Packaging Strategies

Packaging Objectives

Packaging has a number of objectives:

1. Promoting the brand. First and foremost packaging must promote the  brand. It must use the firm's corporate colours, put across the message of the brand and stand out from competitors when it is placed on the shelf.
2. Safe to use. Packaging must be safe to use. Companies like Amazon now offer  frustration free packaging for some of their products for example for some SD cards that are sold by Amazon are packaged like this. Other products like bleaches and medicines have to have child safe packaging . So overall packaging must not injure your customers.
3. Meeting the stated purpose: Packaging must set out what it  is meant to achieve. This maybe to preserve food or keep products safe.

4. Environmentally Friendly: Packaging must meet current environmental considerations. For example many firms that use plastic today are examining alternatives to plastic packaging. There is much news coverage about the impact of plastics in our oceans and  how micro plastics are getting into the food chain and the impact of this on the worlds animals including humans. Within the UK firms such as Wetherspoons and Iceland have banned the sales of plastic straws, Deliveroo is assisting smaller restaurants in helping them find alternatives to plastic food containers.
5. Promotional Packaging: Sometimes the packaging of the product is used as part of the promotional strategy of the firm. For example. Coca -Cola have run a campaign that allows users to personalise their packaging by having their name printed on the can. The 'Share a Coke campaign' was very successful in driving up sales.

Summary

Packaging is an essential component of the marketing mix. The correct packaging strategy can help the firm develop their USP and meet the needs of their customers.