What can a branded packaging experience do for you?

A big part of building a long-term, sustainable brand is bringing customers back time and time again. One of the best ways to do this is creating an emotional connection with your customers. But for online retailers this can be difficult.

For ecommerce businesses, the shipped package represents the most direct touch point and connection with the customer. And as the only time your company gets to physically interact with your customer it is vital that you make the most of it! This is where a branded packaging experience comes in.

Value Proposition

Creating a great branded packaging experience is about value propositions.

Showing attention to detail at even the smallest level communicates that you care. This forms a bond with the customer, something that transcends price points. A good product unboxing experience says “it’s worth it, you’ve bought a great product, it’s special”.

The value of premium packaging extends far beyond the customer experience into residual marketing effects. The experience goes beyond the online order to when the customer actually opens the beautifully wrapped package and shares that experience across social networks. That act of online and social recommendations drives loyalty from your customers and promotes brand awareness.

The unboxing experience increasingly trends on google and has over 20 million hits on YouTube. (https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/youtube-insights-stats-data-trends-vol7.html)

Simply put, a branded packaging experience is a thoughtful selection of packaging and shipping materials as well as the deliberate presentation of your products. Its purpose is to provide additional value for your customer as well as your business through the ability to create a memorable and sharable experience.

When comparing ecommerce to physical shops, merchants have far less touch points to impress and wow customers so it’s important to utilize every touch point available to create a branded experience that sets you apart from competitors by creating a memorable experience for your customers.

Here are some examples:

Apple

The beauty of Apple’s unboxing experience is their use of layers.

Layers create a clear and obvious unpacking progression. They act as pause points, allowing a user to appreciate the product step by step.

See the unpacking of an Apple iPhone 6 here.

The Trunk Club

The trunk club apply their branding throughout their packaging.

Inside the trunk, the contents are thoughtfully laid out to create a presentation and experience when opened.

To further build a custom branded experience for their customers, all orders include a handwritten card from a personal stylist explaining the selection of products.

Brooks England

Brooks England is an example of a British bicycle accessory manufacturer that uses their unpacking experience to extend their brand story. As a British heritage brand, their packaging includes a newspaper “The Bugle”, and a letter with instructions that reads: Congratulations on choosing a Brooks saddle, please open, read and learn why this is a product for a lifetime.

See a video of their unpacking experience here.

Warby Parker

Warby Parker, an online sunglasses retailer, takes the unboxing experience concept to another level.

They understand the value of customer experience, as their flag-ship store does not function as a store at all. It is adorned with carefully stacked shelves with hand-picked literature, vintage issues of the Paris Review and comfy mid-century chairs – ready for any weary shoppers to relax.

Their aim is to transform themselves into a cultural and social hub, creating a lifestyle experience that establishes brand affinity and customer loyalty. Their example demonstrates the extent that brands go to develop an amazing experience that facilitates sales.

The Senior Vice President of Apple Retail and Online stores said in a recent interview, “I don’t want to be sold when I walk into a store. Don’t sell! No! Because that is a turn-off. Build an amazing brand experience, and then it will just naturally happen."

Hopefully some of these examples will help you think about how to bring your brand alive when your customers are interacting with you from a distance.

For more information about how we can imporve your unpacking experience, please visit our website orbital-response.co.uk.