Packaging matters – Fairfax & Favor

Anyone who reads my blog or follows me on Facebook will know I have a thing for packaging. A bit of an obsession. Actually, I now have people send me pictures of packaging and strike up conversations about it on a fairly regular basis. And I love that. I know it might seem weird, but packaging is a big part of what you do, especially if you’re a luxury brand. Because receiving a beautifully packaged product adds to the whole experience in a big way. It makes you feel like the people who have designed and sell the product care as much as you do about it. It adds to the experience.

So, you can imagine my delight when my Windsor Bag from Fairfax & Favor came in beautiful packaging. But it was actually a lot more than just a lovely box. It was clever. Actually, so clever I made a video the next day. If you click on the pic, you should be whisked to Youtube to see the video.

I’d been admiring the bag for years (actually, I wrote a blog about that too and why I bought it!), but when I took the plunge, I didn’t expect to love the packaging as much as I do and did. So, what did Fairfax & Favor do, or what about Fairfax & Favor’s packaging made them stand out from the crowd? I’ll tell you…

• Really good customer service
• Fast delivery
• A stunning, well made, beautifully branded box that I still have sat on my desk
• A paper wallet that explained the Fairfax & Favor competition on Instagram and how I could take part, a handwritten note (I have spoken to SO many people about this), and an invite to their stand at the shows they’re attending this year. And a catalogue. Obviously,
• A fabric cover that goes over the bag to protect it. Beautifully branded, even down to the tassels with the Fairfax & Favor logo on.

Now, I’m not naive here. I get how this game is played and I know that all the things above are very deliberate. They want me to feel like I did and do about the packaging (OK, maybe they didn’t expect me to get that excited about the packaging, but that would be quite a stretch!) and the product. They wanted me to feel special and start what could be an expensive and long time love affair with the brand. And I get that. Does it make me love the Fairfax & Favor packaging any less? Hell no. Because anyone could do it and most don’t bother. Yes, there’s a time factor with writing the note. Yes, there’s a cost for that level of packaging, but by being creative and applying some thought, every brand out there can do things to make their customers feel special. To make their customers feel like they care and genuinely value their business. Definite food for thought. I’d love to hear your take on it all.