Packaging Is the Marketing Message in the Cupboard - Coursework Example

Running heading: Marketing communications Marketing communications Name Course Tutor Task Date Part A Packaging is the marketing message in the cupboard Introduction Marketing is a term used in the business to refer to the act whereby an organization strives to further improve its sales through the promotion of its commodities. This is achieved through market research and distribution of goods and services to consumers followed by advertising to the consumers. Marketing involves the process of producing goods and services that are designed to meet a target consumer need. Moreover, it involves the pricing, distribution and promotion of an organization’s product. Therefore, marketing basically focuses on the needs of consumers and the means to satisfy them. Marketing communication can also be called Integrated Marketing Communications or MarCom. Marketing communication is the language used by the organization through the media to communicate with a target market. A cereal company for instance uses cartoons to market its product. This is the most efficient mode of communication with its market which in this case is children (Lowrey, 2007). This is because, most children will want to emulate their cartoon heroes and therefore end up persuading their parents to purchase that particular cereal for them. This is marketing communication. Body Purpose of packaging Packaging is the coordinated act of enclosing a commodity or product mainly for the purpose of protecting the product from damage. This is necessary during the process of distribution through transportation, storage or warehousing, sale and eventually the use of the product by the consumer. Packaging is a marketing strategy that is used to lure customers into buying the product. Before deciding on the appropriate packaging, the 4 major P’s of marketing should be considered. This is product, place, promotion and price. This is because most customers judge a product through the manner it has been packaged. Therefore, it is only logical that market communicators ought to make their packaging attractive to get buyers interested in the commodity. Any organization should aim at making first- time buyers their loyal customers and this can only be achieved through good packaging. In summary, organizations indulge in packaging for some of the following reasons: 1. physical protection The commodities contained in a package may require to be protected from mechanical shock, water, vibrations, extreme temperature, electrostatic discharge and compression. This however, depends on the type of commodity being packaged. For example beans are canned and not put in polythene bags. 2. Barrier protection Some commodities require to be packaged to protect them from contamination. Therefore, through packaging, commodities are protected from oxygen, dust, water vapor, bacteria and all other contaminants that may alter the composition and quality of a commodity. For example, flour when exposed to the air will collect water vapor thereby distorting its quality making it inferior. Packaging also helps to keep contents clean, hygienic, fresh and sterile, therefore, ensuring that the contents are safe to use. 3. containment or agglomeration Small commodities are basically grouped together in one large package. For example chalk, pencils and crayons are all packaged in groups to promote efficiency in handling. This is because a hundred pieces of chalk are easier to handle when they are as a group than when they are single. Therefore, through packaging, commodities like liquids, granular materials and powders are contained in a more manageable manner for handling. 4. information transmission The packaging of a commodity contains information about the product. Some of the information included may be: instructions on how to use the commodity, how to hold during transportation, how to recycle or dispose of the commodity after use. Some packages and labels also contain information that can be used to trace the manufacturer if need be. This can be found in the form of an email address, a telephone number or a post office address. Other information that can be found on the packaging may be the quantity, for example the amount in kilograms per package of salt or the amount in liters per every bottle of milk sold. Another example where packaging is used to transmit information is in the packaging of pork. On the package, the net weight, composition, preparation and expiry date are indicated to communicate to the consumer. This information is always very important and should never be taken for granted as it can be used to save lives. 5. marketing The packaging an organization chooses for its commodity is a very critical marketing tool. The packaging should not only attract potential buyer’s attention when displayed, but it should also encourage the buyers to purchase the commodity. Therefore, all market communicators must ensure that the packaging represents the consumers’ interests maximally without offending them in any way. This is done through using the relevant market communication and graphic design for that particular good on the packages. For example, in a packet of baby diapers, the most likely picture to be seen on the package is that of a baby. This is because it represents the targeted consumers or market in a community. Another example is in perfume bottles where the most likely picture is that of a lovely and attractive lady. This is because perfumes are mostly made for ladies and therefore, the manufacturers try and attract the ladies attention through the packaging. 6. security Packaging in some instances is also used as a security measure. This is done to protect the commodity from damage as well as other risks that may occur during shipment. Some organizations package their commodities using packages with tamper resistance to prevent any tampering of the commodity during transportation. Moreover, packages may be made in a manner that can indicate any tampering or package pilferage. Other organizations may prefer to use packages that have authentication seals as well as antitheft devices like dye-packs, RFID tags or Electronic Article Surveillance Tags. All these features are used in packaging with the intention of preventing any loss. 7. convenience Packaging adds features to a product that add convenience in its distribution. Some of these features may include; handles to help in carrying the good, stickers or lids to help the consumer to re close the good when not using it, attached plastic bags that may be convenient in dispensing the good after use for example, in diapers and many more features. 