Abstract:

Packaging is a major component in the marketing mix of any brand. It is at least as important as the other components which we take care to get right: advertising, pricing and product formulation. If these others benefit from research, so must packaging. The research which is relevant to packaging arises from the job which packaging has to do for the brand or product. There are two main functions for a pack: 1. The structural function and 2. The visual function. The purpose of packaging research is to check how well current packaging, or potential new or revised packaging designs, fulfil these functions, and to give guidance for their selection or improvement.