One of the many ways in which the rise of social media has changed product packaging is the rising importance of the unboxing experience. It used to be that as long as you made your packaging easy to open and somewhat visually appealing, you could get sales. Slowly, the importance of a full unboxing experience has grown.
Why Unboxing Matters
Before you start looking for ways to enhance the unboxing experience, you likely want to know why it matters. After all, any changes in your product packaging will be an investment, so you need justification.
To start with, creating a great unboxing experience makes your customers feel more valued. It is a way to show that you put your customers first and help elevate the feel of your product. Essentially, it will create a more favorable impression of your brand and the steps you are willing to take to appeal to customers.
Unboxing is also your chance to reaffirm customer loyalty and help reassure customers that they made the right decision by buying your product.
Now, the best possible unboxing experience can give your brand free advertising on social media. It has become common for vloggers and influencers to share unboxing videos of products or experiences that stand out from the crowd. If you can create an unboxing experience that does just that, they are more likely to share your product, whether in a video or even just a series of photos on Instagram.
Any industry can create an unboxing experience, but it is particularly common in the beauty industry. With that in mind, what steps can you take to maximize the unboxing experience of your customers?
Opt for Branded Boxes
Start on the right foot by ensuring that your box is branded. This is obvious for cases when an item is sold in-store as the only box will be the product packaging itself. For e-commerce sales, it involves paying a little extra per box to put your company logo on it and something to get customers excited.
Go With Unique Materials
An unboxing experience should not just be opening a box, taking out your product, and being done. That is fine for some industries, especially if your client base does not care about the unboxing experience. If you want to maximize the unboxing experience, you will have unique packaging materials within the box surrounding your product. This is particularly important for fragile objects. Opt for unique, sustainable materials, as this will prevent your brand from seeming wasteful due to the use of these packaging materials.
Consider Presentation of the Products
You need to also think about how the products are placed within your packaging. You do not want to throw them in there loose if your goal is to create an unboxing experience. Instead, use your chosen packaging materials to position the products in a way that everything is visible and presented right when someone opens the box. Create an Instagram-worthy arrangement when the box is opened, with minimal effort on the part of the photographer.
Consider Freebies
Enhancing the unboxing experience is just one of the many areas in which including something free can maximize the experience and loyalty. Including a small sample or a coupon with a thank you note is a great way to show your appreciation for customers and add value. In terms of the experience, a small free item is better than a coupon, as that is immediate.
