All About Subscription Boxes

 For those who are Pinterest-savvy or maybe you see them on Instagram a lot, you’re probably familiar with the concept of subscription boxes. 

Are these really all that lucrative? You’d be amazed at just how good these are for your brand, subscription boxes are becoming more and more popular with a lot of entrepreneurs, especially since business owners ’don’t need to spend a ton of money on rent for a store. This is a new way to do business and offers great profit margins than your traditional brick and mortar business model. 

If you’ve ever wondered what the benefits of subscription boxes are, you’re in luck. It’s more than just retweets, likes and fun little games, but it also comes with a lot of cool other perks, especially for your business. 

What are They? 

These are basically a new way to market and subscription boxes are now more popular than ever. Even physical store locations can employ this, and they’re actually really good for stores that are only online.  These are boxes that get given to customers on the regular, usually as a kind of membership. 

Some of the most popular kinds are: 

Surprise boxes that include gifts your customers don’t expect. The idea of mystery for these boxes is what’s fun. 

Curated different collections of products to make it pleasing aesthetically. 

Savings boxes which include different items that are at a lower price that those who don’t get this

How to Put these Together 

Usually you want these to get put out at certain periods of time, whether they’re weekly, monthly, or biannually, however you decide to do this. You should communicate when they go out though and the last day people can order so customers can take advantage of this, especially if they want to get subscription boxes for certain items. 

You may wonder what you can put in there. Basically, anything pertaining to the business that shows that customers get some great perks, and I also can help you convince customers to try before they buy with certain items.  

You can give out product samples, seasonal items, and even fun themed boxes such as date night boxes.  The contents can vary, and they’re great for those who want to get the name out, but also good if you have people who can’t afford to get something, or if they want to try before they buy. 

The Best ways to Ship This 

Shipping subscription boxes is another challenge. This is because customers don’t come to a physical location, so you’ll want to make sure that you ship it in a way that works. 

You can of course use brown boxes, but they’re limited, and it’s something that can impact the brand experience. Subscription boxes which are branded, with innards such as tissue paper or even confetti within it or even just having a box be used as something else is a great way to do it. 

You should definitely go the custom shipping route, since there are a lot of people who do judge a box by its outside, and it’s something worth looking at too. 

You can make it a fun way for people to keep up with your content. The beauty of a subscription box is that there are a ton of fun, great ways for you to really make sure that the people who follow you get some amazing content out of it, and you’ll also be able to provide them with great branding ways to grow as well, and also for them to save some money on your products. 

Why People are Dropping More Scarcity Marketing Strategies

When choosing a marketing strategy, you might want to consider a scarcity marketing strategy.  What does that mean though, and why should people do this? Well, you’re about to find out. 

Scarcity Principle 

This is a unique type of marketing known as drop marketing. This is where they don't release everything in one fell swoop.   Brands that do this prefer limited kinds of products with small mini launches or drops. These are done in online or physical stores, and also have specific, fixed deadlines.

This creates hype, creating excitement. It also leads to more queues too for a lot of people to indulge in.

This is a strategy that was used by Supreme, which is a New York brand. They actually launched a branded sort of brick that was just $320 to start with, and because of this, now they’ve grown into a billion dollar company. 

They use the limited editions, only giving out 5-15 different products that they do at one specific time. 

Another type of example is Wheaties. You probably know them as the breakfast of champions. Well, they’ve decided to take their branding to another level. They used a limited edition packaging that’s specifically for Oreo brands, and when they collaborated with supreme, this super limited edition product actually sold for over 50 thousand dollars. 

Scheduled and Limited Editions 

Limited editions are basically a type of progressive release. Similar to how TV series will start with just an episode a week, limited edition products are exclusives for brands, and they don't offer replicas period. It’s something that’s different, as it offers a truly immersive experience for the products within this same branding, and from the other parts of the competition. Innovation is a key part of this, and it plays a huge role. 

