How to Master the Unboxing Experience in 2024

The Unboxing Experience

Featured: Reef Knots

 

First impressions matter, and the unboxing experience can be a game-changer for your brand. The right packaging will captivate your customers, enhance your marketing efforts, and make your brand go viral in 2024.

But not just any packaging will do. That’s where we come in! Unlock the power of unboxing with the UK’s leading plastic-free packaging supplier and make your brand a viral success.

Related: Need More Sales? Learn How to Take Better Product Photos

What Is an Unboxing Experience?

The unboxing experience is the memorable moment that’s created when customers open a package containing items they’ve purchased. It’s about building anticipation, excitement, and engagement as products are unpackaged. A successful and memorable unboxing experience relies on thoughtful packaging design and product presentation that adds value, fosters loyalty and encourages sharing on social media platforms.

Why Does the Unboxing Experience Matter?

Unpacking a product is one of the key aspects of the overall customer experience. This is especially true for online-only retailers who lack a physical store presence. For eCommerce businesses, first impressions carry significant weight.

Even before customers receive the product, the unboxing experience begins to take shape in their minds. By showcasing impressive packaging for your products, you can excite customers with the prospect of unboxing it themselves. A well-executed unboxing experience can generate positive word-of-mouth, boost brand awareness, and even lead to viral user-generated content.

The proliferation of social media and video content has amplified the impact of the unboxing experience. Customers frequently share unboxing videos on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, which is why influencer marketing can significantly impact purchasing decisions.

The unboxing experience has become an opportunity for online retailers to make a lasting impression, create brand advocates, and drive customer loyalty.

Related: Can Good Packaging Increase Sales?

How to Create a Sustainable Unboxing Experience, Inside and Out

Consumers are concerned about the quality of the products they purchase and the impact of packaging on the environment. Incorporating eco-friendly packaging into your unboxing experience will help align your brand with the values of environmentally-conscious consumers. 

In this section, we’ll explore the benefits of using sustainable packaging for a better unboxing experience to help you win over the hearts and minds of consumers before they’ve even tried out your product.

Exterior Packaging: Stand Out from the Start

Custom Branded Boxes

Up your unboxing game with custom-branded sustainable postal boxes and mailers, or even shipping boxes. Your exterior packaging is the first thing your customers see, so make it unforgettable!

With your logo and brand colours front and centre, you can capture their attention and build anticipation for an epic unboxing experience. Show your brand some love and make your customers fall head over heels with your packaging prowess.

 

Custom Branded Boxes 1

Our budget-friendly branded eCommerce packs are an excellent choice if you need cost-effective custom packaging. There are no set-up fees for tooling or artwork, helping you save money.

Luxury rigid boxes are another way to provide a unique unboxing experience for your customers. Choose from a vast range of styles, finishes and coverings to give your products a premium, quality feeling and your customers a sense of exclusivity and anticipation.

 

Interior Packaging: Where Sustainability Meets Presentation

The Unboxing Experience 4

Interior packaging is a crucial element of the unboxing experience, and sustainability plays a vital role in provoking a positive impression on eco-conscious customers. 

When they open their box or mailer, you want them to be enticed and wowed by what they find inside. Not only should your items be securely packaged during transit to minimise damage and returns, but they should also be presented in a way that adds value and reflects your brand identity.

 

Rum Bottle Packaging Golden Tide 2

One versatile and eco-friendly option is compostable coloured tissue paper. It can be used to line the inside of boxes, gift-wrap products, or create space between items. It also serves as a blank, customisable canvas for adding your brand’s slogans or designs to make a cohesive unboxing experience.

Void fill is another essential aspect that protects your products during their journey to your customer’s door and also improves the overall unboxing experience by keeping products intact. Planet-positive options like EcoNutz are an alternative to polystyrene packing chips that ensure your items arrive safely. Plus, the packaging can be disposed of simply and responsibly afterwards

By incorporating sustainable and thoughtful interior packaging, you can create an unboxing experience that impresses your customers, aligns with their values, and enhances their overall satisfaction with your brand. It’s a win-win for both your business and the environment.

Related: How Do I Package My Product for Shipping?

Using Sustainable Packaging for a Greener Unboxing

Recycled packaging is one of the best examples of eco-friendly packaging when it’s sourced responsibly. Paper and cardboard packaging are more eco-friendly than oil-based plastics, and there are plenty of other benefits to using recycled cardboard packaging: 

  • Consumer preference: Research shows that consumers generally prefer cardboard packaging to plastic alternatives.
  • High-quality prints: Recycled cardboard packaging provides an excellent, smooth and porous surface for printing, allowing for high-quality graphics, branding, and custom packaging options.
  • Sustainability: Using recycled cardboard packaging is a sustainable choice, as it reduces the demand for new raw materials and minimises waste (as it’s reusable). 
  • Easy to unbox: Cardboard packaging can be designed with hinged lids and tear-away strips, making it easy for consumers to unbox their products without wrap-rage
  • Easy disposal: Recyclable cardboard is easy to dispose of and can also be biodegradable or compostable, depending on the materials used. This makes it an environmentally friendly option for disposal, reducing the impact on landfills and promoting sustainable waste management practices.
  • Reduced environmental brand impact: Eco-conscious consumers perceive your brand as planet-positive, enhancing your brand’s image in a sustainably oriented market. 

