Upping the Customer Experience with Custom Gift Boxes

Imagine how boring the shopping experience would be if everything you purchased was given to you in a white bag? Or, worse yet, a nondescript plastic bag. 

As it stands now, 72% of US consumers say that product packaging design influences their buying decisions. And for good reason: branded packaging is a great way to improve the customer experience and brand recognition. 

Think of it this way, if you buy an item from Tiffany’s, you’d expect to see their signature blue box, white ribbon, and branded packaging. The same goes for the iconic orange Hermès box. 

That’s because both companies have branded themselves in a way that not only is the product what people buy for, it’s also for the experience. 

Read on and learn how brands improve their customer experience by utilizing custom gift boxes for their products. 

Why Customer Experience Matters

When a customer buys something from you, they’re filled with expectations set up by everything from your brand voice to the description of your product. At the point of sale, your product packaging can help you exceed those expectations and delight your customers.

Think of it this way: unpacking something is an experience. If you’ve ever opened a new device from Apple, you know that the packaging is a significant part of the experience. When you provide beautiful, customized packaging, customers can walk away with a positive experience of your brand. 

Here are just a few of the reasons great customer experience matters for your brand:

• Customers who have strong brand attachments generate an amazing 23% more profit and revenue than less attached customers. 

• According to a 2014 survey conducted by McKinsey & Company, brands that have effective customer journeys in place increase customer satisfaction by 20%. This is important since satisfied customers are the single best source of brand advocacy and referrals for companies. 

• According to a Walker study conducted in 2020, customer experience is now more important than price and product when it comes to brand differentiation. 

How Custom Gift Boxes Improve Customer Experience

Creating beautiful custom gift boxes will boost the value, recognition, and perception of your product. In short: great gift boxes show customers just how much you value and appreciate their business! 

Here are a few additional ways custom gift boxes improve the customer experience:

The Unboxing Experience

Today’s customers are drawn to products and packaging that look good. In fact, one 2013 study found that attractive packaging stimulates the reward-seeking areas of the human brain, and makes impulse purchases more likely. 

And for good reason…

Opening a package is exciting! It brings to mind memories of Christmas morning and receiving gifts from loved ones. In recent years, unboxing has become a powerful marketing tool that brands want to get right. 

Think of it this way. If you were a customer who ordered something online, which would make you feel more valued: receiving your purchase in a generic cardboard box or receiving a beautiful, custom package?

Here are just a few of the things that a great unboxing experience can do for your brand:

• Help your brand tell a story. 
• Drive customer loyalty. 
• Convert customers to advocators 
• Increase brand awareness

Free Street Advertising 

When people see a beautiful box on a doorstep, a mail cart, or in a person's bag, they take notice. Even better, people who buy something that comes in a unique, custom package are more likely to recommend it to their friends and family. These word-of-mouth recommendations quickly turn into a powerful, free form of advertising that you don’t have to spend a dime on. 

5 Examples of Creative Custom Gift Boxes

Looking for inspiration to help you create beautiful gift boxes of your own? Check out these brands:

1. Glossier

Niche beauty brand Glossier is about as known for their packaging as they are for their products. 

We love how they use minimalist, sleek packaging to encase their products. The brand also includes fun freebies, like stickers, postcards, and free samples in each box to enhance the unboxing experience. 

2. MM. LaFleur 

A women’s clothing subscription service, MM. LaFleur is known for its bento box-style packaging.

MM. LaFleur communicates elegance, minimalism, and quality in its unboxing experience. The brand obviously knows its target audience and speaks directly to them with its packaging.

3. Care/Of 

Care/Of is a personalized subscription vitamin service that’s known for, among other things, it's fun, fresh packaging.

The brand uses splashy, bright colors and simple geometric shapes to communicate youth and vibrance, and personalizes all of its packaging with the recipient’s name. It’s a fun, personalized experience that truly feels bespoke. 

4. Apple

It’s hard to have a discussion about unboxing custom boxes without mentioning Apple. In addition to producing beautiful products, the tech giant is also known for shipping and selling them in beautiful, intricate packages that are both satisfying and exciting to open. 

While Apple doesn’t use lots of color on their packaging, they are known for sleek, durable, high-quality materials, elegant embossing, and premium stock. The result is a finished product that screams quality from the outset.

5. Patagonia

Online shopping is peaking in popularity right now. While this is great news for online businesses, it comes at a cost – producing more packaging, more waste, and a higher environmental impact.

Fortunately, some brands are taking a stand against that. Patagonia is one of them. An outdoor clothing company that’s deeply committed to sustainability, the brand communicates that through their packaging. 

Patagonia navigates that challenge by providing streamlined, minimalist packages that make it clear that they're made from 100% post-consumer waste. This attracts eco-minded customers and keeps the packaging in line with the brand’s commitment to renewable materials. 

How to Make the Perfect Custom Gift Box

When it comes to custom gift boxes, the sky's the limit! With the right vision and printing partners, custom gift boxes can enhance and strengthen your brand, and delight your customers every time you ship out a product. Ready to take your brand’s packaging to the next level? Contact us and get started making your custom gift boxes!

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