The Benefits of Custom Packaging: Getting Personal with Consumers

No matter what you’re selling, your packaging is often the first point of interaction consumers have with your brand, and your first opportunity to make a customer connection. If your packaging is a plain brown box, it’s not likely to leave much of an impression.

Custom packaging can help you create an instant, genuine connection with customers that promotes your brand, differentiates against the competition and improves the overall customer experience. In this article, we’ll look at some examples of custom packaging and how it can help you make the kind of personal connections with your customers that drive long-term loyalty and sales.

What is Custom Packaging?

Custom packaging is any kind of packaging solution that’s created specifically for a brand, product or customer as opposed to a generic, off-the-shelf solution. Customization can apply to functional features such as package size, shape and structure, or visual elements such as branding, color and imagery, all of which can be designed to fit specific needs and goals.

While generic options may seem like a more affordable route, the benefits of custom packaging are myriad and often outweigh any short-term cost savings. In some cases, custom solutions can even be more cost effective. For example, if you have an odd shaped or extremely delicate product, a custom packaging solution might be more efficient than trying to make an off-the-shelf option work. Streamlining logistics can help you save on shipping costs and improve inventory management, too.

Custom packaging design also adds value by providing a superior brand experience, from lending your product a luxurious feel on the shelf to making the unboxing experience more satisfying. If your goal is to make sure your product, and your brand,  stands out in a sea of sameness, customized packaging is a must. It’s the launching pad for creating the kind of customer connection that earns their trust and loyalty, and keeps them coming back.

Custom Packaging Examples

The best way to show you how custom packaging design can help you get personal with customers is to look at some unique solutions the Ernest team has designed for our clients over the years. Nothing makes us happier than helping our clients meet their goals, even (or maybe especially) when there’s a challenge involved.

SnackNation

 
SnackNation sources the best healthy snack foods on the market and curates delicious mixed boxes to fuel hungry office workers. When the company asked Ernest to create a custom packaging design for their sample box that would appeal to new customers while also telling their brand story and protecting the yummy snacks inside, we couldn’t wait to get to work.

As the first point of contact for potential customers, who usually find SnackNation online, the shipper had to make a strong first impression. Our team created a custom shipper that telegraphs Snack Nation’s brand story as soon as you see it, featuring their memorable logo, signature bold color pallet and tagline, “Healthier snacks delivered.” Next, we came up with internal dividers to separate the 20 snacks each shipper contains and ensure they arrive whole, not as crumbs. According to SnackNation, the custom solution does a good job of drawing people in and enticing them to open it up right away so they can see (and taste) what’s inside.

Leatherman

 
Leatherman Tools has been making personal and professional multi-use tools for over 30 years, and was the first company to create a wearable everyday carry (EDC) multi-tool called the Tread. When they took that design a step further and created a unique wearable multi-tool with a high-quality Swiss watch face, aptly named the Tread Tiempo, they needed a premium packaging solution with a luxury unboxing experience befitting this stylish product.

Working closely with the team at Leatherman, Ernest’s design specialists created a custom watch box that precisely fit the Tread Tiempo for optimal protection with a sleek aesthetic. Then, we designed an outer box for added protection, featuring clean graphics for maximum visual impact. We also gave careful thought to the unboxing experience, adding a matte wrap to the exterior that wraps around the box the same way the watch wraps around the wearer’s wrist, and hidden magnets for smooth, easy opening. The multi-layer approach builds excitement and creates a rich, cool feel as you open it.

Westcott Design

 
Westcott Designs is revolutionizing the niche aftermarket truck accessory industry with high-quality, exceptionally designed products. Founded by husband-and-wife team, Jeff and Jessica Westcott, the company started small but quickly grew to include a wide range of products, with customers ordering from all over the country and even the world. Westcott’s goal has always been to blow their customers away with every purchase. But with bulky parts that make shipping tricky, they needed help optimizing their packaging to ensure an excellent customer experience.

It was important to Westcott that they find a packaging solution that they could put together in-house and was cost efficient and durable enough to protect heavy products during shipment. The Ernest team collaborated with Westcott to develop a flexible packaging solution that could be used for a variety of products, branded for maximum impact and efficiently built to get their products on the road quickly. We designed internal cushioning and packaging options for 12 product kits to minimize the box dimensions and optimize shipping costs, and custom boxes with die-cut foam for a high-end unboxing experience. We also designed a litho-laminated package featuring the company’s original artwork to build brand recognition.

7 Points

 
7 Points is a premium cannabis company that takes a lot of pride in the quality of their product as well as the sustainability of their operation. While their product can take considerable time to cultivate, when it’s ready for harvest it needs to be packaged and shipped out quickly for optimal freshness and quality.

7 Points came to Ernest needing a top-quality, custom packaging design — fast. Starting out with just a basic jar to hold their product, we designed a custom, branded key box to protect the jar and create a unique and memorable unboxing experience. From there, we partnered with the 7 Points team to design custom packaging solutions for their entire line of products, all of which meet the unique needs of the product, the market and the customer, as well as the company’s short timeline. Plus, they really pop on the shelf.

