Concept, Objectives and Recent Trends in Packaging of a Product – Explained!

Packaging is the second important element of a product after designing the product. Packaging is done at three levels:

i. primary (Bottle containing cough syrup)

ii. Secondary (Bottle of cough syrup in a paper board box in which bottle can be put)

iii. Shipping (Bottle card boxes in a Card Board Carton)

Tablets in a blister pack, which were packaged in a folding carton made of paperboard.

Concept of Packaging:

Packaging is the science, art, and technology of wrapping material around the product to enclose or protect products to identify, describe, display, distribute, store, promote, sale, use, and to keep the product clean. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells.

Image Source: lovelypackage.com

The Objectives of Packaging:

i. To contain the product

ii. To identify the product

iii. To protect the goods from any kind of damage before, during and after the despatch from manufacturers to consumers

iv. To display the product

v. To grab attention from the shelf.

vi. To change consumer perception through good packaging.

vii. To make it able for self handling in malls

viii. To satisfy affluent consumers

ix. Company and brand image conveyed through packaging

Kleenex thinks packaging as part of a product. That is what really sets Kleenex apart. This keeps the category relevant during this time of year. Design of packaging can create consumer value.

Kleenex, the brand that invented facial tissues 86 years ago, introduced an oval-shaped package in 2005, embossed wallpaper like patterns in 2006 made for the holiday season, an oval carton with a pattern of Christmas lights that actually flickered when a tissue was pulled out, is bringing out packages featuring fruits like watermelon, orange and lime to bolster its summer sales.

Companies are now spending more money on packaging than the product. Dadima’s mango pickle, ITS fruit tomato catchup, Mehek Dehradoon Basmati, 24 Letter Mantra and Bread & More (from Kwality Group) are some of the products, available in shops, with good packaging motifs. Packaging involves decisions about labeling, inserts, instructions, design, and sizes.

Important Trends in Packaging:

During the last few years following trends in packaging have been observed:

i. Innovative technology chipping in,

ii. There are no restrictions in terms of use of colour, shape, and even material,

iii. Retail boom has also been a force,

iv. Increased competition, both from domestic and foreign players, and

v. Plastic bottles/packages introduction to avoid returns

vi. Squared backing introduced to increase the effective sheaf space.

vii. In me-too products, packaging can be a way to differentiate your product.

viii. In the food category packaging has uplifted the quality and shelf life expectation. More than 80% of total packaging in India Constitutes packaging, remaining is 20% in flexible packaging.

For packaging innovation, Designers like Manish Malhotra (special Pepso cans for Diwali 2011), Goa-based designer Wendell Rodricks (Nestle for designer edition of its confectionary brand Polo – Wendell had designed limited edition bottle of Himalayan Natural Mineral Water for Nourishco, a joint venture between PepsiCo and Tata Global Beverages, during Lakme Fashion Week in July 2011), and Tarun Tahliani (designed ATM for Citibank India at DLF Emporio Mall in 2010) are being used. Because People in India know Rohit Bal, and Manish Arora, the designers, and Anjali Menon, the Artist, than international designers like Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford.

Coke has used this strategy extensively on their iconic cans, Grover Wines and Reebok also used designers and artists to create limited edition ranges to convert mass product to selected products.

Low-volume, low-priced packages have become very popular in rural and urban areas. Satches in the case of detergents & shampoo, and for diapers (Pampers) a pack of two for Rs 15 by Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo – Extension of Kurkure brand to three local variants – Mumbai Usal, Bengali Jhaal, and South India Spice and Lehar Iron Chusti puffs and biscuits at Rs 2 in Andhra Pradesh, and Emami (a cream), rural cooking oil market with Rs 5 pack of its edible oil Healthy and Tasty have become very popular.