How to create a special Unboxing Experience for your customers?

To anyone who has purchased something online, they understand the excitement that develops when a package is about to arrive. If the parcel presentation is less than expected, the customer's perception of the product will slightly decrease. The moment the parcel comes to the door, the customer experience continues. Unboxing the product is crucial to the sales process. This is one of the final parts of the said sales process as customers are finally in possession of the product. 

According to the website Dictionary.com, unboxing is described as the act of removing a newly purchased product from its packaging and analyzing its features. In the past 5 years, unboxings have become an online phenomenon on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. As of August 2019, the search term unboxing has 125 million search results.112 million of those search results are videos found on YouTube. Two of the most popular categories of unboxing videos are made in technology and cosmetic based. The desire for brands to make the unboxing experience more appealing has increased because of influencers' attraction to their box and presenting it in their video. Psychologist Diana Parkinson calls unboxings "the best and cheapest form of advertising ever". 

To give an elevated product experience, here are some ways to improve your company's unboxing.

For this discussion, it is crucial to discuss the different sections of an unboxing. There is the exterior of the box, the packing material, and the actual product.

The exterior of the box is a critical portion of the unboxing. It is the first visual the customer would see once it arrived. There are two ways that a brand can go about designing the exterior. The first thing a brand can do is have a custom box covered in graphics that properly represent the brand. This is a unique way of differentiating the packaging so that the consumer can only associate the designs and colours of the box with your said brand. Another way, a brand can make their company visible on the exterior of the box is through branded tape. Even if you decide that the company wants to be cost-effective and have standardized shipping supplies, it still allows for the brand identity to shine through. The customized tape allows for the customer to distinguish which company the parcel comes from without reading in-depth the shipping label to find out who it is from.

Once you open the box, the next portion of the box is the packing material. For decades, brands have experimented with multiple different forms of packing material that properly displays the purchased products. There are two types of packing materials; packaging inserts and void fills. Packaging inserts are paper inserts that allow the product to be properly placed within the box. Void fills are materials that are placed in the box with the intent of being thrown out once you wish to dispose of all the packaging.  The types of void fill and the items we recommend it should be placed with include:

·       Tissue Paper – for clothing and books

·       Bubble wrap – for delicate objects like cosmetics and ceramics

·       Styrofoam packing peanuts – for delicate objects like cosmetics and ceramics

·       Crinkle filler – for less delicate products from more urban brands

The final component of the unboxing is the actual product. The portion of the box the customer was expecting to arrive. Just like the packing materials, there are multiple different additions that the customers would appreciate if included:

• An information card indicating the brand’s mission and the product that was purchased. For the customer, this is a perfect way for them to better understand what the company is about and said product.

• A free sample of a new product. This can promote chances that the customer would convert to a return customer and purchase the sampled product. According to a study conducted by Arbitron and Edison, 35% of customers who try a sample will buy the same sample on their next shopping trip.
• Collateral marketing materials are small items that you can place in the box as an extra gift with their purchase. This includes branded posters, stickers, stationary or lip balm. PPAI concluded that 89% of consumers can recall the name of the advertiser on a promotional product they received in the past 24 months.

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 A great resource for companies to use is Lumi. Lumi is a packaging company that has a YouTube channel where they critique and speak about the unique unboxing styles that they use. Below is an example of Lumi speaking about Glossier's unboxing styles.

Putting these three factors into consideration, it is important to not overpack the parcel. It may increase the price of shipping by a substantial amount. With Fetchy, one can monitor the price differences once another material is added to elevate the unboxing experience. 

In conclusion, unboxings have become such a vital portion of the customer experience. The aesthetic and brand image you also be expressed through the unboxing. With the tips that we have discussed today, your company can enhance the exterior packaging, packing materials and the actual product.

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