Unboxing – A trend that continues?

Unboxing is by no means a new trend. But it seems like it’s a trend that’s sticking around for now. It is a trend and a phenomenon that is generating interest among all age groups. It doesn’t matter if it’s toys for the little ones or the latest electronic gadgets for the parents. If you do a quick search on YouTube, you will quickly see how popular product reviews are and an unboxing is a very important and incorporated part of these types of videos. That’s why the packaging for your products is also an important element to look at, as it’s no longer just about whether the packaging protects products during transport – it also needs to look good. Among other things, this helps to increase customer satisfaction. If you want to see more about products that increase customer satisfaction, have a look here. But why has this phenomenon become so big? What do people get out of watching videos where packaging plays such a big role? And how can companies take advantage of this? We’ll take a closer look in this blog post.

• What is unboxing?
• Is it still relevant and which products is it relevant for?
• How can your business take advantage of it?
• Stand out with packaging

> What is unboxing?

The definition of unboxing is taking new products out of their packaging, and preferably in a video. Product reviews in a video format are popular when users are researching new electronic gadgets, for example. Over the past 10-15 years, unboxing has become an important part of product reviews. But why is it popular to see others taking products out of their packaging? One reason could be that some of the products reviewed in the videos are luxury goods and therefore not German. If people then watch the videos, they feel a bit like they are part of the experience.

The unboxing experience is an important part of the product review. It is a phenomenon that is very big on the YouTube platform, among others. Of course, this is not the only place on the internet where you will be able to experience unboxing videos. It can be found on many other platforms where it is possible to upload video. Among others, it is possible to find them on Instagram and Facebook. However, YouTube is still the biggest platform for this type of video.

It is believed that one of the earliest unboxing videos was a review of a Nokia E61. Of course, it bears the mark of having been produced in 2006 and is far from being as well-produced as many of the modern unboxing videos, several of which are produced by influencers who make their living from unboxing videos and therefore have professional cameras and greater experience of video production. However, you can see the video has some of the basics of an unboxing video, where the actual packaging of the product appears and is shown off.

As I said, there have been many new unboxing videos since this one appeared in 2006. They can vary a lot in video quality and how professional they look. However, it’s not only videos produced outside Denmark. There are also many Danish influencers/youtubers who produce similar videos when reviewing products. There will be some examples of this later in the post.

An important feature of those who make unboxing videos is that they are ordinary people that viewers can relate to. There are several advantages to this. For example, you feel that you can trust the influencers making the videos, as they are not associated with the product themselves. Therefore, the words they use to describe the product don’t feel like a sales pitch in the same way as if the company itself was showcasing the product. When you see their joy at opening the package, their enthusiasm is infectious. By sharing these emotions when you watch the video, you can also feel as if it could be you holding the product.

> Is it still relevant and which products is it relevant for?

Now that it’s a trend that started way back in 2006, is it still relevant? Yes, because the videos are still being produced and there is clearly still a lot of interest in the subject. Although it originally started with electronic gadgets being unboxed and reviewed, today unboxing videos are being produced in virtually every type of product. Therefore, it can be relevant for a wide variety of companies and manufacturers.

For example, it has become incredibly popular for children to watch unboxing videos. Of course, when children watch unboxing, the focus is often on toys being unpacked from the box. Many of these influencers are often sent products by manufacturers before they hit stores, so they also help build interest in the product. Influencers can be children, young people or adults who produce child-friendly videos showing off the packaging, product and features to video viewers.

Clothing is another popular topic that again has videos showcasing a product. One phenomenon within this genre is haul videos, where the person in the video shows off a large amount of clothing to viewers. The products may vary between items sent to them by companies, or they may have gone shopping for clothes and accessories in bulk themselves. They may have purchased from a clothing brand that viewers have a keen interest in seeing reviewed. It could also be a haul where they have sourced products from a range of brands and therefore the videos are not focused on just one clothing brand. As can be seen in the video below, influencers clearly advertise in their videos if the videos are sponsored or otherwise an advertisement.

Finally, here are videos where different subscription boxes are opened. What is opened can be many different types of products, ranging in everything from beauty and accessories to food and snacks. You may also find with these types of boxes that they don’t necessarily only appear in videos focused on unboxing. They can. But in several cases, you may see them as sponsors on other types of videos where the influencer, will mention and open the box during the video.

