Why Custom Packaging Is the Next Growth Opportunity for Promo Suppliers

Editor's Note: This article was written for Promo Impressions. For more content on promotional products decoration, subscribe to the biweekly newsletter at PromoImpressions.com.

Custom packaging represents one of the most stable and opportunity-rich segments in the printing industry, and Cory Francer, analyst for Alliance Insights, makes a compelling case for why promotional products suppliers should pay attention.

Unlike other print categories vulnerable to digital disruption, packaging can’t be digitized. Every promotional product requires a physical container, making packaging a logical extension of a supplier’s existing capabilities. Francer highlights folding cartons and lightweight corrugated packaging as accessible entry points, particularly as sheetfed digital presses continue lowering barriers to entry for short-run, customized production.

The opportunity also reflects broader industry convergence. As print, promo, packaging, and fulfillment services increasingly overlap, suppliers that expand into packaging can consolidate services for distributors and deepen client relationships. Packaging enhances kitting campaigns, strengthens brand storytelling, and unlocks high-value personalization — especially for event giveaways and direct-to-recipient programs.

Durability and protection are equally critical as more promotional products ship directly to recipients. Add in the impact of finishing and embellishments — from die-cutting to foiling — and packaging becomes a premium branding vehicle, not just a box.

With the right strategy and equipment, packaging offers promo suppliers a scalable path to growth in a converging print marketplace.

🔗 Explore Cory Francer’s complete breakdown of how promo suppliers can capitalize on printed packaging.

Interested in more on this topic? Listen to the Branding Together podcast episode, “The Rise of Custom Packaging in Print and Promo,” for additional insights on how packaging is driving convergence across print and promo