Having come from the packaging industry, I know that for many companies, the corrugated boxes they use for shipping are low on the priority totem pole.

But companies that overlook their external packaging do so at their own peril. Here’s an example of how a fine brand can be crushed - along with their boxes.

I’ve used Cafepress for a couple years. Good products. Fast delivery. Slick website. Innovative business model. And after all the blood, sweat, and tears they put into making all that happen, here’s the lasting impression they make on a customer -

That’s not the look you want from your logo. Does this package inspire you to reorder? I’m just glad there was nothing fragile inside -

Unfortunately, products arrive to me from Cafepress like this regularly. Because of it, I’ve avoided shipping items directly to my clients, and in a few cases decided not to order anything for clients at all.

There are any of number ways Cafepress can fix their box problem, and any one of them is less costly than the damage being done to their brand and their sales by doing nothing.