Candle packaging: Scent by Mail

After working in the candle and home fragrance market for more than 10 years, Lauren decided that she wanted to share her passion for the industry with the world.

This is when she decided to create Scent By Mail, a subscription service where each month, recipients get a curated selection of candles and fragrances for their home.

Read her story below 

A Brand Driven by Passion

Each month, Lauren carefully creates a range of scented candles, reed diffusers, wax melts, and scented sachets.

Choosing a packaging solution is not an easy task. Especially for a subscription-based service, where a box is an essential element of the product. This has convinced Scent By Mail - a British company selling scented candles and home fragrances - to really spruce up their packaging design. As James Ferguson from Scent By Mail commented:

“We wanted to evoke the idea of fragrance through our packaging and give the customer a hint as to the type of seasonal candles and home fragrances which we might feature. We had 4 designs created to mimic the different seasons (...) we aimed for something fun and lively, something to create an opening experience that wouldn’t be easily forgotten.”

Creating various designs - accordingly to the season - is a great way to surprise the customers and boost the product’s uniqueness, especially for subscription box services.

Subscription box services are heavily dependent on the unboxing experience. With seasonal packaging, you’ll be able to keep your customers surprised and engaged. For Scent By Mail customers, the unboxing experience will never be the same one. Not only will the products change from box to box, but so will the packaging according to the season.

From video reviews to customer retention, everything falls under the magic moment of receiving the box and building the anticipation to open unbox it.

 A Full Experience Of Unboxing

Packaging delivers a certain kind of experience. And Scent By Mail has approached it in a very meticulous way.

Their box has a cheerful design, made with graphics that can be easily associated with the product inside the box as well as the brand. Just by looking at these designs, the customer immediately starts building anticipation for the goodies they will find inside the box.

Once the customer opens the box, the box welcomes them with the kind message “Hello You”, accompanied by a spiralling line that creates a semi maze directing them to where they can find the products. As James Ferguson from Scent By Mail has told us:

“I feel that good design doesn’t stop at the outside. The look and the feel should flow through the entire box opening experience and that means that the inside of the box is every bit as important as the outside. In fact, the inside is where the customer will spend the most time looking at their scented candle products so why lose that opportunity to promote the brand further with a quirky interior.”

Most customers can expect to find designs on the outside of packaging. But when you add details and messages inside the packaging, it will positively surprise your customers, guaranteed.

Scent By Mail also sends a greeting card to each customer inside their boxes. Unknowingly, with details like the message on the box and a card, an unboxing journey is created for the customers. With each additional step, the brand is developing a deeper bond with the customer by evoking warm feelings of appreciation and excitement.

 Packhelp Is A Reliable Partner

James has also pointed out that Packhelp has been a choice for Scent By Mail packaging for various reasons. The small order requirements were very important for the company, but it wasn’t the only benefit.

“We really liked the free delivery to the UK. We could receive our packaging with a short lead time, along with true-to-life samples, which allowed us to get a proper idea of the boxes.”

As a result, Scent By Mail has been able to order packaging, which fitted the image of the brand. The lively, playful mood of the product was emphasized by the detailed approach to the unboxing experience. All in all, this British company is a great example to follow when thinking about packaging solutions.

Lessons Learned:

• Subscription box services are a rising trend. Find a niche sector where you can offer the best products.
• Creating packaging that changes with the seasons will help your customer retention rates and keep your unboxing experience interesting.
• Adding designs, messages and cards inside your box will help you develop customer loyalty.