The importance of Packaging in Marketing

 

Just as happens in a successful mosaic, a good Marketing strategy is made up of a whole series of pieces that, combined with each other, make a winning Brand or product.

Among these elements, Packaging also plays an essential role in positioning any product on the market.

 

Packaging: definition

Literally, the term Packaging means the packaging of a product. Going more specifically into detail, Packaging constitutes the set of activities implemented for the aesthetic, functional and communicative creation of a product that is launched and sold on the market, both offline and online.

In Marketing, therefore, Packaging is the branch that deals with the analysis, study, design and creation of packages capable of distinguishing a product, making it easily recognizable to consumers and thus helping to build its Brand Identity.

 

Packaging as a Marketing Tool

In an increasingly competitive context, Packaging cannot be considered a secondary aspect but represents an essential element in a strategy that aims at a strong communicative impact.

It's not just about simple functionality. In addition to being the means by which to protect the product from external factors such as shocks, poor hygienic conditions, dust and humidity, the Package serves to identify it and, moreover, to provide valuable information on its characteristics.

The Package is also used to attract and stimulate the consumer, encouraging him to make the final purchase. It is also used to carry out promotional actions, such as the insertion of gifts and discount coupons, which are also crucial elements to encourage the potential buyer to buy the product.

Ultimately, the eye also wants its part. And a well thought out package can help make a difference when a consumer is about to choose between two or more competing products.

 

Characteristics of good Packaging

The study and realization of the Package are generally entrusted to the Packaging specialists who have the task of considering the various functionalities of the package as a whole, in order to make it as effective as possible. But what are the characteristics of a good Packaging?

• Aesthetics - The aesthetic aspect is undoubtedly the first element to be noticed by the consumer. Design allows the product to be enhanced in the best possible way, attracting the attention of those who are about to make the purchase. From this point of view, elements such as shapes, colors and graphic rendering come into play.

• Functionality - A good package must be versatile and resistant at the same time. Compatibly with the costs to be budgeted, the quality of the material used to make it therefore represents another decisive aspect. Further relevant characteristics are lightness, ease of opening as well as ease of transport, especially when it is subject to shipments. Minimalist Packaging is, not surprisingly, among the solutions most appreciated by consumers who prefer to see bulky external packaging reduced in favor of a more immediate usability.

• Personalization - Another element to evaluate in the creation of a good Packaging is personalization. A customized package helps build customer loyalty, an often complex task especially in the case of products that are sold exclusively online.

• Information - Today, even the details of the information provided to the consumer are an important vehicle of a Brand's values. More and more people have the habit of carefully reading the descriptive labels before moving on to purchase an item. For some sectors, such as food or cosmetics, the label has reached the point of becoming the most significant aspect in the packaging of a product. Applying words such as Made in Italy, organic or Cruelty-Free instinctively associates the article with a series of positive qualities thus making it more desirable in the eyes of the customer.

 

Sustainable packaging

A final essential point to consider concerns the choice of materials used for Packaging.

Respect for the environment is a rapidly increasing trend that is beginning to significantly affect the purchasing choices of a growing number of consumers.

More and more companies are taking into account characteristics such as the use of quality and eco-sustainable raw materials in the study and packaging of their packages. A typical example is the use of Packages made of FSC cardboard, a sturdy, functional and easy to decorate material, which is characterized by the certification obtained by the Forest Stewardship Council, the most widespread forest certification system.

Equally widespread is the use of recycled cardboard or packaging filling systems, also made of paper, so as to facilitate proper disposal with a view to differentiation.

A further element that inevitably jumps in the eyes of a conscious consumer concerns the use, where possible, of renewable energy throughout the life cycle of the Package: from its manufacture, through its transport, to the possibility of reuse of the same.

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Conclusion

Companies are investing more and more in the appearance of the product and its packaging, aware that these elements are fundamental catalysts for the attention of consumers in an increasingly hectic shopping environment crowded with myriads of products with essentially identical functionality. The proven advantages deriving from investments in the external appearance of the product are linked to a strengthening of the aspects of one's own brand related to the brand personality, band identity and brand image, i.e. respectively how the brand really is, how the company decides to show itself and how the others see the brand on the basis of the perception by users deriving from the inputs that the company provides and the characteristics of the context. Consequently, it will be possible to present oneself on the market by differentiating oneself from competitors thanks to a different value proposition, increasing brand loyalty and attracting new potential customers.