Various advantages and disadvantages of packaging.
Packaging Need for Packaging
Even after a product is developed and branded, it is important to adopt strategies for other product-related aspects of the marketing mix.
One such product feature and a strategic one for some products is packaging, which consists of all the activities of designing and producing the container or wrapper for a product.
A package is the actual container or wrapper. Thus packaging is a business function and a package is an item.
A package is basically an extension of the product offered for sale. In many situations the packaging may be more important than the product it contains.
Packaging involves decisions about labels, inserts, instructions for product use, graphic design, as well as decisions about the sizes and types of physical containers for individual product items with the outer package.
Objectives for Packaging
Three main objectives of packaging are:
1. Protection: The basic objective of packaging for industrial goods such as components and machinery is to protect the product while in transit. But packaging for consumer goods has a broader aim.
2. Cognizability: It is not enough for packaging to protect the product. Since the product is meant for sale in final form to the ultimate customers, it must also make the particular brand recognisable and appealing to buyers. This is very important in the case of packaged foodstuffs and other frequently purchased items from supermarkets and self-service stores. Here several brands of a product are displayed next to one another on the shelves, and it is important that the colour and design of a package attract the attention of the customers and thus play a major part in promotional strategy.
The packaging lends charm to the product and reinforces the brand name. If the packaging does not induce the consumer to pick the commodity’s brand in this situation, then all previous promotional efforts to differentiate these brands are wasted. Thus, packaging is an aid to advertising.
3. Shortage and usage: Packaging also facilitates the storage and use of products. Thus packages may be so designed as to conduce to the case of handling by consumers and by members of the channel of distribution.
Functions of Packaging
A package design is supposed to attract attention and convey an easily identifiable image. It must tell consumers what the product is and why they should buy it.
In short, packaging provides- (i) A containment function, (ii) A protection-in-transit function, (iii) A storage function, (iv) A usage facilitation function, (v) A promotion function.
Firstly, packaging protects the product on its way to the consumer. A package protects a product during shipment. Furthermore, it can prevent tampering with products-notably medications and food products in the warehouse or the retail store.
Secondly, it provides protection after the product is purchased. Compared with bulk (that is, unpackaged) items, packaged goods generally are more convenient, cleaner, and less susceptible to losses from evaporation, spilling, and spoilage.
Thirdly, it becomes a part of company’s trade, marketing, wholesaling and retailing programme. A product must be packaged to meet the needs of wholesaling and retailing middlemen.
Fourthly, it becomes a part of a company’s consumer marketing programme. Packaging helps identify a product and thus may prevent substitution of competitive products. All these suggest that developing and designing a package is not unlike designing the product itself. The package designer must be as buyer-oriented as the product designer.
Advantages of Packaging
Ultimately, a package may become a product’s differential advantage or at least a significant part of it. Today, with its marketing significance fully recognised, packaging is a major factor in the competition for customers. Therefore, full responsibility and authority for packaging should be with a firm’s marketing department.
Recent developments have prompted even greater attention to packaging Due to shortage of shelf space, it is not easy for manufacturers to get their products displayed in a retail outlet. If other marketing-mix elements are comparable, retailers are likely to purchase and display products having attractive functional packaging.
Furthermore, the widespread use of self-service selling means that the package must do the selling job at the point of purchase. In addition, the public’s growing concerns about safeguarding products until they are purchased must be considered in packaging. Once the product is purchased, the package may still play a role. Many food products are now packaged so that they can go straight from the shelf or freezer into an oven.
Continuing developments call for management’s scrutiny. We see new packaging materials replacing traditional ones – uncommon shapes, attractive look and other new features. All are intended to provide benefits to retailers and/or consumers and, as a result, selling points for marketers.
Disadvantages of Packaging
However, packaging creates the following problems- 1. Packaging exhausts natural resources. 2. Packaging is too expensive. 3. Some forms of plastic packaging are health hazards. 4. Packaging is deceptive. 5. Used and discarded packaging contributes significantly to the consumer protection problem.
