At Moosejaw, the Madness is in the packaging

Fans of Moosejaw know better than anyone that the company is one of the most distinctive retailers on the planet. After spending just a few minutes on their website, it’s easy to see that that this is a company with a deep understanding of who they are – and, more importantly, who their customers are – with a voice and tone that’s unlike any retailer out there. When we asked company creative director Gary Wohlfeill to provide us insight into Moosejaw’s culture, marketing and customer experience, his responses were so profound that we decided to split our Q&A into a two-part series. We say, Bring on the madness.

First, here’s what Gary has to say about how the company uses something that many retailers consider mundane – shipping – as an extension of the brand. If you haven’t received a package from the outdoor specialty retailer, you’re truly missing out.

During your session at the Retail Innovation & Marketing Conference, you’ll talk about creating compelling messaging through every customer touch point, including packaging. So, I’ll bite – talk about how packaging is an extension of the brand, and how your packaging creates a consistent, compelling message.

We want to make sure that every customer who receives a package from Moosejaw remembers it. We want to create a ‘brand event’ for that customer, and we do that in a few ways:

We sticker the hell out of the outside of our packaging. Every package gets at least 2 (and up to 4) stickers. Each gets a “No knife, use teeth” sticker that conveys a bit of the brand voice. Each package also gets a SWAK (” Sealed With A Kiss”), a sticker personalized by the signature of the shipper who boxed up the order. The SWAK is a personal touch and also helps with shipping quality assurance.

Our recycled box program introduces two more stickers. Any reused box gets a “Don’t be surprised if you’ve seen this box before. We recycle” sticker to give the customer visibility of our program, again in the brand voice. It also helps to let your customers know why their box looks a bit used.

We have a second sticker that we are just starting to implement that goes on boxes being delivered to zip codes near our stores [below]. It reads “Bring This Box In to Any Moosejaw Shop and We’ll Reuse It.” The smaller print reads “Plus, we’ll add 500 Rewards Points to your account. Sign one of the lines above so the next person who gets this box knows that you’re a decent person.” There are three lines where customers get to sign their name, so each can add to the sticker as the box is reused over and over – making it viral.

Inside the package we continue the experience. We include a “Nice Note,” another personalized item signed by the shipper thanking the customer for their order and providing contact information if they have any questions at all.

Each package ships with a Moosejaw bumper sticker and a current Moosejaw catalog. We feel our catalogs are the best at capturing the brand voice so we’re sure to include them in every outgoing package. We also have special additions that go in during certain times of the year. Around the holidays we include a sticker that says, “Please pretend this is the most beautiful gift wrapping you’ve ever seen”, and around Father’s Day we included an “I’m moving in with Mom” sticker.

And, currently, we are stuffing sample Luna bars as a way to introduce our customers to new flavors. Here’s a sample of some of our shipments:

Want to hear more about the Moosejaw madness from company creative director Gary Wohlfeill? Read the second part of his Q&A where Gary discusses the company’s tone, the nontraditional ways they have used social media, how mobile plays a role in customer behavior, and what they mean by the phrase “Love the Madness.”