Small and medium enterprises (SME) in Singapore always strive to be unique in the highly competitive business environment in the country and they always want to do this at the lowest possible cost. Packaging printings, or the connection point between a product and the initial impression of a customer, is also one of the factors which should not be underestimated.
No matter what you are selling, food or beauty products or gadgets or hand crafted items, your packaging says more than one thousand words before one word is read or one button is pushed.
The reasons why packaging printings is important and how your SME in Singapore can use it with a maximum business effect can be found here.
First Impressions: Why You Buy What You See
The initial impression that a customer gives to your product when he/she first views it in the shelf or via a listing in an online store is a deciding moment. Researchers indicate that 72 percent of consumers claim that the design of product packaging affects their buying choice.
With a highly competitive retail scene in Singapore whereby products are normally seen next to their rivals, good packaging, which is sexy and professional looking has been the determinant factor. Profitable printing on packaging package makes your product look professional, evoking trust and seeming to be more valuable.
One example is a handmade soap in a plain plastic bag would not be as reliable at first sight as the one in a well printed kraft box with the logo of your brand, description of the scent, and social media accounts.
Branding Through Packaging: Making a Lasting Impact
You don t simply put your packaging in a container, it is your brand identity. Using the printing service in your packaging, you can exhibit your logo, tagline, palette of colors, and the tone of voice in all the products.
This is especially important to the Singapore SMEs. Having a wide domestic market with an increasing foreign demand, proper branding gives an ability to strengthen the customer memory and creates emotional connection. The customers will feel more confident in using your product and repeat the purchase when they already see your packaging in the stores or in social media.
Consider a product such as Old Chang Kee or Irvins Salted Egg, the fun, indulgence, and quality is expressed even before opening the product, through the design of the packaging. Such a brand awareness is possible even in smaller businesses when their design and printing decisions are clever.
How Printed Packaging Can Differentiate Your Product in Singapore’s Market
The market of Singapore is small and competitive. There is a big market and the best way a business can survive is by being unique. Custom designed packaging enables SMEs to build their own unique visual image to be perceived as different in front of buyers than the mass manufactured identical standards.
For example:
- Local tea brand could employ environmentally friendly boxes with floral designs and traditional motifs such as Peranakan.
- A minor fashion house may choose printed black-and-white mailers of minimalistic nature with QR codes to engage in after-sales.
With digital and offset solutions to packaging printings now more affordable than ever before, micro businesses are able to experiment with creative solutions without incurring huge overheads.
Cost-Effective Packaging Solutions to Small Businesses
Most SMEs fear that custom packaging printings is costly but it should not be.
Some of the cost-saving tips are:
- Start small: Short-run quantities should be taken care of by digital printing. It is reasonable and easy.
- Design in one color: Even black or white on kraft paper may be both intimidating and fashionable.
- Buy in quantity: You need to buy in bulk especially when you have a consistent need of the packaging.
- Select designs that can be used in a variety of ways: rather than different holiday or special promotion prints, use the same packaging model and put stickers on them to represent a special offer.
- Forget fancy finishes (at the outset): Pay attention to legibility, clarity and good quality material rather than premium finishing like embossing or foiling, except when the brand position dictates the same.
You could also look into the modular packaging i.e. box or pouch that could accommodate more SKUs, so not every variation of the product needs a different printing.
Packaging as a Marketing Tool: Real Examples from Local SMEs
Packaging has become a marketing juggernaut to several SMEs in Singapore.
- Example 1: Fossa Chocolate
This artisanal chocolate brand aims at using minimalist and sleek packaging style with artistic typography and narrative on each label. Its packaging alone is a story of origin, production, and taste: it is Instagram-worthy and serves as a present. - Example 2: Golden Duck
They are colourful and pompous in their packaged printing and skewering on Singaporean dialect and taste. It reaches out to younger generations and makes each pack something to talk about- free advertisement on every sale. - Example 3: Peco Bag
This environmentally-sensitive SME has messages and educational infographics on sustainability printed right on their mailers. This leads to brand trust and advocacy by the customers.
As it looks, when you have smart packaging printings, your packaging is not simply a container it is your sales and marketing funnel.
Final Thoughts
Diversifying to packaging printings can be considered extravagant initially, particularly to small and medium business players who are operating at tight margins. However practically it is one of the most affordable means to promote brand image, sales, and development of loyal customers in the fast-moving Mass consumer market in Singapore.
Packaging on print is mandatory as far as first impression all the way to brand equity values.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Is packaging printing expensive for small businesses?
Not necessarily. With digital printing, minimum order quantity is low and simple designs can be quite cheap. And it is a long lasting investment on your brand image.
2. What’s the difference between digital and offset packaging printing?
Digital printing is suitable when the run is small and turnaround is faster and the offset printing is suitable when the run is large with uniformity of color and less production cost per unit.
3. How can I choose the right packaging material for printing?
Focus on the type of product, and the customer experience. The most typical variants include kraft paper, corrugated cartons and resealable bags. Make the content printable, and suited with your company image.
4. Can packaging really influence customer perception?
Absolutely. Your product may literally be in the hands of your consumers initially in packaging. Packaging that is professionally printed gives inference of quality, care and reliability.
5. Should I include QR codes or social media handles on my packaging?
Yes. These little add-on make customers comfortable to interact with your brand, offer reviews or learn about other goods.
