Problem: The initial unboxing experience for a direct-to-consumer company can make or break a customer’s long-term relationship with a brand. How can companies ensure that these interactions are positive?
Solution: A design company focused specifically on D2C brands to run physical A/B tests, design first-touch experiences, and cross-pollinate industry knowledge to optimize the recipient experience for D2C packages. One potential part of this business (that I am particularly excited about) would be the push for these startups and brands to be more sustainable by investing in more sustainable packaging. As the Wall Street Journal’s Margaret Rhodes wrote on February 24, 2020 in her article “Startups Wrap Brand Identity With Sustainable Packaging,” there is a new wave of packaging: aluminum bottles, mushroom-fiber trays, glass jars, recyclable boxes, and more are all being used to create eco-friendly packaging.
Broadly, “consumers received 8.6 billion e-commerce packages in the U.S. last year, up from 7.6 billion in 2018, according to ShipMatrix Inc., a software provider that analyzes shipping data.” Thus a company that is designed to optimize the experience of these shipped goods would be in a growing market and could provide a true service to brands. Other companies such as Malomo are focused on developing more software options and platforms for shipping companies (Malomo specifically is a shipment tracking platform for ecommerce marketers who care about their customers). All in all, the growing industry of designing shipped boxes and optimizing experiences of packages is one ripe for disruptions.
Monetization: Consulting services and/or being the “go-to packaging experience company.”
Contributed by: Michael Bervell (Billion Dollar Startup Ideas)