When customers open a package, besides the product itself, they often find a card, coupon, instruction manual or protective pad. These extra materials inside the package are called packaging inserts.
Packaging inserts protect products during shipping, tell your brand story, provide special offers and also enhance the customer’s unboxing experience.
Whether you run an online shop, a subscription box, or a jewelry store, adding simple extras inside your packaging can do more than surprise your customers. These inserts can cut down on returns, promote your brand, and help you build stronger customer relationships.
Whether you run an online shop, a subscription box, or a jewelry store, adding packaging inserts inside your packaging surprises your customers. Inserts can cut down on product returns, promote your brand, and build stronger customer relationships.
In this article, we’ll explain what packaging inserts are, why they are useful, main types, and how to customize packaging inserts for your product.
What are the benefits of packaging inserts?
Packaging inserts offers the following main benefits:
- Secures products during transit: protective inserts hold items in place and provide cushion.
- Enhances the unboxing experience: thoughtful inserts make packaging feel special and memorable.
- Increases marketing and promotion: promotional inserts encourage repeated purchases and elevate brand visibility.
- Communicates product information: informative inserts provide customers with product details and usage instructions.
Secures products during transit
Protective inserts keep products safe during shipping by holding them in place and absorbing shocks. The following examples show how inserts protect the products. Corrugated divider inserts stop items from hitting each other. Foam cushions fragile items like glassware and electronics. Molded pulp trays protect the bottles from damage by fitting around them. Fillers like wood wool or shredded paper fill empty spaces in the box to give extra protection.
Enhances the unboxing experience
Inserts make unboxing pleasing and memorable for customers. For example, Thank-you cards add a personal touch and make customers feel connected to the brand. Stickers and referral cards make the unboxing surprising and enjoyable. Some inserts like “snap and share” cards asking customers to post online, makes unboxing interactive and fun.
Increases marketing and promotion
Packaging inserts promote marketing by boosting brand awareness and building customer loyalty. Inserts like flyers promote products by sharing key information about the brand. Discount codes or coupons encourage customers to return. Referral cards encourage customers to invite friends for rewards. Thank-you notes make customers feel valued and appreciated. Sample inserts introduce customers to other brand items that they may like. Small gift inserts make the unboxing memorable and worth sharing online.
Communicates product information
Informational inserts provide customers with details about the product, brand and usage instructions. Product manuals explain how to use and care for the product, and also the product ingredients. Warranty information shows the quality and durability of a product. Return policies provide assurance to customers about the process of returning a product. Brand story inserts share the company’s mission and values, creating connection with customers.
What Are Common Types of Packaging Inserts?
The following are three main types of packaging inserts:
- Protective inserts (also called box inserts) for keeping products safe during shipping.
- Promotional inserts for enhancing customer engagement and brand visibility.
- Informational or branding inserts for sharing product or brand information.
What are protective packaging inserts, or box inserts?
Protective packaging inserts, secures and cushions products inside packaging during shipping. Also known as box inserts, they protect items from shock, vibration, and pressure. Protective inserts keep products in place, hence avoiding breaking or spillage.
Common forms of protective packaging inserts include the following:
- Foam inserts absorb shocks and cushion delicate items like electronics, jewelry, and glassware.
- Plastic inserts are custom-made rigid trays or dividers used to secure products. They fit the exact shape of a product, preventing movement during shipping.
- Corrugated inserts are made from corrugated cardboard. They can be used as dividers, die-cut fittings or layer pads.
- Bubble wrap inserts are pre-formed pouches or bags made from bubble wrap. They provide impact protection of fragile items like glassware and electronics.
- Cardboard dividers are inserts that create partitions inside a box. They are commonly used for bottles, electronics and cosmetics.
What are Promotional Inserts
Promotional inserts are items such as cards or gifts placed inside the package. Their purpose is to boost brand awareness by keeping the brand story in front of the customer. Again, these inserts increase purchases through discounts and offers. Promotional inserts enhance customer loyalty by creating an unmemorable unboxing experience.
Common forms of promotional inserts include the following:
- Flyers are single-page advertisements with brand information, product details or other useful details.
- Discount codes or offers are vouchers or coupons that encourage repeat purchases.
- QR codes are digital links which direct you to product or brand pages or loyalty programs.
- Product samples can be of the same product purchased or different product of the same brand. Samples encourage repeat purchases and boost customer loyalty.
- Small gifts include bonus items that surprise and pleases customers.
- Referral cards are cards encouraging customers to invite friends in exchange for rewards
- Product reviews asks customers to leave feedback or share about their experience online.
