learnthe4ps.com - For students of marketing.

Online retailers seeking to enhance their customers’ shopping experience are focusing on what’s in the box. In our text books we note three primary roles of packaging: promoting, protecting, and enhancing the product. This multimedia Wall Street Journal story (which includes an article, interactive graphic, and video) “Boxing Up Shopping’s Magic Moment,” (November 17, 2011, non-subscribers may have to click here) provides great reinforcement of all three roles of packaging:

1. Extensive testing of many packaging materials to assure that packages survive the trip from the retailer’s warehouse to the customer’s home in good shape.
2. Many online retailers are wrapping the inner package in a beautiful manner to enhance the overall experience when the package is opened at home.
3. The beauty of that inner package makes people feel better about the brand and promotes the next purchase.

Use this article as a launching point for some creative idea generation.  What else could an online retailer do to enhance the “box opening” experience?  What else could they do to promote the next purchase?

Marketing managers are increasingly paying attention to the customer’s entire purchase experience. Scholars of the marketing of services have long studied queues and wait times. Smart companies are finding ways to improve the wait experience — and you can read about some examples in this Wall Street Journal article “Fun for the Whole Family: The Long Wait in Line” (August 10, 2011 – non-subscribers may need to click here).

How important do you think it is for a company to manage queues?  For what types of businesses is this most important?  What other ideas do you have — or have you seen other marketers use — to more effectively manage lines?