The Best Ways to Protect Items When Shipping

In our world, you can send messages and communication instantly, and with more and more people shipping packages, especially with the advent of online shopping, a big part of this is protection of the packaging. People don’t think about this, but the USPS and other delivery services are not the best with protecting packages, and sometimes, people get their items ruined. But, with the right inside options, you’ll be able to protect the items that you’re shipping to others without it breaking the bank either. 

Packaging Peanuts 

This is something that’s pretty typical to use for filler, and children love these because of the static nature of them, and how they’re able to move onto their clothes, and also tossing them around. They are light, but the one downside to this is that they don’t break down and help the environment. 

However, they’re good for protecting everything, and if you get non-Styrofoam options, they’re not going to just end up taking a bunch of space in a landfill for a millennium.  If you do get these, the best way to utilize packaging peanuts is to just put them in another package to ship these out.  You’ll want to go for cornstarch too, since these are considered biodegradable packaging peanuts and work well in protecting the package that’s being shipped out. However, they do usually take a bit more space and are a little bit heavier. 

Newspaper 

This is a great filler item because it can be broken down, and it’s versatile too, since you can crinkle, shred it, or wrap an item in it. You do want to be mindful of the ink though on this, since it can ruin a gift since it can get onto there, and then you’ve got ink all over the item. 

Bubble Wrapping 

This is basically a sheet of plastic put together with another sheet, with bubbles of air trapped between each side of this, and it’s something that can pop too. This is used to absorb the impact, or if the object hits something, the bubbles of air provide a cushion towards the object too.  Usually, it also takes a bit of energy to hit this, but the bubbles protect the item from impact instead of having the item directly touching it. This is efficient to protect, but the one downside is that it also is not environmentally friendly.  You should try to reuse or recycle this as much as you can, or also look to see if there are any ways to recycle them if you get the chance. 

Tips for Packing Items 

For a lot of packaging that is general, you want to make sure you use cardboard boxes that are corrugated to ship, and also provide enough materials to cushion this. You should also make sure that you use sealers such as adhesives or tape to help keep everything sealed. Do make sure everything labeled properly too. 

If you’re going to ship something that’s higher in costs, do consider buying insurance for this, and if it’s over $500, definitely use this.  It doesn’t cost a ton, but it’s usually up to a few dollars, but that can save you. 

You should also make sure that the shipping medium is rigid, touch, has flaps, and also make sure that the items you throw in there are wrapped separately. Consider using bubble wrap to also protect this. 

Strapping tape is also good to fully close the boxes and is better than scotch or masking tape. 

Make sure that the labels are clear and capitalized too. 

Making your Packaging Interactive through Games and AR

Interactive packaging is a new way to get customers to engage with your product through unique digital experiences. AR and games, or gamification are two of the most popular ways.

Technology is all over the place. Everyone has it, so it makes sense why there’s some ways for you to enhance the consumer experience, and really make it so that you’re able to really create and enjoy an exciting sort of experience.

Here, we’ll go over the ways to enhance your consumer experience through this, and how interactive packaging is changing the way things are going.

Technology for Digital Content 

These days, we all have phones. Kids have tablets and phones, and adults do as well.   It's important to make sure that your packaging does have some form of digital incentive these days. 

AR, or augmented reality, is one of the main features. This is where you change and manipulate reality through the packaging that you have.   This, of course, ensures that you’re able to get the most that you can out of your packaging content. 

You can also use QR, or quick-response codes that people can scan to get various tutorials and games for their product. Some even allow for you as well to have some various QR codes that will take the person to promotions, or even some digital collectables. 

Some companies have jumped on the NFT train, where if they sell a unique item, the person can claim an NFT by buying this. 

It’s a great way for you to really make it work, and also gives you a unique way for you to get everything that you want out of this. 

NFC, or near-field technology is also good if you have consumers that can pair the products.   This can be great for items that do have some compatibility with each other, crafting a unique, exciting experience for everyone. 

Packaging for Storytelling 

With this same technology, you can also use the packaging for interactive storytelling, or a rewards system, gamifying everything.

For instance, if you have a product people can collect, they can scan the items and get a freebie from you.   

You can also have them get a QR code that will unlock some great regards. They can scan it, and after a few purchases, they get a coupon or a free item.   This is a great way to get repeat buyers. 

Food and beverage companies already do this, such as check-in systems. Product companies can do the same. Integrating a game into everything is great, as it gives people a chance to get the rewards that they want to have. 

The benefits and Challenges 

These days, there’s a lot of benefits to adding technology to your packaging. It improves the customer engagement, getting customers interested in what your company is doing, and how they can engage with this.

The second thing is that it also creates better brand loyalty. Many companies see benefits in working with brands, so that a lot of times they can get the help and care they need if a problem arises. Making it so that you’re a trusted brand is important, and you’ll be grateful that you’re able to do it. 

AR and other integrated technology is great for brands. By doing this, you’ll be able to better understand the people that work underneath you, and in turn also help to ensure that the product is enjoyable for customers. Creating packaging that they can interact with is memorable and while it may cost a lot at the beginning, the overall price of this is worth it.