Packaging - The Consumer Magnet

One needs to answer the question, can Packaging play the role of getting new consumers into a Brand, or putting it differently, will non consumers of a product category start using a Brand because they find the packaging appealing. Does packaging work as a magnet to get in new consumers and ensure that they stay with the Brand, this can be a matter of endless debate.

The answer to this will lie in the understanding of why the consumers buy a product and ultimately choose a Brand. The consumers most definitely and without a doubt buy a product to satisfy a clear need and the Brand choice comes in based upon the price, availability, off course the packaging appeal and the information it imparts.

Very often Marketers believe that to get in new consumers , one must modernize the packaging and make it more appealing. However this will most likely work in those cases wherein the consumers are already using the product and one is merely trying to make them switch into a Brand. However incase the consumers are not into that product category and one is also trying to bring them into a Brand then just a pack change will not be of much help. This is linking into the fact that consumers buy into the product first for a felt need and then make a conscious and informed choice for a brand.

Thus incase you wish to bring in new consumers into the category, into your Brand and not just expecting a brand switch, the complete marketing mix plays a role and in such cases the role of packaging is much lesser than the other Ps of Marketing.

There are numerous successful cases wherein Brand switching happens if the Packaging is made more appealing and has a congruent fit with the consumer expectations. Here the role the packaging has played is that of a re - positioner for a Brand and making it more relevant for the consumers who are users of a certain product. Thus a packaging modernisation and or upgradation comes in as a very useful tool for the marketers.

Incase your company is selling similar products under different brand names, you can hope to switch in consumers from one Brand to the other by a pack change but to hope to increase overall sales by getting in altogether new consumers to switch into your product category by itself may be wishful thinking.

Very often when the sales are stagnant and your product category is not growing , the answer lies in serious examination of our role as true Marketers. Are we working towards identifying latent needs, how are we educating consumers on the usage of a product and the distinct advantages for them. Once we have done that we can make packaging work as a salesman and in some cases as a consumer magnet as well.