How to Plan the Contents of a Video Box

A custom video box combines two important parts in a captivating presentation: the video that begins playing automatically when the box is opened, and the physical items presented inside of it.

Since there are several important design factors, the contents of a video box should be decided early.

For instance, the size, shape, weight, and placement of the items will affect the dimensions of the box. The EVA foam molding that holds them in place, shipping considerations, and the video content play major roles as well.

Planning these details before production begins can prevent problems and help the finished video box look and function the way you intended.

Choose Every Item Before the Box Is Designed

First and foremost, it’s best to decide exactly what will go inside your video box.

Common options include:

• Product samples
• Gifts
• Awards or plaques
• Apparel
• Branded merchandise
• Books or printed materials
• Promotional products
• Other items related to your campaign

Since the physical contents help determine how the box will be constructed, specifying them before other details are considered will facilitate a smooth process.

For example, a box containing several small product samples will require a different interior layout than one built around a single large item. Plaques, bottles, pieces of technology, folded shirts, or unusually shaped products may each require a different approach.

The goal is to design the box around the actual contents rather than choose a box first and then try to make everything fit inside of it.

Decide How Each Item Should Be Presented

How items will fit inside a video box isn’t the only consideration.

It’s also important to decide what you want recipients to notice first when they open the box.

For instance, should one item receive the most visual emphasis? Should several products appear together? Is there a logical sequence to how the recipient should remove or examine them?

The video screen should remain the primary communication tool. Because the video begins playing automatically when the box is opened, it has an immediate opportunity to introduce the message, explain the purpose of the package, demonstrate a product, recognize the recipient, or provide context for the items inside.

The physical contents should reinforce that message.

For example, a video box for a product launch might contain the product being demonstrated in the video. A donor-recognition box could include a personalized award while the video thanks them and explains the impact of their donation. A VIP gift campaign might use video to introduce the reason for the gift before the recipient removes it from the box.

When the video and physical items support each other, the experience feels more intentional, premium, and personal.

Plan the EVA Foam Molding Around the Actual Contents

At MediaFast, we commonly use custom EVA foam molding to secure items inside video boxes.

The foam will be shaped around the form of the contents so products remain positioned properly while also creating a clean, organized presentation.

Rachel Roberson, whose company has worked with us for more than seven years, specifically mentioned the finished construction in her Google Review when she wrote, “The video boxes are always beautifully constructed and executed to perfection.”

Achieving that kind of presentation begins well before manufacturing. The physical products, interior layout, box dimensions, and video all need to work together.

Account for Weight, Fragility, and Unusual Shapes

When planning a video box campaign, size of the interior contents isn’t the only physical consideration.

The weight of those items matters as well.

A heavier item may require different support than a lightweight promotional product. Multiple items can also add significant weight, which affects distribution costs.

Fragile products may need additional protection, while unusually shaped products can affect both the interior layout and overall box dimensions.

Before finalizing the design, consider:

• How heavy are the combined contents?
• Are any items breakable if they move or shift during shipping?
• Are any shapes unusually tall, wide, round, or irregular?
• Will the complete box be unnecessarily large because of one item?

Answering those questions early can help prevent presentation problems and unexpected shipping charges.

Make Sure the Contents Support Your Video Message

While the interior contents of a video box significantly affect its overall design and campaign results, its video content often makes the biggest impact.

Without a doubt, the video is one of the biggest reasons to use a video box. It provides something that samples, gifts, and printed materials can’t provide on their own: an immediate audiovisual message delivered while a targeted prospect is viewing what’s inside.

For instance:

• If you’re sending a product sample, demonstrate it.
• When introducing a new product, show what makes it different.
• When sending an award, recognize the recipient.
• If you’re sending a gift to an important account, explain why the recipient is receiving it.

Essentially, the contents become more meaningful when the video explains their context.

Keep Dimensions Consistent with Personalized Content

Personalization doesn’t necessarily require an entirely different video box.

As long as their physical size and shape remain essentially the same, companies can place different personalized versions of the same basic items into video boxes.

For example:

• Plaques can feature different recipient names.
• Awards can recognize different individuals.
• Apparel can contain different printed names or messages.
• Similar promotional items can have recipient-specific designs.

As long as their dimensions remain consistent, the same interior layout and EVA foam molding can accommodate each version.

However, replacing one item with something that has a different shape or size is another matter. That will affect the molding and most likely require a different box configuration.

Send Us Your Actual Contents as Soon as Possible

Measurements are helpful, but based on our experience, it’s best for us to have the actual items that will be placed inside your video box prior to approving the design.

Here’s why:

• A list of dimensions doesn’t always reveal everything that matters.
• Measurements may not be exactly correct.
• An item may have an unusual contour.
• An item’s packaging may extend beyond the item itself.
• Some items need additional protection.

Having actual samples allows our team to evaluate how the items fit together, their exact dimensions, and how they should be presented before design and production begin.

It also reduces the possibility of discovering a problem with how everything fits later.

In reference to this, Robert Brown mentioned this type of assistance in his Google Review after ordering video boxes from us when he wrote, “Their design team was also amazing in helping us with some of the design features and mock ups.”

Plan Storage, Distribution, and Shipping Early

Production is only part of a video box campaign. The other important part is what happens after the boxes are manufactured.

At MediaFast, we have an experienced warehouse and distribution team, which allows us to receive and store video boxes and the contents that will go inside of them before fulfillment is completed.

If our clients want to use our warehouse and distribution services, our team can kit the boxes with the appropriate items and ship them directly to recipients. Campaigns can also be staggered rather than every box being sent at once.

For campaigns involving high-value recipients, international destinations, or carefully timed deliveries, having an experienced team execute the plan correctly can have a big impact on campaign results. Also, sometimes our clients don’t have the personnel, space, or time to handle warehousing, kitting, and distribution themselves.

Plan the Entire Experience Together

To make the most impact, the items placed inside of a video box shouldn’t be an afterthought, and neither should the video.

The strongest campaigns plan the entire experience together: what recipients will watch, what they’ll find inside, how those items will be presented, and what the sender wants them to understand and do next.

That said, it’s important to decide the contents early. Think through fit, weight, protection, personalization, shipping, and fulfillment before manufacturing begins, and have a plan for handling responses.

That preparation makes it much easier to produce a video box that arrives looking exactly the way it was intended and delivers an experience worth remembering.

Miranda Torrence referenced this in her Google Review when she wrote, “We sent these boxes as gifts to dignitaries around the world and the feedback has been wonderful!”

If you’d like to learn more, schedule a free consultation with one of our video box experts today.