What are Branding Inserts
Branding inserts are small items added inside packages to make customers feel connected to the brand. They include handwritten notes, thank-you cards, custom-stickers, and personal notes. Branding inserts are designed to improve the unboxing experience and encourage repeat purchases. For example, thank-you cards make customers feel appreciated. Storytelling leaflets or manuals share the company’s mission and explain product use.
Ecommerce packaging inserts, or Mailer inserts
E-commerce packaging inserts are branding inserts that online stores put inside the packages. They enhance the unboxing experience and encourage customers to shop again. Common examples include coupon codes that give discounts on their next order. Other examples include product samples and storytelling leaflets.
subscription box inserts
Subscription box inserts are branding inserts placed inside monthly or seasonal subscription boxes. They are designed to make the unboxing more fun and personal. Examples include welcome letters, usage tips, or themed notes. Subscription box inserts encourage customers to keep their subscription.
Examples of subscription box inserts by niche include:
- Beauty boxes: Inserts include product usage tips, skincare guides, or sample items.
- Snack boxes: Themed notes about the origin of the snacks or recipe cards.
- Shaver or grooming boxes: inserts include welcome letters explaining subscription benefits. Others include tips on how to use products, and care guides.
Jewelry box inserts
Jewelry box inserts are designed to protect and present the jewelry in the box. The best inserts for jewelry boxes are velvet flocking. Velvet flocking cushions delicate items like rings, earrings and necklaces. It also enhances tactile experience, making unboxing pleasant to customers. Velvet flocking is suitable for different products and styles.
Thank you inserts for packages
Thank-you inserts are small cards or notes placed inside packages to show appreciation to customers. They make customers feel valued and create a personal connection with the brand. Thank-you inserts make the unboxing experience memorable for customers. Sending thank-you notes shows that the brand cares about customers. Thank-you cards encourage customer loyalty and make customers invite friends.
Informative Inserts
Informative inserts are designed to educate customers. They help customers to understand and use products in the correct way. These inserts aim at preventing mistakes and improving customer experience. Informative inserts increase satisfaction and encourage customers to trust the brand. Common examples of informative inserts are the following:
- Care instructions for the product
- User guides explaining how to use the product
- FAQs that answer common questions about the product
- Tips and tricks guides to get the most out of the item.
- Return forms or shipping labels to make return easy.
How to customize packaging inserts for your product?
Customization of packaging inserts means creating inserts unique to your product packaging. Designing unique inserts enhance your brand identity and awareness. It also creates personal connection with customers and improves the unboxing experience. To customize packaging inserts for your product, consider the following options:
- Materials. To make inserts, different materials like recyclable paper, matte or glossy papers, or premium cardstock are used. Be careful to choose a material that matches your brand identity. Choosing a material affects how customers see your brand. For example, Customers can tell if your brand is eco-friendly or high-end.
- Design. Create a design for your inserts that aligns with your brand. For example, use elegant fonts and rich colors if your brand is luxurious. Use natural colors like green and brow, and eco symbols, if you are eco-friendly. Integrate your logo, brand colors, fonts, and messaging into the design. This ensures that the aesthetic is cohesive with your brand identity.
- Message tone. The words on your insert can sound friendly, elegant, elegant, playful or instructional. You have to choose a tone that fits your brand and product. For example, a playful and fun language is suitable for a snack brand. But, for a tech product brand, language should be clear and instructional.
- Print format. Inserts can be single cards, folded cards, double-sided cards, or die-cut shapes. Choose a format based on your needs. A brochure gives more space for instruction, while single cards keep messages short and simple.
- Use-case segmentation. Inserts should be customized based on who the customer is, what they bought, or the size of their order. For example, a first-time buyer can get a welcome card. A customer who orders a large package may get a discount coupon for their next buy.
How to customize box insert for your product?
To customize box inserts, think about the material needs and shape of your product. The goal is to protect the product, make it look nice, and give customers a good experience. Here are the main options:
- Material Choices. Inserts can be made from different materials depending on the product. The following are the options for different product needs:
- Foam: Offers high protection and a premium look.
- Corrugated cardboard: Eco-friendly and cost-effective.
- Molded pulp: Sustainable and can be shaped to fit products perfectly.
- Plastic or thermoformed trays: Durable and can be reused.
Shape & fit. Box inserts can be designed to hold your product securely. They can be die-cut to match the exact shape of the item, keeping it secure during shipping. Multi-slot inserts are useful for grouped products, holding many items in place. Folded or layered inserts allow stacking of products without getting damaged.