> How can your business take advantage of this?

There are several companies that have seen the potential of unboxing videos. They have also seen how closely connected it is with influencers. Many of the unboxing videos that are to be found around the internet, they are made by influencers who have created a career around unboxing and reviews. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that companies are paying these influencers for reviews. At least not if it’s not made clear in the videos. However, companies may have sent a product to the influencer for free in the hope of having a video produced in which their product appears. This could include a video focusing on hauls, where a YouTuber opens the products they have been sent. This is one type of video that is being produced a lot for YouTube. We have an example of this type of video earlier in the post, where Jasmin Lind showcases her clothing shopping.

It is also possible to produce unboxing videos for your own products. Several other companies have experimented with this over the years. In this way, you and your company can decide how the video is expressed. These videos are not reviews, of course. Instead, they focus solely on taking the product out of its packaging and showing it off to consumers. For example, it could be like the video below

Of course, we’re not saying it’s always necessary to use influencer marketing, or that you should produce your own unboxing videos. Often, choosing packaging that provides a good customer experience can be enough. Of course, this does not give a promise that your products will end up in an unboxing video. But if they do end up there, you’ll be prepared by having chosen packaging that stands out and helps to enhance the customer experience.

> Stand out with your packaging

Nice package filling

If you’re looking for a classic type of package filling that provides a nice unboxing experience, tissue paper is a great option. With this, you can choose from many different colours to get the look you want for your product. The primary purpose for the tissue paper is not protection and package filling. Instead, the purpose is to give your product a nice wrap and presentation. However, it still protects against scratches and damage to delicate surfaces.

Another type of packaging that also provides beautiful presentation of your product is SizzlePak® fibres. As with tissue paper, these are also available in a variety of colours to give you the look you want. They are great for fixing your product in the box or case. They have an interesting accordion shape that looks great when wrapped around your products.

Special packaging

Custom packaging can help you give your packaging exactly the look you want for your brand. If you choose to have your packaging custom printed, your brand is already evident from the moment the customer receives the package. If you choose to have your packaging customised, you’ll get packaging that fits as closely as possible to the size of the product. That way, your customers don’t have to dig through layers of packing to get to the product.

If you don’t want to customise your own packaging, we can also offer other types of packaging to make the customer experience more personal. Here you can take a closer look at a cardboard box like the one below, which with its “Thank you” print helps to provide a more personal experience for the recipient. It could also be a nice and simple way to communicate with the customer and give them a good experience that isn’t just a plain brown cardboard box.

If you want to know more about our custom packaging, read on here.

Gift packaging

You can also choose to present your products in attractive gift packaging such as gift boxes or gift bags. At RAJA, we offer a variety of gift packaging options that can help provide a great customer experience and present your product in a delicious way.

These include some great gift baskets, which are perfect to put your products in along with some nice package filling. This could include SizzlePak®. If you prefer, choose tissue paper instead, which also looks great in the gift basket. The baskets have a fine and natural look and are made of reinforced micro-corrugated cardboard.

Another nice gift packaging that your product can also look good in is a nice gift box. This includes a gift box with a magnetic closure. These are boxes coated with lacquer paper, giving them a shiny and exclusive look on both the inside and outside. As with the gift baskets, these do not provide good protection for the products, so please fill up the boxes with some protection or parcel filling and use outer packaging when sending.

Need us to help you with the right packaging?

If you have any questions about different types of packaging that can optimise the customer experience, our packaging specialists are here to help. Call us on 44 58 77 00 or write to info@rajapack.dk. Of course, you can also browse our range yourself at www.rajapack.dk.

References

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Why Unboxing Videos Are So Satisfying https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-unboxing-videos-are-so-satisfying-99561095209.html

The Definition of Unboxing https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/unboxing

The successful unboxing campaign: https://forwardinfluence.com/how-to-achieve-a-successful-unboxing-campaign/

Unboxing and content marketing https://www.thismoment.com/content-marketing-blog/unboxing/

Subscription boxes https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/blogs/unboxing-the-retail-subscription-box-phenomenon/

What are YouTube unboxing videos https://www.commonsensemedia.org/youtube/what-are-youtube-unboxing-videos

Haul video https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haul_video