How to Create a Memorable Unboxing Experience for Your Customers

It’s gift-giving season, which means we’re all thinking about pretty wrapped packages with ribbons and bows. We all know the feeling of holding and unwrapping a pretty package, and you want your customers to have that feeling when they open your products. But how do you do it?

Basics of Unboxing

You’ve probably seen at least one “unboxing” video on YouTube. Some people are even professional unboxers and have entire channels dedicated to the experience of opening product packaging.

Packaging has always been important for products. Color, art, and even packaging material can draw consumers in to where your products sit on retail shelves, but as many consumers buy more online, packaging hasn’t taken a backseat. In fact, some brands have made packaging a coveted part of their products, whether it’s a sleek box, reusable or recycled packaging, or hand-signed notes and limited or unique art.

Three Things You Can do to Enhance the Unboxing Experience

Unboxing is for more than just social media influencers. While a snazzy PR box sent to an influencer can boost sales, taking some care to make your packaging fun for all your customers builds loyalty and also gives everyone a bit of VIP treatment.

Your regular packaging doesn’t have to be on the same red carpet level as high end PR boxes, but there are some unique things you can do on a smaller scale to give your boxes that extra je ne sais quoi:

Augmented Reality (AR)

There are plenty of augmented reality apps and games, and you can create your own AR experience with your packaging to give your customers something extra. By using contrasting graphics and patterns in your packaging and developing the experience in a digital app, your customers can point the camera of their smartphone or other device at your packaging and create AR magic. Your AR experience could be a game that goes with your product and purely something fun and extra, or you can use AR to deliver additional content, such as:

• Discounts or coupons only available through the AR experience
• Contests
• Links to your social media accounts
• Product demonstrations

Learn more about AR and experiential packaging from Bay Cities

Personalization

Any personalization you can do to a customer’s order can enhance the unboxing experience. With today’s digital printing technology, you can even include a customer’s name printed on the box. This simple gesture adds a unique finishing touch to your customers’ unboxing experience.

Customized Boxes

Box artwork can be enticing for customers, and changing box artwork can become an extra fun part of getting another package from your brand.

Whether you change boxes monthly, quarterly, or for specific seasons and events, mixing up the artwork can also be an opportunity to feature new products, partner with other companies or nonprofits, or partner with different artists to create new designs. This gives you opportunities to build your brand, support a cause you and your customers are passionate about, and create a unique unboxing experience even for repeat customers.

Balancing Unique Packaging with Theft Risk

Unfortunately, colorful boxes have one big risk: theft. Packages left on doorsteps and in driveways are at a higher risk for being taken if they’re colorful or indicate that something of value is inside. While your customers may love a unique, bright box, the experience is ruined if their packages are stolen. Brown or white corrugated cardboard boxes might seem boring, but there’s ways to offer a nice unboxing experience without making your packages a target for theft.

Printed Brown Boxes

A brown box printed can still be beautiful without being conspicuous when printed with black or white ink. Your company’s name, logo, or some simple artwork printed in black or white can elevate the look beyond a plain brown box.

Focus on the Interior

While the outside of the box might be plain, adding artwork to the inside of the box can be a creative surprise for your customers that also lowers the risk of packages disappearing off your customers’ porches.

Sustainable or Recycled Boxes

Many consumers are looking to brands to embrace sustainability. Utilizing packaging that is sustainability sourced, recycled, or even a box that can be easily made into something else can take a basic brown box into something consumers want to have.

Getting mail and packages should be fun, and packaging that brings a smile to your customers’ faces is one way we can spread joy year-round. At Bay Cities, we can help you develop a unique packaging idea into something that’s exciting for your customers as well as tested and sturdy for shipping.

Let’s get started on something amazing! See some of our unique packaging we’ve created with our clients in our portfolio: