Page 68 - Packaging News Magazine Sep-Oct 2019

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The packed gift that
keeps on giving
With many luxury brands often given as gifts, Robert Lockyer, Delta Global CEO and founder, shares his reasons why he believes packaging can play the biggest part in the gift-giving process.
IN May, market intelligence agency Mintel identified ‘Reinventing the Box’ as one of the top trends in pack- aging as online shopping sets to gain further popularity, meaning brands must fully establish an e-commerce packaging strategy.
Unboxing videos shared across social media can show how power- ful packaging can be as a marketing tool, with companies increasingly aware they need to win customers not only with a product, but also with the way it is wrapped.
Luxury packaging solutions busi- ness Delta Global has worked with some of the world's best known brands, from Tom Ford and Coach, to Estee Lauder. CEO and founder Rob- ert Lockyer suggests there are four key reasons why the packaging of goods can be the most important part of buying or receiving gifts.
BEAUTIFUL PACKAGING CREATES
AN ELEMENT OF THEATRE
“It is the ‘something special’ mo- ment that good packaging delivers,” Lockyer says. “An element of ‘theatre’ needs to be created because it builds anticipation that is often more ex- hilarating to experience than the
Packaging that looks gift-worthy is often retained long after the product has been used – building brand loyalty.
product inside,”
he says. “If you’re
not yet convinced,
ask yourself this: Would
you be genuinely excited to
open something that is wrapped in a plain black bag as oppose to some- thing presented to you luxuriously?”
AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
WITH THE CONSUMER
Lockyer says similarly to that feeling of theatre, packaging is one of the few ways in which brands can build emo- tions with their consumers.
“No brand has the resources to hand-wrap and personally deliver its products to customers, which means this personal experience needs to be replaced in other ways,” he says.
“For luxury clothing company Ted Baker, it’s as simple as a small rectan- gular branded card included in all purchases signed ‘With love, Ted x’. It’s a small touch which makes an otherwise giant business feel like a local one.”
RE-USABILITY
“Sustainability is something we at Delta Global consider in every sin- gle one of our packaging designs, which means we always think be- yond the presentation of the gift,” says Lockyer.
Plastic-free initiatives were an- other key trend in packaging identi- fied by Mintel, with appropriate end-of-life pack solutions gaining increasing consideration.
Lockyer says, “If brands do it right, then it’s not uncommon for those
receiving the product to hold on to the packaging and display it as proudly as they would the gift inside.”
MARKETING
“Don’t just assume that because someone has bought from you once that they will again – you need to use your packaging as a way of building your brand,” says Lockyer.
“It’s about ensuring zero brand dilution and guarding your brand values through everything you do, right through to how it’s packaged. Think post-sale how can you pro- duce even less waste? By ensuring your product looks gift-worthy from the start – that way customers will not want to wrap it further.
“Try to create something memora- ble that, if put into a line-up of other brands, is picked out every time with- out fail.” ■
An element of theatre needs to be created... it builds anticipation that is often more exhilarating to experience than the product inside.”