Coffee roasters entering the market for the first time, or those rebranding, are spoilt for choice in mediums to market their products.
That said, customers faced with too many options may feel overwhelmed – especially in retail environments where they face shelves stacked with eye-catching coffee options. More importantly, information overload may also take place while shopping online.
Recent digital and marketing trends reveal roughly 36% of global consumers and almost 50% of Generation Z customers feel overwhelmed by the digital noise they face online.
Coffee subscription services can fall prey to this, and it can involve you issuing detailed and loud messaging to a captive an already committed audience.
For insight into how to prevent communication fatigue by customising the interior of the coffee subscription boxes, I spoke with Rachel Wei, senior account manager for MTPak Coffee.
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Sign upCoffee subscriptions and online shopping
A growing number of customers are signing up for coffee subscription services.
These allow consumers to enjoy their favourite brews for a lower cost, without the inconvenience of having to arrange purchase and delivery.
Since 2019, an additional 25% of coffee brands have used this model, with roasters experiencing a 109% increase in subscription sales.
Coffee subscriptions allow roasters to send customers letterbox-sized boxes filled with coffee bags that equate to a month’s supply.
For many roasters, being able to convince consumers to sign up for such subscriptions online has several advantages and disadvantages.
According to research done in 2021, online shopping can help customers make quick, well-informed purchasing decisions.
On the other hand, it can also overwhelm them and negatively affect their shopping experience. However, this can be prevented by avoiding aiming useless and repetitive information at customers.
Traditionally, coffee bags have been the first point of contact for customers and provided a significant amount of product information.
Online shoppers, however, are likely to experience other aspects of a roaster’s branding first. Research indicates these customers may thrive with less product information, as they are buying low-involvement items they are already familiar with.
Subscription coffee products often fall into this category, as the customer has chosen their coffee and will be familiar with its details.
They are likely to place less emphasis on the box’s exterior, as they are already familiar with the brand.
Therefore, roasters should consider customising the interior of subscription boxes, as this can prevent information overload while still educating consumers about the product.
Why customise the interior of coffee subscription boxes?
Customising the interior of subscription boxes can help roasters boost brand awareness uniquely, while reducing packaging design costs.
For instance, customisation is a more personal design approach and allows consumers to feel more connected to a brand.
Additionally, it is a highly effective way to celebrate long-term, loyal customers, while also welcoming new ones.
“Upgrading your packaging interior will make consumers think that the corresponding product has also been upgraded and is more high-end,” Rachel explains.
“The packaging of a product can influence which market the product attracts,” she adds.
Customising the interior of subscription boxes also helps pique curiosity. When a customer chooses a coffee subscription service, they might have certain expectations of what the packaging will look like.
Offering a plain coffee box with instructions to look inside will heighten their curiosity and create excitement.
It may also encourage sharing, as coffee packaging with a customised interior makes an attractive unboxing option.
This may encourage customers to share the ‘unboxing experience’ on social media with their friends and followers.
Lastly, it may help discourage theft. Over a third of UK customers have had a package stolen in their lifetime.
Keeping the packaging exterior free from information may help dissuade porch pirates from stealing the item.
What to consider when customising the interior of coffee subscription boxes
Even if your brand has existing branded subscription boxes, switching to interior printing can benefit your business.
That said, Rachel cautions coffee roasters to keep their product size in mind.
“The main limitation comes from the size of the box because coffee subscription boxes are generally small and delicate,” Rachel explains.
“This often means the printing range can be limited, but roasters can still make an impression using eye-catching design and printing techniques.”
Rachel adds that roasters have several types of box shapes and materials to choose from.
“You can also add special touches, such as spot UV, embossing, or debossing.”
This is all possible without compromising on business sustainability credentials.
“From an environmental point of view, roasters can provide carton recycling programs that allow customers to return discarded cartons to redeem points or coffee,” Rachel suggests.
“This can help increase customer engagement, promote environmental awareness, and market the brand at the same time.”
MTPak Coffee understands the importance of a memorable customer experience when it comes to specialty coffee.
We offer corrugated coffee subscription boxes made from 100% recycled cardboard. With their high level of strength, durability, and weather resistance, coupled with our wide range of size options, these boxes are the perfect solution to support your subscription service.
Our talented design team is on hand to help customise the interior of subscription boxes, as well as the coffee bags that go inside.
We have a range of 100% recyclable coffee packaging options made from renewable materials such as kraft paper, rice paper, or multilayer LDPE packaging with an environmentally friendly PLA lining. These will fit perfectly into your coffee subscription boxes.
All of our coffee packaging options can be fully customised to your specifications, including debossing, embossing, holographic effects, UV spot finishes, and custom printing using digital printing technology.
This allows us to offer low minimum order quantities (MOQs) to micro-roasters, as well as a quick turnaround time of 40-hours and 24-hour shipping time.
