Subscription boxes now come in every shape, size, and theme imaginable. From beauty and apparel to craft beer and even monthly assortments of beef jerky. What started as a niche convenience has evolved into a growing global industry.
In fact, the subscription box market reached $22.96 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $86.65 billion by 2033, according to Market Research Future.
This explosive growth reflects a broader consumer shift toward convenience, personalization, and the joy of unboxing, making packaging design and branding more influential than ever.
The Marketing Power of Branded Tape
Branded subscription boxes matter more now than ever. With personalization at the forefront of consumer expectations, packaging has evolved into a powerful marketing tool, one that helps your product stand out before it’s even opened.
The rise of unboxing culture on platforms like YouTube and TikTok has turned packaging into part of the entertainment experience itself.
On YouTube alone, videos with “unboxing” in the title have racked up over 25 billion views, proving this trend is here to stay. Whether viewers tune in out of curiosity or simply for the satisfaction of the reveal, the takeaway is clear: your packaging is an extension of your brand.
Creating a branded journey, from checkout to doorstep, builds excitement, consistency, and trust long before the box is even opened.
Design Tips: Making Your Tape Stand Out
When it comes to branded tape, design plays a major role in how your package is perceived. A few small choices can make a big difference in how professional, memorable, and on-brand your boxes look.
- Keep It On-Brand: Match your tape colors, fonts, and logo to your brand palette.
- Think About Visibility: Choose colors that contrast with your packaging so your design stands out.
- Minimalism Works: Sometimes, less is more. Clean, simple designs often print better and look more polished than cluttered ones.
- Include Subtle Calls to Action: Use your tape as a marketing touchpoint by adding a short message, hashtag, or QR code that encourages engagement. Whether it leads to your social channels or a thank-you page, it’s a simple way to extend the customer experience beyond the box.
- Stay Fresh with Campaigns and Seasons: Refresh your tape design to align with seasonal promotions, holidays, or limited-time campaigns. It’s an easy, cost-effective way to keep your packaging exciting and relevant.
Sourcing Smart: What to Look for in Custom Tape
Once your design is ready, the next question is how to produce it: should you outsource or bring printing in-house? While outsourcing can be convenient, many subscription box brands are discovering the advantages of keeping production closer to home.
In-house printing gives you complete control over your brand presentation. You can easily update tape designs for new campaigns, seasonal promotions, or limited-edition boxes, without waiting on supplier lead times or meeting large minimum order quantities. It also helps ensure consistent print quality, faster turnaround, and the ability to test new materials or styles on your own schedule.
Investing in in-house printing can actually save money by reducing over-ordering, shipping costs, and wasted inventory. The benefits don’t stop at branded tape; bringing production in-house also opens the door for creating custom product labels and other packaging elements, helping you deliver a truly seamless and cohesive packing experience from start to finish.
Small Detail, Big Brand Impact
Branded packing tape may seem like a small detail, but it plays a big role in shaping the customer experience. From elevating your subscription box’s first impression to strengthening customer loyalty, it turns every shipment into a brand touchpoint.
For companies ready to take that next step, the SnapPress LP-1 offers the perfect entry point into in-house production.
Designed for speed, precision, and versatility, the LP-1 allows you to print on demand. Whether you’re a small business looking to grow or an established brand scaling operations, the LP-1 is built to be user-friendly and adaptable, empowering anyone on your team to produce professional-quality labels and packaging with ease.
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