August 2, 2021
The essence of Packaging
Iffat Qureshi
Gaurav Badle

What is packaging according to you? What does it mean? Ideally packaging is to protect the product and an outer covering done in order to shield it from environmental damage. But packaging today is so much more.

Packaging today is a canvas for brands to display themselves to the audiences. Like how a painter describes his story or vision through paintings. It’s a blank space which if used creatively by brands can have a massive impact on their business. Packaging is not just to protect the product from damage, it’s a tool of communication from the companies to their consumers. It’s a “silent salesman”, and why is that? Packaging talks about the brand and its attributes silently. It displays creatively on the shelves and breaks the clutter. It’s the first touchpoint for the consumers towards a brand. A packaging usually defines the brand personality and its offerings to the audiences. 

When you say you’re attracted towards a brand, its packaging plays an important role there. Packaging tells a story; it could be a story about how the product is made or the brand values. This story grabs the attention of the customers.

Pickup a box of Cadbury Celebrations what story does it tell? A festival, the love of a family and you instantly feel that once you see that box. The box designed like that is no coincidence it requires a deep understanding of the markets and the consumers. A testimonial by a consumer said, “Cadbury Celebrations instantly takes you into the festivity spirit and joy.”

Why do premium perfumes have a premium packaging? It done so that the consumer can understand and feel the level of novelty offered by the product through the packaging itself. The feel of an exquisite product. A consumer once exclaimed, “buying perfumes is not just about the scent but also the experience you get.”

Colors play a massive role in packaging, the brands associate colors from the very start and carry it forward in their brand building, which is then retained by the consumers over time. Think about the tiffany blue box and you recall expensive high-end jewellery, think about a bright red bottle package and Coca Cola will make you smile. This shows how do the colors impact the brains of users and this is why packaging uses it. Packaging is a mix of creativity, technology and science. 

Packaging is a whole advertisement in itself. It describes the product, the brand and also at the same time makes an emotional or rational appeal towards the users.  Hence this is why branding and packaging go hand in hand. 

Different categories of products require a different analysis and packaging technique. The ideas generated for a dairy product will be very different from the ideas generated towards creating a gift box.

Earlier gifts used to be bought and later wrapped with papers to look like gifts, today packaging is done so beautifully that wrapping papers are also not essential. Think about the gift boxes from Forest Essentials. The colorful boxes, the way products are arranged. This is a gift in itself.

Packaging has evolved massively, today some packagings have the Dos and Do Nots or How To Use displayed clearly on the box itself. It's helping to educate consumers as well.

When we look at packaging, its not just a designed box which is aesthetical. It is the creation of a brand. when a packaging is created, it is like designing a brand. 


VISUALS ASSOCIATED WITH ARTICLE

CELEBRATION BOX - https://www.cadburygifting.in/

TIFFANY BOX - https://www.tiffany.com/

Coca Cola Bottle- https://www.cokesolutions.com/

Forest Essential Gift Packaging - https://www.forestessentialsindia.com/