Unboxing Experiences – How Important Is It?

As a supplier, you have very limited interaction with customers. Your sellers are providing customer marketing and service for you, so all you need to worry about is dispatching, right? Well, yes and no. Simply putting the order in a box and sending will, if you are dispatching promptly, result in good feedback. But to really increase repeat businessfor your sellers, and increase your brand’s profile, you might need to get creative.

The phenomenon of ‘unboxing’ exploded as YouTube grew in popularity, with luxury brands such as Chanel and Apple being favoured, and poring over the details and minutiae of their customer experience that made the customer feel special, and valued. We’re not suggesting that you need to be quite so luxurious as that! But upgrading your packaging and unboxing experience is a great way to increase that profile, and repeat business.

Reasons to upgrade your packaging

Research shows that premium packaging gives customers the impression that your brand is a luxurious, or premium brand. Combine great packaging with quality products, and you’re increasing your brand profile, with little extra effort by your team.

You know how you want your purchases boxed, or wrapped, when you place orders for yourself. We’re certainly not suggesting all your orders should be wrapped to a luxurious standard, with bows and ribbons! But by getting your unboxing strategy right, they’ll feel spoilt every time they receive an order from you. By thinking about the order in which things are taken from the box, and presentation, you can make the experience feel to them that they are much more valued, even without making many changes to materials. Building on the indulgent feeling will lead them to seek out your brand and encourage repeat orders with your sellers.

While you’re upgrading your packaging, it’s also the right time to think about environmental sustainability. There are plenty of ways you can make your packaging sustainable AND feel luxurious. Customers care about the environment, and the ways that their purchases impact the environment, so you should too. Over use of plastic, or wasteful sizing may lead to customers avoiding your brand. They might refuse to recommend it,or worse, they might actively leave reviews and commentsto deter other like-minded customers.

Outside the box

Let’s look at the industry leader. Amazon has set the standard for practical, brown corrugated cardboard. While Amazon packaging isn’t the most exciting (nor the chicest), it IS inexpensive, and easily recycled. With the right branding, brown corrugated cardboard can look great, and there are other sustainable options widely available. They understand that their customers are worried about delivery time and the environment. They focus on those areas, and clear branding showing that, no matter what is in the box, it’s from Amazon. As we like to say regularly, time spent in research is time invested in your business – so invest wisely.

Clearly, your choice of packaging depends on your products, and your target market. If you do need plastic mailing bags, source sustainable packaging where possible, and make your policy on single-use packaging clear. It’s a selling point – sustainability is sexy!

Whatever your outer looks like, you also need to consider whether your branding is suitable for the outside. Sometimes less is more when it comes to branding on packaging. Let’s say your products are feminine hygiene products – not all women will want to announce that delivery to the world! In this case, discreet packaging will be appreciated by your customers. Of course, this applies to a range of other items – adult toys, lingerie, personal hygiene products and many more. Use your best judgement – You’re the expert in your customers and your business, so make sure your packaging suits them.

Inner Wrapping

We said there’s no need for bows and ribbons, but opening the order like a gift makes customers feel good. Try wrapping items in a sheet or two of branded or coloured tissue paper secured with a ribbon or sticker. Tissue paper costs next to nothing, and is recyclable, but helps them remember your brand and feels indulgent.

Cushioning

Bubble wrap and packing peanuts are single use, a bad choice for the environment and certainly don’t feel luxurious. Find that high end, luxury feel experience by choosing crinkled paper or wood wool (excelsior) while remaining environmentally conscious. For the utilitarian and cheap-but-recyclable option, try brown paper. It’s cheap, can be bought on rolls and cut to size, and is rigid enough to buffer products.

Inside Notes

Many orders from online retailers include flyers or special offers. If it’s just advertising for the sake of it, it’s a waste of your time and money. The ones that count are the ones we all want – money off their next order, or gift with next purchase.However, including information about your social responsibility activities along with their discount code can improve the impression of your brand. If you want to be flashy, consider something that works with one of the Augmented Reality (AR) apps like Spark. It gives your customer another reason to tweet about or share images of your products.

Dispatch Note

For the most part, you probably don’t give your packing slips much thought – they go straight in the box! But most customers will have a quick glance at your packing slip, so it’s worth considering what goes on it. Adding logos, images and discount codes will bring customers back, and adding your social media handles is a good idea. If their order is great, they’ll share it on Facebook or Instagram – increasing brand awareness at no extra cost. Consider pre-printed paper, adding a splash of colour, and better-quality paper than your average A4 sheet. You could even print additional information about the product on the reverse to add value.

Free Gift

Who can resist the lure of a freebie? Especially if it’s an unexpected surprise! This tactic won’t be worth it for everyone, and of course will depend on your products. However, if you’re a manufacturer of beauty products, a sample of a related skincare product on orders over say, £25 will increase brand loyalty and encourage them to share their love with others. If you’re a toy manufacturer, what about stickers for the child that feature your logo? Children love stickers, and you love easy increasing your brand exposure and increasing your profits! Maybe a small packet of nostalgic sweets for young adults ordering gadgets or lifestyle products.

What to choose?

You’re almost certainly thinking about how these ideas might impact your business. Of course, many of these ideas may not be viable for you, with time and cost considerations. But by providing a great unboxing strategy, you’re potentially gaining repeat custom, brand loyalty and improved customer opinion. These all feed into great reviews and increased profits, which is definitely what you want to achieve. It can be worth the fraction of pennies on a sheet of tissue paper and a sticker for a valuable review! Think carefully. What you can easily apply to your products and processes, in order to maximise potential repeat custom? Remember, repeat custom doesn’t just benefit you, but also that of your sellers.

Fancy a chat about your business and how avasam can continually increase your sales volumes? Give us a call – we’re happy to chat unboxing, social media marketing, how best to work with your sellers and more.