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The ultimate unboxing experience

Tis’ the season for unboxing! And when it comes to gifting, Christmas is the perfect time of year to create memorable moments for loved ones.

So as a business, how can you create an unboxing memory like no other? From eco-friendly packaging solutions, to surprise and delight tactics, read on for a few of our top tips.

The packaging

writing gift set

Image credit: Sleepy Bee Studio

When it comes to unboxing, we couldn’t kick off the conversation without featuring our lovely customer Sleepy Bee Studio. Her gift writing sets are the ultimate in luxury unboxing, with carefully partitioned elements to both unwrap and then store your products. 

When thinking about your unboxing, it’s important to create stand out from the get-go. We love how this gift box is held together with a foiled Belly Band, with the colour scheme carried through from the external packaging to the wax melts and Stickers

But remember, you box doesn’t have to just have 4 sides! With our shiny new Veloblade machine the possibilities are endless, so don’t feel limited if you’ve got a weird and wonderful idea. After all, the exterior packaging makes the first impression so why not make it unique to your brand. 

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Sustainable wrapping and materials

crinkle paper

Image credit: Unsplash

As part of your unboxing experience you might choose to look at filler materials to pad out the internal elements of your product. From recycled crinkle paper to tissue paper, keeping everything sitting snugly in your package will not only protect your products, but it will also provide a much more aesthetically pleasing experience for your customer.

Why not choose papers that mimic your brand colours or product range? This earthy crinkle paper would be the perfect companion to rustic foods or homemade crafts. Plus it’s recyclable and can be easily reused.

If you’re short on space, or looking for an alternative to the traditional ‘box’, Wrapping Paper can be a versatile alternative. Whether branded or tied into a seasonal colour scheme, it’s a great way to elongate the unwrapping experience. 

The packaging materials you use for your unboxing don’t have to damage the planet, and with our new range of eco paper stocks (including Recycled Wrapping Paper and Stickers) we’re continually finding new ways to reduce our carbon footprint.

Discover our latest eco paper stocks

Unboxing in stages

advent calendar print

Image credit: TreatBox

So you’ve got your packaging and filler sorted, but how are you going to create your unboxing journey? Often some of the best unboxing experiences split this into different stages of ‘discovery’. For example the first stage could be to open up your package to a branded Postcard or Flyer telling you a bit more about the business or brand your gift is from. 

The second stage could be placing numbered Stickers onto each product element to guide the customer through their unwrapping. This a great option if you’re creating an advent calendar or gift bundle. Our lovely customer TreatBox took this approach with their latest advent calendar for 2022, using Round Stickers to label each gift in turn.  

Other unboxing stages to consider could be including a discount Flyer or social hashtag, or even creating something interactive with a QR code, which could be scanned to redeem a free gift. The final stage should very much take into account what you’d like your customer to do next, with repeat business at the centre.

Discover more about how to create standout product inserts in our dedicated blog below. 

Create Flyers with stand out

Personalisation

unboxing experience

Image credit: Unsplash

If you’ve got an e-commerce or fulfilment partner, or a team big enough to manage bespoke orders – you can really add a personal experience to your unboxing. Opening a box to see your name or personal brand provides an immediate sense of excitement, And sometimes going the extra mile really does make a difference. It also provide a real connection between your brand and the customer, helping increase the chance of a repeat sales.

You could include personalisation on elements such as Belly Bands, Stickers, Greeting Cards and even Gift Tags. Hand written elements from small businesses always add a lovely human touch too. 

Did you know that we offer Version Printing? This is a great money saver if you’re looking to print multiple designs of the same product. And is a great way to personalise print for different types of customer. Discover more below.

Discover Version Printing

Surprise and delight with extras

Iggy box gift

Image credit: Iggy Box

Everyone loves a freebie! So why not leave the ultimate impression in your unboxing effort this season with added extras. You don’t need to go too big to be memorable. From free skincare samples, to sweet treats and branded Vinyl Stickers. A few little surprise elements can go a long way!

These gorgeous gift boxed candles created by our customer Iggy Box  include a set of beautiful branded matches. They also often partner with other business and treat their customers to delights such as sugar-coated sweets and pretzels. So if you know a local business why not ask them to partner on your next gift box? 

If you aren’t limited with budget, you could even look at including free gifts when your customers subscribe, and surprise and delight them with new branded merchandise with each order. From Notepads to Art Prints, find something that suits your customer base and thank them for continuing to purchase from you.

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Get started with unboxing

Ready to get started with your next unboxing project? The good news is that you don’t need to have a huge budget to really make an impact with your customers – all it needs is a bit of creativity and imagination. Luckily our Creative Hub is the perfect place to bring brilliant ideas to life, so click below to create something memorable today!

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About the author

Caitlin is our Social Media guru and lover of all things food and travel. When she's not scrolling through TikTok you'll find her meticulously planning her next adventure abroad.

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