My name is Viana Cangelosi and I’m a project manager at Ship Simply. Today’s JTJ review is on a skincare company called Drunk Elephant. I was introduced to this skincare line by my sister and immediately fell in love, not only with how the product transformed my skin, but also with the packaging and customer experience. A product is only as good as the experience it provides for a customer. Drunk Elephant does not cut corners when it comes to packaging design and overall customer experience. I’ve been converted from a first-time customer to a fully-engaged returning customer in a matter of months. Let’s dive in.
COMMUNICATION: Immediately upon site entry, I was asked to sign in and alerted that if I spent $75, I would receive free two-day shipping. The product I initially came to purchase was $65, but I had no problem finding some add-ons that would score me that free two-day shipping. They offer “mini” trial products that can easily be added onto any order so you can test out products without committing to purchasing the full size. Smart. Once I added my items to the cart, Drunk Elephant added a free sample of one of their best selling products for me to try. Who doesn’t love free samples? Within seconds of checking out I received an email with my order confirmation that allowed me to easily track the delivery process. This email automatically updated with a real-time delivery status map.
SCORE: 8/10 DE Could have alerted me once the package was successfully delivered.
SHIPPING TIMELINE: I placed my order and received the confirmation email on Tuesday, August 11, 8:46 a.m. By 6:32 p.m. the same day, I received another email letting me know the order has been shipped! I appreciated the communication and quick turnaround Drunk Elephant had with my order. Now I had the peace of mind that my order will reach me by Thursday.
SCORE: 10/10
FULFILLMENT ACCURACY: I received my package in two days and the order was 100% accurate.
SCORE: 10/10
PACKAGING PRESENTATION: This is where Drunk Elephant really stands out. The overall package design ignites immediate excitement. The shipping box is branded and so is the tape used to secure it. It opens up to an eye-popping brilliant and psychedelic design that says, "An Elephant Walks Into a Bar." Under the colorful tissue paper are the two products I ordered plus my free sample. Inside the branded paper pouch the order confirmation comes in is another paper with DE branding, intended for the customer to use as a stress-relieving coloring exercise. This exercise comes in every package and is a play on their colorful brand theme. This theme of colors can be found throughout the product packaging as well.
SCORE: 10/10
CONTINUITY OF BRAND: From the website ordering experience to receiving the package, to every time I pump the facial oil into my hand, I feel connected to this brand. That’s really what keeps me coming back: the feeling I get throughout the journey. The website, shipping packaging and product packing visuals are all extremely connected and aesthetically pleasing. You don’t think twice about placing a new order before you run out of product. Drunk Elephant invests in every step of the process and it does not go unnoticed.
SCORE: 10/10
WOW FACTOR: Drunk Elephant has the wow factor down. The unboxing experience enticed me to immediately share a photo with my sisters and show off the products that I purchased. I also find myself recommending DE products to friends and family. The skincare market is saturated with companies providing some really high-end products, but with Drunk Elephant, the wow factor lies in the entire customer experience, of course with a quality product behind it.
SCORE: 10/10
INVITING CUSTOMERS INTO A LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP: In my opinion, Drunk Elephant’s customer experience is what keeps customers coming back. It would have been nice to receive an incentive to make another purchase, for example, a "10% off your next purchase" online code that came inside the box, but on the other hand, I am coming back regardless. Although I am that person who opts out of marketing emails for inbox cleanliness purposes, I did allow DE to send me notifications on any upcoming sales. I won’t hold my breath for a sale, but that won’t stop me from coming back!
SCORE: 8/10
Overall, it’s always a great experience shopping at DrunkElephant.com. The buying journey is definitely exciting every step of the way. However, being that DE sells a consumable product, automatic fulfillment subscription purchases could not only make the consumer’s life easier, but generate valuable revenue. I have now bought the same product three times, every six weeks, give or take. With a subscription, I could have signed up for this product to be shipped to my home within my desired time frame, perhaps at a small discount for being a loyal customer. Something to think about!