Every product that a customer sees, orders, or receives involves several steps and processes before reaching the customer. Every manufacturer or brand aims to maximize its sale of products. Hence they undergo several steps to reach their aim. The two common processes that every product undergoes are branding and packaging.
Branding vs Packaging
The main difference between branding and packaging is that branding extensively focuses on the identification of the product and creating a unique place for the product from other brands which have similar products while packaging focuses on the promotion of the product and ensures complete protection in transit.
Branding provides an individual and unique identity to a product which helps the customers to differentiate and distinguish the product from the other brands which sell similar products. It extensively creates a factor of trust in the customers so that they can go ahead with their purchase without any doubt. Branding involves trust, value, logo, strategy, design, and marketing.
While packaging protects the product before it reaches the customer. The style and way of packaging also indicate the creativity and authenticity of the product. Packaging directly affects the customer or user experience. The packaging displays the brand and its authenticity.
Comparison Table Between Branding and Packaging
| Parameters of Comparison | Branding | Packaging |
| Definition | Branding is the process of creation of a unique and individual name, image, and logo of any product or service | Packaging is the process of evaluating, designing, and producing products in packages |
| Objective | It helps in differentiating a product from other brands which provide similar products | Packaging protects, informs, preserves, transports, and sells the products |
| Results | Branding increases loyalty of customers, creates awareness, and builds a long term relationship | Grasps the attention of buyers, ensures authenticity and protection of the product |
| Components | It deals with the name, logo, color, sign of the product or service | It deals with the color, logo, description of the product |
| Types | Active Branding and Passive Branding | Primary packaging, secondary packaging, and tertiary or transit packaging |
What is Branding?
Branding refers to the strategy which creates a unique and individual name, image, and logo of any product or service. Branding aims to catch the attention of potential customers and buyers. Branding acts as a distinguishing factor of every product. There may be several sellers for a similar product but branding differentiates the product from each other.
Branding establishes a separate place for the product and builds trust. It can also create fondness among the buyers. Branding is a marketing tool and strategy. Branding generates awareness about a particular product in the public and masses. It promotes a sense of authenticity.
Marketers often adopt active branding to create brand value for the buyers. This value convinces customers To buy the product as the brand offers substantial differences from the other brands which provide similar products or services.
Branding retains the loyalty of the customers. During the launch or introduction of any new product, branding plays a crucial role. branding deals with symbols, colors, visual imagery, name, logo, and slogans of the product and its related services. Branding is a long-term relationship and aims to achieve long-term goals. A successful brand has loyal customers who hardly change or swipe the brand.
What is Packaging?
Packaging refers to the process in which a product is covered, wrapped, or packed and sold. Packaging involves creativity to create unique and attractive packaging styles. Packaging not only involves an attractive cover but also ensures the protection and security of the product in transit. Good packaging would deliver an undamaged and intact product to the customer.
Packaging has been practiced since ancient times. The ancient era used wineskins, baskets of reeds, ceramic amphorae, wooden boxes and barrels, and even woven bags. The Chinese were the first to use sheets of paper which were treated as Mulberry bark to wrap and pack foods in the 2nd century BC.
Packaging also creates an identification of the brand. Every brand involves a unique style of packaging which makes the product authentic as well as attractive. Packaging plays an essential role for every product that needs to be delivered from one place to another. The process of packaging involves a coordinated step and system to prepare the products.
Packaging involves three main P’s – Protection, Preservation, and Promotion. Packaging is further classified into three main types depending upon the layer or function. The three types are primary packaging, secondary packaging, and tertiary or transit packaging. The various steps of packaging prepare the product for warehousing, transport, logistics, and ultimate end-use. The package contains important information about the product, the buyer, and even the seller.
Main Differences Between Branding and Packaging
- Branding is a marketing strategy while the packaging is a protection strategy of any product.
- Branding creates and unique and attractive Symbol, name, or mark of the product to make it identifiable while packaging creates and designs packages or covers to protect, preserve and promote the product.
- Branding extensively focuses on the identification of the product while packaging extensively focuses on promotion during purchase and protection during transit of the product.
- Branding retains the loyalty of customers while packaging grasps the attention of the customers.
- Branding plays a vital role in the introduction of a new product while packaging plays no role in the introduction or launch of a new product.
Conclusion
For the promotion of every brand, there are several strategies and methodologies that the companies adopt and develop. This caters a different ‘look and feels’ to the product packaging. All these strategies have the ultimate goal of drawing the attention of the customers. To make the customers comfortable with the idea, develop a need in the life of the customers and make them pick the product above other products available in the market.
Both branding and packaging play a pivotal role in the marketing strategies of any product. They meet the end goal of making the customers buy the product. Almost every product in the market follows a well-structured and coordinated plan of branding and packaging.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=lang_en&id=kbp_SBXFeBEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=branding+and+packaging&ots=FFlAK_ZHCt&sig=EYatr0W-vfy-ajGc1o0034Sq_P8
- https://www.academia.edu/download/48107178/journal-issaas-v22n1-11-utami_et_al.pdf