The product box is a simple product on which demands are raised in no way like a CBD box. It needs to be equipped to protect delicate glass or span a wide range of product types, meet the demanding requirements of discriminating purchasers and may even contain more information than most packaging. This is quite a bit for one box of small size. Find out why this packaging plays an extra hard row than virtually any other and what’s required to make it right.
This product line is comprised of various types of brands.
Begin with a range problem. Many brands offer a variety of CBD products, and each type requires a particular thing from their packaging.
Oils are provided in breakable glass droppers. Edibles are not hard or brittle and are sensitive to their environment. Topicals are tubs that are heavy and tubes. All three can be available in the same package from a single brand, which has to address them in a variety of very different ways. That’s just more complicated than packaging one product.
The range spans:
- Oils in delicate glass.
- Buffed edibles.
- Topicals that are heavy.
A brand, different formats, but no single box that would fit all. The packaging is required to bend throughout its entire range.
The stakes are raised with Fragile Glass.
Think about the oils in particular. Dropper bottles are among the most easily broken items to ship, and making an incorrect dropper bottle shipments is costly.
A dropper bottle is made of thin glass, it has a fragile pipette and the seal might leak when pressurized. The bottle knocks, cracks or leaks in transit, if it does not hold it perfectly still and upright. The packaging should be designed to protect the fragility of the bottle, and there should be an insert to protect the dropper.
Fragile bottles demand:
- A snug fit with none of the movement.
- Support for dropper.
- Upright positioning throughout.
The packaging cannot afford to take shortcuts here as a cracked bottle will kill the product and its first impression on the consumer.
There is a lot of extra care put in by buyers.
Think about the customer. CBD consumers are typically much more cautious than the average consumer, and packaging reflects that trust.
When there is a lot of competition in a newer market, it requires buyers to really scrutinize quality first before they invest their money. They take an extra second to think about opening the package when it seems too cheap or too careless, but they open a clean, thought-out box with confidence. The box must not only support the product, it must put the wary customer at ease.
When investors are buying carefully, they search for:
- Professional and neat appearance.
- Quality that they can sense and experience.
- A genuine brand that appears trustworthy.
If buyers are on their guard, the packaging will need to gain their confidence before the product has even had the opportunity to do so.
Increased readability of the font.Improved font legibility.
Here’s a real world challenge. A typical product tends to be quite limited in how much information it requires and has that much space.CBD products tend to have more required and helpful information, and it all must fit neatly.
For a small box, it can be a lot of information, especially when it comes to branding, product specifics, and any information relevant to the market. The design you’ll be creating should be able to clearly organize it without cluttering the small format—there’s no easy way to do this. Depending on market and time, requirements for what must appear differ, so always check this for the market you sell at.
The words fitting it all in mean:
- Designing the layout in advance.
- Avoiding complexity in the design.
- Cementing rules for your market.
If you learn information on at the end, it doesn’t work. It must be planned in from the beginning.
Small Size, Big Demands.
Think about the structure of the format. Small packs are more difficult to do right and create a product that people will want to buy, not easier.
There’s not much space to get it wrong in a small box. There must be a perfect fit, must be sharp at close range, and any and all imperfection is immediately apparent due to the magnification of the product. It is a very difficult problem to fit protection, branding and information into a small box without making it dirty.
Small format is challenging because it:
- Exports all the shortcomings to the fore.
- Does not leave any margin for failure.
- Can easily acquire knowledge about a subject.
The smaller the box, the greater the actual skill required in using it.
Presentation Has to Compete
Think about the shelf. With so many similar products from other CBD sellers in the market, packaging plays an important role in making a product stand out and garner attention.
When similar products are being displayed side by side, the box must attract the attention of the shopper and make a good quality statement very fast. It must be premium and stand out in order to justify the price. It’s a lot for one design to do, to protect fragile contents, to fit all the information, all at the same time. CBD packaging must be not only a product of sale, but also a product of protection.
Standing out requires:
- Striking shelf appearance.
- High quality and feel.
- Clear, confident branding.
The box simply needs to capture attention and serve its purpose of protecting the product, but should not pick sides.
Sustainability adds another layer!
Finally, consider values. When it comes to sustainability, many people shopping for CBD are concerned, and that includes the packaging as well.
Consumers are increasingly aware of packaging waste and their appreciation goes to brands that employ sustainable materials, such as FSC-certified board. So the box needs to be protective, appealing, informative and sustainable at the same time. This combination of demands make it a packaging that does more than most.
Responsible packaging should:
- Use responsible materials.
- Avoid obvious waste.
- Resonate with buyer’s values.
All these goals come along with the job, and that is why it is challenging.
Final Thoughts
CBD packaging must do more than most, as it has to handle more tasks at the same time. It keeps delicate glass, caters to a range of products and gives a security to unusually careful buyers all in one box.
Added to that, it needs to pack more information than is necessary, fit on a small format, stand out from the competition and deliver on actual expectations regarding sustainability. There is very little other products that require all of the following from their packaging.
That’s why this packaging is a reward for the real thinking and not just some box. Designed with the delicate contents in mind, the careful consumer, and the overcrowded bookshelf, it does all of the things it is supposed to and more, without boomerang.
