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For the past decade, unboxing videos on social media platforms have grown at an extreme pace. We can’t help but immerse ourselves in watching these highly engaging videos for entertainment, as well as educational purposes.
Today, many people in the world create genuine unboxing videos and product reviews on a social platform of their choice, primarily Youtube, as a form of income.
So how did this sudden phenomenon develop into something so crucial in affecting the purchase decisions of the customer?
What is unboxing?
Unboxing is an internet phenomenon of capturing the unpacking process of products through photos or videos. These products include the latest technologies, fashionable merchandise, beauty products, and more.
Popular unboxing videos on YouTube have millions of views, with thousands being uploaded each and every year.
A study done by Google showed 1 in 5 consumers had watched an unboxing video. 62% of the people who view unboxing videos do so when researching a particular product. These videos continue to generate high view counts, but why?
Unboxing videos have become more than just a trend, but a growing phenomenon. Not only are these videos great for consumer entertainment purposes, but they provide many year-round opportunities for brands and businesses in a variety of industries.
Unbox Therapy on YouTube focuses on unboxing and reviewing the latest technology. His channel has over 13 million subscribers! He is just an example of one of the many content creators that produce unboxing videos.
Why are unboxing videos popular?
The underlying question is why are unboxing videos popular? Why are we so intrigued by these videos that continue to capture hours of our attention?
Curiosity and anticipation
It’s like counting down to Christmas morning when you can finally tear off the festive wrapping paper that held your beloved gifts for so long — it brings back the same kind of excitement we felt as a child.
The build-up of curiosity and anticipation from a new product drives the popularity of unboxing videos. As consumers, we are always looking forward to the next best thing. The new and upcoming technology, designs, and products that manifest our lives.
Consumers build the curiosity to know whether or not the latest products will be worth their money and do what they claim to do.
Will the next one be better than the last?
The Big Reveal
The anticipation builds up to the big reveal. It’s the chance for every brand to create the ultimate unboxing experience that leaves an everlasting impression.
The unboxing experience allows brands to show off all their hard work. Think of all the time and money spent on developing the product, designing the packaging, strategizing the marketing campaigns, and more.
All of that begins to unravel during the unboxing experience.
Real and Honest Reactions
There’s nothing like seeing authentic reviews and reactions towards a product. The content creators reviewing the products usually already have established a strong trust with their online community. They already did the hard part for you.
Content creators have already built those online relationships from creating authentic relatable videos.
It’s a huge advantage if one has nothing but great things to say about your brand because that will embed into their viewer’s minds.
When you are in search of a new smartphone to purchase or a new restaurant to try out, what is the first action to take? Taking risks can be nerve-racking. Consumers don’t want to invest their time and money into something they may not like.
It is much easier to learn through other people’s experiences and to do that, we read or watch reviews online.
In this video of iJustine unboxing the Apple iPad Pro, you can see her immediate reaction when she unboxes the tablet. The video racks up to over 5 million views on YouTube.
How unboxing videos benefit your business
1. Creates brand awareness
YouTube has over 1.9 billion logged-in users visit the platform each month and every day people watch over a billion hours of video, generating billions of views.
Creating an unboxing video or encouraging content creators to do so creates brand awareness. Each video can reach hundreds, thousands, millions of viewers each and every day. When more unboxing videos are being released of a particular product, it quickly expands that reach.
The beauty of the digital atmosphere is that anyone from anywhere in the world, utilizing a variety of technological devices, can access the videos in an instant.
When one of your customers unbox your product and shares their experience on their social media platforms, your business benefits directly from the exposure.
If viewers see that other people are enjoying the product, then it increases the chances of others purchasing it as well… Hence why affiliate marketing is a huge revenue driver for these influencers!
A survey done in 2017 showed that affiliate marketing generates more revenue than any other type of marketing for publishers and content creators. That means that these unboxing videos and sponsored posts actually work!
Their reviews help to validate the viewer’s decision-making process before finalizing purchases, especially for high-end products.
2. Develops and strengthens consumer relationships
When you take the time to invest in creating the ultimate unboxing experience, it develops and strengthens the consumer relationship. Videos that gain traction aid in attracting and converting customers through each positive unboxing video.
If someone comes across positive feedback of your product through an unboxing video, it triggers them. Aside from wanting to get their hands on your amazing product, they want to experience the same unboxing phenomenon that the content creators are feeling as well.
3. Leaves valuable impressions of your brand
By exceeding their expectations and keeping them connected, you are delivering a good impression that will go along way. A good impression embeds a positive mark on someone’s attitude towards your brand and products.
It motivates your clients to share the product with their friends, family, and online community. If you really enjoy a product, wouldn’t you want to share it too?
4. Encourage consumers to repurchase
After developing brand loyalty from the unboxing videos, it encourages consumers to repurchase from you again. It works like a cycle that benefits everyone in the party. When your brand creates a product that turns into an unboxing video, it becomes the center of it all.
Your brand exposure will grow as the content creator grows its own community of viewers interested in your product. If the video does well and viewers love it, it will motivate the creator to repurchase from your brand.
You may not realize it, but your brand and content creators work together to drive business for one another. These viewers can become your customers, just like how your customers can become their viewers.
5. Comments provide constructive feedback
Unboxing videos make it easy for your brand to receive constructive feedback without having to pay for surveys, research studies, or study groups.
You will receive two different types of feedback from an unboxing video:
- Feedback from the unboxer: From watching the video, you will get an insight into their behavior and attitudes. Their facial expressions and the instant words that come out of their mouths will tell a lot. You will be able to experience and examine the unboxing experience with them.
- Feedback from viewers: These viewers observing the unboxing experience from the other side of the screen may notice things that you or the unboxer won’t.
It can be difficult for you to notice any mistakes or things that could be changed because you have worked on the product for so long. Content creators and commenters are seeing the products for the first time ever. If anything, they will be able to notice the things that you can’t.
Any feedback is good feedback. It will help you determine if you’ve done your job correctly.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next step by creating a box with the WOW factor, speak to a product specialist about bringing your vision to life. Who knows, your product packaging could end up in a viral unboxing video!
