Over the holidays I came into repeated contact with an area of the brand experience that is often overlooked — in contrast to other areas (including advertising, websites, logos, product design, customer service, etc.)… packaging.

It seems that within the toy industry there is now a requirement that toys must be hermetically sealed, with little to no hope of escape from the package without the help of an adult, armed with a plethora of cutting, twisting and scraping tools.

With three kids, my Christmas mornings are now spent on a parallel course with my children. They unwrap their presents and it is my job to safely remove them from the package while they are opening other presents. When I mention “safely,” I am referring to (1) keeping my children safe by not allowing them to handle to toy removal, (2) keeping the toy safe from damaging it during the removal, and (3) not damaging myself in the process. This cycle continues until all presents are unwrapped, and all toys are removed and available for play.

Gone are the days when a kid could open a present, then using only scissors, open a toy package. Today’s toys and electronics are packaged within the box in thick sealed plastic, tied down with a range of heavy gage wire fasteners (see photo above), or screwed in place. The result is the need for heavy cutting tools, wire cutters and a range of screwdrivers to begin the true “experience” with the brand.

What does this have to do with branding? Actually, it has a lot to do with branding. While toy marketers have, in many cases, over thought the presentation of the toy within the retail environment — ensuring all of the key attributes are teasingly shown — they have neglected the post sale experience. What if the toy is damaged trying to get it out of the package? How are returns handled at the store when the package was destroyed upon opening the product? What does the consumer think about this added post sale hassle?

I think I am not going out on a limb when I say that adults hate to have to remove toys from packages, and kids hate to rely upon an adult before they can begin playing with a toy.

Some manufacturers spend as much time thinking through the packaging process that it actually enhances the product. Take for instance, Apple’s iPod packaging. Back in 2004 ID magazine summed it up perfectly:

“Flawless,” “inventive,” and “utterly consistent with what we’ve come to expect from Apple” were some of the praises the jurors heaped on the computer maker’s packaging for the iPod. Opening the box requires a series of motions, beginning when you slide a paper sleeve off a cardboard cube and ending when you lift flaps revealing egg-carton nests holding the music player and its components. With each move, the suspense builds. There’s this ballet of unwrapping that is clearly intentional.”

Yes, Apple’s iPod packaging did all of the things packaging is supposed to do: protect the product, market the product, provide ease-of-shipping, etc. It also added additional value to the product by creating an experience when opening the product, which I believe, has helped contribute to the loyal feelings people have for their iPods.

To sum up, it is time that marketers begin thinking about how packaging contributes to — or takes away from — the brand experience after the sale. If they did, I may have more quality time on Christmas morning to watch the magic of my children opening their presents. Maybe they can get this done by next Christmas… they only have 355 days, 5 hours and 2 minutes left.

How not to do it: