First impressions are everything. Whether you’re in a business meeting, at a backyard barbecue or deciding whether or not you want to watch that entire YouTube video, you make emotional decisions within the first few seconds of meeting a person. That same logic applies to product packaging. When you send the results of all your hard work and effort to your customer, are you sending the products off in the packing equivalent of sandals and a pair of cutoffs, or are you sending them an item wrapped in a custom-tailored silk suit?

Either could be appropriate, depending on the situation.

Consider for a second the trendsetters of high-end tech packaging—Apple. From phones to laptops to a pair of earbuds, Apple products come wrapped in not just cardboard and plastic, but in an experience. The boxes are practically vacuum-sealed so that opening up your new iPad is a slow process. Something to be savored. Likewise, the cardboard is heavy—sometimes much heavier than the product inside—but this heft subtly implies luxury and value.

That’s the point—crafting a tactile experience for the end user so that when they think of your product, they think of more than just what’s inside the box. They think about how they felt when they picked it up and opened it. The tactic is effective. Just look at the rise in popularity of unboxing videos. Watching all of the unboxing videos on YouTube would take years, if not longer, and the channel Unbox Therapy alone has over 14 million subscribers.

Also, consider what you’re putting on the package itself. Anyone can spot an Amazon package immediately, thanks to the clear branding, but they also use their box tape to advertise new initiatives and platforms. Try putting your Instagram or Twitter handle on your boxes and watch the rise in your followers. Are you using recycled materials for your packaging? Make sure your customers know that! You could even take the opportunity to tell your company’s story. A short paragraph on the inside flap of a box is an unexpected location for text, and it will catch your customers’ attention.

Paying attention to the packaging you use will plant the seeds for future sales, making or breaking that big presentation and turning one-time customers into repeat clients. For more ideas, check out SanMar U’s recent webcast on The Power of Presentations and be sure to visit SanMar.com where you can order branded presentation boxes.