The Men's Box

You know that feeling you get when you receive something in the mail?  Or the feeling you get just before you open a present?  What if I tell you that you can get that excitement and adrenaline rush every month?  Would you take it?

It was back in 2012… my trip to New York.  I had the privilege of attending Ad Age’s Annual Digital Conference.  One of the biggest takeaways from that week was a presentation made by the founders of Birchbox.

At the time, the subscription business model was gaining a lot of buzz.  There were only a handful of startups that had successfully penetrated the marketplace.  Birchbox was definitely one of the well-known ones.  The company focused its subscription model on the female audience.  The idea is to pay a monthly subscription fee and in turn receive a sample box every month with various recommended beauty samples.  If users like the products, they then had the option to purchase the full size products.  During the Q&A, one of the audience members asked about applying the same model to the male consumer.  The response was, “It’s something we are looking to do as our business grows.”

Fast-forward 2 years, I just received a Birchbox of my own.  The design of the box is simple and elegant.  What you get is a brown box with a slight opening at the front.  As you insert your thumb into the slit opening and pull, it leads to another box resembling the inside of an open drawer.  The contents of my box are covered with a thin layer of dark green tissue paper.  As I unraveled the wrappings, this is what I found inside:

What’s In the Box:

·       (1) Greeting Card with Product Description

·       (1) 100ml Davines Naturaltech Energizing Shampoo

·       (1) 0.5oz URSA MAJOR Face Wash

·       (1) Sample Tube Plant Face Oil

·       (1) 0.07fl.oz. Tube English Laundry Riviera Cologne

·       (2) Pairs Tommy John Ultimate Liner Socks

The front of the greeting card shows an image of a man’s lower half seated on a set of stairs with a logo of Birchbox at the center.  To the right is a message that begins with, “GOOD SIR,”.  The message informs the customer that they’ve received a box of essentials from Birchbox Man.  It continues by stating that Birchbox can customize the monthly subscription package based on the user’s interest.  Turning the card around, I found a list of products that came in the box.  The card also lists the full-size price of the individual samples in case the consumer wants to make a purchase.

I am definitely an individual that loves surprises.  There is no better surprise than to receive a gift in the mailbox.  What make Birchbox great are the endless possibilities it offers.  There are various brands that I’ve never heard of or seen.  The ability to simply test drive everything before you buy makes it that much better.  Let’s face it, some things might sound and look good, but doesn’t live up to the expectations when we use it.  MP is excited about this gift and we look forward to going through the goodie box… and of course, we’ll provide our proper feedback.  ;)

by ManPossible