Custom Printed Popcorn Boxes: A Know-it-all Guide for Businesses

Popcorn are a famous snack that are loved by people of all ages. These tiny and tasty munchies are famous all over the world, but Americans are die-hard fans. They alone ate popcorn worth USD 3.72 billion in 2023, and a major share of this mammoth number came from ready-to-eat popcorn that are sold at popcorn shops. These popcorns, often packed in custom printed popcorn boxes, come in different flavors and variations. While the taste, quality, and price play an important role in making your business successful, the way you pack them is also crucial for customer engagement and retention.

This guide explains everything you need to know about custom popcorn boxes. It covers designing tips, some famous design ideas, and how to make DIY custom popcorn boxes at home. So, let’s jump into the ocean of popcorn packaging and find some pearls.

Custom Popcorn Boxes Guide for Businesses

This section covers design tips and unique ideas for making special popcorn boxes for businesses.

Designing Tips for Custom Popcorn Boxes

Target Market Research

Popcorn are loved by people of all ages, genders, races, and geographic locations. A single box for all these segments doesn’t look like the right approach. Business owners must conduct in-depth target market analysis to identify their potential customers and use this information for designing popcorn boxes. A colorful and playful box for kids and teenagers and a sober and minimalistic design for adults offers buyers a personalized experience.

Fonts, Colors, Artwork, and Graphic

The attractive appeal of the box is as vital as the taste and quality of the popcorn. The four elements to consider in this domain include fonts, colors, artwork, and graphics. Brands can have different boxes to wow customers. It will create variations and inspire them to buy from your shop repeatedly.

Marketing Strategies

Popcorn are an on-the-go snack that provide excellent marketing opportunities for buyers. Having a brand’s name, logo, tagline, and flavors can serve as a way of building a brand identity among buyers and onlookers. The box gets noticed by people the time it stays in the hands of a buyer. If the box design is good enough to create a popcorn craving and includes your brand name and logo, many people will head over to your place to try your popcorn.

Selecting the Materials and Finishing Options

Popcorn boxes can be made from different materials, like cardboard, Kraft, or corrugated stock. Cardboard is often the best choice for popcorn boxes as it ticks all the required boxes. It is budget-friendly and offers enough protection against moisture for popcorn to stay fresh for a long time. Kraft can be an excellent option for brands doing delivery for popcorn.

The second aspect is going for finishing options. These may not be necessary for popcorn boxes, but they provide an elegant feel to the box. Another innovative idea is to use window cuts and raised corners to make the boxes interactive.

Some Famous and Time-Tested Ideas to Design Custom Popcorn Boxes

Movie or Character Themed Boxes

These are the most commonly used and one of the most successful too. The common graphics you see in this realm include movie posters, superhero images, and cartoon characters. Brands can go for famous characters for different segments of buyers. For example, you can have cartoons for kids and superheroes for teenagers.

Flavor Themed Boxes

There are many flavors in popcorn. The common ones include butter, cheese, caramel, chocolate, salted, plain, and spicy. Selling flavored popcorn in flavored-theme boxes can be an exciting way to capture the interest of buyers. It can also help create cravings among the onlookers. Moreover, popcorn consumers are highly flavor-loyal; they’ll love a personalized experience.

Event-Based Popcorn Boxes

Popcorn shops can have special boxes with artwork for events. For example, if you sell popcorn near a race circuit, you can have images showing cars, races, and other event highlights. This can also serve as a marketing tool for the next event, which can in turn boost sales for popcorn brands. Similarly, brands selling popcorn near or inside kids’ amusement parks can have cartoon characters relevant to the theme of the park.

Gift-Styled Boxes

Many people use popcorn boxes as gift items. They also send them invitations for various events. Brands can get gift-styled custom popcorn boxes for large orders. It can help them inspire customers to order in bulk for their special days.

A Guide for Homeowners Looking to Make Custom Popcorn Boxes

A lot of people serve popcorn on different occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and gender reveals. They are also the best munching option for movie and game nights. Moreover, making popcorn boxes with kids is an excellent way to spend quality time with them.

Step 1: Find & Print the Right Template

Different printable templates are available online that you can use to make special, custom popcorn boxes. Simply search for the type of box you want to make, and you will find tens of options. You can also print a clean template and design it yourself by putting dates, names, and details of the event you are holding. Once you have selected the template, print it on cardstock. A thick paper is a better option than the lightweight printer paper because the latter can’t hold the weight of popcorn.

Step 2: Scoring and Cutting

Most printable templates come with scoring lines that allow users to prepare the box. Gently score these lines using a pencil and a scale. Once amply scored, use scissors to cut the box.

Step 3: Fold, Test, and Glue

Now fold the box along the cut lines and test if the box fits nicely. Then use food-grade glue to join the box. Don’t use common glue, as it is not food-safe and can melt if the popcorn is too hot. You can also find how-to guides on YouTube if you feel you are not comfortable making these boxes on your own. 

Once the process is final, make as many boxes as you need. On the other hand, you can take advantage of the services of a good packaging company. Most suppliers are happy to work with a minimum order quantity of 100 boxes.

Final Words: What to Do Next

Now that we know almost everything about custom popcorn boxes, it’s high time that you invest in these boxes to give a boost to your business. These boxes may look irrelevant, but they play a key role in shaping your business. Moreover, they can elevate the feel of your home events as well.

The question that comes to mind after going through the above discussion is: where do I get these boxes? Don’t worry; we have got you covered on that too. Contact CPP Boxes, a leading packaging supplier in the US. Custom printed packaging boxes offer free shipping, design support, and a quick turnaround time to speed up the process. High quality printing and customer satisfaction are our hallmarks. So let us handle all your popcorn packaging needs while you focus on the other aspects of your business.