Packaging as a Marketing Tool

Packaging as a Marketing Tool

The fact that packaging has become synonymous with branding for many products is illustrated by the recent Apple iPhone introduction, in addition to the continual refining of retail-based grocery and food displays. In both cases of the Apple iPhone and the launch of any new consumer goods product, the packaging is part of the branding. The Apple iPhone's packaging is small, black and minimalist to reflect the innovation that Apple is trying to convey. Likewise, the increasing use of consumer goods packaging to reflect marketing messages and positioning is now becoming commonplace.

The factors that contribute to packaging being used as part of a branding effort include the need to first and foremost, differentiate products from competitors (Brody 2006), in addition to ensuring all information is delivered in a format that is as appealing as possible (Brody 2006).

Additional factors include the concept of stacking products to create their own displays in stores, especially in grocery stores, where shelf space is at a premium, and through incentives, manufacturers can sometimes get floor space. The use of packaging as a marketing strategy is also prevalent in the cereal isles of grocers, where cross-sell-, up-sell and unique packaging all work in conjunction with another to drive up trial and eventually customer loyalty for a given cereal type. One only needs to observe a child arguing for a cereal they have never tasted before to see the powerful connection of packaging and its integration to commercials and other advertising. The use of packaging from a marketing standpoint is increasingly being used to communicate what the benefits are to a product in entirely new ways, as is the case with Proctor & Gambles' approach of packaging the Swiffer to underscore doing a messy job (mopping floors) without the mess.