traditionally, the primary function of a package
was to simply contain and protect the product.
however, factors such as increased competition
and clutter on the retail store shelf have meant
that for most products, packaging must perform
many sales tasks, such as attracting attention,
describing the product, and helping to make the
sale. the often cited ‘four Ps’ of marketing
- price, promotion, product, and placement-
are concepts that summarise the domains of
marketing strategy.
as a crucial part of the both the product and
promotion, packaging assists consumers to select
among other relatively homogenous products.
cigarette packaging is no exception.
in the case of cigarettes, however, packaging is
even more critical for several reasons.
firstly, unlike many other products where the
packaging is discarded after opening, smokers
generally retain the cigarette pack until the cigarettes
are used and keep the pack close by or on their person.
thus, cigarette packs are constantly being taken
out and opened, as well as being left on public
display during use. this high degree of social visibility
leads cigarettes to be known as ‘badge products’.
a cigarette package designer, john digianni, states:
‘a cigarette package is part of a smoker's clothing,
and when he saunters into a bar and plunks it down,
he makes a statement about himself.’
when a user displays a badge product, this is
witnessed by others, providing a living testimonial
endorsement of the user on behalf of that brand
and product.
cigarette brands enjoy the highest brand loyalty of
all consumer products, with less than 10% changing
brands annually. brand choices are usually made
early during the life of a smoker, with a high
concordance between the brand first smoked and
the brand eventually selected as a usual brand.
thus, once a consumer embraces a cigarette brand,
it is quite unlikely that they will change.
when there is less opportunity to establish brand
imagery through traditional methods of advertising,
as is increasingly becoming the case as advertising
restrictions come into force, packaging plays a more
important role in establishing and driving brand image.
the primary job of the package is to create a desire
to purchase and try. to do this, it must look new
and different enough to attract the attention of the
consumer.
what roles do colour, pack size, and pack construction,
for example, play in influencing potential consumers -
especially starter smokers, but also other subgroups
of consumers - to select one brand over another?
what role does packaging play to maintain brand choice
against increasing concerns about smoking health risks?
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see an amazing collection of cigarette packs
A brands http://195.2.85.140/A.htm
B brands http://195.2.85.140/B.htm
C brands http://195.2.85.140/C.htm
etc.
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read more
in the international peer review journal for health
professionals and others in tobacco control -
the cigarette pack as image: new evidence from
tobacco industry documents
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/11/suppl_1
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