Role of Packaging in Marketing

B. Anuradha, Assistant. Professor. ,Commerce Department, Shri Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women, Chennai -17, Tamil Nadu Introduction
Packaging is now generally regarded as an essential component of our modern life style and the way business is organized. Packaging is the enclosing of a physical object, typically a product that will be offered for sale. It is the process of preparing items of equipment for transportation and storage and which embraces preservation, identification and packaging of products. Packing is recognized as an integral part of modern marketing operation, which embraces all phases of activities involved in the transfer of goods and services from the manufacturer to the consumer. Packaging is an important part of the branding process as it plays a role in communicating the image and identity of a company.

How can we define Packaging? Kotler defines packaging as "all the activities of designing and producing the container for a product." Packaging can be defined as the wrapping material around a consumer item that serves to contain, identify, describe, protect, display, promote, and otherwise make the product marketable and keep it clean. Packaging is the outer wrapping of a product. It is the intended purpose of the packaging to make a product readily sellable as well as to protect it against damage and prevent it from deterioration while storing. Furthermore the packaging is often the most relevant element of a trademark and conduces to advertising or communication. Objectives of Packaging Physical Protection The objects enclosed in the package may require protection from, among other things, shock, vibration, compression, temperature, etc. Barrier Protection A barrier from oxygen, water vapor, dust, etc., is often required. Package permeability is a critical factor in design. Some packages contain desiccants or Oxygen absorbers to help extend shelf life. Modified atmospheres or controlled atmospheres are also maintained in some food packages. Keeping the contents clean, fresh, and safe for the intended shelf life is a primary function.

Containment or Agglomeration Small objects are typically grouped together in one package for reasons of efficiency. For example, a single box of 1000 pencils requires less physical handling than 1000 single pencils. Liquids, powders, and flowables need containment. Information Transmission Packages and labels communicate how to use, transport, recycle, or dispose of the package or product. With pharmaceutical, food, medical, and chemical products, some types of information are required by governments. Marketing The packaging and labels can be used by marketers to encourage potential buyers to purchase the product. Package design has been an important and constantly evolving phenomenon for dozens of years. Marketing communications and graphic design are applied to the surface of the package and (in many cases) the point of sale display. Security Packaging can play an important role in reducing the security risks of shipment. Packages can be made with improved tamper resistance to deter tampering and also can have tamper-evident features to help indicate tampering. Packages can be engineered to help reduce the risks of package pilferage: Some package constructions are more resistant to pilferage and some have pilfer indicating seals. Packages may include authentication seals to help indicate that the package and contents are not counterfeit. Packages also can include anti-theft devices, such as dye-packs, RFID tags, or electronic article surveillance tags, that can be activated or detected by devices at exit points and require specialized tools to deactivate. Using packaging in this way is a means of loss prevention. Convenience Packages can have features which add convenience in distribution, handling, display, sale, opening, reclosing, use, and reuse. Portion Control Single serving or single dosage packaging has a precise amount of contents to control usage. Bulk commodities (such as salt) can be divided into packages that are a more suitable size for individual households. It is also aids the control of inventory: selling sealed one-liter-bottles of milk, rather than having people bring their own bottles to fill themselves. Types of Packaging

PrimaryPackaging Primary packaging is the material that first envelops the product and holds it. This usually is the smallest unit of distribution or use and is the package which is in direct contactwiththecontents. Secondary Packaging Secondary Packaging is outside the primary packaging perhaps used to group primary packages together.

Boxes Cartons Shrink wrap

Tertiary Packaging Tertiary Packaging is used for bulk handling and shipping.

