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For the past decade, unboxing videos on social media platforms have snowballed into an unstoppable phenomenon. People can’t help but immerse themselves in watching these highly engaging videos for entertainment and educational purposes.
Today, many unboxing video creators and even everyday consumers record genuine unboxing videos and product reviews on social media platforms like YouTube as a form of income. But how did this trend become so crucial in affecting a customer’s purchase decisions? Before we can get a clear answer, we must ask ourselves: what is unboxing?
The Art of Unboxing
Source: Christian Wiediger
Unboxing is a rapidly growing internet phenomenon that captures a product’s initial opening and impressions through photos or video. These unboxing videos are not limited to one industry or language and have become a global phenomenon for products ranging from fashion and tech to action figures and beauty products!
Below are the most popular categories for unboxing, but even less popular categories can find unboxing videos with upward of 70,000 views!
- Tech
- Kids Toys
- Fashion
- Beauty
- Mystery Boxes
- Fitness Supplements
You would be surprised to know that a study done by Google indicates that 1 in 5 consumers had watched an unboxing video, and 62% of these people do so as part of their decision-making process when deciding whether they should buy a particular product. The statistics don’t lie when revealing that unboxing videos have become more than just a trend but a growing phenomenon, with over 90,000 monthly searches for unboxing on YouTube, millions of views, and thousands of videos uploaded yearly.
Don’t believe us? Below are some popular unboxing and review channels with relevant metrics retrieved from SocialBlade. To this day, these influencers still consistently receive millions of views for each new video they upload!
Unbox Therapy with 19.5 million subscribers and over 4.5 billion video views.
Marques Brownlee with 16.9 million subscribers and over 3.5 billion video views.
iJustine with 7 million subscribers and over 1.4 billion video views.
Why is Unboxing Vidoes so Popular?
If you’re still wondering what’s so entertaining about watching someone open a box, why are we so intrigued by these unboxing videos that continue to capture hours of our attention, or what makes them such great content to watch? Steve Jobs said it best:
“Packaging can be theatre. It can create a story.”
Source: PakFactory
Our inherent curiosity to know what’s inside a box and the build-up of excitement for a new product drive the popularity of an unboxing video. Think of curiosity as the first act of our unboxing story. Consumers always look forward to the next big thing and want to know whether or not the latest product will be worth their money. This curiosity builds up to act two of our story.
The big reveal, or the unboxing experience, allows brands to showcase their hard work. You might have an excellent product, but your packaging is the second “wow” factor. Influencers don’t just look at the product but also the packaging that comes with it. Think of all the time and money spent on developing the product, designing the packaging, strategizing the marketing campaigns, and more. All of that bears fruit when a content creator finally opens your box!
And, for the final act, there’s nothing like seeing authentic reviews and reactions toward a product. The best unboxing influencers feature no tricks, gimmicks or sleights of hand. Potential consumers see the product as intended, and the content creator provides genuine feedback. And, to top it all off, all this valuable information is free to the consumers! Unboxing videos makes it much easier to make a final purchase decision through trusted content creator sources.
Unboxing the Benefits for Your Business
Now that you know what unboxing videos are and how popular they can be with consumers, how do they benefit your business? Let’s take a look.
1. Brand Awareness
Source: Sonhab Chocolate by PakFactory
YouTube has over 2.5 billion active users worldwide each month, with 62% of internet users in the U.S. accessing the website daily. It is the 2nd largest search engine in the world!
Creating an unboxing video or working with influencers and content creators will generate brand awareness. Each video can reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions of viewers daily. The beauty of the digital atmosphere is that anyone from anywhere in the world can access these videos instantly, giving your brand massive reach!
So if viewers see other people or their favorite influencer enjoying your product, it increases their chances of purchasing it too, hence why affiliate marketing is a huge revenue driver for these influencers! Their reviews help validate the viewer’s decision-making process before finalizing purchases, especially for high-end products, while benefiting the content creator in a win-win scenario.
2. Develops and Strengthens Consumer Relations
Source: PakFactory
When you take the time to invest in creating the ultimate unboxing experience, it develops and strengthens the consumer relationship. If someone receives positive feedback about your product through an unboxing video, it will automatically intrigue them. Aside from wanting to get their hands on your fantastic product, they would also like to experience the same unboxing phenomenon that their favorite content creators had in their videos.
3. Leaves Valuable Impressions on Your Brand
Source: Freepik
By exceeding consumer expectations and keeping them connected, you deliver a good impression that will go a long way. Remember the unboxing experience? A good impression embeds a positive mark on someone’s attitude towards your brand and products, motivating them to share with their friends, family, and online community. If you really enjoy a product, wouldn’t you want to share it too?
4. Encourages Consumers to Repurchase
Source: Nathan Dumlao
After developing brand loyalty through an unboxing video, it encourages consumers to repurchase from you again. It works like a domino effect because your brand exposure grows as a content creator grows, and interest in your other products will soon come with it.
You may not realize it, but your brand and content creators work together to drive business for one another. Viewers can become your customers, just like customers can become an influencer’s viewers. Again, it’s a win-win scenario for everyone.
5. Comments Provide Constructive Feedback
Source: Redd F
Finally, an unboxing video makes it easy for your brand to receive constructive feedback without paying for surveys, research studies, or study groups. It’s essentially free information with two different types of feedback coming from an unboxing video:
- Feedback from the influencer: By analyzing their video, you will better understand their behavior and attitude toward your product. Their facial expressions and the instinctive comments they say are invaluable information to your business. Based on their statements, you can examine, enhance, and fine-tune your product and packaging to appeal further to potential consumers.
- Feedback from viewers: The viewers observing the unboxing from the other side of the screen may notice things that you or the influencer won’t. Their positive or negative comments in the comment section are another fountain of knowledge just waiting to be tapped.
Regardless of the reception, any feedback is good feedback. It will help you determine if you’ve done your job correctly.
Take the Next Step Toward an Unforgettable Unboxing Experience
Now that you know the sheer popularity of unboxing videos and how they are a mutually beneficial avenue of growth for business brands and content creators, are you ready to up the WOW factor for your packaging? Read how to make a customer fall in love with your packaging.
Source: PakFactory
Or, if you’re ready to take your business to the next level by creating a fantastic custom box, speak to a product specialist about bringing your vision to life. Who knows, your product packaging could end up in the next viral unboxing video!