Over the past few years, unboxing has become almost an industry in its own right, fuelled by popular video reviews on YouTube, Instagram, and Tik-Tok. The products ‘unboxed’ for the subscribers’ viewing pleasure vary from Lego dinosaurs to collectible Japanese toys, designer handbags and cosmetics, Apple iPhones, luxury watches, vintage train sets, and even doughnuts – the list really is endless.

Some of these social media influencers have hundreds of thousands, or even millions of subscribers, so it’s a big market, dispersed around the world and covering all major demographic groups. Brands that are endorsed by unboxing Youtubers may experience a dramatic short-term uptick in sales, especially around seasonal or trendy items.

And it’s not just the big brands that benefit from the unboxing trend. For independent SME ecommerce businesses, unboxing holds out the prospect of massive free exposure. Endorsement by an influencer can transform an unknown independent brand into a YouTube or Instagram sensation overnight.

So it pays to invest in social media-worthy packaging for your ecommerce products.

Moreover, it isn’t just the large-scale influencers that drive the popularity of unboxing; it’s also increasingly popular among individual consumers, too.

Many people enjoy posting short videos of themselves unboxing a new purchase or unwrapping a present on their private social media feeds. This became extremely widespread during the pandemic when face-to-face contact with loved ones wasn’t possible, and has remained consistently popular since.

Private videos uploaded to Instagram and Facebook can quickly build momentum for ecommerce retailers, giving the same sales boost and brand credibility as online reviews. If an unboxing video featuring your product is viewed by 100, 200, 500 friends and connections through a customer’s social media feed, suddenly that’s increased brand recognition from people who may not have heard of you before. If you’re in the gift market, this exposure could translate directly into increased purchases around Christmas and seasonal occasions.

How do you leverage the Unboxing trend?

The answer is fairly straightforward. Firstly, you ensure your packaging is high quality, durable, and fit for purpose. Your ecommerce products must arrive on the doorstep safely and in pristine condition. Secondly, you aim to give your customers something unique with their unboxing, not by reinventing the wheel each time, but by personalising your packaging so that it reflects the subtleties and uniqueness of your brand identity.

Whether ‘personalisation’ in your case means the rococo elegance of Louis Vuitton, the earthy sustainability of the Body Shop, or the futuristic simplicity of Apple, is up to you and what your customers expect from you. But the formula is the same. By focusing on quality and personalisation, you’ll make a great first impression on your customers and the people they buy gifts for, and many of them will be happy to share this experience via video on social media to their friends and family.

Find out more.

Kudos Giftwrap are bespoke packaging specialists, helping independent ecommerce retailers and SMEs deliver unique customer unboxing experiences through a range of sustainable, high quality packaging solutions. To discuss your branding objectives or find out more about how we can help you, please call one of our specialists today on 01923 954933, or click here to find out more.