Functions of packaging Essay Example for Free

Functions of packaging Essay The functions of packaging range from safety, information to its aesthetic aspects. Bill Stewart, (1996) has defined basic functions of packaging as follows: â€Å"product packaging must contain the product, protect the product from degradation, and identify its contents†. Stanley Sacharow, (1982) state that ‘although new dimensions of packaging are being investigated but until about 1900, a package had to perform only two functions: (1) To ensure safe delivery of the product to the consumer, and (2) To protect the product and ensure its shelf life. Apart from its functional attributes several researchers have explored the distinct roles of packaging and its growing importance is demanding to investigate its potential power in greater detail. (Thomas Hine, 1995) suggests Packaging as a tool for simplifying and speeding consumer buying decisions as packages promise, and usually deliver predictability. (Herbert M. Meyers and Murray J. Lubliner, 1998) sustain packaging functions that contribute to product differentiation, brand identification, appealing presentation, information, and enhancement. A package must literally shout attention to the product (James Pilditch, 1973). Forming an overall personality of the product is an integrated function stated by (Herbert Meyers and Richard Gerstman, 2005). â€Å"†¦.. Offered one example of the importance of package Colour. When 40 consumers were shown the same yogurt product in both an attractive blue cup and in an unattractive brown cup, only one consumer said the yogurt in the brown cup was superior to the same product in the blue cup. Those selecting the blue cup preferred it because it was sweeter, softer, definitely the best, Caron reported (Orloski, 1999) Packaging is no doubt an integral part of the offering of any organization to its consumers and stakeholders. It has to perform basic functions relevant to its attributes like size, Colour, graphics and shape. Various product strategies, designing and technologies can be used to achieve competitive advantage out of it. I. i. a. Components of Packaging Packaging is important component of the product business world. There are various factors which are important while making packaging decisions. With regard to main components of packaging, many different points of view have been expressed (Sonsino, 1990; Vidales Giovannetti, 1995; Hine, 1995; Underwood et al. , 2001; Cervera Fantoni, 2003). Generally speaking, a distinction is made between two blocks of components: (1) Graphic Components: Colour, Typography, Shapes/ Pictures (2) Structural Components: Shape, Size, Material (Olga Ampuero and Natalia Vila, 2006) In an article appeared in The Birmingham Post. (2005) have following lines which indicate the importance of packaging in the promotion and communication part of the business as well. â€Å"The bottle blends vintage and modern elements, while the packaging uses Williamsons signature Colour combinations of delicious pink and purple. † In other newspaper a product in children’s category has been mentioned. Here packaging is also mentioned as one of the importantly features of the product offering. â€Å"It is made with the gentlest ingredients for childrens sensitive skin, and has a delicate aroma of chamomile tea and baby powder. Included in the range is a shampoo and shower gel at pounds 15, body lotion pounds 17. 50, set of animal shaped soaps pounds 14, and a fragrance without alcohol pounds 25. The packaging is cute, decorated with drawings of animals. † (Sunday Mirror 1997) I. i. b. Multi-Faceted Dimension of Packaging Role of packaging is multifaceted. It functions to protect the product. It provides information like manufacturing date, expiry date, cautions and many others depending on the product. It is important for the storage and inventory management. Packaging plays a multi-functional role in the marketing of different products. Packaging not only protects the content of the product during physical distribution and storage in supply chain but also displays the product on the shelf in order to grab customer attention to make a choice among many competing products. Hence, packaging mainly plays a role of a silent salesman. (Sara, 1990). Designs of packaging have become one of the most important aspects of the product and it has been challenge for designers to develop packaging which can have all the attributes required. Numbers of products are sold in outlets where self service is practiced. According to Sonsino (1990) who has studied the buying behaviour and pattern within self service retail outlets, â€Å"Self-service has transferred the role of informing the customer from the sales assistant to advertising and to packaging. In an average supermarket the typical shopper passes about 300 items per minute. So it is quite obvious that a customer would be willing to pay little more for the convenience and prestige of better package. Therefore, packaging provides manufacturers with the last opportunity to persuade possible buyers before brand selection (McDaniel and Baker, 1977). This becomes even more important as nine out of ten purchasers, at least occasionally; buy on impulse (Welles, 1986). Sara (1990 p. 30) argues that â€Å"it is consumer’s subjective perspective that counts in his or her purchasing decision, not the product’s objective reality, and this in fact highlights the importance of packaging in the marketing mix. Consumers assess all the benefits of a product or supplier before making the final choice. The fact is that 95% of all retail purchased are made at prices higher than lowest possible†. (Bo Rundh, 2005) The point of purchase and impulsive shopping increases with good packaging strategies. Importance of packaging in the product mix can not be ignored for various reasons from the basic needs it fulfils safety and security of the product to the appeal and presentation of it. Greenman (2003) explains his expectations about buying behaviour. â€Å"it was my hope that their chosen treats would not only be to their liking, but would also have the creative packaging, Colours, patterns, shapes and attractive font that