How to Take Your Customers’ Breath Away During Product Unboxing

There’s always a thrill that comes with opening presents. As a brand owner, you can replicate this excitement by creating a memorable unboxing experience for your customers.

The moment your customer receives a package from you is a major brand touchpoint, so don’t underestimate its importance.

Your packaging can be a plain cardboard box or a plastic mailer. After all, what matters the most is, that your items are safely and securely tucked away. But to stand out among your competitors, you’ve got to take it up a notch.

In this guide, we’ll take you through a few easy steps to create an unforgettable unboxing experience for your customers.

The components of the unboxing experience

To get an impression of the goods you sell, your customers can browse through your online store, look at the photos, and watch your product videos. But the first time they really get a feel of your brand is the moment your product gets delivered to them. 

An unboxing experience goes beyond undoing the package delivered to your doorstep. It’s about the experience of holding the package in your hands, picturing what’s in it, exploring its contents, and forming an opinion about the sender.

At face value, the difference between a plain package and a branded one is the elements in the equation: branded boxes, custom tissue paper, packaging inserts, and freebies. But on an emotional level, the difference lies in the story being told. Branded packaging tells a story of care, attention to detail, and love for the customer.

Whether you pack and ship your own products or work with a fulfillment partner, there are many branded packaging ideas you can try out. Follow these suggestions to take your customers’ breath away when your package is delivered to them. We’ve covered several simple and budget-friendly options as well as some premium options that make the packaging look extra sleek. 

1. Branded boxes

There are very few brands out there who’ve made their packaging as iconic as the product. Can you even picture Tiffany’s without their signature blue boxes? Or what about Toblerone, do you think their chocolate would taste and feel the same if it weren’t for the brand’s iconic prism-shaped packaging?

Technically, when it comes to ecommerce deliveries, it’s what’s inside the box that counts. However, if you can get your customers to tell who the package is from without opening it, you’re opening a lot of opportunities for boosted brand recognition and a source of user-generated content (UGC).

Using branded boxes is a great way to ship and present your products. You can design your delivery box in a simple, quirky, or sophisticated way that matches your products and makes your package stand out. If your packaging is extra cute and durable, your customer might even keep it for their own storage needs (I’ve never thrown out an adorable cookie tin and I never will).

Start with adding your logo on the outside of the box and including an extra surprise inside to get your customers excited about the unboxing.

2. Sustainable and durable packaging materials

Product packaging is more than just aesthetics. It’s also about the safety of your product during shipping and delivery, and about the quality of materials used to package it.

Using sturdy and sustainable materials can be a way for you to share your brand values and show proof of your social responsibility. Consider using eco-friendly packaging like corrugated cardboard boxes, or sustainable packaging made of recycled plastic to help secure your products.

Read about Printful’s and Arka’s sustainability journey and how it’s reflected in the packaging.

3. Tissue paper wraps

Another exciting way to improve your packaging is by using tissue paper to wrap your products. Your customers will feel like unwrapping a beautiful, delicate gift. Who wouldn’t want that feeling? 

Use tissue paper to line the inside of your boxes and make your products feel that bit more precious. You can also use tissue paper as a canvas for your custom designs, and encourage your customers to reuse it when wrapping gifts.

4. Custom tape

Another tool for your brand packaging is custom tape to seal your cardboard boxes, envelopes, or mailers. Tape is a practical and budget-friendly option that is sure to add extra flavor to your packaging.

5. Stickers

Stickers can be used as decoration for your packaging, promotional inserts, or seals for wrapping paper. In the best-case scenario, your branded sticker might even land on your customer’s laptop and do some marketing for you.

6. Freebies

People love gifts, so why not add a little thank you gift from your brand? If you pack and ship your own products, freebies are a great way to cross-promote your products and get people excited about new launches. If you outsource warehousing and fulfillment, evaluate whether adding free products is profitable and manageable for your business.

7. Personalized/handwritten notes

Now that a lot more shopping is done online, brands have to work extra hard to establish an emotional connection with their customers.

Handwritten notes are sure to add a heart-warming feel to the unboxing experience. You can experiment with all kinds of styles of notes: handwritten, printed, or even painted. You could do quotes, drawings, mini-collages—whatever you feel like, and whatever fits in with your brand!

If you’ve partnered up with a warehousing and fulfillment service, you can store your branded packaging inserts like thank you cards in their warehouse, and they’ll be added to your packages with every order.

Benefits of branded packaging for your business

Aside from delighting your customers, creating a memorable unboxing moment also serves as an excellent marketing tool.

1. It helps your brand tell its story

It bears repeating that every unboxing experience is your opportunity to tell your brand’s story to your customer. 

If your products come with vibrant, bold designs, look for ways to include that in your packaging, perhaps in a form of custom tissue paper or a fun sticker. Or you could go the other way and balance wild and wacky designs with more muted packaging.

If being eco-conscious is the key value for your brand, consider adding a note on the source of materials used to manufacture or package the products—your customers will appreciate you sharing this information.

2. It gives your brand a premium feel

Some customers associate custom packaging with high-end brands. And it doesn’t always come down to using premium materials or including expensive freebies—the premium feel comes from you putting in the time and effort. 

So put in the time in your packaging, and your customers will perceive you as a brand that shows the same care when creating products and campaigns. Building a thought-out unboxing experience will give your products a hint of luxury and, for repeat purchases, will likely build anticipation for the next delivery.

3. It helps step up your marketing game

Unboxing videos and other social media content have become very popular in recent years because it’s a way for potential customers to check out the company’s product without the need to spend money.

Creating a share-worthy unboxing experience is a fantastic source of UGC that keeps on giving. Use the images and videos created by your followers to provide potential customers with social proof and authentic product photos. Here are just a few ideas of what you can include in your packaging inserts to keep the momentum going:

• Your social media handles and hashtags for sharing the experience.You can include a note saying Send us your unboxing video or post it online with [#hashtag] to get 5% off your next purchase!
• Information about any upcoming promos
• Discount code for repeat purchases
• Details about an upcoming contest
• Information about charities or causes you support 

If you collaborate with influencers and request them to create an unboxing video, your custom packaging will make their content more memorable and your store easier to find.

Wrap it up and put a bow on it

When it comes to creating a memorable unboxing experience for your customers, let your imagination run wild. There are lots of ways you can upgrade your packaging and make your customers swoon, from the easy-peasy and affordable to the more luxurious and detail-oriented. 

If you package your own products, have a look at Arka’s catalog and spice up your packaging before the holiday shopping is in full swing. If you run a print-on-demand store, check out the custom packaging options Printful offers.

Read next: Printful Custom Packaging: Why You Need It and How It Works