Un-Boxing Experience: Are you using it?

[James Burke]

Google the term and be prepared to invest a few well-spent hours in rapt attention about un-wrapping. Yeah, I've seen a lot of hype on YT about people's experiences, but I never gave it much thought until I bought a razor from Harry's. After that experience, I thought back on several online purchases I made earlier for what seemed like modestly priced items. I noticed that they, too, were following a unique pattern designed to actively engage a consumer on many levels.

For those of you who sell online, or otherwise ship your products, how many of you are killing it with the un-boxing experience?

It seems as though it has literally become an essential part of the marketing process, especially for those customers who can not experience the product before making a decision to purchase.

And even for those of you who do push a box across the counter into the customer's hands...are you doing anything special?

JB

 

[equippaint]

Seems more for the many that are addicted to online shopping. The satisfaction is from the anticipation of the box showing up and climaxes when the box is opened and not the actual product. After 5 mins, the satisfaction from the garbage purchased has already wore off. Its part of the reason that amazon does so well, they deliver quick which plays well to the addictive cycle.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I just bought a note 10... didnt do much research or watch unboxing videos... didnt want to buy it but my s9 kept fucking up. No unboxing climax here, but when I find things that work on this phone that didnt on my other and some new features I'm happy... not to the point of climax though, I'm not using the phone for that.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Stuff that I do, doesn't lend it self well to the unboxing experience as it is. For some yes, it might, but for the majority, I doubt that it does.

Myself personally, I don't watch unboxing videos. Those videos don't hold much weight with me at all. I'll do research, depending on the purchase determines how much research, but unboxing videos are not apart of that. The only way that it would, would be more for seeing the persons reaction and not so much the product in of itself. It would be more of a character study then anything.

I do think that there is more endorphins that go with the expectation of package more then the package itself and it's really heightened when the box is in your hands and tearing through it. As to if there is any joy afterward after the unboxing, just depends on how good of a purchase that it was.

 

[Dukenukem117]

I just bought a note 10... didnt do much research or watch unboxing videos... didnt want to buy it but my s9 kept ****ing up. No unboxing climax here, but when I find things that work on this phone that didnt on my other and some new features I'm happy... not to the point of climax though, I'm not using the phone for that.

So... the phone came, but you did not?

 

[Gino]

You've got to be kidding me............................... Really ??

 

[David Wright]

Google the term, Bugman or Bugmen. No thanks.

 

[James Burke]

Google the term, Bugman or Bugmen. No thanks.

Some quotes from the source below:

“He is a zombified consumer, an emasculated wage slave, a vessel emptied of meaning and refilled with plastic, pixels and silicone.”

“Bugmen are what we get when a culture is infantilized, watered down and stripped of the very intellectual, philosophical and honourable fibre that once made it great”.

“He bases his identity on passing trends that to him appear profound, priding himself on being a ‘step ahead’ of his peers — an ‘early adopter’ — not realizing it’s the marketer who’s always a step ahead of him.”

“Failing to find fulfilment in his work, the bugman has become fully immersed in Content, Digital Socializing and Entertainment. Facing the monumental task of salvaging his soul, he has instead resorted to seeking escape at every turn. He upgrades his 60” 4K TV to a 75” 4K TV. He buys more video games and a virtual reality set, finds a pot dealer and gets a prescription for anti-depressants.”


https://theunlikelyno.com/2018/07/14/the-exterminator-a-critique-of-the-bugman/

 

[unclebun]

Our unboxing experience consists of the customer driving around the building to the parking lot, and as they round the corner of the building they suddenly can see their truck or car with lettering on it! Or maybe when they come to pick up a small sign or a banner, they see it on the shelf in the entrance area! But the best is when we install a sign and come inside with the invoice for payment and they run outside to look at the finished sign.

 

[James Burke]

Sorry, I should have been more specific...

Before this topic completely goes off the rails, the unboxing experience I'm inquiring about is not about creating a raving lunatic YouTube following.

Rather, I was looking for ideas to create an experience that reinforces the quality of work you do, and keeps a client willing to pay for top-notch service and products that typically out price the competition.


JB

 

[bigben]

Sorry, I should have been more specific...

