Packaging for profit

Ajita Shashidhar

What could have driven consumers to buy Temptations, Cadburys latest launch, apart from the tempting television commercials? Or for that matter, animal-shaped soaps, see-though toothpaste tubes, detergents packed in boxes which look like washing machine tubs, exquisite perfume bottles, easy-to-pour ready-to-drink juice packs or even zip locks in shampoo sachets? What is it in a product that instantly appeals to a consumer?

Though the brand and its popularity in the market do play an important role in attracting consumer attention, it is the way it is packaged and presented which instantaneously draws a consumer. Packaging is more than wrapping a product or cushioning it from breakage. It has become a medium for branding and eliciting recall in a crowded retail outlet. Little wonder that marketers are looking at innovative packaging solutions to make their brands look exclusive and different.

``Packaging today, has to pay attention to colour, picture and size. "A marketer has to package his product in such a way that it not only looks attractive but is also packed in such a way that it is convenient to use," remarks a leading Chennai-based marketing consultant.

Packaging has made branding more prominent today, remarks K.A. Rahim, Director, Packaging India Pvt Ltd (PIPL), the packaging wing of the personal care products company, CavinKare Ltd. Apart from CavinKare, PIPL also provides packaging solutions to a number of companies such as Britannia, Hindustan Lever, GM Pens, Henkel and so on. All marketers want their brands to look attractive and classy. While Surf Excel has used a metallised polyester film to give it a more glossy look, Britannias Milk Bikis, which had been traditionally using wax-coated paper, has graduated to a BOPP laminate, which gives it a more glossy look, he adds.

In agreement with Rahim is Harish Bijoor, CEO, Zip Telecom, who is also the former marketing head of Tata Coffee and an expert on the beverage industry. Packaging is an integral part of the brand mix and this is the day of attractive shapes and vibrant colours. Therefore, the brand manager has to consider a host of things such as shape, design, colour, mnemonics and graphics, in order to make his brand more visible.

On the other hand, Bijou Kurien, Vice-President, Marketing, Titan Industries, feels that attractive packaging surely helps to create visibility for the product, but doesnt always translate into sales immediately. Packaging adds a premium image and helps a brand command that premium in the market.

Attractive packaging definitely helps in enhancing sales, provided the packaging gives a tangible benefit to the customer. The benefit could be either emotional or functional, remarks Mahesh Rao, Director of the jewellery brand, Carbon. ``Perfumes are an excellent illustrator of this point. In case of perfumes, the bottle and the packaging are as important as the fragrance they hold, he adds

Packaging strategy

Says Paul Thachil, Marketing Manager, Lakme Lever Ltd, As colour cosmetics come under the impulse-buying category, we have packaged our products in such a way that our target audience is driven by an instant desire to possess our products. Our packaging strategy ensures that our products are easy to use and have a longer shelf life and at the same time look contemporary. Our range of products has a definite identity in the market in terms of shape, colour branding and so on.

In sync with the views of Lakme Lever is Sangeeta Pendurkar, Marketing Manager, Skincare of the other personal care brand in the Hindustan Lever portfolio, Fair&Lovely. Says she: Product packaging not only means lending distinction to the product through an exclusive structure or ensuring convenient opening and closing. Packaging should also help in communicating the brands equity in terms of the proper translation of its logo, symbols and colours.

Debjit Rudra, Marketing Manager, HLL Oral Care, feels that while packaging a product, one has to take into consideration the brand proposition as well as exclusivity in terms of appearance. In the Pepsodent pack, for instance, the Germi Plus unit is in sync with the brands proposition which is, long-lasting protection from germs. On the other hand, the silver swoosh gives it a distinctive look.

Easy to use

An important aspect of packaging is convenience. A product should be packed in such a way that it is easy to use. There are a number of packaging techniques such as easy-pour in the juices and oil refill pack segments, with which one can conveniently pour the liquid into a container, without causing damage to the pack. Some products such as shampoo sachets also have zip locks by virtue of which the product can be used repeatedly without being shifted into another container, says Rahim.

Our innovative packaging methods have helped us to grow by 48 per cent in the last 10 years, remarks a company spokesperson of CavinKare. The company claims that its focus on the convenience aspect has enabled it to market its various products such as shampoos, soaps and perfumes. We have popularised our shampoo brand, Chic, by making it available in convenient sachets. At the same time, we also offer a 50 ml bottle of Chic priced at Rs 7 only, adds the spokesperson.

Packaging in the form of sachets, says Rahim, is becoming increasingly popular. Sachets are considered to be the ideal way to popularise a particular product and convince the customers to buy larger quantities. One can find a variety of products, ranging from shampoos to detergents, moisturisers and even coffee, available in sachets. CavinKare also markets its perfume, Spinz, in sachets which are meant for one-time use, he says.

Preservation of products

Apart from good looks and convenience, yet another crucial aspect of packaging is to preserve the freshness of the product. There are a number of products, especially in the food and beverages category, in which preservation is an important criterion for packaging.

Referring to coffee packaging, Bijoor says, The best way to pack roasted or grounded coffee is the butter-paper pack which is used by many smaller players in this category. But after the multinationals came in, they decided to use triple laminate materials to make the packaging sturdy, for mass marketing and transportation. But sturdy packaging is not all good for coffee, as the product has to breathe. To counter this problem, Tata Coffee introduced a one-way valve pack, which not only offered sturdy packaging, but also gave a one-way breathing valve that allowed the coffee to respirate.

On the other hand, Rahim refers to confectionery industries such as Britannia, which use a BOPP laminate to pack their products. The BOPP laminate not only makes the pack look glossier but also has better moisture-retention qualities, enabling the biscuits to be crispy.

Similarly, in case of products such as atta and maida also, preservation of freshness is a major prerequisite of packaging. We use 50-70 micron low-density polyethylene, 50 micron high density polyethylene and polypropylene, which ensures zero per cent contamination during storage and therefore retains the nutritional content of the product and a longer shelf life, says a spokesperson of Cargill Foods, manufacturers of the Naturefresh brand of atta.

Being a company which produces OTC products, retention of freshness and nutritional value is also a major concern of Parry Nutraceuticals. Says V. Bragdeesh, Business Development Manager, Parry Nutraceuticals, There is an old adage in marketing that the pack is the silent salesman which helps to sell the product in more than one way. While packaging our products, we take into consideration the quality material used for packaging x we ensure that it is sensitive to light and heat and maintains the nutritional value of the product. At the same time, we also make it a point to use bright colours so that the product stands out on the shelf.

As green as it gets

With plastic being an important packaging material, how environment-friendly is it to use plastic to package products? Plastic less than 20 micron thickness is banned. Most brands use plastics of around 35 to 50 microns, which is not at all harmful, remarks Rahim. We use 50 microns polyethylene even for a shampoo sachet which costs just Rs 2, he adds.

Talking about alternative modes of packaging, Rahim says, Substituting plastic with other materials such as glass would be extremely expensive. One kg of plastic for instance, has to be substituted with 12 kg of glass, he adds.

Price vs packaging

The packaging cost, says Rahim, entirely depends on the nature of the product. The cost of packaging a 50 paise shampoo sachet or a perfume bottle may be more than the product itself. On the other hand, the packaging cost of 1 kg coffee may be much lesser than the price of the coffee itself, he says. The packaging cost can contribute to anywhere between eight and 20 per cent depending on the type of packaging, adds Bijoor.

Such a premium on looks! But then, when you want to make a good first impression, you know its all in the looks. Beauty may be skin-deep but if it helps to sell, it makes sense to capitalise on it.