by Holly MarshMueller
If you’re like most small business entrepreneurs, you’ve mastered the art of spinning multiple plates at once.
Some of them run like a well-oiled machine.
Branding? Check.
Website and blog? Check.
Packaging?
Eh, you’ll worry about it later, you say. What you slapped together at the last minute works fine.
Or does it?
Packaging tends to be the unsung hero of many products. What most people don’t stop to think about is that packaging…
…is the first thing your customer sees…and usually is the last (and often rushed) element in your product development process.
“But I have a brilliant product!” you say. “The thing sells itself!”
Packaging not only protects your product, but it should immediately give your customer a split-second snapshot of what your product (and sometimes even you) is all about.
Think of your branding like a sundae. Many layers, good foundation, tastes delicious, etc. Packaging is the cherry on top of your branding sundae. A sundae without a cherry is exciting, sure, but a sundae with a cherry evokes a completely different feeling, doesn’t it?
And isn’t that what branding + packaging is all about? Feelings, emotion, your gut: it’s the same compulsion that gets that customer to buy, and with that cherry packaging, they feel even more satisfied with their purchase, and may even want to tell others about it! I’m a sucker for good packaging myself, and if I have someone I know gush about some memorable packaging, it makes me want to check out that packaging (and maybe even buy it)!
If you’re not sure where to start, check out blogs like The Dieline; it posts the latest and greatest on the beautiful world of packaging….and many packages make me want to buy them based solely on their packaging design.
Now that’s an item that really sells itself.
Holly MarshMueller has two–no, three, jobs: 1:: She’s the Owner of MarshMueller, where she designs and sews pretty + practical items for mamas + babies, 2:: She still works for The Man (a national retailer) in their Corporate Brands + Packaging Division, and 3:: She is a mama to one adorable little boy (although she is very biased). How does she juggle it all?
“Five hours of sleep a night, lots of coffee, an amazingly supportive husband, and a drive to make life (and necessities) better for all mamas out there.” Holly lives in a 900-square-foot house with her husband, son, two Pomeranians, and one cat in Portland, Oregon.
Holly’s items have been featured on Disney baby, StyleList, and Baby Plus You Wellness For Two. In addition to selling her items on Etsy, she also sells wholesale to small, independent boutiques, and participates in as many craft shows as she can (barring they don’t conflict with a Portland Timbers match, as she is a proud member of the Timbers Army supporter group). Holly is also one of the Leaders of the PDX Etsy Team.
Holly is on many social media platforms; connect with her below! Fair warning about her Twitter account: she Tweets about the Portland Timbers (soccer) quite a bit, and she is too stubborn to open two Twitter accounts.
