Table of Contents
Building the right kind of packaging is an art. Packaging relates to a product’s physical appearance when it is seen by a customer.
Packaging serves a practical purpose to help with item storage, handling, transportation, and display.
Packaging is also a means of marketing products. It also includes the bundling of products that are linked with the packaging.
Packagings contain, protect, preserve, transport, inform and sell. It is fully incorporated in government, company, institutional, industrial and private use in many nations.
The function of packaging is becoming increasingly crucial in self-service marketing. Only screens, hangers and tear-off coupon blocks are the ways to make customers notice the product, and, ultimately, efficient packages.
It not only protects the item but also acts as an instrument for promotion. Customers, most of the time, evaluate the product quality of their packages.
Levels of Product Packaging
The packaging is not only a beautiful picture of your product. From the breakage rate for shipments to whether stores are ready to stock; the package design may have an impact on everything.
You may not understand that packaging levels influence how products are packaged and delivered without working on it. It makes sense, of course, when you think about it.
For various packaging purposes, a variety of packaging products are used. But what precisely are these levels of packaging called and what is their relation to the method of packaging and shipping?
Let’s talk in detail about this issue.
There are three levels of packaging: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.
Primary Packaging
Primary packaging is the product itself packaged in direct contact, sometimes known as a consumer or retail packaging. It aims mainly at protecting and preserving, containing and informing consumers.
There are several instances of primary packaging, and a single item may occasionally have several parts.
For example, beverages, the liquid bottle, and the label are both classified as primary packaging. The main packaging is a can or a bottle for drinks.
Secondary Packaging
The primary aim of secondary packaging is branding and logistics.
In addition to defending and collating individual units during storage and are often used for showing main packages on the racks by beverage, food and cosmetics industries and also are sometimes known as group or display packaging.
The secondary packaging is mainly corrugated and completed with high standards such as litho with well-designed branding. Secondary beverage packaging involves beverages which contain packs or packages for drinks.
Tertiary Packaging
Tertiary packaging makes it easy to protect, handle and transport a range of retail equipment or secondary packaging to group everything in unit loads during transit.
The customer seldom sees this sort of packaging. Transit packaging would be part of the tertiary packaging for beverages.
Why different packaging levels?
Since packaging plays an essential part in the product itself, why are the differences between packaging levels so crucial?
Because whatever kind of packaging you talk about is essential. It is necessary to consider how every three packaging levels will influence the survival of the product when developing a package approach.
Branding and shielding on the racks are critical to primary packaging. Secondary packaging is essential during transit safety and branding.
What the packaging looks like informs consumers a lot about the product and the company.
The packaging is a chance to personalize and assist people in distinguishing between different products. It helps identify products, protect products, facilitate the use and promotes the product.
There are so many methods to damage the item–during shipping, stocking and even while the client takes the thing home. The products can be damaged.
This is why it is important to strike an equilibrium among packaging levels to ensure that the product looks good and is protected correctly.
Essential Guidelines for A Product Packaging
A research conducted by The Paperwork shows that approximately 52 per cent of internet customers are likely to return to a company if they obtain the product in high-quality packaging, while 74 per cent are likely to share a picture of product packaging on their social media.
Buyers have always been interested in the distinctive and creative packaging design and colour. Then what are the key components in the design of a label? Why are certain packaging designs successful, while others fail?
Let us take a closer look at all the guidelines that are vital for packaging products.
When you create a product packaging design, you have to consider many options. Make sure to go further than placing the item in a box and think about the following variables:
Product protection
The product packaging has to maintain the product safe and secure and prevent shipping, storage and processing, fade or wear and tear.
The product should also remain clean and fresh and, if necessary, airtight and waterproof. Some packages may accidentally contact water during shipment even if they are not intended; certain water-resistance level offers a further measure of safety.
The finest packaging guarantees that a product remains secure and that clients remain pleased. Customers do not wish to get or buy an item that is broken or worn.
Appealing appearance
It is essential to produce a product that is attractive in design, no matter if you choose something distinctive to catch attention or something easy. If they find it unattractive, enticing or unpleasant, the consumer will probably pass the item on to the shelf.
Materials and cost
The materials to be used, including their quality and accessibility, should also be considered. The cost of printing, fabrication, equipment, and quantities ordered is other factors. The price of the packaging must be taken into account not just as an addition, but as part of the entire production/production budget.
Ease of use
The client should also comprehend the packaging easily. This describes what it is and how it is to be used, particularly when it is not a prevalent product.
It should also be simple to open the product packaging. Customer can become frustrated, or the product can even break down due to a complex design.
Some questions must be answered before developing a product’s packaging using the above rules:
- What is the product?
- Who is buying the product?
