# Ideas please!!



## Johnsamuvel (Aug 9, 2016)

I am new to marketing field, we had decided to market our soap. As it is the first production and marketing, little concerned. The main factor is the packaging. One of the factors for the success of the product is its attractive printed and decorative packaging. Also, the packaging has to be eco-friendly. I am looking for such type of packaging. We are making oval shaped soaps, how can we do packaging and labeling to make it attractive? Please suggest some ideas. I have seen some images while googling and I loved it.


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## Susie (Aug 9, 2016)

The packaging seen above completely hides your soap.  I assume you have a "sniff hole" somewhere in that packaging, because appearance draws the customer in, but scent sells. 

I would think some sort of biodegradable shrink wrap would sell lots better.  Don't forget the sniff hole.

ETA:  I Googled biodegradable shrink wrap, and got these folks.  This was the second listing on my list, so I am sure there are lots more:

http://www.nationalshrinkwrap.com/home.html


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## reflection (Aug 9, 2016)

one thing you might want to do is to go on Pinterest and create a board of sample soap packages you like. that way you can easily go back and see what specific things appeal to you. make note of the specifics you like. maybe it is a particular color, texture of paper, design, style of packaging, etc. graphic design is subjective so it's hard to give recommendations. what i like you may or may not like. it also depends on your budget and whether or not you are making the packaging yourself or hiring a graphic designer or having the print shop create the design. 

i like what susie is suggesting about having a way for the customer to see or smell the soap but for an eco-friendly approach i'd stick with paper packaging. i know that many soaps used to be sold with just cardboard sleeves so they may not need a lot of packaging, but i don't know how that affects the longevity of any fragrance. the least amount of packaging would be the most eco-friendly option. also, using recycled papers and vegetable inks. you can even buy premade soap sleeves but they won't have your logo or product info on them so you'd have to do something to add that. this specific product may work better for gifts than selling but it's one idea. 

eta: other inexpensive ideas are to buy some kraft paper, either wrapping paper or cardstock if you want to make a sleeve, and have a stamp made of your logo/company information. then you can buy ink pads in fun colors and stamp the kraft paper with your logo. then tie it all up with a nice string. 

you can even use fabric to wrap soaps which is another eco-friendly option, but i don't know how pricey that would be. fat quarters, small pieces of fabric sold in bundles, might be worth checking into.


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## cmzaha (Aug 9, 2016)

My concern for the type of packaging you are look into is making any money selling your soaps. Soap is an extremely saturated, competitive market. As Susie mentioned if they cannot smell it they will not buy it. I am not sure how you are trying to market your soap, but if at fairs and outdoor markets save money on expensive packaging. They just get to shop worn


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## LilyJo (Aug 10, 2016)

cmzaha said:


> My concern for the type of packaging you are look into is making any money selling your soaps. Soap is an extremely saturated, competitive market. As Susie mentioned if they cannot smell it they will not buy it. I am not sure how you are trying to market your soap, but if at fairs and outdoor markets save money on expensive packaging. They just get to shop worn



I agree - it depends on where and how you are selling.

Selling at fairs needs a different approach to selling online and it may be that selling at a fair is different to selling in shop.

It also depends on who your target customer is, what they expect from your brand and what they expect to pay - a high end luxury gift product may need different packaging to a a handcrafted farmers market product.


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## samirish (Aug 10, 2016)

I love that packaging and would buy it just based on that alone. It looks inviting, clean and upscale, all at the same time.


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## MySoapyHeart (Aug 10, 2016)

Packaging soap - oh dear, there are so many things you can do!

Great suggestions from everyone here, and the input from_ Reflections _about using pinterest is a really good one too, because Pinterest is a huge encyclopedia of how to pack or decorate anything, or everything in this world, without becoming bankrupt.

Although I don`t sell my soaps yet, I am a person who like to *see *what I am buying. Meaning I am not the one who shops for already _giftwrapped _items that is completely hiding what is inside. I am not talking about tubes of mascara or pantyhose, but whatever items I want from a store and that I at least can give a quick once-over to see that it isn`t cracked, broken, ripped or damaged. Handmade pieces of soap would go in this category, also because I want soap to smell good, and look good. I would perhaps expect at least a small sniffer hole or something. If a soap is supposed to smell like Lilacs I would like to check if I like the scent.

Soap packaging with a small window & a small sniffer hole would protect and still show the soap.

I have used small, closed cellobags when gifting. The are inexpensive, easy to get a hold of, and are easy to use.

After the soap is in the bag and the bag is closed properly, I cut a hole in each corner of the bag so the soap can breathe freely and also release scent, but being protected from dust, fingerprints etc. It looks looks clean, it doesn`t hide the scent and people can see and smell the soap without having to unwrap it right away. I can decorate it, add a label, sticker etc.


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## TBandCW (Aug 12, 2016)

I use shrink wrap with the ends open for my markets, and cigar bands for my higher end retail.


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## dixiedragon (Aug 12, 2016)

Is cost a factor? If not, I've got some fun ideas. If so...shrink wrap.


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## bluemoosesoap (Aug 18, 2016)

*packaging*

What are your "fun ideas", DixieDragon?


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## dixiedragon (Aug 18, 2016)

Handmade paper with herbs or seeds mixed in. Maybe even the kind where you can plant the paper and the seeds will sprout.

You could also put in your proposal that your packaging would be done by some type of charitable group. For example, in my state, there is a non-profit that employees blind people to stuff envelopes and other piece work. So you can contract with them on a job by job basis. You drop off your envelopes, etc, and they stuff them for you for a charge per piece.

Another option would be some kind of fabric baggie. Bamboo is popular right now because it grows so fast so it is very sustainable and it uses up massive amounts of carbon dioxide. So, bamboo fabric - possibly sewn by some kind of charitable group - and the bag is re-usable. In my area, some people, such as disabled people who have difficulty leaving the house, and also SAHMs, take in sewing like that - a lady I know who makes her entire living selling dog collars had a team of women doing this. She'd drop off the supplies and they'd be paid a certain amount per collar. So some people would do it 30 hours a week, some 10, depending on their schedules. (She was able to do this for years but she simply couldn't assemble enough sewers to keep up with the volume, so she's since gotten an investor and moved her production to Mexico.)

IMO, from a small-crafter perspective, these aren't totally practical, unless you are able to charge a price per bar that this extra element of "specialness" is worth it. But for a project where you want to demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking, these things might be interesting.


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