For small businesses, finding ways to stand out from the crowd is vital. To secure long-term loyalty from customers, you need to give them a positive experience to remember. Custom packaging has already proven itself as a brilliant marketing tool, but seasonal packaging for small businesses is an even more unique and memorable way to brand your business. Family-run candlemaking business 1820 Co. shows us how seasonal packaging has more applications than just the holiday season!
Melissa Smith was very mindful of her strong family legacy in agriculture as she brainstormed small business ideas that she could launch from home. Coming from a farming background, she saw nature and sustainability as important values that she wanted to support. It was from these cornerstones that 1820 Co. was born back in 2004, the name itself a homage to her roots in the region:
“The inspiration for 1820 Co. was the fact that we created the first candles in our farmstead home which was built in approximately 1820. The original vision was to be self-employed while my children were younger, and allow me to satisfy the need to be creative as well as be mindful of our roots in agriculture. Our family has farmed this land for around 100 years, and the thought of using soybean and plant-based products to craft our line seemed like a perfect fit!”
Custom packaging as brand storytelling
When most businesses today have such a focus on their external marketing efforts, it’s easy to forget that the products themselves can tell their own stories in a very authentic way. Artisans and craftspeople have a real edge in this area, as their products tend to speak very naturally about lived experiences and origins. Growing up in Ohio, a former industrial heartland, had a big impact on Melissa when it came to designing her candle range:
“What is most interesting about what I do is coming up with fragrance compositions that are unique and collections that are tailored to those lines. For example, our Rust Belt Collective line tells a story through scent about the economic revival of the Midwest, whilst our B. Elixir line evokes the senses to provide an almost therapeutic effect by using essential oils as well as high-quality perfume grade fragrance.”
Custom packaging for small businesses represents a way to stretch this storytelling that little bit further. For Melissa, this meant ensuring that 1820 Co’s proud heritage was well-communicated to her customers, whilst also reflecting the premium quality of her product. This makes her minimalist custom tissue paper design the perfect reflection of her brand identity:
“In keeping with being detail-oriented, one of our lines utilizes tissue paper as part of the packaging. I had long been considering custom tissue paper printed with our logo. After seeing other successful brands using noissue, I decided to finally take the plunge and have noissue print custom tissue paper for 1820 Co. with our freshly updated new logo. I could not be happier with the quality and the ethereal look it has, and the completely bespoke touch it gives our B. Elixir line.”
How seasonal packaging benefits small businesses
The best part of custom packaging is that the world really is your oyster from a design standpoint. Combine this with low MOQs, and you have the perfect recipe for seasonal packaging refreshes throughout the year.
Seasonal packaging for small businesses is often associated only with the holiday season, but there are far more options available. In fact, creating a seasonal design for your product packaging at a different time of year is far more likely to make your brand stand out (after all, everyone reaches a saturation point with snowflakes and candy canes!)
Seasonal packaging allows you to put a different spin on your brand storytelling, especially when parts of your product range are seasonal too. 1820 Co.’s seasonal design is a clever fusion of Fall and Halloween symbolic elements, which allows her custom tissue paper to stay relevant for months as opposed to weeks. This really maximizes her investment, whilst keeping her packaging design fresh and engaging for her customers.
For more on seasonal packaging for small businesses,check out our guide!