6 Crucial Details To Note When Selecting Food Packaging
Updated: Nov 7, 2021
In the era where food delivery has become a prominent phenomenon, brand-oriented food packaging has emerged as a vital feature amidst F&B businesses.
Regardless of the scale of your operation, choosing the right food packaging is imperative for your brand to establish brand visibility and quality assurance outside of your dine-in establishments. It is a deliberate and meticulous process; from the materials you use to the designing phase, the final packaging determines the potential of your brand’s impression for existing and potential customers alike.
So, what can you do to ensure brand visibility through customised packaging? What are the considerations that go into producing quality packaging tailored specifically for your brand? What can be done to ensure that you outshine your competitors?
Let us observe the main criteria for selecting the right food packaging befitting for your brand:
Product durability
Compartments vs separate containers
Shape and size
Branding and design
The cost of packaging production
Environmental sustainability
1. Product durability
The intrinsic value of food packaging relies first and foremost, on product durability and functionality. You want to ensure that it preserves food quality and reduces the susceptibility of damage or leaking during transportation. In fact, how resilient your packaging is affects how your customers will perceive your brand.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: Imagine you’ve ordered from your favourite restaurant, anticipating an amazing dinner. When it arrives, the containers are half-soaked in condensation, flattened at one side with gravy spilling all over the bag. In this scenario, you’ll probably feel disgruntled and extremely despondent towards the food establishment. Similarly, you’ll risk providing abysmal services with a lack of detail towards your food packaging and brand’s dependability.
In essence, when you maintain package integrity and food quality standards for takeaways, you’re likely to retain your customer’s loyalty. Therefore, you must ensure your food remains presentable, from delivery to the doorstep.
2. Compartments vs separate containers
Food packaging with compartments, generally known as bento boxes, are made to segregate different types of dishes into one package. Especially when it comes to sweet and savoury foodstuffs, it’s preferable to isolate them from one another to avoid an undesired mixture by the end of the delivery!
3. Shape and size
Your menu dictates the shape and size of your packaging. Between a pizza fast-food chain and an al-fresco that sells hotdogs, they require different shapes of takeaway boxes. In terms of size, some stalls require a variety of dimensions to accommodate meals with individual proportions.
4. Branding and design
When it comes to branding and design, these are the considerations:
Colour scheme
Logo visibility
Uniquity
The main objective of incorporating your branding into your packaging is to be as eye-catching as possible in order to promote brand awareness. Doing so will make all the difference to become conspicuous amidst your competitors and garner awareness from potential customers. From the colour scheme to the visibility of your logo, it should be consistent and recognisable at first glance, encompassing the uniqueness and personality of your brand.
An example of how design plays an essential part would be an observation of how businesses embellish their packaging during festive events.
When it comes to occasions such as Christmas, New Year and the Mooncake festival, F&B businesses tend to utilise unique packaging to commemorate the event and spread the festive cheer. Especially during Mooncake festival popups, we will see an array of exemplary designs that dazzle our sight. With the amalgamation of jolly emotions and breathtaking exhibitions of design, we’ll tend to select based on the elements that capture our attention the most, next to the familiarity with the brand.
Food packaging has proven to be a valuable marketing tool; the more distinctive your brand is, the higher the recognition will be. Utilising branding via food packaging is an ideal way to spread your business!
If you’re searching for personalised food packaging branding, take a look at our range of customisation options!
5. The cost of packaging production
With all the above in mind, you’ll have to ensure that your food packaging satisfies your
standards while remaining within your budget. So how can you ensure that your decision will be cost-efficient?
First, you have to ensure that your packaging design is of satisfactory quality. At Dillic Packaging, we offer a prototype of your desired packaging to ensure that you are completely content before moving on to mass production. This relieves you from investing in production with deplorable results.
Second, consider buying in bulk as they tend to be a cheaper alternative. However, there may be an issue with storage with over-ordered stocks, so make sure to check the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) of the product before engaging the packaging services.
Third, you have to be sure that the materials you’ll be using are easily accessible. Rare and seasonal materials will definitely come with a heftier price tag.
6. Environmental sustainability
In an effort to reduce single-use non-biodegradable packaging, many brands are making the switch to eco-friendly materials for their disposables due to rising global environmental concerns.
In fact, here at Dillic Packaging, we are strong advocates for sustainable practices. We believe in eliminating unnecessary waste with sustainable options, encouraging eco friendly food packaging from our suppliers to our clients!
Conclusion
With these guidelines in mind, it’s imperative that you draw out a deliberate plan before approaching your packaging supplier. Always remember, customer’s expectations expand beyond the in-house dining experience. For delivery, you have to ensure that customers perceive your brand positively and selecting food packaging that’s suitable is one area to look at in maintaining quality and consistency.
With a combination of sturdy food packaging and outstanding branding, you can promote your brand’s visibility by empowering your package to speak for itself!
You can check out our range of ready-made products here:
https://shop.dillicpackaging.com
For customised food packaging, reach out to us via the link below: