Packaging and labelling: concepts, types, functions, and their use as a marketing tool

Concepts of packaging and labelling

Packaging is the work of deciding and making what holds and wraps a product. Labelling is the designing and making of the label that is attached to the product or printed on its package, and the choice of what it says; it can be as plain as a few words on a loose product sold by weight or as elaborate as the printed design of a branded pack. Both are part of the product and influence how it is protected, recognised, understood and chosen.

Types of packaging

NCERT names three levels of packaging:

1. Primary packaging: the pack that touches the product itself and goes home with the buyer (a shampoo bottle, a chips packet).
2. Secondary packaging: a further layer around that pack, which the buyer throws away when the product is first used (the gift box around a perfume bottle).
3. Transportation (shipping) packaging: the outer cases in which units travel and are stored before they reach the shelf (a crate holding two dozen shampoo bottles). (The three are listed from the inside outwards, the order in which they wrap the product.)

Packaging can also be classed by purpose: consumer packaging, industrial packaging, family or multi-packs, reusable or dual-use packaging (a jar that can be reused), and eco-friendly packaging.

Functions of packaging

1. Protection against breakage, spoilage, contamination and pilferage.
2. Convenience in carrying, opening, using, storing and resealing.
3. Identification of the brand through shape, colour and design.
4. Promotion: attracting attention and persuading at the point of sale.
5. Information: carrying the label.
6. Differentiation and segmentation: distinctive formats and pack sizes for different buyers.

Types and functions of labels

Types:

1. Brand label: shows the brand name or logo only.
2. Grade label: shows the quality grade by a letter, number or word.
3. Descriptive label: explains use, care, ingredients, features and precautions.
4. Informative label: gives detailed information such as nutritional values and storage instructions.
5. Statutory and certification labels: information required by law and quality, organic or energy-rating marks.

Functions: identifying the product or brand; grading it; describing it (maker, contents, use, dates, price); promoting it; and meeting legal requirements: packaged food, for example, must declare its ingredients, whether it is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the food additives used, and its date of manufacture or packing.

Packaging and labelling as a marketing tool

1. Silent salesman. In self-service and online stores, an eye-catching pack attracts attention and persuades without a salesperson.
2. Brand building. Consistent colours, shapes and logos make the brand instantly recognisable.
3. Positioning. Premium packaging supports a luxury image; simple packs signal value.
4. Differentiation and innovation. New formats (resealable pouches, squeeze bottles, single-serve sachets) create new uses and markets.
5. Reaching new segments. Small, low-priced packs reach price-sensitive and rural buyers.
6. Promotion carrier. Offers, contests, QR codes and festive designs on packs act as low-cost advertising.
7. Building trust and repeat buying. Clear, honest labels and certification marks reassure buyers; a pack that kept the product fresh and was easy to use, and that the buyer can spot again at once on the shelf, makes the next purchase of the same brand the easy choice.
8. Responsible image. Recyclable packaging and clear disposal instructions appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Conclusion

Effective packaging and labelling protect and inform, but they also attract, persuade and build the brand, which makes them powerful marketing tools.