Explain Packaging and Sales Promotion, state the purpose & types of Packaging.

PACKAGING-

Packaging is the science, art & technology of enclosing or protecting product for distribution, storage, Sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluation and production of packages. Packaging is heavily integrated into our daily lives. We see it all around us on everyday items such as chocolate bars and potato chips packets- but packaging also provides us with a recognizable logo or packaging. We instantly know what those goods are inside.

The purpose of packaging:

Packaging has several objectives-

Physical protection: The object enclosed in the package may require protection from, among other things, shock, vibration, compression, temperature etc.

What are Consumer products or goods?

Product planner needs to think about products and service on three levels. The most basic level is the core products, which addresses the questions: what is the buyer really buying? The core product stands at the centre of the total product. It consist of the core, problems-solving benefits that consumers seek when they by a product or service.

The product planner must next build an actual product around the core product. Actual product may have as many as five characteristics: a quality level, features, designs, a brand name and packaging.

Finally the product planners must build an augmented product around the core and actual product by offering additional consumer service and benefits.

New product Development Strategy

Marketers need to upgrade existing products or develop new product to maintain an edge over competitors. New product development can be risky at times, if the product is not accepted by the markets. New product fails due to many reasons like not having a good design, improper positioning, higher cost and competitor relations. Therefore, there must be proper coordination among the various departments of a company to ensure a new product’s success. Organisation follows various steps for new product development. They are:

• Idea generation: there are various sources from where companies can get ideas for new product development. The source can be top management, customers, scientists, competitors, employee and even channel members. Generally, product managers are encouraged to take risk and come up with new ideas for development of new product. 

What is branding? Give the advantage and disadvantages of Branding?

Meaning of Branding: 

Perhaps the most distinctive skill of professional marketers in their ability to create, maintains, produce and enhance brands of its products and service. A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of these that identifies the maker or seller of a product or service. Consumers view a brand as on important part of a product and branding can add value to a product. For example most consumers would perceive a bottle for white linen perfume is a high-quality, expensive product. But the same perfume in an unmarked bottle would likely be viewed as lower in quality, even if the fragrance were identical.

What is Marketing Mix? State the Elements of Marketing Mix in service marketing

Meaning of Marketing Mix: 

“Marketing Mix refers to the amount and kind of marketing variables, the firm is using at a particular time”. Under marketing mix we include mainly product mix, distribution mix, communication mix, and service mix. The basic task of marketing is the delivery of a total offer to the consumer such a manner that 

• The fulfills the need of the consumers; 
• The terms and attributes of the offer are acceptable and beneficial to the consumer; and 
• All the organisations goals, including profit, are achieved in the process