8. portion control Packaging is at times used to regulate the portions of commodities that are distributed to consumers. Bulk commodities, for example, salt and sugar, are usually divided into smaller and more manageable portions that are more suitable for individual households. This helps the consumers to purchase the amount they require and can manage to pay for depending on their respective incomes. On the other hand, this portion control aids managers in organizations in controlling the inventory: selling sealed two-liter bottles of cooking oil rather than allowing consumers to bring their own bottles to fill themselves helps the managers to control the inventory. This makes the distribution of commodities much easier and efficient as well as enables the managers and other staff to be accountable of the amount of commodities they distribute. Most packages have symbols that are standardized internationally. These symbols are used to communicate some aspects of the consumers’ safety and are a requirement in every packaging. Other symbols are used to allow automated information management in retailing and logistics. The labeling used in the country of manufacturing is the commonly used type of labeling. This is done on commodities manufactured in that country. Integration of marketing communication Integrated marketing communications entails the coordination and integration of the marketing tools available in the business world. This allows the organizations to maximize their output hence their profit. Organizations can only succeed through good communication. Therefore, they must always strive to bring out their best in order to attract more buyers. There are five major tools used to ensure market communication is a success. These are: 1. Advertising Advertising is a tool used in market communication. It is used to persuade an audience to purchase a certain product or use their services. Advertisements are never free and they cost organizations large sums of money. Therefore, the sponsors of the advertisement should ensure that the information the advertisement contains is accurate and informative to the audience. A good advertisement should be brief to minimize cost, it should contain the brand name of a product or service and finally it should explain to the audience the benefit of the commodity they are offering as compared to other similar products but of different brands. Advertisements reach their intended audience through the media. These include television stations, radio stations, posters, internet, magazines, Bill boards put up on major streets in the country and other mobile technological communication devices. This ensures the information reaches as many people as possible. 2. Sales promotion Sales promotions are done mostly with the help of coupons, samples, premiums, demonstrations, incentives, contests, rebate, free travel and point-of-purchase displays. Sale promotions are used to accelerate short term sales through creating brand awareness. They are also used to encourage customers to repeatedly buy the commodity. Sale promotions are only for a limited time and their main objective is to stimulate market demand as well as improve product availability. Sale promotions can either be consumer sales promotions targeting the consumers or trade sales promotions targeting retailers and wholesalers (Anderson & Rubin, 2006). 3. Public relations Public relations are a field in business that entails maintaining a good public image for organizations and high-profile people like politicians and celebrities. Public relations are initiated through ensuring good public image, event sponsorship and press releases. This is all done with the aim of creating trust and goodwill between the buyer and the seller. This is accomplished by presenting the product to the product or individual in a positive light. Public relations are used to build a good rapport with employees, investors, customers and the general public (Schriftenreihe, 2008). There are a number of tools that are used to promote public relations. They include press releases, brochures, newsletters, annual reports, blogs, twitter and Face book. Through these tools, the organization is able to get to their audience and communicate with them effectively. 4. Direct Marketing Direct marketing is a form of advertising where the businesses communicate directly with the consumers. It is most distinctive character is that it communicates straight to the target consumers without using commercial communication media. They do so through techniques such as catalogue distribution, promotional letters, fliers and street advertising. The main objective of direct marketing is to increase sales in the business. Moreover, they are used to test not only new products in the market but also new marketing tactics. 5. Personal Selling Personal selling entails setting sales appointments and meetings, making presentations, home-parties and any other form of one-on-one communication between a buyer and a seller. In personal selling, a seller tries to persuade the buyer to purchase the commodities he is offering when he is face to face with him. This helps to strengthen the sellers and the buyers’ relationship. An example of personal selling is the door to door sales where representatives are sent out by the organization to market the product (Kitchen, 2006). Environmental impact of packaging Packaging requires the use of materials that are readily available in the environment. It is never easy to establish whether a packaging material is good or bad. This is because; the functionality of the packaging material is the determining factor. For any commodity that is packaged, its environmental benefit can only be determined through a Life Cycle Assessment. When choosing the appropriate material to use for packaging, the energy supply and the transport required are the two most dominating factors. To determine the life cycle of a packaging material, the following factors ought to be considered: a) The carbon footprint of the material which is also described as the emissions related to global warming b) The usage of fossil energy resources c) The type of inert waste deposited d) The total amount of energy resources required e) The type and amount of emissions of defined pollutants Packaging should be used only when it is very necessary to do so. This reduces chances of wastage that may occur and also reduces the costs incurred by the organization. The primary goal of packaging products is