The Rare Beauty unboxing experience is personalized, elegant, and outright delightful.
From the precise use of space to the branded packaging, the company demonstrated a clear mastery of unboxing marketing, earning it an astounding 8.5 out of 10 under UnDigital’s Unboxing Guidelines.
UnDigital scored Rare Beauty using its Unboxing Experience Guidelines for Brands, a ten-point, unweighted scoring rubric based on research carried out across millions of direct-to-consumer (DTC) packages.
The system comprises two categories, Personalization and Presentation, which are then divided into five subcategories each. The Personalization category consists of customer name, product information, relevance, call-to-action (CTA), and story, while the Presentation category consists of branding, cleanliness, space utilization, returns, and delight.
Like any brand, Rare Beauty stood to earn either 0 or 1 point in each of the five Personalization categories and 0, 0.5, or 1 point in each of the five Presentation categories, making for a potential ten-point total.
Rare Beauty earned a total score of 8.5 out of 10, and below, we’ll explore what they did right and some of the ways in which they can make their already impressive unboxing experience even better.
Rare Beauty may have delivered a highly personalized unboxing experience, but they actually missed out on this first point, as they didn’t use my name anywhere other than the shipping label or receipt.
Including personalized marketing collateral that features the customer’s first name makes the recipient feel valued, and Rare Beauty already included a beautiful insert, which would’ve been the perfect location for a customer’s name.
Make sure you use your customer’s name somewhere that is highly visible on your marketing material. Doing so will draw their attention right where you need it and set the stage for a highly memorable unboxing experience.
Rare Beauty doubled up on its included product information. Each product box included some basic use information, ensuring that customers can start using the items right away, along with some supplemental information about the products on the branded insert.
Always provide your customers with some product information, such as use instructions or details that clearly show what makes the items unique. For instance, you could list the key ingredients in bold, include a QR code that links users to a how-to instructional video, or add an insert with more detailed information about the benefits of each item they’ve ordered.
The unboxing experience is a prime opportunity to strengthen customer relationships and leave a lasting impression, and Rare Beauty has seized the opportunity, ensuring the unboxing experience was relevant to me by including a few samples and a product-specific insert. They also provided a branded travel bag that is the perfect size to hold a handful of beauty products.
Rare Beauty included a CTA within its branded content, encouraging me to re-engage with the brand while providing clear instructions on what to do next.
Always include at least one CTA in your unboxing experience. Generally, we recommend featuring two to three, which may include something like a call to follow your brand on social media or an encouragement to explore more of your products.
The inside of the package’s lid and the insert relay the key elements of Rare Beauty’s brand story. The quote on the inside of the lid was particularly impactful, reading, “This is makeup made to feel good in, without hiding what makes you unique.”
Always strive to share your story and value proposition during the unboxing experience. While you won’t need to detail your entire brand’s history, share enough to form a meaningful connection with your audience.
The outside of the box features Rare Beauty’s name in such a way that elevates the unboxing experience without putting the package at elevated risk of theft. Likewise, the interior of the box is simple yet elegant, immersing customers in the Rare Beauty brand experience. From the insert to the packaging paper, everything about the unboxing was memorable.
Always brand your packaging to provide a holistic unboxing experience. When practical, use full-color inserts and on-brand package design. At a minimum, include your brand name and logo in several places throughout the packaging, including on the box, packaging paper, and any included inserts.
Rare Beauty’s packaging and products were clean and blemish-free. There were no visible damages, scuffs, or other imperfections that would indicate the products may have been mishandled.
Rare Beauty’s unboxing marketing strategy demonstrates a mastery of space utilization, as there was no wasted space in the packaging. Every inch was filled with a product, marketing asset, or packaging paper — not plastic — demonstrating the brand’s commitment to minimizing its impact on the environment.
The included reusable travel bag doubled as a form of filler and also protected the products, which is an ingenious way to deliver better value to customers while filling dead space and minimizing waste.
Rare Beauty provided some basic return policy information on the shipping receipt. They informed me how to initiate a return and provided the URL so that I could easily initiate the process if needed.
Nevertheless, they could have earned the additional half point here by making the return process a bit more frictionless, such as by adding a scannable QR code that links customers directly to the return page or by providing a pre-printed return shipping label altogether.
Rare Beauty’s unboxing experience was generally delightful and engaging but wouldn't be considered the most competitive experience in their industry. Fortunately, with a few minor tweaks, they could have an experience that rivals the most successful beauty brands.
At UnDigital, we believe that brands must continuously adapt to changing customer expectations. Today’s DTC consumer expects a near-flawless presentation and personalized unboxing experience, which Rare Beauty delivers. Still, as is true of virtually every DTC brand, Rare Beauty has a few opportunities to improve, such as adding the customer’s name to the package insert or including a pre-printed shipping label.
See how your brand stacks up to your top competitors by exploring UnDigital’s unboxing guidelines today, and cultivate an unboxing marketing strategy that will captivate and engage your audience.