- How are people buying the product?
- What is the budget; production and shipping costs?
- What would be the best product packaging solution for your product?
Information You Need to Collect
Brand requirements
Sometimes a product is self-sufficient, or it is an established brand in other instances. If certain brand aesthetics are needed for the packaging, make sure the following data is obtained before starting:
Colours
Includes those as specifically intended for printing if you already have the CMYK values or the Pantone matching values (PMS) colour.
Fonts
Make sure that you have the correct font and guidelines for use.
Logo
Make sure you have a vector file available if you want to put a logo on a package.
Content that needs to go on the packaging
The names, descriptions of the product, images to be packaged, the barcode, the nutrition details, association marks, expiry dates or batch figures are included in this section.
Style Research
Style study involves product information, consistent product packaging of the same brand, shapes; consumer attention is drawn to distinctive shapes, brand messages, colour, pictures, and guidelines including the production batch, expiration date, dietary value, and packaging layout texture.
Product Packaging: An Integral Part of the Marketing Mix
Leading companies know the significance of packaging as an important aspect of their branding and commercial attempts other than in maintaining their products safe, fresh and protected.
Your packaging is the signature you leave and can attract today’s clients far better than obsolete sales and advertising tactics.
The word “marketing mix,” developed by Neil Borden, is familiar to marketers. It was built in the mid-20th century, but its ideas continue to be applicable to businesses and commonly used today.
This instrument has four main components: price, product, promotion, and place. Packaging has become a component in this combination, with the sector seeing a drastic transformation towards flexible retail packaging.
5P principle
The 5 P’s of marketing does have an important role in product packaging and hence are an integral part of the overall strategy.
Product
Product and consumer go hand in hand. Every product is a product which meets the requirements, wishes or needs of a customer. Marketers need to examine the product lifecycle and re-engineer their policies to ensure that their sector is up to date and changing.
Price
This is clear that the cost of a product and any price adjustment will influence the general policy of the marketer. It affects demand, sales and the cost of a product will influence the perception of the customer.
Promotion
It involves getting the product out in the most efficient and creative way, drawing customers in and creating a favourable emotional reaction.
Product packaging can have a significant role to play in promoting a business and its products, as more customers choose to build their own experiences and learn about their buying choices.
These days marketers are promoting and bringing their products to the consumer either through conferences, trade shows, giveaways, or unique events.
Place
Product distribution is the final milestone in the marketing mix, and this is the crucial moment for either building up or destroying the reputation of a brand. No matter just how good the message is when it doesn’t draw people at once it hits the shelves.
Packaging
The packaging is the golden star of the marketing mix–it determines the effectiveness and the impact of your strategy and covers every item above.
The packaging is the best way to demonstrate the product, the cost and value of the product, to share the advantages of the product with the consumer and the physical features of the different points of production.
The product can be the finest product on the market, but it must have the best product packaging. It’s the first thing that individuals see, and within seconds, it can capture or distract their attention.
Importance of Product Packaging
The packaging of your product should communicate what your brand stands for and what it means to your client.
Done right, the packaging can be as memorable as the product itself. Failure to do so maybe as memorable as the item itself. It can affect the buying intention of a consumer.
For the buy choice of customers, the colours, models, and textures used in the product package play a crucial role. The human brain responds in a distinctive way to patterns and colours. Hence, it is important to choose the colours, shapes, textures very carefully.
Product packaging is an excellent instrument for marketing. Within seconds of presenting the item, people make their buying decisions. That is why the packaging of the item provides a great marketing tool.
Messages or taglines have an emotional attraction for brands, which has shown a success.
Taglines or phrases such as “fresh appearance, same fascinating aroma” or “now get 30% extra in every sachet” may, therefore, boost the product prices and its demand.
Above all, product packaging helps increase brand awareness among people of different sects. Ever wondered why customers immediately acknowledge branded products?
The packaging of the business logo with the correct fonts and colours improves brand recognition and cognitive reclamation.
Conclusion
We are drawn to the brightest item on the rack, whether we agree or not. While quality has an important part to play in the product’s achievement, packaging design draws the most attention of the customers.
The most exotic tea packaging design in an aisle portraying all kinds of tea will attract the greatest appeal.
This probably may not increase the sales of a particular product, but it does keep that product in the race. A product with an attractive cover design forces the client to at least give it a try.
Packaging keeps your product fresh and good while using lively designs to tell the tale of the brand.
It is where government-regulated data such as nutrition and warning on allergies is found, thereby safeguarding the safety of customers, showing the dedication of the brand towards openness and offering life-saving goods.
All instructions should now be taken into account when developing product packaging since it provides brand identity and can influence a purchaser to begin sales.