HOW TO CREATE A MEMORABLE
UNBOXING EXPERIENCE
WHICH WILL SURPRISE AND
DELIGHT YOUR CUSTOMERS
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GROWTH OF UNBOXING
In recent years unboxing has become a huge trend in e-Commerce. As the rise in e-Commerce continues, the demand for an unboxing experience has grown too. Consumers want to be surprised and delighted when opening their online orders.
Get it right and a memorable unboxing experience can help you to acquire new customers, retain existing customers and stand out from your competition. Learn how you can create your own unboxing experience below.
WHAT DOES UNBOXING MEAN?
But what exactly does unboxing mean? You’d be forgiven for thinking unboxing is just something YouTube influencers make videos about. Which is partly why unboxing has become so popular in today’s e-Commerce world. Roll back to 2004 and you’d be hard pushed to find many people who knew what it even meant.
Most of us have experienced something similar. Whether it’s something simple as buying a new phone or one of those hugely popular subscription box services.
Unboxing is the act of buying a product, receiving the product and experiencing that moment of opening your goods. It’s also typically associated with sharing the experience online, which is why YouTube is filled with unboxing videos in almost every industry or niche. The YouTuber will then discuss the product, showcase its use and provide a review. However, unboxing can be as simple as your customer experiencing the same thing but not going as far as sharing a video on social media. With the rise in unboxing videos, consumers want to experience the same unboxing joy those YouTubers make tons of videos about.
Unboxing is much more than buying a product online and having it arrive in a bland brown cardboard box. It’s a complete experience from the moment you open up the box, to getting the product in your hands.
WHY IS UNBOXING IMPORTANT FOR AN ONLINE BUSINESS?
We've touched on how to create branded packaging before, but unboxing takes it one step further and creates a complete experience.
When you’re creating your own unboxing experience, try to put yourself in the shoes of the customer. You sell your product and know it better than anyone, but how should the customer feel when it finally arrives?
Think of that feeling that most of us have experienced when we purchase a new phone. Apple or Samsung don’t just chuck your thousand-pound phone into a boring box. They put it in those white, clean and perfectly designed boxes that we’ve seen countless times on social media.
When customers have something like that in their hands they share the box online, which is just the packaging. Why? Because it’s exciting, it’s something to shout about and it looks good.
But it’s not just the big brands that do this well. Disruptor brands have been using this tactic for years to enter well established markets and shake things up.
GETTING UNBOXING RIGHT
The Dollar Shave Club is a great example of this, with their tongue in cheek marketing and their playful, relatable approach. The Dollar Shave Club has captured the attention of an audience who are sick of overpriced shaving and grooming products. Just look at their packaging:
It looks crafted, bespoke and more importantly, shareable. Even though it’s a simple brown cardboard box, it’s been designed in such a way that it creates a sense of quality and attention to detail. For an online brand that probably won’t meet any of their customers, this is the bridge between them (the seller) and the buyer.
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CREATE A MEMORABLE UNBOXING EXPERIENCE
Still not convinced by those examples? Well here’s a few more reasons why your unboxing experience could be a huge benefit to your business:
- It screams quality – quite literally, you receive your product in a pristine box, perfectly designed to slide open with your product sitting pretty inside. Don’t underestimate the power and impact that can have on your brand.
- It fills the gap – as an online business you’ll likely never meet your customers and the only real connection you’ll have is your product arriving at their door. By creating something unique, you help bridge that gap and help customers enjoy a more memorable experience.
- It improves your brand – if you’ve taken the time and effort to tailor your product and packaging your customers will see and value this. Creating loyal customers, customers who shout about what you’ve sent and share their experience online.
- It creates shareability – in an age where businesses pay for every click and mention there’s nothing more exciting and real than your own customers sharing your product without being prompted.
HOW YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN UNBOXING EXPERIENCE
It doesn’t need to cost the earth to create your own unboxing experience. You might be thinking to yourself “I can’t spend that kind of money like Apple”. But fear not, you can still create your own experience no matter your budget or size of business. Why not take inspiration from some of the following, to help get you on your way:
- A custom made box
- Customised tissue paper
- Personalised thank you note
- Discount code or incentive
- Free samples on other products
- Mystery goodies or extra’s the customer wasn’t aware of
- Free goodies - stickers or sweets etc.
Whether you choose to include one, all or a few of these extras you’ll be well on your way to personalising your packaging, delighting customers with your efforts and creating loyalty that will last for years.
Sending hundreds of parcels a week? Looking to reduce your costs and get a competitive rate on your parcel delivery? At DHL eCommerce UK we support businesses of all sizes, offering competitive parcel delivery prices. Why not get in touch with us today to see how we could help.