Impact of Packaging on Consumers in the Era of Liberalization
Written by admin on April 6th, 20111. Introduction
Packaging today has grown in importance and is regarded as a vital marketing tool. Better packaging results in protection and saved transportation of products, reduces loss, damage and wastage of products and produce. It enhances product value and hence expands markets within and outside the country (Jakhar, 2004). For many products, industrial and consumer, the buyers first contact is with the package. Now–a–days several companies have taken packaging in a positive light. Furthermore, with the increased number of new products available, it is necessary to be ever vigilant regarding the strong promotional values which may be obtained from good packaging. The pressure on the packaging industry has resulted in new types of package and container, new types of can opener and protective caps for medicine bottles. For many consumer products, the package must serve as promotional vehicle and be suitable for transportation, storage in the cup board or freezer and even cooking in the micro wave.
Packaging industry in the country has witnessed a sea change in recent past and it is growing rapidly. In 1995 packaging material consumption was 6 million tones and it is estimated to touch 10 million tones by the turn of the century at normal industry growth. A quality product is not substitute for an effective package, but effective packaging can do the following: (1) make the way people think in favour of the product, (2) increase the visibility of the product and the company, (3) reinforce the brand image in store and home, (4) retain customers and attract new ones, (5) enhance the cost effectiveness of the marketing budget, and (6) increase the product’s competitive edge and profits (Masten, 1996).
In this paper we studied the impact of packaging in consumer buying behaviour in a remote urban area.
2. Motivation
The reason for study is that in a remote urban area the people get accustomed with the packages of several products even before they are introduced in the local market. Being dejected comunicationally most of the recent products may not be available readily in the market. However, through newspapers and television advertisement people remain aware about the special features of packaging of a particular product. As a case study we considered a town of Assam, viz. Karimganj. Karimganj town is the district headquarters of Karimganj District of south Assam, India and enjoys an international border with Bangladesh. The town is located at 240529 N latitude and 920 209 E longitude. The municipal area of the town is 6.09 square kilometres with a total population 52613 according to the 2001 census. This means that the town is quiet densely populated with a population density of 8693.2 persons/sq. km. The town is at a distance of 247 kms. from the capital city of Assam (Dispur).
As northeast is connected through the chicken neck to the main block of India, hence the whole region suffers from communicational problems. Karimganj being a border town has no industrial development. Hence it remains a complete consumer market. Since, there is no liberalization of border trade between India and Bangladesh through Karimganj or similar other border towns, so Karimganj district depend upon the week road link with Guwahati, the only city of northeast India. The road link is week in the sense that the national highway that links Karimganj to Guwahati is often subjected to landslide, terrorist disturbances etc.
3. Methodology and Calculations
The main objective of the study is to find out how packaging influence the people residing in the towns of the type discussed above. The study is based on a sample of size 73 collected randomly from people of both the sexes of several age groups. The composition of the 73 respondents are shown in the following table.
Table 1: Age and Sex composition of the sample.
Age
Sex
Below
20
20–40
40 and
above
Total
Male
18
13
16
47
Female
4
17
5
26
Total
22
30
21
73
The questionnaire consists of 23 questions. The questionnaire is designed based on a similar study made by Kundu and Sehrawet (2000 ) on some cities of Haryana. Table. 2 shows the reply of the respondents to these questions specified under sex as well as age classification.
Table 2: Detailed response to the queries of the questionnaire
Question
Response
Less than 20
20–40
Greater than 40
Total
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
1. Is packaging a necessary part of product?
Yes
8
4
12
15
10
4
53
No
10
0
1
2
6
1
20
2. Is packaging a cost element?
Yes
9
4
12
12
13
3
54
No
9
0
1
5
3
2
19
3. Does packaging increase the sale?
Yes
15
3
12
15
15
2
63
No
3
1
1
4
1
3
10
4. Does packaging add to the value of the product?
Yes
7
3
8
16
15
3
52
No
11
1
5
2
1
2
21
5. Is modification of packaging necessary time to time?
Yes
17
4
8
14
13
4
61
No
1
0
5
3
3
1
12
6. Does packaging helps in identifying the product?
Yes
18
4
9
15
13
4
63
No
0
0
4
2
3
1
10
Table 2 continued……
Question
Response
Less than 20
20–40
Greater than 50
Total
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
7. Are marketers serious about packaging?
8.
Yes
8
3
9
13
9
3
46
No
10
1
4
4
7
2
27
8. Is labeling an important part of packaging?
9
9.
Yes
17
4
13
16
15
4
59
No
1
0
0
1
1
1
14
9. Whether packaging of a new product prompts the buyer to buy the product?
prompts
Yes
9
3
12
10
11
4
50
No
9
1
1
7
5
1
23
10. Is labeling increases the sale of product?
Yes
16
3
12
14
13
3
62
No
2
1
1
3
3
2
11
Table 2 continued……
Question
Response
Less than 20
20–40
Greater than 40
Total
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
11. Does packaging helps in avoiding adulteration?
Yes
12
2
5
7
9
3
39
No
6
2
8
8
7
2
34
12. Does package sometimes mislead buyer?
Yes
9
3
12
12
11
4
52
No
9
1
1
5
5
1
21
13. Do you think that packed products are injurious to health?
Yes
5
2
1
5
5
1
20
No
13
2
12
12
11
4
53
14. Is plastic package more useful than other packages?
Yes
1
1
6
8
2
3
21
No
17
3
7
9
14
2
52
15. Should packages be made such that they can be used as containers later?
Yes
13
4
12
11
11
4
55
No
5
0
1
6
5
1
18
From the table first we find out the questions in which the responses in favour (yes) and responses against (no) are nearer to each other. However if the responses are far apart then we conclude that there is total agreement or disagreement to the particular questions. For a particular question equally responses takes place if number of
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