Packaging is one of the most effective ways to do marketing communication and reach consumers. It is so important because it is a creative and a free strategy. It is not as simple as we see. Packaging is the process of designing and creating a container or a wrapping to store, protect and transport a product and to communicate about products. Design and the type of the package should be made depending on the size, weight, type and the material the product is made of.
Users of Packaging
- Protects the product
- Provide marketing information
- Provide information about ingredients, manufacture, expiry date etc.
- “How to use” guide
- Easy to handle and transport
- Attracts customers
Basically, there are two main objectives of designing a Packaging for any product. Firstly it is designed for the protection of the product. In order to give good value to the product, it is important to think about its protection. And also a protective package helps to grab consumers attention and trust.
Types of Packaging
Primary package – This is the package that is designed to protect the product from damages. It is a compulsory requirement to have a quality primary package in order to protect the product.
Secondary package – This is the package that is used to communicate marketing information and other information to existing and potential customers.
Tertiary package – Most of the times this package is not seen by consumers. Because the tertiary package is only used to transport and store products locally or internationally.
The second main use of the Packaging is to communicate to the consumers. Most importantly, a Packaging is considered as a silent salesperson. And it is also considered as a free mode of marketing communication. That means marketers can protect the product as well as communicate information only by a single budget. Because anyway they will have to design a package and they can use it even for marketing communication and attract customers.
Generally, marketers use both primary and secondary packages. But in some products (mainly FMCG products) both the primary and the secondary packages are the same. All marketing and other information are provided in the primary package. This is a cost-effective strategy. But this is not suitable for all products. Usually, if it is only a primary package, it should be attractive and informative.
Apart from this two cases, sometimes marketers use labels instead of the secondary package. For an example carbonated beverages are contained in a transparent or a coloured bottle and the information is provided on a label. Mostly canned and bottled products include labels. Here the label plays the role of the secondary package.
Most importantly the Packaging should be matched with the product identity, target group and the type of the product. Because it gives the first impression to any existing and potential consumers. Therefore it is important to design the package in a creative and attractive way to grab customer’s attention and to inculcate a better perception about the product in the customer’s mind. And good Packaging includes good raw materials and saves money while minimizing the harm to the environment.
