PACKAGING AS A BRAND BUILDING TOOL USING INTELLIGENT PACKAGING TO BUILD BRANDS

Abstract

This thesis follows an approach which is mostly overlooked by many marketing related people and companies. It is surprising how people are just realizing the importance of packaging as a brand building tool. As later shown through this thesis, packaging can be an extremely powerful tool especially in a country like ours, where people do not respond to deep meanings behind advertisements and prefer direct messages rather than abstract ones. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to allow the reader to analyze how packaging helps in building brands. It highlights how companies in the FMCG fast moving consumer goods sector, use intelligent packaging to develop and build brands by establishing cohesion between their packaging and their brand definition and identity. An interesting analogy is created between the topic and a local FMCG player, SKINCARE COMPANY, which is a cosmetics and toiletries company. It is a company that aspires to provide quality beauty solutions to its customers and has, since its inception given tough competition too international and local players in the industry. It was worth noticing when a company like SKINCARE believed in treating packaging as an important player for brand building. Based on this aim, the qualitative research strategy is applied in the thesis. The forthcoming study will focus on packaging, branding, communication, consumer behavior and visual theory and how different elements come into play to make packaging an ambassador for the product inside. It will also explore whether companies are realising the potential that packaging holds as a marketing and communication tool. The empirical data was collected through in depth interviews of all people in the industry that have close contact with packaging issues, such as, manufacturers and packaging suppliers. These industry experts helped us in getting a close insight into how they put in their thought processes and find a platform to design a successful packaging design. The thesis successfully highlighted that packaging can be used as a brand building tool by companies in the FMCG sector and that forward companies are realising that investment into packaging is not just a cost; rather it's a smart way to broaden the horizons which make packaging an intelligent communication vehicle for the brand. The formula to achieve this is to involve all stakeholders in the design process and to create a well rounded brand message that is translated into the packaging design. This in turn will help the consumer establish rapport with the brand and will lead to a stronger brand equity.