, if they are more about being bold and artistic, then you must not shy away from using vibrant colors and funky designs in their packaging.
2. Learn About the Taste of Your Audience
Candle is the most loved item by many in the world. People of different age groups and likings buy it. Most of them decorate their homes or use them to light up the events. This means that, as people use candles for different purposes, their packaging should also align with the mood. For this reason, a brand must know about the taste of its target audience and what their expectations are about your candles. This understanding helps businesses guide their packaging choices. Suppose you are selling your candles to a young audience. If we see, young people are trend-focused buyers. They might look for packaging that uses bold colors and looks pleasing when they post pictures on social media. So, you will need to design candle packaging that way. If your target audience is eco-conscious, then you must focus on using recyclable or reusable packaging.
3. Pick the Right Packaging Material
After you know about your target audience’s mood, the next step in candle packaging is material. It plays a key role in making your custom candle boxes look good and functional. You must choose a material that not only protects your candles but also goes well with your brand’s image. The common packaging materials include cardboard, Kraft, rigid, and corrugated cardboard. Cardboard is the top choice for many brands, including candles, as it is versatile, light on the pocket, and allows good quality printing. Kraft paper works best for the candle brands whose customers are eco-conscious. As for the rigid boxes, they are a perfect choice to store and protect premium candles. This material adds a touch of luxury to the overall candle packaging. Lastly, if a candle business wants a strong box that also remains intact during shipping, then it can use corrugated cardboard for its boxes.
4. Consider Shape and Size
In order to design perfect candle packaging, you must focus on the size and shape of the box. If you pack your candles in an oversized box, it will not only look unprofessional but will also waste the material. Moreover, it will give a bad impression of the brand when the buyer opens the box. As big boxes consume more space, the brand will also need to pay extra for shipping. On the other hand, if your box is too small, it will damage your candle and deform it. Therefore, brands need to pay attention to details and design custom boxes for their candles. It is beneficial as it will keep the shape of the candles intact, elevate the unboxing experience, and reduce shipping costs. Candles come in various shapes and sizes depending on the type of candle a brand deals in. If you sell jar, tin, pillar, or tealight candles, you need to choose your box design accordingly.
5. Keep Shelf Appeal in Mind
Candles have various types. Some are scented, others not. If you sell scented candles, how would you show this to a customer when he enters the store? Of course, a buyer cannot smell a candle placed on the shelf. So the first thing he will come across is your candle’s packaging. This is where you will make your first impression and urge the buyer to check your candle. You will need to use a catchy design on your box that appears in line with the scent of your candle. For this, you must play with color, fonts, and visuals in a way that they all grab the attention. Print your logo and patterns of the scent you have used uniquely to reinforce the nature of the product. Lastly, add some finishing touches, like embossing or stamping, for elegance and enhanced texture. These elements will help you create great shelf appeal.
6. Add Information
Packaging is the medium through which you tell about your brand’s mission and inform customers about what they are buying. But this does not mean that you fill up every space of your box with designs and information. Only those brands catch the attention whose design is clean and simple but provides all the necessary information to the user. So, in order to be one of them, you must include your candle’s name or its scent hint. Place your brand’s logo and name at a place where it is easily readable. Do mention the size and weight of the product inside and its burn time. If you are an advocate of eco-friendliness, then add details about the ingredients you have used in the candle making and its packaging. Most importantly, add safety and usage instructions to your custom packaging boxes to educate the buyer.
The Last Word
To design engaging candle packaging, a lot of thought and effort is needed. Moreover, it is also a smart business move because it tells a brand’s story, attracts customers, and drives sales. Therefore, if you are a small candle brand or an established one, make sure to consider the key tips to design your custom candle boxes. If you don’t know much about them, reach out to Packaging Mania. It is a leading packaging supplier in the USA, known for assisting businesses in reaching heights with their packaging.