Related: Eco-Friendly Packaging Ideas: The Comprehensive Guide

unboxing

Accessible Packaging Improves the Unboxing Experience

Accessible packaging is specifically designed to be inclusive and usable by a wide range of customers, including those with disabilities, older adults and people with diverse needs. Accessible packaging will include features such as easy-to-open closures, tactile or braille labels, large print instructions, high colour contrast, and ergonomic design to enhance usability for all individuals.

Effective, accessible packaging promotes inclusivity and independence for your customers in accessing and using your products. The more universal your packaging design is, the more people will be able to enjoy your products. Open up your packaging to the purchasing power of all backgrounds and abilities. 

Designing Accessible Packaging to Create an Inclusive Unboxing Experience

It’s time to think out of the box. Literally. Designing accessible packaging requires considering the needs of diverse individuals, including those with visual impairments, arthritis, and other disabilities. 

While your packaging may seem easy to open to you, it may not be for others. Here are some key considerations for designing accessible packaging that is convenient and easy to open for most people:

Easy-to-Open Packaging 

Consider the ease of opening your packaging one-handed, for example. It should strike a balance between being protective and easy to access. For instance, self-seal postal boxes with tear-open strips provide a simple unboxing experience. Clear opening instructions should be printed on the packaging to guide customers and prevent frustrations. 

Larger Prints or Braille Labels 

When designing packaging for individuals with visual impairments, consider tactile features like embossed labels, high-contrast colours, larger text and braille labels for easy readability with eyes or hands. Ensure opening instructions are printed or embossed on your packaging to enhance usability for every customer. 

Safety Features

If your products are unsafe for curious children or pets (we’re thinking detergents, cosmetics, etc), consider a few safety features to keep your products secure. Our carry packs have lock-in tabs, making it harder for curious hands to get into.

Advantages of Accessible Packaging for Unboxing

Accessible packaging benefits customers and businesses when considering the unboxing experience. 

For customers, it promotes inclusivity by ensuring that packaging is usable by individuals with diverse needs, including those with disabilities and others. This allows them to independently and confidently access and use products, improving their overall customer experience. 

For businesses, accessible packaging expands their customer base as it caters to a wider audience. It also helps businesses comply with accessibility regulations, which can avoid potential legal issues and maintain brand reputation.

Related: Accessible Packaging and What It Means for Your Customers

5 of the Best Unboxing Experiences

Before you start crafting your unboxing experience, we have a few eco-friendly packaging examples to get the creative cogs turning.

One Good Thing

1. One Good Thing

We helped sustainable snacking brand, One Good Thing, create a truly eye-catching unboxing experience for their subscription service. Utilising bright yellow packaging with instructions and illustrations in contrasting yellow, One Good Thing’s packaging can’t help but stand out.

 

Tipsy Macarons

2. Tipsy Macarons

Tipsy Macaron’s unboxing experience is classy and beautiful, making customers feel utterly sophisticated. The elegant blue contrasting with gold effortlessly crafts a premium feel, and the simple divider inside the box lets the product do all the talking. Couple all this with a quote from none other but Barbra Streisand to the back, and you have a luxury unboxing experience that completely fits the brand.

 

Custom Branded Boxes 2

3. Dr PAWPAW

Dr PAWPAW’s design may look simple on the outside, but open it up and a rainbow of colours will wow you. The plain Kraft box speaks to the brand’s commitment to sustainability, where the inside provides a perfect backdrop for UGC content and adds a dash of the unexpected.

 

Reef Knots

4. Reef Knots

Focusing on menswear with sustainability at the centre, Reef Knots makes their unboxing experience feel like a gift. The colour scheme of turquoise is a nod to summer days, which ties in perfectly with the brand’s key phrase: Summertime – all the time.

 

 

 

Fable England

 

5. Fable England

Choosing a sustainable postal box with a gorgeous twist on the inside, Fable creates a whimsical unboxing experience to delight its customers. Opting for contrasting white with floral detailing, everything about their packaging says “fairytale”.

   

3 Top Tips to Boost Your Unboxing Experience

You can take a few different approaches to enhance the unboxing experience for your customers. Each approach involves several key elements that can be developed through the implementation of custom packaging:

1. Tell a Story

First, telling a brand story through packaging can create a memorable experience. This can be achieved by conveying brand values and mission through the creative use of graphics and typography, which helps customers connect with the brand on a deeper level. 

2. Get Personal

Incorporate personal touches like handwritten notes or personalised messages to make customers feel valued and appreciated. Small tokens of appreciation, such as samples or gifts, can further elevate the unboxing experience. 

3. Make It Shareable

Engaging customers with shareable packaging through social media-friendly designs that are visually appealing will encourage user-generated content. 

Leverage unboxing videos by contacting influencers and expert reviewers to promote your products. Videos like these can generate millions of views, making them a valuable marketing tool that massively boosts your brand’s visibility. Plus, your brand can demonstrate its commitment to social and environmental responsibility by promoting sustainability and inclusivity in packaging.

Upgrade Your Unboxing Experience with Packaging Supplies

To thrive in ruthlessly competitive markets, eCommerce businesses must offer consumers unforgettable experiences using packaging and marketing alone. Creating a planet-positive unboxing experience is a perfect way to connect with your audience, even if you’re operating solely online.

With our premium custom packaging options and sustainable solutions — including a suite of Complete Packaging Services — you can elevate your brand and leave a lasting impression on your customers. Join us and discover how the right packaging can take your business to new heights!

Get a free quote for custom packaging in just 48 hours, and let us help you create unforgettable unboxing experiences.