How E-tailers Are Creating a Compelling 'Unboxing Experience'

E-commerce retailers today aren't just focusing on the products they sell. They're also paying close attention to the boxes they come in. The term ''unboxing experience'' describes how consumers feel when they open the carton that contains an online order. Sellers used to be content with shipping items in plain brown boxes, their priority being to keep costs down. Now, however, they're looking for ways to differentiate themselves from the competition, and burnish their brands. So it only makes sense that they would turn their attention to the box and its accompanying packaging materials. On this episode, we learn of the innovative approaches that e-tailers are taking toward the once-overlooked shipping box. Our guest is Ken Chrisman, president of the product care division of Sealed Air. He explains why unboxing has become so vital to brand identity, and he explains how retailers are measuring consumer reaction (and, most importantly, emotion) to the experience of opening the box. It's all about eliciting ''mood boosts'' on the part of the buyer.