With the rise of the subscription box economy, more and more businesses are looking for creative ways to surprise and delight their customers with memorable unboxing experiences.
What is unboxing? It's the experience customers have when opening a purchase for the first time, typically one that has just arrived in the mail. People enjoy the unboxing part so much that it's become a YouTube phenomenon, sometimes attracting millions of viewers.
Watch Retro Dodo unbox this Deadpool subscriptions box, filled with exclusive content and collectables.
The video of this unboxing experience has almost 2 million views.
Notice how the "unboxer" doesn't just rip open the crate like hyper kids on Christmas morning? He takes time to appreciate the intentionally "grimy" look of the box and the "kick ass" artwork inside. The items in the box are revealed in layers, building anticipation and excitement.
Whether you're new to the subscription box business, or have an existing product you want to sell with recurring payments, there's a lot we can learn from videos like the one above about how to create the perfect unboxing experience. Make your customers count down the days until their subscription box arrives in the mail, and maybe even inspire them to share their unboxing on Youtube!
Image via: mashable
Pop-culture subscription box, Loot Crate, even offers instructions on how to create the "perfect unboxing," encouraging customers to share their experience. Smart!
Before we look at five unboxing strategies, with examples from some of the most successful subscription box businesses in the marketplace, why don't we dive a bit deeper into why the unboxing experience is so important. Or, if you're already convinced, skip right to the examples.
Why the unboxing experience matters
People don't care about the box, they just want to get the products they ordered. Right? The numbers tell a different story.
According to The Packaging Company your unboxing experience can make or break your year. Check out the entire infographic here.
Image via: The Packaging Company
Also learn about the power of packaging you probably didn't know about, and how important the impression your packaging makes is to the customer.
There are many aspects of your business that you can't control, but delightful packaging is something you can get right every time. This doesn't mean you need a huge budget — learn how to enhance the unboxing experience with cost effective packaging.
A great unboxing experience can:
- Increase perceived value
- Increase brand loyalty and set your product apart
- Reduce the chance of returns
- Attract influencers
- Help your subscription experience go viral
Now, lets look at how some of the most exciting subscription boxes on the web are winning the recurring revenue race:
5 things to consider when creating a memorable unboxing experience
1. Outer design
Image via: Maple Box
One of the reasons people love a great subscription box is it reminds them of being a kid on Christmas morning — the only difference is you don't have to be a kid, and you can decide when Christmas morning comes, once a month, every two weeks, or even every seven days!
Described as "the subscription box for True North organic luxury," Maple Magazine's The Maple Box delivers six to ten organic wellness products, curated for the season.
Wrapped in red ribbon with a sprig of pine tucked in the bow, this subscription box captures the Canadian spirit for warm, feel-good vibes year round.
Design elements to consider:
- If there is room in your budget, custom printing on the outside of your box adds a layer of visual appeal.
- Are you going to be shipping to regions where weather is a factor? Consider a box inside a box approach, or a protective sleeve.
- Think about design elements inside of the box — what is the first thing customers see when they open the lid?
- Your subscription box doesn't have to be, well, "box shaped." Consider an alternative shape that is still mail-friendly.
- Make sure it's easy to open. Unboxing should be a smooth, enjoyable experience, not one that is interrupted to look for scissors or opening tools.
2. Box size
Image via: mysubscriptionaddiction
The next thing to consider is the size of your subscription box. There isn't a one size (no pun intended) solution for going big or small. This will often be determined by what you are selling. Clothing subscription box, Kidpik, does a nice job of packing lots of loot inside their slightly larger box.
Image via: Kidpik
Where your box size will vary, the general rule is that your products should fit snugly within. If the box is too big and empty, the contents might be a little...meh. You also don't want to compromise presentation by having too many items crammed into an undersized box.
Some things to consider:
- If your box is too big it can feel a little empty or underwhelming.
- If your box is too small it can feel cramped and make for a visually unappealing layout when subscribers first open it.
- Smaller boxes can be cheaper to ship, so find a balance between space and aesthetics.
- If your product is tiny or delicate, like candy, jewelry, or miniature toys, a small box might feel more on-brand.
- If your product is bulkier, like clothing, books, or wine, a larger box can work.