to prevent wastage of resources in the environment. This is achieved when products are packaged to protect them from any damage as this would result in wastage of the manpower, energy and resources that are invested in manufacturing the product. Moreover, packaging engineers are constantly encouraged to create packages that are reusable. For example, milk bottles can be reused as flower vases or storage containers in homes. Also, shoe boxes can be used to store small objects like buttons, in the homes. Polythene bags on the other hand can be used as market bags once their contents are over. However, reusing should not be confused for recycling. This is because, while reusing involves simply using the package for another purpose, recycling means the reprocessing of the packaging into a new produce. For example, old newspapers can be processed to make tissue paper; plastic bottles can also be recycled into other objects. This reduces pollution of the environment hence making the environment a better place (Kitchen & Pelsmacker, 2007). The development of a sustainable mode of packaging that will favor the environment is a great task performed by packaging engineers. Some of them have even discovered bio-genetic packages and other types of packages. However, packaging is still one of the best way to market a product and organizations should do all it takes to ensure the packaging they choose to represent their product does them justice. Customer habits Consumer habits otherwise known as consumer behavior refers to the aspects about a consumer that mostly influence the choices they make in purchasing products. Consumer habits influence the consumer’s decision making process, as far as purchasing a particular product is concerned. Consumer habits can be as a result of their lifestyle, motivation, personality, knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, and feelings, ethnicity, past experiences, market mix factors and attitudes. Moreover, the environment also plays a crucial role in consumer habits. Some of the environmental stimuli that influence consumer habits may include political situation in the country, the technological advancement in that country, the culture practiced by the community, the demography of the country and the economy of the country in question (Copley, 2004). Consumer habits are hardly ever constant and they keep on changing their habits with time. This results in them also changing their expectations of the businesses around them, causing them to spend less money. Etess, a CEO of Mohegan Tribal Gaining Commission, during the 2010 Business Conference & Trade show held at Water’s Edge Resort & Spa, declared that in today’s changing world, marketing was more than mere slogans and ad campaigns. He said, “ everything you do, every single day is marketing” he also urged the audience to be willing to try out new business strategies as well as communicate with their employees and customers in order to understand what is expected from them. When business leaders interact with their clients, they are able to understand the psychology of how consumers reason in order to be able to choose a certain brand product over another. Moreover, the leaders are able to understand the impact the environment has on the consumer choices as well as the consumer behavior when he or she is shopping or making a marketing decision. This knowledge helps the marketers to adapt better and improved marketing campaigns and strategies in order to effectively lure more customers’ to buy their product. Therefore, marketers need to comprehend the importance of good marketing and this all starts with the type of packaging a commodity has. Consumers will never buy a product with an ugly package just so that they can experiment with it. This is consumer behavior that has persisted through the years. Consumers tend to judge the quality of a commodity through the type of packaging it has. It is therefore, mandatory for organizations to invest in creating packaging that will attract the consumers and also keep them as loyal customers (Pelsmacker, 2001). Conclusion In conclusion, packaging and labeling are very important in the success of a commodity. When deciding on an appropriate packaging design, the organizations must ensure that the packaging represents them in a positive light. They must ensure the packaging will serve the purpose it is intended for without any loss. The first types of packages used were made up of raw materials. They included baskets, pots, guards, wineskins, wooden boxes and many other forms of packaging. Centuries after, people have evolved and are now using Bakelite closures like bottles, transparent (cellophane) overwraps, aluminum containers, and plastics. This shows that packaging is important since the evolution of man and it has been gradually evolved into what it is today. Therefore, all organizations need to understand that people believe what they see, and therefore, if they make poor packages for their products, people are likely to doubt the quality of the product as well. g The new and improved packaging is in the form of a polypropylene jar. It has a Bapco three- part twister closure system. The green color represents in the nature. The green found in the environment. It represents nature and all its goodness that comes along with it. Polypropylene is a known thermoplastic polymer used in packaging. It is a chemical compound made by a chemical industry. Sometimes it is referred to as polypropylene. Polypropylene is tough and very flexible, a quality that makes it good for making plastics (Rossiter & Bellman, 2005). Moreover, it is reasonably economical to use compared to other compounds. It easily absorbs color and therefore, it can be colored as desired by the user and lastly it is resistant to fatigue. Polypropylene is resistant to corrosion and chemical leaching. Nevertheless, it is resilient against freezing and impact making it environmental friendly. The Bapco three-part twister closure system ensures the canned fruits remain fresh throughout their shelf life. They also ensure that the fruits remain safe from contamination by bacteria. This feature is convenient as the consumer can be guaranteed hygiene in using the product. This is because; they can reseal the bottle after using. The jar is re closable and this ensures the fruits are protected from germs once opened. Also, another factor that contributed to this choice is the fact that the jar is reusable. Upon completion of the bottled content, the consumer can wash the bottle and reuse it in the house. For example to store