In the world of influencer marketing, PR boxes are ubiquitous. In fact, when many of us think of influencer marketing, we think of a creator squealing on camera as they open an elaborate PR box. But over the years, PR boxes have come under a bit of scrutiny.
From extravagant gifted items that have drawn more criticism than praise to ongoing debate about their excess, some consumers and industry experts wonder whether PR boxes still have a place in marketing. This matters for any business, Web3 or not, if you’re considering offering PR boxes to content creators. This article will explain why they have fallen into hot water and how your business could potentially benefit from them.
What Are PR Boxes?
While most of us are already familiar with the concept, it’s worth clarifying. PR boxes are packaged physical products sent or gifted to content creators for the implicit or explicit purpose of creating content to promote the brand. Think of a package of lipstick or skincare products or tech gadgets given to influencers within that niche.
Depending on the brand and influencer, there may be no obligation to create content from these. But if there is content, it can generate a lot of publicity for the business and question.
A creator with millions of followers unboxing a PR package and speaking positively about the products can instantly boost your market credibility and even drive sales. This is why, for years, brands have put a great deal of effort into PR boxes, hoping to stand out among the dozens a single creator can get in a week and make it onto their feed. Tech companies, including Web3 companies, aren’t out of the loop, as they often send products in fancy packaging in hopes of gaining more publicity.
Why PR Packages Have Been Criticised
On the surface, PR packages seem like relatively harmless concepts. The creator gets a free product, the brand might get free publicity, and the consumer either discovers a new product or simply enjoys the aspirational content. Why then does this cause so much controversy? There are a few reasons:
- Excess: PR unboxings are a popular form of content online, and while initially, it was all in good fun, many consumers and even the creators began to notice the excess of it all. As we’ve said, a popular creator might receive dozens of PR packages in a single week, and an unboxing video can show them opening more products than they can reasonably use. This has led many consumers and creators to criticize brands for giving excessive PR boxes to creators and calling it a bad look.
- Influencer Focus: Influencers occupy an interesting place within the public’s consciousness. While we accept that they are an important way that we discover products and services, they are also the target of public ire at various points. This means that sometimes, brands are criticized for sending their products to creators as opposed to ordinary consumers. Take the Poppi drama of last year, in which the drink brand was criticized for sending vending machines to influencers’ homes rather than donating to people in need.
- Oversaturation and Desensitization: A decade ago, PR boxes were a relatively novel concept that both creators and their audiences were fascinated with. Today, PR boxes are considered ubiquitous and simply part of the marketing game. Some consumers are desensitized to them, which makes them less effective at marketing. After watching dozens of unboxing videos, it is hard for brands to stand out by simply putting their packages in a box. Of course, some have tried to combat this by making PR more extravagant, but as we’ve said, that has led to criticism.
Are PR Packages Dead?
All of this brings up the question of whether PR boxes are dead. Some internet critics would declare them a bygone concept with no value for anyone within the ecosystem. And while they’re certainly not the novel concept they once were, it might not be fair to declare them dead just yet.
Ultimately, the goal of a PR package is to create awareness of the brand and the product in the eyes of the consumer and in many cases, they still do this. Newer brands especially benefit from PR boxes from well-trusted influencers. And packaging, when it’s not overdone to the point of absurdity, can help endear customers to the brand. If the influencer, as we’ve said, is especially trustworthy and does not promote a new PR box every other day, it can actually feel special.
How Your Business Can Use PR Boxes
Web3 businesses can benefit from PR boxes, but they need to be strategic.
First, choose the right influencers. Many businesses get carried away by big numbers and high follower counts, but that isn’t always the best strategy. An influencer with a million followers likely gets dozens of PR boxes each week, and you might struggle to get featured or get lost in the 20 PR box haul videos they make. Instead, you might want to target micro-influencers who, while not as large, are not as inundated with PR boxes and so are more likely to actually make content out of it rather than mention it for three seconds.
You also want to get influencers that are selective about the brands they promote. An influencer who promotes the latest tech gadget regardless of quality or brand might not do much for you. But one known for being selective about which brands they feature on their socials will help.
You also want the PR packaging to strike a balance: attractive without being absurd. This means a sleek and innovative design, and an unboxing experience that engages both the influencer and their audience, but not one that is so huge or so excessive that it dwarfs the actual product being promoted.
You also want to give out PR boxes at a reasonable pace. Some brands in the consumer goods sector are known to have a new PR box out to the influencer space every other week. But your business might benefit from restraint, releasing these boxes only when they’re highly relevant and you have something new to say.
Conclusion
PR boxes are not necessarily dead, but they have become a lightning rod for controversy. Much of this can be boiled down to excess, audience mismatch, and general fatigue. You can address each by making beautiful but not ridiculous PR boxes, sending them to quality influencers with a relevant audience, and avoiding excessive PR box production yourself.
Here at BTCWire, we consult on every aspect of PR, including creating the boxes, choosing influencers and tracking results. If you’d like to take your influencer marketing strategy to the next level, reach out to us.