3. Inner packaging
Here are a few things to consider when thinking about how you package the inside of your subscription box:
Design
Image via: birchbox
There's a reason Birchbox is one of the more popular subscription boxes on YouTube. The colourful paper inside matches the look and feel of their products for a satisfying unboxing experience.
Durability
Image via: whisky loot
The perfect subscription box for whiskey lovers who want to develop their palate (without breaking the bank), Whisky Loot uses a sleek foam mold that protects the glass bottles without taking way from visual appeal.
Presentation
image via: HiSmile
Teeth whitening brand HiSmile claims to deliver whiter teeth in only 10 minutes — talk about results right out of the box! This minimalist subscription product arrives in a sleek, rectangular box that will have your dental office taking notes.
Additional considerations:
- If there's room in your budget, consider custom tissue paper or art on the inside of the lid.
- If you are selling an eco-friendly product, your customers are not going to be impressed by wasteful packaging. Try using all recyclable or compostable packaging, and be sure to call this out on any inserts, even on the packaging itself.
- Consider the reveal order of the products to build anticipation and excitement throughout the entire unboxing.
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Make sure your box is visually appealing and easy to open.
4. Personalization & Bonuses
Image via: Bold
John's Crazy Socks are the subscription-box kings of personalization. Their wildly popular sock of the month club is where the fun begins. Co-founder John Cronin, who was born with down syndrome, started the company with a mission to spread happiness and provide employment opportunities for those with differing abilities.
When the company first started, Cronin would personally deliver boxes to local customers and include a hand-written note in every package that went out. You can't get more personal than that! His big smile and glowing personalty were a part of every unboxing experience.
Today, the company has grown too large for hand-written notes in every box. Instead, every box has an insert letting customers know which "sock-wrangler" packed their delivery, many of whom have differing abilities. But when he has time, John still hand writes some of the notes, and personally deliver boxes in his Long Island community.
Image via: John's Crazy Socks
If you want to deliver a more personal unboxing experience for your products, there's a lot we can learn from John's Crazy Socks.
Some things to consider:
- Make the customer feel special by putting their name on a personalized insert, surprising them with a "just for you" bonus, or thanking them with a hand-written note.
- Candy, coupons, samples, stickers — adding little extras can help endear customers to your brand.
- Incentivize customers to order their next box — or six boxes — with discount codes, contests, or invitations to join a VIP club for a discounted price.
- Consider partnering with another vendor to access extra items and top-ups for your subscription box.
5. First Impressions
"You have 7 seconds to make a first impression, so your brand needs to be well designed from the get go, with a clear message," Tailor Brand says in 37 brand statistics you need to know this year.
This means that by the time your customer has brought their subscription box in from the mail and are holding it in their hands with anticipation, they have already decided what they think of it.
Image via: mysubscriptionaddiction
POPSUGAR has done a great job designing the Must Have box. One look and you'll be eagerly flipping open the lid to see what's inside. The design, color, and layout of their box all play into that powerful first impression.
Now, we're going to leave you with an example from one of the heavy hitters of the subscription box industry, a brand that practically popularized this way of selling.
Image via: Vox
Dollar Shave Club doesn't cut corners when it comes to delivering a strong first impression.
The lid layout is simple, economical, and hits you with a bad dad joke sure to put a smile under those whiskers.
Some things to consider:
- The first 7 seconds of someone's unboxing experience could determine whether they give you months, even years, of recurring revenue. Make it count.
- Welcome first-time customers with an exciting product, but don't set the bar too high with their first box or they may find the next one underwhelming.
- What will the customer see when they open the box? This moment is a great opportunity to make a strong impression.
- Consider design, layout, colour, composition, box size/shape, reveal order, and anything else that could influence their unboxing experience.
- First impressions are important, but make sure you can back it up with a quality product.
Time to get down to box-ness
We hope you enjoyed reading this post, and were inspired by some of the industry's finest on how to design your very own subscription box and grow your recurring revenue business.
Some of the merchants we covered in this blog post — Maple Box, Whisky Loot, HiSmile, and John's Crazy Socks — have used Bold Subscriptions to grow and manage their subscription business.
We know you aren't looking for extra costs as you look to launch (or elevate) your subscription business. That's why we are offering Bold Subscriptions free for 14-days so you can see the value it will add to your business before committing to any costs.
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- Topics:
- Bold Subscriptions
- Ecommerce insights