Drop Marketing and Drop Packaging 

Drop marketing and packaging is something that does work together. One example of this is Evian water. There was one designed by Chiara Ferragni, which is a product that was considered controversial, especially because of the very exorbitant price. It also was a collection that, despite the high price, sold out just a couple of hours after that.

Another example of this is the pigotta doll that was a reproduction of this same influencer.  IKEA has also done this, and they created a limited edition shopper MARKRAD, which was designed by Virgil Abloh, who was the founder of Off-White, a brand.  This was a brand with the goal of “ennobling the anonymous” which creates a unique object for this.  They made a sculpture that was refined and crafted to look similar to the trademark book bag that IKEA has.  The samples of this disappeared within a moment off their shelves and is still a sought item. 

So, the main strategy behind this is to convince those that do love the brand that they need this, and they need to stay updated. They also encourage people to check social media websites and networks daily. In order to get this product and its exclusivity, they need to be loyal and learn from each of these brands.  This is what encourages the clicking, the purchasing, and the adding of boxes. 

Even fast food can take advantage of this. McDonald’s for example had those limited edition BTS meals that people kept buying, to the point where it was a top level product. There are other food boxes that come with this too.

If you’re someone that is interested in creating limited packaging, this is a great way to do it, as it can offer a lot of amazing benefits to your packaging experience.

How Packaging Structures and Shapes Affect Perception

The first impression matters. Not just when meeting others, or even speaking about a subject you’re passionate about, but also in packaging shapes. 

Rounded packaging for instance, will showcase a feeling of friendliness.  It can create a warmth that will be accepted by new customers. In contrast, angular packaging conveys a more serious edge to things. 

Again, shapes play a part in packaging, conveying the first impression and will give one a perception of who you are as a brand. 

Buying Behaviors and Shapes 

The shape of such items also affects buying behavior. 

Size matters. Slim means premium. Have you ever gotten a box that was super small for a high-end item? Lots of companies that sell luxury items don’t want to bother you with dunnage and void fill, so you’ll want to make sure that the packaging is in a slim shape. 

On the flip side, think of those large, bulk-size items. Those are supposed to offer value. More bang for your buck. If the goal is to show customers that while you’re not some high-end company, you offer valuable experiences, incorporating a large bit of packaging will shape that buying behavior. 

Shipping Supplies that Leverage this Psychology 

So we want to make things friendly in some cases, but also premium. Or maybe you want to give something a serious edge to it, all packed in a neat premium box. 

There are items for this. one popular such item is triangular tubes, which are tubes made from triangles, which will hose items inside. Though it might not fit very thing, it does offer a unique sign that can be a little more serious. 

On the flip side, if you’re a business looking to create a warmer, more friendly experience, oval boxes and containers for such items are another. 

Then, for those items that are really small and high-end, but are also a bit more serious, some are now using compact cubes. It's small, so it’s an item only you get to indulge, but it’s also something that is serious, and will make you feel truly special. 

Design for More than Delivery 

You want to ease more than delivery of your items. Make sure that it also offers shelf appeal. 

Multi-sensory experiences via form is one example. Your packaging forms are so good for this, and when you give a multi-sensory experience that will mask a whole bunch of waves in your customer’s mind, and really wow them, you’ll make the delivery also appealing. 

Design not just for where it sits on the shelf, but also when it gets to you, for making this even better. Incorporate sights, sounds, touch, and all of the senses, making all of your senses even more magical. 

Shape to Communicate Function and Safety 

Some of the shapes that are used here also communicatee function. A small cube container can be used for restorage quite easily, which again, makes it even more useful to all that are involved.   The form is a selling point for all that are interested in such items. 

Safety is another. Safety of items again plays a big part. Showing that these items are in safe containers shows to the customer that their items are nice and protected, and that they don’t have to worry about breakage. 

How you present your packaging presents you as a person, so make sure that you build structures that will convey all of this. don’t just focus on selling to customers and getting this out, but in turn, focus as well on the overall display too.