would make an interesting composition. † There is a need to understand consumer attitude and behaviour towards the packaging on special occasions will be investigated in greater detail. Understanding of the factors influencing consumers during special occasions will help marketer to serve target market effectively. I. ii. Cultural Implication on Packaging The increasing internationalization and globalization of business has forced many firms to reconsider different aspects of packaging that contributes to their competitive advantage. For some companies the package can make the difference example a superior design of a bottle like the export success of absolute Vodka (cap, seal, text and form of the bottle), which has become the second largest brand in the Vodka market (Bo Rundh, 2005, p. 670). An innovative packaging can even change product perception and create a new market position. Pringles potato chips are such an example whose innovative packaging differs from most competitive packages. I. ii. a. Culture Culture has been defined and described differently by various researchers, anthropologists and sociologists. The findings related to various cultures have been inputs for the business and economics sector in order to serve the mass with the products and services of their choices. Any business organization before investing or starting its business operations to any particular area within its country or other nations studies the socio-cultural background of that area. There is various definition of culture. Some of the definitions are discussed below: Culture has been defined as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another by Hofstede G. H. (1980), whereas Van Maanen J. and Schein E. H. (1979) defined culture as values, beliefs and expectations that members come to share. According to Kroeber A. L. and Kluckhohn C. (1952) culture is defined as transmitted patterns of values, ideas and other symbolic systems that shape behaviour, while Hall E. T. and Hall M. R. (1987) defines culture as a primary system for creating, sending, storing and processing information. (Lisa Hoecklin, 1995, p. 28) In researchers view, there is a commonality reflecting in the views of all these different authors that- culture is a set of values, beliefs, customs, behaviours and expectations which is shared by members of a society and is passed on from generation to generation. Values and beliefs of an individual develops through his family background, social set ups and his own level of understandings. Individual follows customs and rituals which have passed to him from generations to generations. His behaviour is a result of the combination of his personality, customs, believes and value systems. There are certain levels of expectations from each and every individual in the society. These expectations can be personal to the individual or family or society’s expectations to him. The result of the collective behaviour of people comes in the form of culture. Culture is something where the past of the society have impact on its present. As rightly stated: Culture can neither be separated from individual and nor from the historical context. Its importance to society is equivalent to the importance of memory to an individual. As said by (Grunert, S. C. ) language, time and place help define culture. (Mooij and Marieke K. de, 2004, p. 26) I. ii. b. Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of Culture A Dutch cultural anthropologist, Geert Hofstede has developed a model of five dimensions of national culture that helps to understand basic value differences. Figure II. 2 HOFSTEDE’S FIVE DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE †¢ Power Power within a society plays vital role in its culture. Different culture has different frameworks for power and it has different implications as well. As described in Mooij and Marieke K. de (2004, p. 33) Power distance can be defined as â€Å"the extent to which less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. † Different countries can be divided by the power distance it has within its society. The high power society countries have centralized and top-down control while in the countries with low power societies are more independent and equal distribution of powers. For example: Japan can be described as high power distance cultures. Japanese people accept and give authority. Various factors constitute power within the society form the age of a person specific to the status and ownership. Within a family there are strong dependency relationships between parents and children. In the organizations bosses and subordinates show the distinct relationship due to the power. In the educational institute, professors and students share different relationship. Japanese people are least likely to change their job due to values they have developed and culture it has. On the other hand western countries have low power distance cultures. For instance Denmark people stress on equality of rights and opportunity. Within a family parents support their children to be independent at a young age. Dependency within the members of the culture is least. †¢ Self Approach of people can be different from each other from culture to culture. Within a society when majority of people are self conscious and think about their own interest first it is called individualism. People want to differentiate themselves from each other in such societies. They have private opinion about all the issues and problems and for them self actualization becomes an integral part of their life. In such cultures people are â€Å"I† conscious. Individual decisions are higher valued than group decisions. Most of the western countries display individualism culture where people are universalistic, share more explicit views and open communication and think about themselves first. On the other hand Asian and Latin American countries’ cultures show altogether different culture. This culture is known as collectivism. People are â€Å"we† conscious and think about their society or social network for each of their decisions. People have harmony among them and their cultural identity depends on the social network they belong.