Smart Cups

 
When Smart Cups came up with the world’s first micro-encapsulated energy drinks (meaning all customers have to do is add water), they needed a smart packaging design that would seal in the product to protect the ingredients during shipment without adding to the weight or driving up the cost. Ernest’s engineering experts designed a custom solution for the company’s initial direct-to-consumer launch. The moisture-resistant pouch is light, inexpensive, easy to store and maintains the integrity of the ingredients so Smart Cups arrive undamaged and ready for instant use. We also helped them develop a unique package structure that incorporates five nestled cups with an empty cup at the top to serve as a seal, maximizing shelf stability and cost efficiency.

Is Custom Packaging Different From Personalized Packaging?

Personalized packaging is a type of customized packaging that’s designed to connect personally with the customer who’s receiving it. For example, Nutella launched personalized campaigns in a number of markets that allowed customers to purchase jars with unique, one-off label designs. Coca-Cola Australia launched a personalized campaign called, “Share a Coke” back in 2011, which featured popular first names in place of the name “Coca-Cola” on product labels. The iconic campaign was relaunched in 2025 with rollout planned to include over 120 countries. Another Aussie icon, Vegemite, also gives customers the option to personalize jars with their name of choice.

In addition to mass campaigns like these, brands can put a personal spin on packaging in simpler ways, too. You could include a hand-written note or postcard addressed to individual customers, or offer them a discount code for future purchases. Personalize the outside of your package with little touches such as a watermark, stamp or sticker. To make the unboxing experience feel more personal, consider adding elements like tissue paper, branded inserts, or magnetic closures—anything that shows customers you’ve put a lot of thought into their individual experience.

Benefits of Custom Packaging: Connecting with Consumers

Next, let’s dig deeper into the benefits of custom packaging design to create meaningful customer connections.

• Notable First Impressions
• Brand Recognition
• Competitive Differentiation
• Product Protection
• Unboxing Experience
• Customer Affinity

Notable First Impressions

 
Consumers today have more choice than ever, and that means first impressions really count. Design elements like logos, branded colors, graphics and imagery work together to instantly convey what your brand or product is all about. If your brand is fresh and bold, feature bright colors, big pictures and bold lettering. For a sleek and sophisticated feel, opt for minimal design in black, white and silver or gold. Next, think about the story you want your packaging to tell. Incorporate catchy copy or taglines to telegraph your brand values. The kind of materials you use makes an impression, too. If your audience is eco-friendly, use recyclable materials — and be sure to highlight this fact so shoppers know what they’re buying.

Brand Recognition

 
With so much competition in stores and online, brand recognition is also incredibly important for connecting with customers. To build consumer trust and loyalty, be sure your packaging is consistent with your brand presence elsewhere. Feature your logo, color pallet and imagery or slogans that customers will recognize from your website, social media channels and advertising campaigns. Consistency is key, and helps to add value to your brand by establishing authenticity and reliability.

Competitive Differentiation

 
Custom packaging design can also help you stand out against the competition. If you’re in a saturated market, look at how your top competitors are packaging their products and try taking a different approach. This might mean using a different type of package, such as a pouch instead of a box. Or it might mean adopting a different visual approach. Promoting your brand values can also be a differentiator, so highlight anything that’s unique about your product, brand and company, and anything that sets you apart from the pack. Lean into your brand story and whatever problem you’re solving for customers so to make genuine connections right off the bat.

Product Protection

 
Using an off-the-shelf packaging solution may seem like the easiest approach. But just because your product fits a specific box or other packaging solution, doesn’t mean it will be protected. For superior protection, opt for a customized solution. This allows you to tailor the shape, size and structure to meet the precise needs of your product. Eliminate wasted space, minimize material use and ensure your product arrives undamaged.

Unboxing Experience

 
Unboxing is an important part of the overall customer experience. When a customer receives your package, the process of opening it and seeing the product inside should be smooth and satisfying. Consider both the interior and exterior design elements — for example, the outside package should be sturdy but offer a quick and easy way to open it, such as a pull tab. If your packaging can also be used for returns, it’s especially important that it stays intact when being opened. The interior should mirror the exterior, adding an extra layer of protection and building excitement throughout the process.

Customer Affinity

 
When customers share your brand values, identify with your brand personality and understand your mission, they feel a strong sense of attachment and emotional connection to your company, your product and your purpose. This will strengthen customer relationships for the long-term, leading to loyalty, repeat sales and even turning some customers into brand evangelists. Custom packaging can help to create customer affinity by representing all of the aspects of your brand that they identify with, giving them a deep sense of trust and making the brand experience a positive one.

How Ernest Can Help with Custom Packaging Solutions

Helping customers land on the perfect packaging solution for their brand, product and customers is what we do best at Ernest. We have a whole team of experts including designers, engineers and solution specialists who pride themselves on working closely with clients to deliver on their goals. If you’re looking for a custom packaging solution for your product, we’d love to help. Let’s talk about how to make meaningful customer connections with every package you ship.