water. The orange background against the rainbow writing is eye catching. This is important because the bright colors attract the buyers' attention especially young children who are attracted by colorful objects. Moreover, the orange color is used symbolically to represent the orange flavor of the juice in the jar. The green leaf attached to the orange represents nature; this means the environment from which the oranges were picked from. This creates the illusion that the juice was manufactured from natural and healthy fruits rather than artificial supplements and flavors. Hence, customers are more inclined to buy the commodity. The font used is Calibri size 11. This is to ensure that the writing is legible to all people. Moreover, the font size used was determined by the size of the jar. The writing had to be in proportion to the jar size so that other features could also be incorporated. The Del Monte seal on the jar acts as a form of anticounterfeiting system since there are no any two companies that can share a logo. Moreover, it acts like a security labeling system. The lid also contains a foil membrane. This is to ensure the fruits are in a sterile environment free from any bacteria that may contaminate the product making it unfit for human consumption. The bright orange and red color of the container is supposed to symbolize energy. The energy the consumer is supposed to get upon taking the juice. The bright color is also meant to attract the consumer’s attention when it is displayed in the shops. This may lead to more customers taking note of the juice than if a darker and dull color was used on the container. Moreover, orange is a primary color that is known to represent warmth and excitement. All these are qualities of the color that are aimed at luring the customer to purchase the commodity (Dahlén, 2009). Journal articles about packaging and design With reference to the journal article, “Corporate Brand and Packaging Design” by Nelson that was published in the Design Management Journal, the writer believed that a brand name was very important for any commodity. The writers tried to encourage companies to take use of the good branding they have at their disposal. Also, the writer explained how these brands can be manipulated and designed to reflect other alternative brand priorities. This, according to the writer, bridges the gap that exists between theory and reality in the market. This is because the branding options present a rich and diverse selection options available for a company to use. Studies and research done on the impact of brands on organizations have proven that the successful brands in any market are those which have positive attributes. Moreover, their managers have gone to great lengths to bond with their consumers. According to the article, today’s brands have become complicated due to the fact that we have brands that own other brands. This may eventually get confusing to the consumer. However, due to the emerging trends in the economy, lifestyles and technology, brands are much more than just mere products, rather, brands nowadays represent an array of possibilities ranging from the people to the country. Before an organization can come up with a brand for their product, they need to have a clear understanding of what the brand is supposed to stand for and the future plans of the corporation. Therefore, packaging is not just about the wrapping in a product and the containment it is put into, rather, the brand of a product determines the success of the product. For example, when Nestle wanted to start providing frozen foods, the market denied them the chance because they had no prior experience on frozen foods. However, their Masterbrand, Stouffer’s was easily allowed into the trade because its brand was well reputed at providing quality and tasty frozen foods (Fill, 2008). According to the article titled, “High-tech packaging solutions. (Coffee packaging) “That was published in the Tea and Coffee Trade Journal in 1995, by Robert C; packaging especially of coffee has evolved. This was in reference to the new and upgraded machinery that are used nowadays to package coffee. The article goes on to show how technology has altered the packaging industry in the coffee market, making it more easy to handle and more convenient to also transport. This new packaging trend has resulted in numerous clienteles purchasing the product. Moreover, the new technology has helped to improve the coffee flavor since the packs have sealing characteristics that preserve the coffee flavor. These new system of packaging has led to improved sales as people tend to be attracted to the better packaged product since they believe the better the packaging, the better the quality of the product. In the article, “Research Explores Edible Film that Kills Pathogens for Meat Packaging,” in the journal “US Fed News Service” dated April 2010, food scientists from Pennsylvanian State University, established that an edible film packaging can be used to wrap meat products. This is in order to kill any pathogens that may have contaminated the food. This research shows the length to which companies are willing to go to ensure their packaging wins over their target consumers. This packaging requires very advanced technology and it is therefore, not common in the market. However, with time, as has been proven by previous studies, better packaging options will still come up and only the organizations that are able to match their customers’ needs will become successful. References Anderson, P. M. & Rubin, L. G., 2006. Marketing communications. New York: Prentice-Hall Copley, P., 2004. Marketing communications management: concepts and theories, cases and practices. New Jersey: Butterworth-Heinemann. Dahlén, M., 2009. Marketing Communications: A Brand Narrative Approach. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Fill, C., 2008. Marketing Communications. New York: Elsevier Science Rossiter, J. R. & Bellman, S., 2005. Marketing communications: theory and applications. London: Prentice Hall Kitchen, P. J. & Pelsmacker, P. D., 2007. Integrated marketing communications: a primer. New York: Routledge Kitchen, P. J., 2006. A reader in marketing communications. New York: Taylor & Francis Lowrey, T. M., 2007. Psycholinguistic phenomena in marketing communications. New York: Routledge. Pelsmacker, P. D., 2001. Marketing communications. New York: Financial Times/Prentice Hal Schriftenreihe, A., 2008. Marketing Communications of Non-profit Organizations: World Vision and Terre Des Homes - a Comparison. New York: GRIN Verlag. Read More