How to Create the Perfect Unboxing Experience
I love packaging. It’s a core part of my services and it’s something that I have so much fun creating. If you are a shop or e-commerce business, it’s such a joy to be able to extend your branding into the printed world and offer your customers an experience when they receive your parcel in the post.
It’s important to remember that it’s often the first time a customer gets to see your branding outside of the internet. So the moment when a customer unboxes your product is so crucial. It’s often recorded and uploaded to Instagram. So what can we do to elevate your packaging and ensure the best customer experience?
Why branded packaging is important - It’s all about branding and connection
Everything we do in branding is all about building a connection with your target audience and your customers. When we build a connection we allow our customers to see themselves using our businesses or product and encourage a relationship to form.
Packaging doesn’t have to be a custom-made, expensive part of your business but it should be a visual reflection of your brand, encourage this connection and remind your customers how awesome you are as a business. It’s a great opportunity to speak directly with them, thank them for purchasing your product and make them feel appreciated.
From memory, the best package I’ve ever received was a small jewellery business that placed a gorgeous dried flower in my parcel with a handwritten note from the artist on a branded postcard. That was months ago and when I think of a gift for my family - I go back to her because I remember the amount of care that she placed in my parcel.
So how can you create that connection?
Thank your customers - Whether it’s a printed postcard or a handwritten note on branded stationary. Offering a message of thanks shows your customers you appreciate their business.
Offer extra tips - you can use this opportunity to give advice on how to best use your product or care for it. For example, if you sell jewellery, some tips on how to protect the jewellery from wear would be much appreciated by your customers.
Extra goodies - Okay so you don’t need to place dried flowers in every box you send out! But something small that connects with your product can be really sweet. If you sell candles, consider an individually wrapped tea bag to encourage your customers to take a moment for themselves when they use your candle for the first time. Or if you sell stationary, consider some cute stickers or some individually wrapped sweets for their work-break.
Ensure your packaging has all your business details so your business is easy to find - Your packaging should include your website address, social media handles and an email address in case they need to reach out to you. This is really important if your customer has bought a product and doesn’t follow you on social media. If they are wowed by your product and the unboxing experience then making your business easy to find will encourage them to follow you and maybe even tag you when they open and use your product.
How to communicate your brand through packaging
You can definitely just put your logo on a big sticker and send it out into the world but if you want to create a memorable, premium experience then here’s a few things you can do to go the extra mile.
Create some branded stationery for your parcel - Here are some ideas! Branded A6 cards are amazing and can be used to write a message of thanks, a note or a personalised message. If you sell a range of products then why not place some photos of your products on the back of your card to show your new customer what else you do. If you want them to follow you on social then consider a branded business card with all your details on it. Lastly, if you have a product that needs a lot of care, then a manual with care instructions or tips is really lovely.
Use all your brand elements - If you have a flexible brand with a main logo and smaller logos or pattern then be sure to use these across your materials. Secondary or sub-marks are really nice to create a visual reminder of your brand but without the repetition of your logo on everything.
Get creative on how you use your brand colours - If you have brand colours then use them and don’t be afraid to mix it up. If your logo is a mixture of Pink and Green then why not create a Pink Thank you card and wrap it together with some green ribbon?
Stickers - I love stickers. There’s so much you can do with them and the paper ones are fully recyclable! You could place a ‘Fragile’ sticker on the outside of your parcel. Or if you have a brand message then using that opportunity to remind your customers of it can be really effective.
Budget-friendly tips
If you are a large company or premium product, then the chances are it would be really beneficial for you to get a bespoke printed box with multiple colours. But for smaller companies then this expense will often cut into unit price and take away from the money that you need to keep your business going. Luckily, there’s ways to keep your packaging cost-friendly but ensure your branding is effective.
Instead of getting your box fully printed, consider a large branded sticker that wraps around your box - For Lusan, this was really effective and kept the brand very eco-friendly. We printed a label that could be customised to each order and then the box was placed inside a compostable postal mailing bag to be sent out.
Instead of branded tissue paper, consider coloured tissue paper in your brand colours. Branded tissue paper is a favourite among my clients - For Halo Bakery I even designed some branded baking paper! But it is expensive, you are usually looking at over £100 for 1000 sheets, so a nice alternative is to get coloured tissue paper online and try to match the colour as close to your brand as possible. This brings the cost right down to around £10-£15 for 1000 sheets.
An ink-stamp - These are a great cost-effective way to literally stamp your branding on a postal box. To get a custom one made is anywhere between £10 and £25 but you can use it again and again.
Again, Stickers! - Branded stickers are much cheaper than you think. If you can’t get a printed box with your messaging on it then place it on a branded sticker. If you can’t get branded washi tape then a wee sticker to wrap an item can be so lovely.
Remember that every cost that goes into your packaging changes your product unit price so it’s a careful balance to make sure you are connecting with your customers and providing an awesome customer experience - but also selling your goods competitively and achieving the profit margin that you want. So take into account what packaging techniques suit your business so you can use to create a lasting impression but in a way that fits you and your target audience.
As you can tell I’m a huge packaging geek, so if you have any questions then send me an email.
Or do you need support with your packaging experience? You can get a custom quote at my ‘Choose your own adventure’ page.
The work included in this blog post are past clients of mine. You can view their shops and products at the links below:
First - AMW Events Welcome Package Box Design
Second - Elise Olivia Bath Salts Packaging
Third - Lusan Uk Terrariums
For offers and resources directly to your inbox. ✨