Product Packaging

Today, many research works have been conducted to establish the relationship between product packaging and consumers’ buying decision. Most of these works have shown a positive relationship between the two variables. At one point, my personal life experience proved the existence of a positive relationship between the two variables. I had gone shopping for an all-purpose cleansing spray, and did not have a specific brand in mind. At the shelves, there were so many brands to choose from, all having different price tags. However, my attention was completely captured by one that was in bright pink bottle; my favorite color. The round shape of the bottle, its small size, its narrowed neck, transparency, and ease of use aided by a raised logo grip stood out. The bottle’s cover was designed with a soft-touch thermoplastic elastomer. I was equally impressed by the few writings on the bottle highlighting what any consumer could be interested in knowing. The product’s ingredients and price were clearly written on the cover.  

After purchasing the product, however, I did not notice any special performance capabilities. The packaging was enticing and promised super performance. However, in reality, the product was just an ordinary cleansing spray. The relatively small bottle that I expected to recycle for other purposes was unusable due to the smell of the spray that could not go despite numerous washing with detergents. It could be hard to judge if the product actually delivered all the promised performances considering that it claimed super germ killing capabilities and environmental friendliness, both of which are impossible to access by a consumer. However, for a traditional all-purpose spray, its performance was okay.

If faced with the same purchasing decision to make, I would consider trying another product. Even though the product did not disappoint so much, its packaging rose by hopes so high, and its performance did not live up to my raised expectations. According to Armstrong & Kotler (2009), only satisfied customers are likely to recommend a product to others. Considering my unfulfilled expectations, I can hardly recommend the product to another person.