Gift Packaging Ideas for Small Business Brand Building

Gift packaging ideas can be as simple as kraft paper and twine or more complex, like diagonal magnetic jewelry boxes. It all depends on your brand identity and how that can be translated into colors, textures, shapes, and materials. For small businesses, gift packaging can be a real game-changer as you try to carve a space and identity for your brand.

In this guide, you are going to learn about why gift packaging is important for small businesses, the different types of gift packaging on the market, and how to effectively figure out costs for your packaging.

Why Gift Packaging Is So Important for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business or independent creator, your brand identity is one of the reasons that your customers choose you. And they expect that identity to be evident in your products as well as your decor and your packaging. That’s because the relationship between a small business and its customers is different from that between big box stores and their customers. 

Unless your shelves contain one-of-a-kind handmade goods or art, chances are people can find something similar to what you’re selling at big box retail stores or online. And a lot of the time, larger sellers also have better prices and discounts on those goods than small businesses can provide. So what’s your differentiator? The experience. It’s how you make customers feel when they interact with you and your products. And part of the experience is packaging. 

Example: Just think about when you purchase something as basic as soap. When you buy it from a drugstore and have it handed to you in a plastic bag, it’s a very transactional experience with little emotion involved. 

When you buy soaps from a boutique, they are usually individually wrapped in nice paper or sitting out naked and wrapped up at the counter. When the clerk hands you the handle of a rustic kraft bag, don’t you just have a different feeling about the whole experience. And note that the first example was a transaction, and the second one was an experience accentuated by the packaging.  

Perceived Value

When something is wrapped or presented in packaging that is visually appealing, it heightens the value of the thing itself. A $1 candle is still one dollar, whether you put it in a plastic shopping bag or place it in a pretty gift bag, but the perception of the candle changes from one form of packaging to the other. 

Extension of Your Brand

Your gift packaging is an extension of your brand, and with that, it should signal something to customers and the receiver of the package instantly. Now, it’s your choice what you want to have signalled, but even providing kraft paper gift packaging signals something. 

With custom gift packaging, you have a lot of ways to communicate. You can place your logo on your packaging, which is a very obvious, but also very simple way to extend your brand into your packaging. The type of materials you use for your gift packaging also speaks volumes. 

Example

If you are selling what are considered high-end products like fine jewelry, you likely want to incorporate the use of high-end materials like velvet, wood, or suede. If you are a brand selling goods made out of recyclable materials, then you want packaging that is also made out of recyclable materials or is recyclable itself.

The colors you choose for your packaging can be vital to how you are perceived. If you are selling fun, kitschy products, you probably don’t want dark, heavy packaging. And if you’re selling cigars, chances are you don’t want packaging in fluorescent pinks and yellows.  For small businesses, gift packaging should never go the utilitarian route because, regardless of what you do, you will be sending a message. 

Social Media

Since social media is a key marketing tool for small businesses, it also deserves some attention. You can get great free marketing on social media if you give people something that’s interesting, fun, pretty, or funny to look at. There is a huge trend of unboxing online, and unboxing doesn’t really mean it has to be a box.

But if you sell the kind of things that people like to show their friends, then you have a good chance of being featured in one of these videos. And if your packaging is interesting, it will definitely help with your brand identity and pique curiosity. 

Over time, people will connect your packaging with a certain quality and product, and in turn have certain expectations about it. That means that your packaging can do a lot of the marketing work for you.

Example

Louis Vuitton’s orange and black packaging is instantly recognizable, and for many people it instantly means high-end products. If you see a deep purple color with gold writing on it, you might think of Cadbury, or if you see a blue bag with a bit of yellow on it, you might think of Ikea.

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Gift Packaging Ideas for Small Business

When we talk about gift packaging ideas, we’re talking about the type of packaging you can use in store to package items and the packaging that ecommerce sellers and retail sellers can use to send packages. There are overlaps between the two, but there are some differentiations because packages that are going to ship have slightly different requirements. 

All of the packaging you use for in-store packaging can be used in your shipped packaging, but you will need an extra protective layer. But all of the packaging that you use for shipping isn’t something you want to use for in-store packaging.

Custom Paper Shopping Bags with Logo

One of the easiest gift packaging ideas for small businesses is logo paper shopping bags. These are relatively inexpensive and have a nice rustic appeal that matches the modern customer’s desire to use sustainable packaging. You can find these types of bags in the standard kraft color as well as white. You can customize these as much as you want with your logo and brand name. 

