Which unboxing strategy should you choose for your e-commerce business?

You’ve already prepared your Black Friday campaigns, and now you’re wondering what your next marketing move should be. 

Think customer experience, packaging, retention… In short: think unboxing !

Often overlooked by online retailers, unboxing is the most direct connection you have with your customers. It sparks the excitement needed to build loyalty. 

Never-ending excitement, without borders

“An act or occasion of taking a newly purchased product out of its packaging and examining its features, usually while being filmed and shared on a social networking site.”

Definition of unboxing from the Oxford Dictionary

Directly from the internet, this anglicism—which translates as “déballage” in French—has held a spot in the Top trends on YouTube for over 10 years.

This practice generates billions of searches and views, peaking every year in the month before Christmas.

Today, you can find unboxing videos for nearly every product sold online—even for KLM’s Boeing 787.

This trend is so popular that entire YouTube channels are dedicated to it.

The reasons for this widespread enthusiasm, which might first seem over-the-top, are many—and entirely rational.

As you know, online shopping has a major drawback: your customers can’t physically experience your products before buying. That’s why they live this experience vicariously through unboxing videos online.

More authentic than an ad, unboxing videos are created without any artifice. Prospects therefore place greater trust in them.

The logical reason behind searching for unboxing-related content is to see a summary of a product’s strengths and weaknesses—all in the internet’s favorite format: video.

Over the course of the video, prospects feel a sense of empathy for the influencer, who presents themselves as just another customer sharing their experience. Through identification, they start to share the influencer’s excitement, enthusiasm, and even disappointment.

A great unboxing experience has a psychological effect: it sparks anticipation, as the prospect can picture themselves. It taps into the emotional—the most powerful marketing lever.

On top of that, consider factors like the passion for a product or brand. Think of Apple, which creates a global event with every iPhone release. 

The individual experience of opening a package turns into a collective social experience, reinforcing the feeling of belonging to a community.

Key challenges for your e-commerce business

When the customer receives their package, it’s no longer about promises—it’s about proof.

Does your e-commerce business live up to the values it promotes? Is your product as advertised? Do you pay special attention to your customers? How far do you take the onboarding experience?

To better understand the onboarding process, check out our article: “Customer Onboarding: A Powerful Loyalty Driver”

You know the saying: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”

That’s even more true today with the internet. Shoppers can form their first impression before even buying your products.

Whether your customers open their package at home or watch a video, unboxing is the moment they can unwrap the barrier that protected their goods during shipping. It’s the culmination of your storytelling and the grand finale.

For your e-commerce, it’s your chance to reaffirm the values shown on your website and build deeper trust with your customers. On the other hand, an unboxing experience that clashes with your values can lead to negative buzz.

“Steve and I spent a lot of time on the packaging design (…). We love the unboxing experience. You create an unboxing ritual to make the product feel special. The packaging becomes theater, it creates a story.”

Walter Isaacson, Apple

Think of your packages like the wrapping on a gift customers give themselves. They awaken their “inner child” with the same sense of anticipation and suspense as when opening presents under the tree.

You wouldn’t consider giving your loved ones a gift that’s poorly wrapped for a birthday or Christmas.

The pro tip: If you’re just starting out with unboxing, add a few questions about your packaging and personal touches to a customer satisfaction survey sent automatically after delivery.

You’ll get valuable feedback.

Package materials and size that reflect your values

To turn your packaging into a marketing tool, you need to meet customer expectations—without overwhelming their living space.

If your target audience values aesthetics over eco-friendliness, branded tape in your brand’s colors will make a great impression from the moment your package arrives. 

More broadly, 90% of consumers believe a company can be economically and environmentally efficient at the same time if it sets its mind to it (source: OpinionWay survey, June 2017).

So, the goal isn’t to add countless bells and whistles to your packaging.

Today, over-the-top packaging is not well-received by eco-conscious consumers. In fact, the hashtag #excessivepackaging was created to call out brands that overpackage.

With that in mind, avoid oversized boxes, unnecessary layers, controversial materials, or excessive glue.

You can swap glue for eco-friendly options like air pillows, kraft paper, or even customized newspaper. 

When it comes to material, consider recycled plastic, biosourced or biodegradable packaging, or corrugated cardboard. The top choice remains reusable packaging made from recycled materials. 

The pro tip: Add a recycling logo on the box if possible. And don’t forget your own logo—unless you’re shipping luxury goods, in which case branded packages may be at risk of theft.

Product safety first

Shipping companies, including La Poste, can sometimes be rough with the parcels they handle.

Your packaging should be shock-resistant, since 73% of customers say they won’t reorder from a retailer whose product arrived damaged (source: Package Insight for Prégis, 2016).