Before this topic completely goes off the rails, the unboxing experience I'm inquiring about is not about creating a raving lunatic YouTube following.

Rather, I was looking for ideas to create an experience that reinforces the quality of work you do, and keeps a client willing to pay for top-notch service and products that typically out price the competition.


JB

I've done some surveys with customers, family and friend about products that were shipped. We ended up with just a 4inX4in decal with our logo / website and a small smiley face + thank you note made with a sharpie on the box. The feedback has been very good. Most said with the decals, they know exactly what is in the box and the thank you note was a sign that we ''care''. It cost just few pennies and some customer told they remember us by this.

It work like my business card. It is made from wood. When I call back the customer, I say ''hi, it's Ben from xyz''. If they don't remember, I say ''the guy with the wooden business card'' and it work every time.

 

[Dukenukem117]

Sorry, I should have been more specific...

Before this topic completely goes off the rails, the unboxing experience I'm inquiring about is not about creating a raving lunatic YouTube following.

Rather, I was looking for ideas to create an experience that reinforces the quality of work you do, and keeps a client willing to pay for top-notch service and products that typically out price the competition.


JB

Here's an example of a reasonable 1-off packaging for a custom product.

Here's an example of an insane box that looks like the work of having an excess of engineers.

 

[AF]

Would you climax during the un-boxing of a ream of IRS forms?

 

[GAC05]

Would you climax during the in-boxing of a ream of IRS forms?

If I was an IRS compliance agent, the most likely yes!

 

[equippaint]

Sorry, I should have been more specific...

Before this topic completely goes off the rails, the unboxing experience I'm inquiring about is not about creating a raving lunatic YouTube following.

Rather, I was looking for ideas to create an experience that reinforces the quality of work you do, and keeps a client willing to pay for top-notch service and products that typically out price the competition.


JB

Looks like i made a poor choice in words haha. Not totally sure what youre after but ill take a stab at it (clean stab). Brand your boxes and tape. We have branded gum tape and im really picky about it going on the box straight and being the same for every shipment. We dont use our garbage for packing material either and always pack in new nice boxes. I would consider this for customer pickup as well, wrapped in poly, shrinked and corner guards or something that looks like you care. Put some no box cutter and do not bend stickers on it too.
Any parts that we are reselling, like a sign stand, we put our tape on it too. Im anal about how stuff is packed, it should look machine sealed and reflect a quality product inside.

 

[GAC05]

I'm trying to get right with this but not there yet. Does not help that over 90% of our output is either installed by us and or in the trash 30 days after we deliver it.

 

[equippaint]

What about a sheet with a work order or something like a quality control checklist, install date and info stuck in a nice presentation folder. You can add other pages explaining care for your new sign, pictures of the sign installed,what materials were used, or whatever other nonsense you can come up with. Then they get something tangible in their hands other than a bill.

 

[kanini]

We have branded packaging tape but reuse old quite fresh boxes. The way I see it we save a ton of cardboard going to waste otherwise. I am sure the customers maybe would like the brand new boxes but it's a tradeoff with eco-friendlyness and cost saving. No one has commented the packaging yet other than "great that it arrived undamaged".
We usually try to park finished vehicles on a sunny spot close to the road so the bypassers see the new branding as well. The customers seem to like this. We also attach a small hanger on the inside rear mirror with a thank you text and a washing instruction on vehicles.

 

[unclebun]

We have branded packaging tape but reuse old quite fresh boxes. The way I see it we save a ton of cardboard going to waste otherwise. I am sure the customers maybe would like the brand new boxes but it's a tradeoff with eco-friendlyness and cost saving. No one has commented the packaging yet other than "great that it arrived undamaged".
We usually try to park finished vehicles on a sunny spot close to the road so the bypassers see the new branding as well. The customers seem to like this. We also attach a small hanger on the inside rear mirror with a thank you text and a washing instruction on vehicles.

If you want to score points with the reused boxes, make a nice sticker that signals the virtue of reusing as being better than recycling, and put it on the box.

 

[kanini]

If you want to score points with the reused boxes, make a nice sticker that signals the virtue of reusing as being better than recycling, and put it on the box.

Good idea, we actually talked about making some stickers for putting on packages the other day so that would be easy to do now! Thanks for the tip!