Disruption is anything that interrupts an event, activity or process.  In a business sense, disruption is a force that both destroys and creates. It's a change that affects--sometimes to the point of uprooting--existing systems, and replaces them with something new, more efficient and worthwhile. Harvard professor Clayton Christensen has written more on the subject of business disruption (and innovative disruption).  One of the most disruptive forces in the past decade has been social media, and how social channels are used to share information. Particularly the relationship between businesses and customers, and the effects on marketing, Custom Packaging, and the entire idea of the "customer experience" or CX.

Customer experience is the interaction between an organization and a customer.  Not so long ago, the company controlled the majority of the interactions. Think of billboard marketing, direct mail, radio ads, TV ads, magazine ads, etc. What do they all have in common?  It's the business telling the customer how to think or feel, or showing them through ads what their products do. With the advent of social media, this kind of marketing has become less authentic as customers become more savvy and rely more on friends or influencers for specific recommendations. This is the heart of the customer experience revolution. 

On top of that, customers have a wider range of choices available to them.  In less than a minute, I can lay out an entire shopping trip:

1. Google item I want to buy
2. Consider the factors that go into the purchase (do I want to pick up in store? do I mind waiting for shipping?)
3. Purchase and move on with my day

It's not that long ago that simply doing a little comparison shopping would involve actually visiting stores, and not just reaching for my phone. 

So how can businesses differentiate in this marketplace? By building a memorable customer experience.

Custom Packaging is one way that organizations can begin to create a positive customer experience according to CustomerThink. We all get a little thrill when we hear the *thunk* of an expected package arrive on the doorstep, right? Play up that feeling, and start from the minute that customer submits their purchase. Companies like Amazon and Uber allow users to track their orders throughout all stages of the process, whether it's a book or a car ride. 

It's like waiting for Santa to arrive as an adult, except you know what's in the package. And to extend the metaphor, which present is more exciting to open: the one that's wrapped with care in high quality packaging, or the one with smushed corners and plain brown cardboard?

No contest.

Consider custom packaging as your signature as a brand and a company.  What does it say about you? What does it say about how you value your customers? 

The best part of the customer experience revolution is that it levels the playing field for both large and small businesses.  A small business can invest in social media with low overhead, and take care in packaging their products with pride. Large businesses can do the same, but it comes at a premium and a different scale. Custom packaging can help differentiate and advocate your brand (don't forget to incorporate logos, hashtags, and social channel handles on the package). Sunrise is adept at designing experiences for customers through custom packaging. Contact us today.