Packaging Best Practices and Trends: More Than Just What's Inside the Box

• Shape your boxes. Your products don't always have to be shipped in standard rectangular boxes, Mitchell said. Gift food retailer Hickory Farms offers a gift box in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head, for example.
• Dual purpose for packaging. Incorporate selling and gifting within your packaging, Mitchell said. Spice retailer Penzey's Spices includes a free sample of one of its proprietary spices in its gift boxes. Or it could be any environmental initiatives that a company is engaged in. Heritage Dairy Stores, a convenience store chain in California, offers a chocolate milk box that can turn into a bird feeder.
• Up your messaging. Play up the messaging on your package like a headline, Mitchell advised. Techniques include adding a free value-added offer, calling out natural tie-ins to the product being offered and driving further engagement with social media tools.

Mitchell rattled off some takeaway tips to close his presentation: