Gone are the days when a box was simply a method of delivery. Now, it’s an opportunity to make your brand stand out and improve your customer experience. The unboxing trend has taken off across YouTube and social media. But what is it? And should your business invest in it?
Explaining the unboxing trend
There are millions of unboxing videos to be found online. From YouTube influencers to personal social media profiles – everyone and anyone can share what it was like to open a package. In these videos, a customer will open up their package and show off the goods inside. While the ultimate goal remains the products they purchased, the box goes a long way to making the video worthwhile.
Not only do people share their experience, others tune in to watch. According to Google, the hours spent watching unboxing videos on YouTube are equal to watching the holiday movie Love Actually more than 20 million times.
Which businesses should splurge on unboxing?
A positive unboxing experience can make your business memorable and help with repeat customers. The top choices for an unboxing experience are online stores and subscription services. That’s because unlike a physical retailer, your business’ only direct touchpoint with the customer is through the shipping and delivery experience.
It’s also important that your boxes are going direct to the customer. For example, a food business who deliver their product to a major grocery store can skip the unboxing experience for the delivery carton, as it’s not going to be seen by the customer.
The benefits of a top unboxing experience
A memorable unboxing experience requires a top packaging design. You might need to invest a little more in full colour printing or die cut boxes to make it worthwhile. But, this small investment in your packaging can have other benefits if it helps improve your unboxing experience.
Free marketing
Like a positive review, an unboxing video is a form of social proof. It can help with brand awareness as the people watching the video may not have heard of your business before. It’s not just about influencers with huge followings either – recommendations from local customers are also valuable endorsements of your brand.
Repeat customers
Positive experiences build loyal customers. As mentioned before, when your only touchpoint is in delivery – you want to make it count. An unboxing experience that is fun or meaningful to your customer can make it more likely they’ll choose your brand again.
The element of surprise
Your customer already knows what they’ve ordered online. But, they don’t know how it will arrive. The unboxing experience is an opportunity to surprise and delight them – creating a memorable experience with your brand. Some brands choose to add free samples or thank you cards to give a little extra to the package. An option we love is to use internal printing to hero your brand or send an extra message to your customer.
Social content for your brand
You may have seen the meme going around – when you’re a small business owner, you also become a content creator. Creating social content regularly can be time-consuming. By sharing your customer’s unboxing posts, you can increase your content with minimal effort. To encourage customers to post (and help you find them with ease) add a branded hashtag to your profile, or ask customers to tag you in their posts.Â
Box design tips for a memorable unboxing
From a box manufacturers perspective, there are a few tips that help make your unboxing experience memorable – and worthy of a social share.
Keep it simple
It’s tempting to pull out all the bells and whistles in an attempt to wow your customer and get them sharing your boxes. But in our experience, simple is still best. You also need to consider the function. A box that is hard to open is not going to make a very good video.
Check out 5 box design mistakes and how to avoid them.
Custom packaging works best
There are lots of stickers and tapes and decorative options for stock boxes these days. While they are budget-friendly, we think custom packaging is the best choice for an unboxing. Custom packaging gives you the best fit for your products and allows you to create a fully branded experience with colour printing, logos and eye-catching design.
Sustainability first
Customers are keenly aware that their online shopping has an impact on our environment. Don’t forget to make your packaging as eco-friendly as possible. Avoid excess packaging, even if it looks good, and opt for sustainable materials where you can. Corrugated cardboard is fully recyclable and our recycled boxes can help you put the planet first.
Read more about what makes corrugated cardboard an eco-friendly choice.
Do it for your customer, not the viral video
At the end of the day, your customer is what matters. Not everyone will share an unboxing video or experience. But, if your packaging impresses them and makes them happy – it has still done its job. With the cost of retaining a customer far less than sourcing new ones; designer boxes may be one of the smartest investments you make.
Design boxes that were made to be shared
Echo Cartons are an Australian box manufacturer with 20+ years of industry experience. Working with a wide range of local small and medium businesses, we can help you get the best box design that stays within budget. Request a quote to get started.
