Food packaging serves the food business in many ways. It helps to make sure your brand stays top-notch, which is super important, but it’s also crucial that your customers get it in excellent condition, as no one wants soggy food! Moreover, it protects the food during shipment and conveys needed info like allergens and expiry dates.
That is why putting some extra effort into creating the perfect food packaging that fits your brand is fruitful. For designing the suitable food packaging for your food, you should be very clear about the following points:
- Are you shipping your food product?
- Do you have any offline stores as well?
- How delicate is your product?
- Do your food products get harmed by air or light?
- Have you mentioned product information(such as allergen and best before date) on food labels?
- How does your food respond to environmental changes?
We have created a list of innovative and budget-friendly food packaging ideas to help your brand shine and leave a lasting impression on your customers by keeping the budget in your pocket.
Poly Pouch With Sticker
Poly pouches with a sticker, also known as zippers or zip-lock bags, are one of the cheapest food packaging ideas for all your branding needs. Poly pouches are also light in weight and convenient to ship.
It is highly suitable for dry products such as dry fruits, cookies, and nuts that need not be refrigerated.
You can customize the stickers with your company logo, info about allergen, expiry date, and brand colors. Additionally, they serve as a means of air-tightening to keep the food safe from air.
Protective Food Packaging
If you are shipping your food from a long distance, then being a food business owner, it is your responsibility that your customer get the food product in its best form. You have to choose a packaging that keeps the food safe and fresh when it reaches.
Protective food packaging serves for delicate and fragile products such as pastries, cakes, and glass jars that are breakable. If the packaging comes in simple brown boxes it could look boring but are safer for food products. To make them attractive, you can add a thank you note to your customers for choosing you.
For branding, you can add customized label stickers and ribbons to make them look attractive.
Reusable Food Packaging Containers
One of the most valuable ways to approach packaging involves reusable packaging. It encourages your customers not to waste the food container as it is safe and worth reusing. It also shows that you are concerned about the environment.
Similarly, it is a great way to make your restaurant more recognizable, as customers will use your containers regularly, increasing the chance that their friends and visitors will also notice your brand.
Also, it will boost your relationship with your customers as they see your brand name on the container daily, boosting them to order again.
Box With Die Cut
If you’re a startup looking for an affordable way to package your food, you’re in luck! One excellent method is using box packaging with die-cuts.
In die-cutting windows, you can customize shapes like circles, hearts, stars, etc., to showcase a little of your food product to make it look tempting. Sharp tools are used to cut into materials like cardboard and foam board precisely.
Moreover, It keeps you apart from your competitors, lets you get creative with your visuals, and attracts even more customers. So, try it and see how it comes out for you.
Limited Edition or Seasonal Packaging
During holidays and special occasions such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, limited edition or seasonal packaging is an excellent way for companies to add a festive touch to their existing flavors or introduce new ones.
This popular marketing strategy welcomes the gift-giving tradition and spreads joy to customers.
With this approach, the brand can run unique campaigns during different seasons and highlight its product as a great gift idea.
Eco-Friendly Labeling and Packaging
Customers are now concerned about environmental changes and look for eco-friendly or biodegradable packaging material that is reusable to keep the earth a safe place to live. Along with biodegradable or reusable options, you can also consider recycled packaging.
Sustainable packaging comes in many forms, including
- Glass jars and bottles
- Compostable papers
- Banana leaves
- Materials made with leftover potato skins.
- Bamboo
- Kraft paper coffee bag
- Paper or cardboard
Innovative Food Packaging
Food packaging that is designed innovatively and uniquely enhances the customer’s experience and helps in branding your business.
Consider your target audience while designing innovative packaging styles and designs, and set your brand apart by brainstorming ideas. For example, if you’re selling cereal to kids and parents, you could add fun and educational games on the back of the box.
Also, attaching a book guide that includes recipe options to make from the food product you are selling is a brilliant marketing strategy. Consider cookie boxes, creating them to look like cardboard ovens.
Multiple Used Packaging
Have you heard about packaging that can serve multiple purposes? It is an excellent way for your customer’s comfort as they can use the packaging tray for other purposes.
Some brands now offer fresh and healthy pre-portioned meals for kids in containers that can double as gift boxes or meal trays. It adds value to the product and makes it super convenient for customers.
Edible Wrapper
Edible Wrappers, just like the name, are a unique packaging idea. This idea gained hype when KFC invented a 200% edible wrapper for their mouthwatering double-down sandwich.
It is a fantastic eco-friendly solution for ensuring the safe delivery of dishes to customers. It is made up of rice paper and edible ink. It’s not only safe, but it’s also super cool that the wrapper itself is edible.
You can use eco-friendly or seed-infused packaging to pack your non-edible dishes. It’s a great way to be environmentally conscious while still being practical.
Minimalistic Packaging and QR Packaging Approach
Some packaging provides you with the solution for almost all kinds of products; Minimalistic packaging is one of them. Food packaging is getting simpler these days. This is because clear labeling has become a big trend in the industry. It is easier to understand what’s in your food when the packaging is straightforward.
If you want to give your customers more information about your food product, provide them with the QR code that will take them directly to your support page, where you answer all their queries, such as
- Origin of your food,
- Where do you farm it?
- How does it work?
- What are the benefits of your food product?
- How long will this product stay best?
Wrap it up!
Food packaging plays a vital role, and it should be exciting. It is a game changer for direct-to-customer food companies to stand out among competitors. The above ideas are compiled by keeping the trend and customer demand in mind.
I work as a Content Marketer at CBM. I write about various topics such as dieline designs, packaging materials, and print technologies. I explore how these aspects benefit customers, company owners, package designers, and industry specialists in packaging.
