Packaging Materials for Enhancing the Unboxing Experience
What is an unboxing experience?
Everyone likes to share their experiences and social media actively encourages that behaviour and rewards it. An unboxing experience occurs when a customer opens a package and takes out the contents whilst sharing that memorable experience with their followers and sometimes the brand on social media.
It gives additional value to the customer whilst giving the brand potential access to a wealth of user generated content [UGC] that they can then share with their followers on social media.
In other words, it’s a clever way of encouraging customers to tell their friends about your brand, and we all know the power of word-of-mouth recommendations. This is the modern version of this powerful form of spreading the word.
Why is the unboxing experience important?
There are a number of reasons why the unboxing experience is important.
- It’s powerful and a good way to communicate your brand story.
eCommerce is different to retail as it removes retail touchpoints and the personal touch and makes packaging and how the product is presented to the customer more of a focal point.
However, handled right your packaging design and materials can communicate your brand story and become a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. In fact, in some ways, building an inspiring unboxing experience is more effective than a retail experience as it gives direct access to the customer and enables a shareable and memorable experience with them.
- Loyal customers are a huge brand asset.
If you want a customer to reorder, then a positive unboxing experience will help encourage loyalty. This part of the customer journey is easy to control and build on.
- It taps into the power of social media.
25% of users worldwide view product review videos. A great unboxing video encourages engagement, which is rewarded by the algorithm, so the more shares the better. Harnessing this type of social sharing is powerful and rewarding for brands.
So now you understand unboxing, but why does it link so closely to packaging material?
- Attractively packed products enhance the sensory experience for customers.
That extra layer of tissue paper, or pile of shredded paper that they have to rummage through can make all the difference to your customer’s experience with your brand. Closing the tissue paper with a branded sticker or including a handwritten note from the packer can make all the difference as well.
- How your brand is perceived can be closely connected to the packaging material you use.
If your brand has a strong Ecofriendly focus then brown boxes, biodegradable tape and natural packaging materials work well.
- Packaging needs to give the right level of protection.
If your products are fragile or easily damaged, then they need protective packaging more so than robust products. Packaging material plays a part in that and making sure your product is seamlessly unboxed every time.
So, let’s take a look at the different types of packaging material:
- Tissue Paper
Available in assorted colours tissue paper is versatile and ecofriendly. It can be crumpled up or folded around products and it makes a great form of wrapping for the customer to open to discover their products. Tissue paper can be matched to brand or product colours.
- Packing Peanuts
Whilst not as ecofriendly as paper, packing peanuts are great box fill and protect fragile contents.
- Shredded Paper
This option is ecofriendly and great for void fill. It comes in various colours, but also works well in brown paper for a more natural look and to showcase your products. Again, it can match, compliment or clash with your boxes and branding depending on your brand personality.
- Cut Paper Packaging
Isle of Skye candles wrap their products in sheets of this style of packaging material. Cut paper works well to protect their goods, but also gives a tactile, natural material for customers to unwrap. This fits with the eco credentials of the brand whilst giving customers a memorable unboxing experience.
How Boxed Up can Help With Your Journey to Unboxing Greatness
Boxed Up provides a range of boxes that are perfect for using as the base to build your unboxing experience from. You can browse the full range here [www.boxedup.co.uk]
Whatever you decide to use for your packaging, the unboxing experience should aim to bring joy to customers, and we hope this article gives you some inspiration and ideas for your own packaging and customer unboxing experience.
