Unboxing Isn’t Just Kid Stuff
YouTube phenomenon crosses demographic, cultural categories
Critics and cultural observers have described the phenomenon as “bizarre,” “lucrative,” “mesmerizing” and “vexing”. Whatever they’ve called it, they’ve always commented on it because it’s been so wildly popular. Unboxing, the act of opening a gift or purchased item in front of a camera and then sharing it on YouTube, is a worldwide phenomenon. How big is it?
A search on YouTube using the term “unboxing” returns 63,300,000 results
It’s big. 63,300,000 results big. While it’s fascinating, but not surprising, that people film themselves doing whatever they’re doing – it is fascinating and surprising sometimes what viewers will consume (we’re still talking about unboxing here). And that seems to be the most amazing thing about Unboxing videos – our appetite for them. Seen by some as the province of toys and electronic gadgets, unboxing is so vast it swallows up any category, though toys and gadgets are the “poster children” of the phenomenon.
And children were the most willing consumers of unboxing early on. As noted by popular new media outlet Mental Floss, people (kids, in particular) are “wired to be curious.” A few analog examples include the plastic bubble with prize inside in the bubble gum machine. Or a fortune cookie. We anticipate. We look forward to that prize inside. It’s an innately human thing.
What could the unboxing phenomenon mean to your company?
It depends on the business, but if there’s an element of surprise and delight to your business, the payoff could be significant. A subscription box company is a natural to consider. Does your product have any of these three qualities?
A sense of magic or transformation? Think about the promise of beauty products or the sense of wonder and delight associated with the year’s most popular Christmas toy? It could be something never seen before – a dopamine-boosting digital consumable experience.
An investment and need for fit? Does your product benefit from a try-before-you-buy arrangement? A video can “stand-in” as a proxy for that activity. Think about it – is this generation as likely to spend time in a retail changing room as previous generation? Nope. We’re trying virtual glasses on virtually, ordering shoes by mail and the like.
Anticipated release? Is your product innovation-heavy, like the electronic gadget category, or trend-dependent, like consumer beauty products? Unboxing, its exclusivity, its immediacy and its reveal and review components are well-suited to these situations.
Maybe your product should be the next YouTube star or “Best Unboxing Ever” (9,750,000 results). Even if it’s a niche audience, it’s your niche and they could be waiting for you to show them what’s next.
Do you go to YouTube to watch product reviews or unboxings? Maybe you’re producing your own and well on your way to 1.2 million views like this Bubble Guppies Rock and Roll Stage Playset video. Drop us a line – we’d love to hear from you.