Create an Unforgettable Unboxing Experience with your Packaging Design

Take a moment to close your eyes and remember the thrill of opening a beautifully wrapped present on Christmas morning. 

Part of the anticipation came from how your gift was packaged and how that packaging contributed to the entire experience of unboxing. Now, this experience isn’t just reserved for holidays. It’s a powerful marketing tool your company should embrace for growth.

The goal is to create an unboxing experience that inspires and sticks with your customers. They appreciate the detail put into their packaging and want to share it with others. If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘unboxing,’ you might be missing out on an opportunity to create an emotional connection with your customers that keeps them coming back.

What is Unboxing?

Unboxing can sound like an unnecessary term for removing products from the packaging they arrived in. In reality, it’s far more than just opening a box. How your product is presented when it first arrives to customers can make the difference in customer loyalty. 

The unboxing experience is not only a critical marketing tool, but also a consumer expectation. Unboxing has become a full-blown social media trend in recent years, presenting huge marketing potential for your company. More and more buyers are documenting their moments of opening a product or package on social media platforms, and some of these videos have even gone viral.

It’s not only from social media that you can deduce the importance of the unboxing experience. Research shows that product packaging is a significant influencer in people’s future buying decisions.¹

Why Does the Unboxing Experience Matter?

Putting so much importance on unboxing might sound silly, but it’s crucial for your business. When someone unboxes a gift or package that comes in more than just a plain cardboard box, it makes them feel special and creates an unforgettable experience. Packaging is the first impression of your product before it’s even out of the box.

A pleasant and exciting unboxing experience fosters positive thinking towards your brand. People love attention to detail, personalization, and a unique moment to share and remember. With alluring packaging, you delight and impress buyers before they even see the product inside, creating a lasting emotional connection.

What’s more, the same 2013 study referenced above found that attractive packing stimulates the reward-seeking areas of the brain that are associated with impulse purchasing, meaning consumers are more likely to buy your products. Visual stimuli greatly impact perception, which is why people are so naturally drawn to products that come in attractive packaging.²

How Can a Memorable Unboxing Experience Help Your Brand?

Creating an unforgettable unboxing experience can grow your business in several ways. First, it allows you an opportunity to tell your brand’s story. Consumers might not be as interested in a plain list of your product’s selling points as they are in a well-written piece that shares the history of your brand. For example, how your brand started, your goals for the future, what makes you unique, and what you strive to provide your customers are all interesting selling points that consumers would love to know. Curating an unboxing experience helps you tell this story with more than just words. 

Hand-in -hand with driving customer loyalty, an unboxing experience also gives your company’s packaging an opportunity to go viral. According to Dotcom Distribution, 35.3% of consumers reported seeing an unboxing video in 2015. Two years later, this number rose to 36.8%. As a culture, we love to observe and feel part of other people’s experiences. Whether it’s sharing your child’s soccer game or yourself unwrapping a gift, tapping into this human desire can launch your brand to an entirely new level.

6 Tips for Creating the Ultimate Unboxing Experience

Get creative with your packaging to create the ultimate experience, unique to your brand. Here are six ideas to get you started:

Use Branded Boxes with your Logo

Branded boxes are far more enticing than a regular cardboard box. Consumers should recognize your brand immediately from the packaging alone, as this is when that initial emotional connection is made. You can do this in many ways, for example, simply including your company logo on the box, a slogan, a pretty pattern, or an elegant design. Whatever you decide on, be sure your branding remains evident and consistent.

Use Unique Packaging Materials

With so much competition, using unique packaging materials is a huge win. Many consumers place high value on sustainable and plastic-free packaging, and a company showing environmental consciousness goes a long way in cultivating customer loyalty.

Consider Product Presentation

Once the unique packaging is removed and the branded box unveiled, you want your product presentation equally impressive and memorable. Simply throwing your product in the box won’t establish your desired experience. To go the extra mile, put thought into how your products are placed and arranged, and ensure they can withstand shipping.

Include a Freebie

Everyone appreciates an extra added touch like a coupon or free sample. Adding something of value that will truly delight your customers based on their current order not only offers a free gift, but shows intention and care behind the packaging.

Add Personalization

Including a personal touch in your product package makes each customer feel like your only customer. A hand-written note, simply thanking them for their purchase, can go a long way in developing customer loyalty, improving customer retention, and building that overall emotional connection to your products.

Use Inserts When Relevant

Including a relevant insert detailing an upcoming sale, for example, is far more likely to be noticed than an email blast with the same information. Ideally, use plastic-free and environmentally friendly materials to do this, and get creative with inserts such as branded stickers, information about new products, or elegantly-designed info cards on the product or company itself.

Final Thoughts

A memorable and personalized unboxing experience will grab your customer’s attention and significantly increase their likelihood of buying from you again in the future. Not only does it make for an influential buyer experience, but it helps to grow your brand and, ultimately, your business. Test out some of our tips and start cultivating an unforgettable unboxing experience.