ABOUT AUTHOR:
Vinay Kumar Singh
General Manager-Technical,
Mikasa Cosmetics Limited,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
vinay.s@mikasacosmetics.com
Before going into various aspects of Packaging in general, let us understand uniqueness of Cosmetics packaging. The primary aim of packaging is the protection of the product from all hazards it can be exposed to during transport and handling. A cosmetic package, in addition, is also required to be attractive and unique in its features so to trigger “impulse buying” in the end user. Many a times we all have encountered this situation that instead of purchasing medicine from a chemist’s shop, we land in purchasing a Cosmetics that immediately drew our attention. The role of packaging for Cosmetics is not only the prime role of containing but also to enhance aesthetics. In fact it acts as a silent salesman, acting as an advertisement for the product it contains and influencing consumer’s purchasing choices. It is meant to seduce the consumer and transform products into objects of desire. Cosmetics packaging are attractive and eye-catching as they are extensively decorated. Cosmetic packaging contains everything from the logo of the cosmetic company to the ingredients that the cosmetic contains. It is what gives the consumer their initial opinion about the product. There are various reasons as to why the graphics on the packaging is important to the consumer. Although the packaging is what catches the consumer’s attention. Packaging contributes to the overall feel and image of a brand; high quality packaging signals to consumers that the product inside is high quality. As in other industries, “cosmetics companies try not only to sell a brand to consumers but an image that is associated with certain characteristics or qualities. Even if the products themselves are relatively similar, the packaging can be what sets them apart.