Bales Barrel Crate Container Edge Protector

Symbols used on packages and labels Many types of symbols for package labeling are nationally and internationally standardized. For consumer packaging, symbols exist for product certifications, trademarks, proof of purchase etc. Some requirements and symbols exist to communicate aspects of consumer use and safety. Examples of environmental and recycling symbols include: recyling , resin identification code, and Green dot symbol. VariousMechanicalTest o Drop Test: This test help to measure the ability of the container and inside packing materials to provide protection to its contents and to measure the ability of the container towithstandroughhandling. o Vibration Test: This test is to determine the ability of the container to withstand vibration and the protection offered by materials used for interior packing. o Compression Test: This test is carried out, generally, on empty containers, to measure the ability of the container to resists external compressive loads applied to faces or applied to diagonally opposite edges or corners. o Inclined Impact Test: This test help to study the extend of damage in a way of crushing, breaking, cracking, distortion, and shifting during handling storage and transport which occurs to the container and its content.

o Rolling Test: This test helps to evaluate the overall strength of the container and the cushioning material provided inside and any failure of the content. o Drum test: This test help to evaluate loaded shipping containers with respect to general overall durability and for the protection afforded to the contents against certain hazards of handling and shipment. Various Climatic Tests o Rain Test: This test is conducted in a simulated rain condition to assess its impact on the test area for two hours. o Sand and Dust Test: This test is to evaluate the resistance of a package to the penetration of sand and dust. o Salt Spray Test: This test is to evaluate the resistance of a package to corrosion by salt spray and to serve as a general standard for corrosion. o Fungus Resistance Test: This test is to evaluate all the materials used in the fabrication of shipping containers for fungus resistance. Packaging Cost The most important aspect when we look into packaging is the packaging cost. Packaging cost include the following: * Material cost: It means the cost of the pack and quality control cost. * Storage and handling cost of empty packages: This include the handling cost of bulky packages, heavy materials of construction, drums etc. * Packaging operation costs: This includes the cost involved in operations like, cleaning the package product filling closing, labeling unitizing, stenciling, handling cylindrical slums etc. * Storage of filled packages: This includes the cost incurred to shift the goods from one form of packaging to another. * Transportation cost of filled packages: This involves the transportation cost by sea, air etc. (freight by volume) * Loss and Damage cost: It is related to the loss and damage during operation, transportation delivery etc. * Insurance cost: It varies depending on the vulnerability of package

* Effect of packages on sales: The package that influence on sales. * Obsolescence Cost: This cost involves when changes in the packaging materials, packages and labels happen. * Package developmental cost: This include the evaluation cost, pilot test cost, field testing cost, consumer research cost, feed back cost, final trial cost etc. Green packaging With growing concern, consciousness and an increased consumer awareness of going green, packaging industry too is turning eco-friendly. What started from paper bottles in the milk industry, is now encouraging, packaging companies around the world to explore greener, ecofriendlier and sustainable packaging solutions to reduce packaging waste.While still in its infancy, sustainable packaging is the need of the hour and is gaining momentum with manufacturers taking initiatives of providing customers with eco-friendly packaging options. According to research firm Global Industry Analysts (GIA), the growing demand of sustainable packaging in Asian markets will lead to an explosion in demand. Today, Sustainability and material optimization have emerged as the biggest trends in packaging. Indias largest and Globes fifth largest packaging company Uflex Ltd believes that sustainability is important in packaging as the product is very close to the consumer and is usually assumed as a waste. Therefore Uflex has identified four key areas for sustainability, namely Energy conservation by using eco-friendly technologies- for instance the intercept technology which combines long term, contamination-free corrosion control with ESD protection. It is clean, green, reusable and recyclable, Reduction in carbon based resources by focusing on biodegradable packaging materials which break down relatively quickly and cleanly, by cutting the use of materials made from fossil fuels and by adopting the advanced flexographic printing technique which provides environmental benefits through energy efficiency and reduced material consumption, Wastage minimization and reuse of all process waste and Recycling post-consumer waste. Environmental demands on packaging companies: The packaging shall be fabricated using as little material as possible to prevent from unnecessary waste, as well as unnecessary impact to the environment in connection with transport. The packaging shall not be fabricated using toxic chemicals that can reach the environment. The packaging shall not be contaminated with harmful insects. The packaging shall be 100% recyclable. Reusable packaging should be used where the logistical situation permits.

Conclusion The increased environmental awareness and government initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have also attributed to rising demand for green packaging in the country. As per recent estimates, eco-friendly packaging will nearly double in revenues between 2009 and 2014.With increasing consumer awareness of sustainability, sustainable packaging is a great step towards making our planet a better and safer place to live in for the coming generation. The market for sustainable packaging is maturing worldwide with greater awareness about environmental disposal hazards.