Product Packaging And Brand Management

 Product

                                   A product is the item offered for sale. It can be physical or in virtual or cyber form. Every product is made at a cost and each is sold at a price. The price that can be charged depends on the market, the quality, the marketing and the segment that is targeted. A product needs to be relevant : the users must have an immediate use for it. A product needs to be functionally able to do what it is supposed to, and do it with a good quality. A product needs a name: a name that people remember and relate to. 

              A product with a name becomes a brand. It helps it stand out from the clutter of products and names. A product should be adaptable, with trends, time and change in segments. The product should lend itself to adaptation to make it more relevant and maintains its revenue system. 

               A product mix also known as product assortment, refers to the total number of  product lines that a company offers to its customers. Mainly there are four dimensions to a company's product mix include Width, Length, Depth and Consistency. 

Packaging 

                                      Packaging is the activity of designing and producing the container or wrapper of the product. It is an important and effective sales tool for encouraging the consumer for buying. It is powerful medium for sales promotion. It must perform all the basic function such as protection, ease of handling and storage, convenience in usage, etc. And should not be deceptive and convey any deceptive message. It is the best method for attracting the consumer for buying the products. 

Functions Of Packaging 

1) The basic function of packaging is to protect the products           from damage, dirt, leakage, pilferage, evaporation,                       watering, contamination. Seasonal fluctuations in demand         may be smoothed out through packaging. Packaging helps         to protect the contents of all the available products.

2) Packaging helps to provide product density. It helps for               selecting such package materials, design and shape that to         use the limited space in the best way. It improves relations         with common carriers, permits better use of space in                   storage and use and increase the grace & poise of                         arrangement. 

3) Good packaging can sell the product more easily and                   quickly as it works as a promotional tool.  As a promotional       tool, it does self advertising, displaying, publishing and act         as an advertising medium. It is the package, size, design,             color combinations and graphics that decide the ability to           attract valuable attention of customers. 

4) Packaging helps to facilitate the identification of the                     product. This process of product differentiation is furthered       by effective product identification; one is branding and               another is packaging. The product identifies the product no       matter where you see it, under what circumstances you see       it. A package is product's personality, its reality. Product             identification goes easy with distinguished packaging as it         adds to its personality. 

5) Packaging helps to allow the product mix easily for the               consumers. Product mix relates to the product lines and an       assortment of sizes, colors, measures, grades, package type       etc. offered by the selling house. Change in product mix can       be possible as packaging helps to influence weight, size,             and dimensions of the product. 

Importance Of Packaging

1) Packaging helps to protect the product from heat, moisture,      evaporation, dust, etc. during its long passage from the                factory to the end users. It protects the products from                  breakage, leakage, spoilage, etc. 

2) Packaging facilitates transportation of products from one          place to another. It ensures easy transportation and better          handling of products in transit. 

3) Packaging plays an important role in the creation of                    demand by attracting the consumers. The customers                    become known with the product through advertising. It              helps to increase the demand of the customers. 

4) Packaging helps as a guidelines for the customers. From the      informative literature regarding the quality and use of the          product, the customers get the guidelines. The customers          are ensured about the quality of the products. 

5) Packaging act as a better storage of the products. Goods             with good packages can be stored in the retail shop also in         lesser price. 

6) Packaging helps to reduce the cost of marketing the goods         by reducing losses from damages. A packaging is helpful for       sales promotion, so it helps to attain economy is the cost             structure of the procedures and marketers. 

Types Of Packaging

                                   Packaging of products are depends upon the type of product, movement of products, conditions of products and requirements of clients. Some types of packaging are given below:

1) Consumer Packaging

                                    Consumer packaging is one which holds the required volume of a product for ultimate consumption. It means that buying the household products for family usage or consumption. 

2) Transit Packaging

                                   The transit packaging is the type of packaging in which goods are packaged special for transit purposes. It is either for the industrial consumer's use or for individual use. The transit packaging can be in container shape or in wooden pack box, which is easy to handle for avoid inner product damage. 

3) Industrial Packaging

                                    An Industrial packaging can either describe a bulk package or the package for durable consumer goods. For industrial packaging, mostly used materials are wooden palate, tarpaulin sheet, PP boxes and corrugated boxes. Industrial packaging depends on the type of materials, size of product, volume of products and conditions of materials. 

4) Dual Use Packaging

                                      A dual packaging is one which has a secondary usefulness after its contents have been consumed. e.g. drinking glass, boxes of jewelry, waste baskets, refrigerator dishes, etc. 

Brand Management

                                      A brand is the set of product or services attributes imbedded in the customer's mind in the form of name, symbol, logo, design and trademark. Brand management begins with having a thorough knowledge of the term "Brand".  It includes developing a promise, making that promise and maintaining it. It means defining the brand, and delivering the brand. Brand management is nothing but an art of creating and sustaining the brand. 

                   Branding makes customers committed to your business. A strong brand differentiates your products from the competitors. It gives a quality image to our business. Brand management is the science of crafting and sustaining brand. This means defining the brand, positioning the brand and delivering the brand value constantly.

            Brand management includes handling both the noticeable and intangible characteristics of a brand. When it comes to product brand, this includes the product itself, packaging, pricing, availability, etc. With service brands, tangible includes customer's experience. The intangibles includes emotional connections and expectations with products and services.  

The brand should : a) Make our product distinctive from others. 

b) Trigger instant recognition with customers and            prospects. 

c) Position yourself as an expert.

d) Be present when and where it matters. 

e) Remind people of the reputation for which you            are known show up locally to reinforce this.

f) Place your company top-of-mind with your                    audience. 

g) Capitalize on mind share to help drive sales. 

Importance Of Brand Management

1) Product differentiation from competitors.

2) Brand building a corporate image in the customers mind.

3) Creating a bundle of benefits for different product                         categories. 

4) Brands can attract and retain the most loyal customers. 

5) A brand represents who your company is and what it stands      for. This includes name, logo, messaging merchandise,                design and other features.

6) With the help of brand we are developing a promise,                   conveying the message of this promise and then                           maintaining it. 

7) Branding creates customer commitment to our business.

8) Branding involves assembling a blend of the right marking         campaigns to create and reinforce our identity. 

 

Conclusion

                  In above we learnt what is product, What is packaging , types and importance of packaging. What is branding and its importance for marketing. 

Product, Packaging and Brand Management is co-related with each other.