Packaging – BMS Notes
Packaging is the reverse side of the product label. Historically, packing served to safeguard items. But it’s also a key image builder and a promotional tool that helps the product succeed. It is a point-of-sale display that attracts customers in a positive way.
“Packing” refers to a company’s capacity to hold naturally occurring or economically manufactured goods for eventual use, sale, or transportation. It includes the tasks of manufacturing or packaging the goods to make marketing tasks easier and more affordable.
To put it simply, packing is the process of placing the goods inside of boxes, kegs, barrels, jars, tins, cans, bags, and other similar packaging or containers. A “package” is a covering or a receptacle that encloses, encases, houses, or seals a product.
On the other hand, “packaging” refers to the planning and creation of various methods for product packaging. Just as clothing is to humans, so too are product packaging.
Definitions:
“Packaging refers to the whole collection of tasks involved in creating the packaging or containers for the goods.” William Stanton, a professor
“The distinctive mix of colours, pictures, and symbols to differentiate the items is known as package design.” Bull John
“Packaging is an activity that takes into account factors such as protection, economy, convenience, and marketing.” Academician Philip
It so includes the selection, manufacturing, filling, and management of packages. It is important to note that the term “packing” include “packaging” since it is more inclusive. Product safety is the focus of packing, while product marketing is the focus of packaging.
Goals for Packaging
Packaging is a need for the market and marketing; in terms of product packaging, at least five goals may be found. These include product marketing, profit generating, product protection, product identity, and product convenience.
The following is an outline of these points:
I Protection of products
Protecting goods or contents is the main goal of packaging. The packaging uses materials that are resistant to moisture, vermin, and harm to keep the contents fresh, clean, and unspoiled.
It is an effective tool to prevent theft and shoplifting. From the time of their birth until their death, the goods are covered by this protection. As a result, the product is shielded from potential theft, stealing, spilling, breaking, degradation, evaporation, and other hazards.
(ii) Product identification
For ease of identification, the items that are displayed on store shelves need to be recognisable. It is necessary to contrast and set one brand out from another. In addition to brand names, product packaging serves as a simple and practical means of distinguishing goods from various manufacturers or distributors.
It is evident that a product’s packaging varies greatly from one to the next. As a result, it serves as a simple identifying tool. Every box has a distinct design that is easy to memorise, along with colour combinations and sizes.
(iii) Product ease of use
The goal of packaging is to maximise convenience for distributors, manufacturers, and buyers alike. Producers and distributors can transport, store, stock, handle, and show their products more easily when they are packaged beautifully. The density of products is the reason.
Effective packaging makes it easier for customers to utilise the goods. Tear-tape, pouring spouts, squeeze bottles, aerosol cans, flip-tops, pull-tubes, wrappers, and similar items are the greatest examples of this kind. They significantly improve customer convenience.
(iv) Promotion of products
A product’s packaging may be an effective marketing tactic. Packaging serves a variety of advertising purposes.
Four in particular are highlighted:
(A) Package design that promotes itself has great importance because it draws customers.
(b) Point of purchase display: There are two types of displays: window and counter. The first works to draw customers or prospects in, while the latter provides a comparison of “competitive items” so that the customer may make a decision.
(c) Advertising media determines the success of a product by showcasing its overall look and the characteristics that make it appealing.
(d) Flap or package insert advertising is a free kind of product exposure.
(v) Generating product profits
Producers and distributors may see a rise in income as a result of appropriate and adequate packaging. Good packing creates a product density that lowers handling, storage, and transportation expenses.
Moreover, the frequent wastes in the marketing process may be reduced, if not completely eliminated. Sound packing is also a useful strategy for promoting sales. All of these elements will inevitably help maximise profits while lowering expenses and boosting productivity.
Functions and Role of Packaging
Packaging plays an important part in today’s dynamic and competitive marketing environment. It has developed into a highly specialised industry that boosts producer profits, lengthens intermediaries’ stays, and increases customer convenience. The several tasks that packaging completes make its purpose obvious.
The following is a summary of the purposes of effective packaging:
I It safeguards the information.
Since ancient times, packaging has served the primary purpose of shielding its contents from harm, filth, dust, leaks, theft, evaporation, moisture, contamination, and other factors. The inherent qualities, attributes, and standards of excellence remain preserved. As a result, the contents are preserved as pure, untouched, fresh, and unchanged.
