The greatest use of a packaging tool does not only lie in the realm of marketing, but it can also be an incredible opportunity to develop a high-end brand image. To maximize all that a packaging tool has to offer, one must think beyond the basics. Secure packaging solutions will aid in meeting your branding and marketing needs.
Custom inserts for packaging create a positive customer experience and allow for premium branding to reach potential customers. Additionally, custom packaging inserts create a new way to foster customer interaction and build relationships with your customers.
Want to learn more about packaging inserts? This Master Guide covers all that you should know about custom inserts, including the different types of inserts available, as well as choosing the best custom insert option for your product’s packaging. First, we’ll explore some fundamental knowledge about custom boxes with inserts.
Table of Contents
What Are Inserts For Packaging?
Inserts, also referred to as inserts for packing boxes, have a variety of functions. They provide the customer with an impact while opening, they help protect the product from damage, allow you to market products, and ultimately create a premium or luxury image.
Inserts will always be able to allow customers a piece of your company that can be held onto. Let’s look at some examples of different types of inserts.
Types Of Custom Inserts For Packaging
First of all, it is important to know that there are two major categories of packaging inserts. Therefore, this blog post delves more into each category of custom inserts for boxes.
Custom Foam Inserts
Foam inserts are most often recognized as a great option due to their light weight, an unforgettable unboxing experience & full coverage protection. The foam inserts are ideal for items that need a little additional protection during the handling, display, storage & transportation processes.
Do you need protective packaging options for electronic and tech products? Foam inserts can be a great option to protect tech products such as electronics, glass, camera lenses, or jewelry from scratches and wear.
Corrugated Cardboard Inserts
Corrugated cardboard inserts are a good way to protect your products!!! Corrugated cardboard inserts help protect electronics/glassware/food items/etc from damage while in transit and storage.
Corrugated cardboard inserts are used across all industries, but most commonly in e-commerce. The eco-friendly nature of mailer box inserts for fragile items also allows them to be sustainable by using renewable/recyclable materials.
Molded Pulp Inserts
Pulp inserts can be created by combining the best of recycled paper and cardboard materials in order to shape them into different forms and sizes. The pulp inserts provide shock-absorbing packaging options that allow for the protection of sensitive items from breakage. While these inserts are great for sustainability, they are not a food-safe product.
Molded Plastic Inserts
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic inserts have a number of different thicknesses and can be made from various materials. PVC and PET plastic inserts are lightweight as well as inexpensive and can be easily molded to fit the specific needs of an application.
Anti-Static Packaging is used in conjunction with plastic inserts in order to protect sensitive electronic components against electrostatic discharges. However, while common in the electronics, medical, and food industries, the use of plastic inserts is extremely detrimental to the environment.
Types Of Promotional Inserts For Packaging
Promotional inserts also fall into the category of packaging inserts. While box inserts protect products as their number one goal, promotional inserts provide a personalized branding element to your package, build relationships with your customer base, and create an enhanced unboxing experience.
With promotional inserts, you can reach out to each consumer personally and have them see your story in all aspects of your product’s packaging. What is your story? Let’s take a look at some examples of the types of promotional inserts that will help paint a clearer picture for your brand.
Greeting Card Inserts
The greeting cards or inserts on the cards can be a special strategy for connecting and communicating with your customer base. When the consumer connects to the brand through a greeting card, they have formed a string that will connect them to the brand. A ‘Thank you for Shopping’ greeting card creates a connection from the customer back to the brand and increases their chance of being repeat customers.
Personal Note Inserts
The personal greeting card is an inexpensive way to provide a customized unboxing experience. Through these greeting cards, there is one clear channel of communication with the targeted customer. This allows you to create the initial positive impression of your brand.
Discount Code Inserts
Inserting discount codes into products is an excellent opportunity to foster relationships with your customers, show appreciation for them, and create loyalty towards your brand. Customers will now have the ability to use these discount codes in conjunction with the social media platforms they already use, promoting your branded offer, which will then encourage others to make purchases of your product.
Social Share/Product Review Request Inserts
Inserts that are used for sharing social content/ product reviews are a great way to continue building relationships with your brand, even after the customer has made their initial purchase. Inserts will provide the potential customer’s reason to begin interacting with your brand and follow your social channels. Inserts also allow you to ask the customer for their opinion of their original purchase.
Informational Inserts
Brand promotional inserts help give the customer all important information about how to use your product, what it contains, potential dangers or health concerns associated with its use, so they can get the most out of your product, build trust in your brand, and maintain a positive relationship with your customer.
Trends Of Custom Inserts For Packaging
Let’s look at trends related to using packaging inserts for boxes. Below is an example table showing many of these current trends, including various types of materials that are being used and the level of customization available.
| Trend | Materials | Category | Production Cost | Purpose | Printability | Customizability |
| Personalization | Premium paper, highly printable materials | Marketing | Moderate-High | Engage users | High | High |
| Sustainability | Recycled paper & plastics | Environmental | Variable | Eco-friendly | Moderate | High |
| Technological Integration | NFC tags & QR codes | Interactive | High | Interactive | Variable | Moderate |
| Interactive Elements | Perforated paper | Engagement | Moderate | User engage | High | High |
| Health and Wellness Focus | Moisture control materials | Protective | Moderate | Protect health | Moderate | Moderate |
| Minimalist Design | Lightweight paper | Aesthetic | Low-Moderate | Simplicity | High | High |
Choose The Right Type Of Custom Inserts For Packaging
The choice of using the correct style or design of custom packaging inserts will be your top priority as it relates to brand image and business reputation. The following are the considerations for selecting the right product insert when you have decided on a custom folded product insert.
Note Your Product’s Dimensions & Weight
Firstly, you need to know every detail about the product that you want to package with an insert. This information includes the size of the product (length x width x height), and the weight of the product so that you can determine which insert would best suit this product.
Know How Much Protection Is Needed
Different types of items require different forms of protection. Premium items like electronics need a form of protection that is significantly better than the level of protection needed by breakable items. Additionally, the type of shipping being used will have an impact on what materials can be utilized.
The most common uses for foam and molded pulp are for products that have a primary package to protect against scratches and dents.
Review Your Budget
The budget will be a determining factor in selecting the appropriate material. If you wish to use lightweight material, ask your packaging vendor how he protects your product during shipping. What are the advantages of using less heavy material?
Using lightweight material reduces the cost of shipping. The best practice is to follow the recommendations of the courier regarding packing to protect the products from damage caused by shipping, as well as road conditions.
Study Your Packaging’s Environmental Impact
The reports indicate that 82 million tons of solid waste were generated by packaging. Cardboard and paper alone produced a total of 32.7 million tons of waste within the EU. This was followed closely by plastic and glass at approximately 15 million tons.
As indicated by this study, utilizing recycled materials will reduce your company’s carbon footprint and promote your company’s green initiative.
Where To Get Inserts Of Any Type?
Are you looking for a reliable packaging partner for insert manufacturing? Tycoon Packaging has all the skills to create custom box inserts of any type through endless customization options with advanced die-cutting and printing techniques.
We give you full freedom to customize every aspect of the custom insert boxes and inserts at affordable rates. Don’t wait any longer and get in touch with us for high-quality inserts.
The Final Verdict Of Custom Inserts For Packaging
Inserts for packaging can be used for both maximum product protection and creating an amazing unboxing experience. This is why we developed this “master guide,” which will help with selecting all packaging inserts by category and material.
In addition, we have created a table in this blog post so that you can make a decision based on the details you want. If you do not know what kind of insert to use, we have outlined a process to select the best option for your use case. Use this guide to learn about all packaging inserts.
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