With a plain background, your logo and name are going to be easily visible from a distance. And this type of bag can be used for almost any type of business. To turn it into really customized gift packaging you can add tissue paper into it, and otherwise you can use it as your standard shop bag. 

Once this type of gift packaging leaves your shop, it becomes your brand ambassador. Wherever it goes, from walking down the street to when it's set upon a table in an office or in a coffee shop, it is advertising your brand. If a bag looks particularly intriguing, it can lead people to look up the brand online. The familiarity of seeing a consistent brand message from your shop, website, and packaging can help grow your brand presence locally and online.

That’s why it’s important to ensure that the message it is sending is the one you want your brand to be known for. 

Tips

• Keep your logo large enough so it's visible at a distance
• Go with two colors to keep it simple, uncluttered, and modern
• Use high contrast colors
• Add a social media handle

Bag Types

• Kraft bags with a flat handle
• Kraft bags made from recycled materials
• Die-cut handle bags
• Cake bags
• Paper envelope paper bags
• Wine bag
• Coffee bag

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White Cardboard Bags with Handle

These gift packaging bags are sturdier than their kraft paper cousins. The thicker material with a heavier weight takes this a step up from paper bags. These types of bags are suitable for both items that would be too heavy to carry in a standard kraft bag, and they are also good options if you are selling a more premium product.

These types of bags can be printed with your name and logo, as with other bags. They often come with different handle types.

Types

• Die-cut handle bags
• Reinforced base bags
• Twisted rope handle bags

Unique Bag Ideas

If you’ve moved up a level from simple kraft bags, you can try some unique bag options.

Embossed Bags

If you want to give your brand a truly high-end look, then you should look at the embossed paper bag category of packaging. An embossed bag has a unique texture where the graphics and letters on it are raised. It can have an almost fabric-like texture, depending on the bag. Because this style of bag is fairly unique, it gives you a real chance to set your brand apart from others. 

And since it is uncommon, chances are it will be more talked about and photographed simply because of its originality. That means your brand can obtain some earned exposure online and in real life. These types of bags are perfect for luxury products, especially artisanal products.

Printed Ribbon Handle Gift Bag

This is a unique option as you don’t see gift bags with a ribbon handle in your average shop. And it’s certainly one that will have people doing a double-take if they see someone holding it and walking down the street. You can use that attention to your advantage and promote your brand using unique packaging with your logo printed on it. A printed ribbon handle bag can feel luxurious because of the ribbon handle itself, and using an embossed foil printing method adds to that.

Drawstring Pouches

If you want a packaging style that’s rustic and fun, then a bag with a drawstring might just be your style. They are great for small pieces like jewellery and soaps. You can customize them and choose from a variety of materials that can change the experience of the bag.

• Silk Bags
• Cotton Bags
• Burlap Bags
• Organza Bags
• Tissue Bags

Gift Boxes

Isn’t there just something special about opening up a gift box? It always has something special inside, and it doesn’t matter if it’s for a special occasion or you’re opening it at home after you selected the thing inside it yourself. 

As a small business, you should seriously consider using boxes for your gift packaging. They instantly increase the value of the item inside. You can choose from a variety of box styles based on your products. And you can customize boxes with your logo as well as with inserts such as those required for jewellery.

• Rigid Chipboard Boxes
• Magnetic Gift Boxes
• Drawer Boxes
• Folding Boxes
• Telescope Boxes

Tissue Paper

This is an inexpensive touch that can have a major impact. You know that feeling when you receive a gift, whether it’s in a bag or in a box, and you open it up, and there’s that delightful soft crackling of the tissue paper. It makes the whole thing feel a little extra special. 

So you can use inexpensive kraft packaging and add colored tissue paper for the personal touch. The tissue paper can be aligned with your brand colors and substituted with seasonal colors so you’re always flowing with the rhythm of the seasons. And let’s not forget that beautiful and asmr-worthy tissue paper can play a nice role with social media unboxing. 

Seasonal Gift Packaging Ideas

There is a whole new world of packaging opportunities that opens up when it comes to seasonal packaging. And the good news about it is that it's a high reward with minimal extra effort. That’s because seasonal packaging is highly related to color, and so you can easily add color elements to your existing packaging. In addition to that, you can switch out some of your less expensive packaging concepts for new seasonally-colored packaging types. 

Examples

• Use seasonal tissue paper in your existing packaging
• Switch from plain kraft paper bags to colored paper bags
• Add seasonal stickers
• Add seasonal ribbons like pastels for Easter or red and green for Christmas
• Use stock seasonal packaging

In addition to that, you can afford to spend a little more on certain types of seasonal gift packaging because customers appreciate it and remember it. Limited edition seasonal packaging can even become something that your customers will look forward to. Think about your favorite coffee shop and that twinkle of joy you feel when they switch over to themed cups. It shows effort on their part to be a living brand that changes with the seasons rather than a static service. 

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Difference in E-commerce and In-Store Packaging Strategy

Gift packaging for both e-commerce and in-store should reflect your brand and jive with what your customer avatar expects for a great experience. However, there are some key things you should think about when you are looking for gift packaging for one or the other. 

E-commerce Gift Packaging Ideas Criteria

• Protection
• First impression based on packaging
• Unboxing Experience Important

Retail Gift Packaging Ideas Criteria

• Branding is visible when carried
• Efficient for the staff to put together
• Goes with retail interior

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How You Can Bring Gift Packaging Homemade Style to Your Business

Sure, you don’t actually have time to make gift packaging home-made style for your business, but it certainly would make your customers feel like you’re giving it a personal touch. So how can you do that without hiring someone to make homemade gift packaging? Here are some ideas to give the rustic appeal of home packaging mixed in with your own branding.

• Keep it simple but personalized with logo, kraft paper, and twine.
• Create a graphic design that makes it look like your logo is hand-stamped and place it on different types of packaging.
• Use customized stickers
• Use dried leaves, flowers, and twigs
• Print out copies of a handwritten note to add to your packages

If you’re just starting out and need to get a few months under your belt before you can afford packaging, there are some homemade approaches you can take.  

Fabric

Use fabric you already have and turn that into luxurious packaging for your products. You can use old clothing and linens for this purpose. You can use interesting wrapping techniques for fabric or wrap it simply and use tying mechanisms like ribbon or yarn. Customers can even reuse the packaging themselves. And as you grow and build a packaging budget, you can incorporate little fabric touches into your branded packaging.

Kraft Paper Bags

For a very minimal cost, you can get plain kraft paper gift bags and customize them as you like. Kraft bags are a blank canvas and give you a chance to get really creative. Considering you are a very small business at this point, you may still have the capacity to personalize them with paint, jewels, or even markers and crayons. If you are too busy to customize yourself, you can order inexpensive stickers and place them on your packaging for a unique touch that’s effortless.

How to Figure Out Costs for Gift Packaging

Step One

Figure out your brand positioning.

• Your position is going to determine the type of packaging you should invest in. This is important because whatever kind of packaging you go with, chances are you’ll be buying it in bulk. That means you don’t want to make a mistake and then have to spend even more money buying the right kind of gift packaging.

Step Two

If you’re just starting out, then go with something simple like a plain kraft or white paper bag with a logo. Then transition to higher quality packaging like embossed bags.

Step Three

Look for a packaging supplier that has low minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirements. Some packaging companies have high order quantities that can last a small business more than a year. That’s likely not the way you want to tie up your capital, and you may not have the space for it, either.

Step Four

Get a quote from a few suppliers.

Step Five

Here, you need to decide if you want to get the packaging that allows you to absorb the cost or get packaging that may require you to increase your prices a little. 

Step Six 

Decide. And thanks to low MOQs, you can play around with this a little, so if a design doesn’t look quite right the first time around, you can always rework it for your next packaging buy.

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FAQs

What kind of packaging attracts customers?

Packaging that attracts customers tells a brand story, has color that pops, is unique in some way, and it should also be functional in relation to the product inside it. Packaging that can be reused is appreciated by customers, too.

What are the new trends in packaging?

Eco-conscious packaging is now mainstream. That means it is now commonplace to expect that your packaging is made out of recyclable materials, can be recycled, or at least is reusable. Because that is the case, customers expect that you have some sort of sustainability factor woven into your packaging plans.

What are the 7 types of packaging with examples?

The seven main types of packaging include boxes, bags, bottles, glass jars, plastics, metals, sustainable packaging, and luxury packaging. Examples of each, respectively, include corrugated cardboard boxes with a logo, gift bags with a ribbon handle, mason jars, plastic film, metal cookiebox-style container with lid, recycled paper wrapping, and custom wooden jewelry boxes.