Packaging may help to round out demand swings that occur throughout the year. Some perishable goods, such as orange juice, straw berries, and mango pulp, may be preserved and frozen, allowing customers to enjoy them throughout the year.
(ii) It offers density of products.
The product density is raised by the packaging. Product density refers to the use of packaging materials, designs, and shapes that maximise the use of the available space. Product density enhances the elegance and poise of arrangement, facilitates better use of space for storage and consumption, and strengthens ties with common carriers.
(iii) It serves as a marketing tool.
Well-designed packaging functions as a promotional tool, making sales easier and faster. This salesperson is “quiet.” It functions as a publishing platform, self-promoting tool, display tool, and advertising medium.
An eye-catching box increases the likelihood of impulsive purchases. The box, size, style, colour choices, and images all influence how likely a product is to get the valuable attention of potential buyers or clients.
(iv) It offers convenience to the user
Another need is that the product be convenient to handle, store, transport, and use. More so, when the package is good. As a consequence, the marketing tasks of handling, storing, and transportation are completed quickly and efficiently.
As long as the product is being used, consumers are substantially helped. In actuality, elegant packaging has resulted in lower expenses for space, time, packing, and inventory.
(v) It makes identifying products easier.
These days, with intense competition, product uniqueness is the hallmark of success. Two powerful product identifiers—branding and packaging—help to further this process of product differentiation.
No matter where, when, or under what conditions you view it, the product is always identifiable by its packaging.
A product’s box represents its essence and character. Differentiated packaging makes it easier to identify the product since it enhances its personality or image. Because they rely on unique product packaging, consumers need not be confused by the wide variety and misled while making decisions.
(vi) It makes product mixing simple.
Product mix refers to the range of product lines and assortments that the selling house offers in terms of sizes, colours, measurements, grades, and packaging kinds, among other things. Modifications to the product mix may be necessary since packaging affects the items’ weight, size, and dimensions.
In a variety of market sectors, such a chosen sales or product-mix will ease product pricing, shipping, storage, stocking, handling, display, and so forth.
(vii) It prolongs the life of the product.
One way to try to prolong a product’s life-cycle is to utilise its packaging. A more modern appearance for the pack may be achieved by updating the design.
Though it is becoming more and harder to create whole new items, any kind of packaging innovation that meets the needs and desires of consumers may be introduced and made to pay for in some way. This may be accomplished by making packages easier to stock, price, mark, display, and identify. This will benefit customers as well as wholesalers and merchants.
The Fundamentals of Effective Packaging
The goals and purposes of packaging have amply shown its significance in contemporary marketing environments. The package has to be unquestionably eye-catching, sturdy, affordable, adaptable, and easy in order to reap all of these advantages. According to experts, a package must satisfy the following requirements in order to be deemed “excellent” packaging.
Thus, the following are necessary for excellent packaging:
- It need to safeguard the information.
- It ought to be appealing.
- It ought to provide ease.
- It ought to ensure the economy.
- It need to guarantee adaptability.
- It ought to be devoid of pollutants.
- It ought to be educational.
Package Types
There are three categories of packing that come to mind: primary, secondary, and shipping. Tell us about each kind.
First-Class Packaging
Primary packaging is primarily intended to safeguard the product’s integrity and guard against any exposure-related hazards. A lot relies on the kind of product and its shape, specifically Packed in polyethylene paper bags, hard boards, and both glass and plastic bottles, materials may be either liquid or solid.
Preserving or safeguarding the fundamental components is the main concept. As an example, shampoos may be packaged in plastic bottles, sachets, or pouches. The same is true for various liquids. Tetra-packing is used for soft drinks, juice, oil, and other similar products.
Supplementary Packaging
The purpose of secondary packing is to provide merchants and buyers with quantifiable convenience. Consequently, Shampoo Straps of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and so forth may contain sachets. The total number of bottles might be 10, 12, or 144. In addition to addressing the needs of the consumer’s dealer and being practical for exchange, this is done for further safety. It is beneficial for storing as well.
Packing for Shipping
- The final packing used mostly for wholesale stocking and shipment is called shipping packaging. Thus, cartons of fifty, one hundred, two hundred, and so forth may include fruit juice boxes (tetra pack).
- When loading and unloading boxes during transit and storage, care is taken to ensure that the least amount of damage is done. In this case, the materials are sturdy and provide support throughout handling, storage, and transit.
- Primary, secondary, and shipping packaging are made of extremely different materials. There is ongoing research to replace traditional materials.