That’s a great reason to test your packaging. Send yourself a package with your largest or most fragile items to make sure they hold up during shipping and arrive in perfect condition.

If you offer a large number of references and product formats, opt for intermediate packaging sizes.

This approach helps you control packaging costs and maintain productivity for your team.

On the other hand, if your product range is limited, you can create packaging with built-in inserts.

They’re seen as the gold standard for attention to detail and protect products better than anything else.

If your product doesn’t fit standard-sized packaging, whether due to size or weight, it’s an opportunity to innovate: mailing tubes, cardboard envelopes, cones, and more.

The pro tip: Some packaging providers have automated packaging processes to tailor boxes to your product’s exact size.

Although this technology is still emerging and more expensive than standard sizes, keep an eye on it—it could soon revolutionize delivery.

Packaging that sparks emotions

After opening the box, comes the inner packaging—the final reveal before discovering the product. It should highlight your product.

Your packaging is a powerful branding tool. Stay consistent with your visual identity to immerse customers in your brand’s world and firmly anchor your image in their memory. 

Think about the emotions you want to convey: laughter, joy, surprise, nostalgia, satisfaction, achievement… Once you know your goal, let your creativity flow.

Remember: packaging isn’t only about looks, the feel matters too. 

Here are some value-based examples and ideas:

• High-end: matte, single-color box with your logo embossed or foil-stamped
• Exclusivity: smooth, solid-color box with only keywords or a quote for decoration
• Jewelry: tulle or velvet pouch in your brand’s color, with the logo printed in gold or silver
• Eco-friendly: simple recycled cardboard box, suitable for reuse (as a pencil holder or picture frame, for instance), with instructions printed in white on the back
• Wellness: custom or plain tissue paper or wood wool for a premium or cozy touch
• Men’s beauty: faux newspaper with fun headlines referencing your products and your customers’ daily lives
• Women’s beauty: reusable silk scarf or wrapping paper in your brand’s colors, with your logo hidden in the patterns
• Youth: cardboard box reusable as a dollhouse, a sturdy poster of a pop culture idol, or educational quotes like “Did you know? A giraffe’s neck has 7 vertebrae—just like humans.”
• …

This list is just a starting point to spark your creative thinking. 

The more unique your packaging is, the stronger and more memorable your brand will be.

The pro tip: Make sure your color scheme sends the right emotional message. To explore this further, check out our article: “The Psychological Power of Color in Marketing.”

Personalized touches that win customers over

At ShopiMind, we consistently highlight the importance of personalization in our articles. Unboxing is no exception—your customer should feel special.

Here are some ideas that will delight your customers:

• Samples of other products that match their shopping habits—or your best-sellers if it’s their first order
• A discount code or referral code to encourage future purchases
• Branded goodies that complement their order
• Eye-catching stickers, cards, or posters to use as decoration
• A business card for your store, with your social links and customer service contacts—to avoid negative reviews being posted on social media

Is your average basket too low to allow for gifts? Just add a thank you card under the product.

Another low-cost option is to personalize your invoice—match it to your visual identity and add the customer’s first name. 

Slip these into an original pouch or envelope—they become true communication tools. 

The pro tip: Consider the return options you provide for your customers. Imagine a parcel that tears when opened—it’s an extra source of frustration for anyone wanting to return it, since they’ll need to find new packaging.

You can swap the return forms for pre-printed barcodes to make the process much easier.

Your unboxing can go viral

The first unboxing videos were filmed by everyday users. 

Some have become influencers who’ve built full-time businesses around this. If your budget allows, you can work with influencers—just be sure to give them enough creative freedom to maintain the authentic appeal your prospects are looking for.

Viewers of unboxing videos are actually seeking the honest perspective of an unbiased customer rather than a product endorsement. 

Alternatively, you can create your own unboxing videos. Depending on your target audience and marketing strategy, you can publish them as short clips on TikTok, longer-form videos on YouTube, or even Instagram and Facebook stories.

This is a great way to reach new audiences that are usually hard to engage through traditional channels.

Last but not least: encourage happy customers to share their own unboxing for you.

According to Dotcom Distribution, 40% of online shoppers would share a photo of their order on social media if it arrived in branded packaging.

Just meet this desire and kindly ask them! For even greater engagement, offer a reward to those who post a photo and tag your brand.

Your satisfied customers will become your brand ambassadors, spreading the word online and helping drive new customer acquisition.

Conclusion

In summary, unboxing is your final opportunity to share information and values in the buying journey, helping boost engagement and repeat business.

All indicators show this trend is here to stay. Some are already envisioning the future—where virtual reality could deliver ever more immersive experiences.