Packaging Basics

Having switched to a consumer products industry, its important for me to keep abreast of the trends in branding and product packaging. In addition to prolonging shelf life and making distribution easier, packaging also plays an important role in the final choice the consumer will make because it directly involves convenience, appeal, information and branding. To put it loosely, its the first impression the consumer gets about the product. One of the important things many companies take for granted is providing adequate instructional graphics. How much info is good info?

While shopping at a local convenient store the other day, I came across a biscuit packet which was quite unlike the others. This one in particular was Parle-G from the house of Parle – one of India’s oldest biscuits & confectioneries company. Although, not as impressive as the other brands on display, what caught my attention was the detail in the packaging. Here was a biscuit packet that guided the user on how to tear it open! Believe me when I did tear along the marked area, the packet opened in a breeze without breaking a single biscuit. I normally consume Britannia Milk Bikis and the occasional ‘Good Day’ for tea, but both of them dont have proper guidelines on how to open the packet. More often than not, I’d end-up breaking a biscuit or two (which also breaks my heart!) While I’m sure there may be other biscuits that have such instructions but, none of them have that as big, bold and one that communicates the message better than Parle-G. And at just Rs.3, its a killer!