Packaging as a Communicator

Everywhere around us we see packaging.  Everything comes in a container of some sort and somewhere, there is a team of people working away to make their product stand out and be chosen by the consumer.  Packaging has been defined as “the various elements chosen and blended into a holistic design to achieve a particular sensory effect” (Orth & Malkewitx, 2008)

Decisions that we make about non-durable products are often made in the supermarket which suggests that packaging is having a massive impact on what we buy (Prone, 1993).  I know for me this is true since I usually buy something either because it looks pretty or because it is cheap…

Packaging acts as a communication decide between the business and the consumer and should convey a single message which is clear and closed to misinterpretation in order to be successful (Underwood, 2003).  I presume that this is because it helps to ensure that brand image is consistent and prevents it from being misinterpreted in a negative way which could have a negative impact upon the brand.

It has been suggested there are four universal norms which contribute to effective communication (Habermas, 1984) and since packaging is a form of communication, then these norms can be applied to the creation of good packaging.

1)    Packaging should be truthful.  If packaging lies or exaggerates the truth then this may lead to consumers developing a negative attitude towards the product which may lead to negative appraisal of the brand which could damage sales.

2)    Packaging should be sincere.  Packaging should not make products look bigger than they actually are.  For example a trick some companies are pulling these days is modifying the product slightly so that we don’t notice a change, since if we did, we would not be happy.  It’s like when you buy a bag of crisps and it’s all air.  Ben and Jerry’s ice cream however fills the tub right to the top which makes me trust the brand more (as well as making me exceedingly happy).

3)    Packaging should be comprehensible.  Packaging should be easy to understand and not full of language that the average consumer understands. This could lead to frustration if the consumer buys the product expecting something and the product is something completely different and again could cause negative evaluation.

4)    Packaging should be legitimate.  That is it should make sense for the consumer.  For example manufacturers create different sizes of products to suit people with different needs, e.g Heinz have created “fridge packs” of beans and spaghetti which allows consumers to buy in bulk whilst being able to keep store the product easily.  This makes consumer’s feel valued by the company’s and will cause them to give a more positive evaluation which should make people like the product more.

Using the four principles, the value tomatoes are probably more effective as a communicator since all of the information on the tin is clear and visible on the front.  It is easier to comprehend all of the information on the value tin since the more premium one is clearly more about the aesthetics since there is little information visible.   This should make consumers more likely to choose the cheaper tin (if communication was all that we considered when making a purchase).

But of course consumers consider many things when making a purchase and so consumers may be less likely to choose the value tomatoes because they say that they are value which may suggest impaired quality….

What are your thoughts?  Value or Premium Tomatoes?? Do you think the packaging communicates anything else?

References

Habermas, J. (1984) The Theory of Communicative Action, Vol. 1. Boston: Beacon Press.

Prone, M. (1993) Package design has stronger ROI potential than many believe. Marketing News October 27, 13.

Underwood, Robert L. (2003), “The Communicative Power of Product Packaging: Creating Brand Identity via Lived and Mediated Experience,” Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 9 (Winter), 62–76.

Dear my Favourite Blog reader….

I’m a fan of a freebie.  I sign up to many mailing lists with the hope of receiving a lovely shiny package through the post.  I consider any freebies I get as presents. My view of these gifts as presents is completely wrong since they are clearly to manipulate me into spending money and purchasing the beautiful, beautiful shiny products….But does this actually work????

One brand which has sporadically been sending me presents over the last couple of years is Jack Daniels (JD).  I’d only bought the product once or twice before this and I was shocked when I realised how much I had purchased a bottle last year.  Their attempts at wooing me were successful from the start.  Whenever I receive a letter or a parcel from them I get excited as I know that whatever is inside I will feel loved.  The letter always opens “To my favourite girl”.  Literary gold.  Making a customer feel loved and special can increase tips in a restaurant environment since customers feel appreciated and part of the company an also makes customers more likely to give a positive evaluation of the brand and more likely to make a purchase (Sieter, 2007).  I believe that this applies to me and JD. I get a compliment from him and I am therefore more likely to purchase the booze.

The free gifts are cleverly chosen in order to act as a reminder to about the brand.  Coasters will sit on a coffee table or a side table and will be seen and used on a daily basis thus increasing familiarity and making me, the consumer think about or at least be aware of the brand frequently.

Another clever “present” I was sent was a fridge magnet/wall plaque.  This was placed in the middle of the kitchen; at eye height so also would be seen frequently. While writing this blog, I wondered whether the coasters or the fridge magnet would be more powerful as a reminder of the product. The fridge magnet would be seen prior to the need for food/drink being satisfied (since people go to the fridge when they are thirsty) and also may cause the consumer to associate the thirst with JD thus causing cravings (or at least increased motivation) to purchase the product.

Confidence towards a brand can increase purchasing behaviour and part of brand confidence is familiarity (Laroche, Kim & Zhou, 1996).  I believe that JD has done this effectively as all of the products that I have received have been of high quality and have been representative of the brand, (either the JD name or the bottle label design are on the products) thus creating awareness and confidence.

Creating a positive image of the brand is vital to a brands success since consumers often make impressions of a brand in a similar way to their evaluation of other people! It was originally argued that impressions were an average of good and bad but this was all lies, as it turns out that the pessimists within us all reign and we place higher value on the negatives *sad face*.  This is known as positive-negative asymmetry (Kanouse, 1984) and is true to real life since we are more likely to attempt to escape danger or bad things which may threaten our survival and in the consumer world, FAR more complaints can be seen than positive reviews.

This illustrates the importance of wooing customers and getting them onside since bad negative emotions have far more impact than positive ones and so getting customers to spread the world that the product is wonderful (which I do, if you ever get into a conversation about JD with me you will see how much I love the freebies and the brand) and this positivity may help to alleviate some of that strain from the negative comments (although I couldn’t think of anything negative to say about JD…. apart from the price but that’s probably down to the fact I’m an impoverished student).

The powerless effect of positive events can be seen right through to major events like a big lottery win ….. the happiness that people felt did not make people happier than others (Brickman, Coates & Janoff Bulman, 1978) in the long term, but did in the short term.  This is like my emotion towards my freebies for a few days after I’m excited, but then its just another thing.  This is why JD has been clever and sends me things randomly throughout the year to keep me interested and I’m guessing to keep me happy.

The way to make customers loyal seems to differ depending on their consumption goals.  According to research, I must have hedonic goals for consumption (I buy for pleasure) and so I should respond better (increase purchasing behaviour) to hedonic loyalty programs (where I get free stuff) compared with utilitarian loyalty programs( where I get a coupon).  Those with utilitarian consumption goals purchase with a purpose and so it makes sense that their free gift is purposeful  (Suh & Yi, 2012).

So for me, JD is doing it right, by giving me free stuff, I am consistently reminded about the brand making me more familiar with the brand and more likely to purchase the beautiful beautiful whiskey that is kept inside those cleverly branded bottles…

References for when links where broken

Seiter, J. S. (2007). Ingratiation and Gratuity: The Effect of Complimenting Customers on Tipping Behavior in Restaurants. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 478–485. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00169.x

Suh, J.-C. and Yi, Y. (2012). Do Consumption Goals Matter? The Effects of Online Loyalty Programs in the Satisfaction-Loyalty Relation. Psychology of Marketing, 29, 549–557. doi: 10.1002/mar.20542