For most customers, the first physical experience of your brand isn’t actually your product. It’s the thing your product comes in. The box. The sachet. The packet. The beautifully wrapped what-have-you. Packaging is an often-overlooked step on the customer journey. You can ignore it – and mail your stuff in generic white envelopes, like gas bills – or you can turn it into something memorable. Think about it: would you give someone their Christmas present in a plastic zip-lock bag? No. You’d wrap it and do that thing with the scissors and the ribbon to make it go curly. Because you’re not a monster.So how do you package stuff cute, but still be sustainable and on-brand? We sat down with Jessica Kiely, co-founder of small-batch perfume retailer, Sensoriam, to get some tips.EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING
“For us, the packaging is part of the experience for the customer,” Jessica says. “We’re looking for something that aligns with our values, in terms of being environmentally friendly, but still delivers that premium feeling.” This is the golden rule you need to remember: packaging matters. It’s the first thing customers see, and like most first impressions, it sets the tone. If you’re trying to market something as luxurious, or handcrafted, or special, it needs to arrive in something that feels luxurious, or handcrafted, or special.LIVE YOUR VALUES
Your brand values should be consistent across every touchpoint. You can’t sell organic, biodegradable hand soap, for example, and then wrap it in polystyrene. Consumers get touchy about that sort of thing, especially in 2022. “We specialise in natural perfume, so for us it would be incongruous not to have the packaging be part of that ethos,” Jessica says. “It’s a whole production approach, and it’s what customers are demanding now. This is the new way of business.” In other words: don’t cut corners when it comes to packaging – your competition probably isn’t.TURN UP THE VOLUME
Sustainable packaging costs more than unsustainable packaging. That’s just a fact. It’s an annoying fact, and maybe one day it won’t be the case, but for now, if you want to do the right thing, you have to pay a little extra. Jessica says that’s where companies like Packleo come in: they’ve done all the hard work sourcing and manufacturing for you, and they often give discounts when you buy in volume. “You have to weigh up what the customer will pay, of course,” she says. “If your product is $100, but you’re adding $15 for packaging, plus more for shipping and handling etc., you’ll price yourself out of the market. Try and find that balance.”BEGIN YOUR SEARCH
Don’t know where to start? Jessica recommends jumping on Packleo and searching for what you need. You can find sustainable mailing boxes, paper packing tape, recycled paper for filling voids (physical, not emotional), eco-friendly bubble wrap alternatives. It’s all there. “If you already have suppliers, do a shadow shop,” Jessica adds. “Purchase things from other companies and see what they come in. A lot of brands, if you reach out and say, ‘Ooh I love your box, where’s it from?’ they’re happy to share that information.”OPTIONS, OPTIONS…
If you’re worried that premium, recyclable packaging will screw with your pricing, Jessica recommends simply giving customers a choice. Platforms like Shopify make it easy to offer packaging alternatives, with pricing built right into the webstore. People can then choose for themselves. “Do you want your normal packaging, the plastic zip lock, or the eco version, which might cost a few dollars more? Put the decision in their hands.” If you’re going down this route, just give some thought to those brand values we mentioned earlier. If you’re dead set against plastic, for example, it probably doesn’t make sense as a packaging option.MAKE IT FUN
Ask any kid on Christmas morning: unboxing is fun. Straight up fun. And, as brands, you have an opportunity to inject a little magic into this experience. Jessica says Sensoriam brands all their Packleo boxes, so the experience is consistent, and she even likes to include a few special touches. “You have to think of it like a gift, even if it’s a gift the customer might have bought for themselves,” she says. “We like to include a little personal note in our boxes, you know, saying I hope you enjoy this perfume, or recommending something similar they might like to try.”SIZE MATTERS (IN PACKAGING)
For small businesses, it can be hard to strike that balance between customised, branded packaging and small-batch, limited edition product runs. This is especially true with biodegradable packaging, which sometimes has a shelf life (like fruit and veg). It just means you need to plan ahead. “Our Packleo satchels are made from vegetable starch,” Jessica says, “so they do have a use-by date. The plastic ones, you can buy 10,000 of them and they’ll still be here in 10 years, which is great for business, but not the planet. But what I love about Packleo is, I can buy in small numbers, so I only get the packaging I actually need. There’s no waste!”

This helpful little guide was brought to you in partnership with our pals at Packleo. Take a peek at their environmentally friendly, beautifully designed packaging for your small business needs.