The packaging industry is more complex than one could imagine. As you try to find a solution for your business, terms like primary, secondary or tertiary packaging are confusing you. But there is no need to panic.
For the last couple of years, I have been explaining packaging solutions to business owners, in their own language. That being said, we prepared an article that will make you fully understand what primary packaging is.
Now, going straight to the definitions…
What is primary packaging?
Primary packaging is the first layer of packaging, that has direct contact with the product. It is the one that the final customers interact with, like a cereal box or a wine bottle. Its purpose is to protect the actual product, but it is also an important marketing tool.
But what does the perfect primary packaging look like? What should we know when we choose our solution? There is more you should know about this layer of packaging and we will explain everything to you!
What are the functionalities of primary packaging?
Of course, the first and most important function of packaging is to protect and contain the product. When you design primary packaging, you have to think: “Where will this product be stored?”, so you can choose the best material to use.
However, because of its level of interaction with the customer, its role in marketing is really important. That is whyyou can refer to it as ‘consumer packaging’ and why you immediately think of it when you hear about packaging.
Primary packaging often displays the company’s logo, important information, its brand colors – things that attract the customer and help him identify the brand. You want to catch the attention of anyone who gets near your product, and most of the time the packaging facilitates that first interaction.
How does primary packaging look like?
Primary packaging doesn’t have any standard shape or size. It depends heavily on the industry, the environment of storage, its humidity and temperature. However, the most important aspect are the characteristics of the product (liquid, solid, fragile, etc.).
We will show you some options to choose from when you decide on the primary packaging for your newest products.
Glass containers
Glass bottles are a very popular choice for premium beverages and alcoholic ones. It gives the product a luxury vibe and will justify a higher price that could bring bigger profits. Think about the last expensive bottle of wine you have bought or seen. It wasn’t made out of plastic, right? That is firstly because wine is best conserved in glass bottles.
Moreover, marketing people want you to see the bright color of the drink, through a premium material and perceive it as a good wine, so you think their price is worth it.
This is an example of how primary packaging is a marketing tool, but also a way of protecting the product from the environment and keeping it in its best condition.
Cardboard boxes
You can find a lot of products packed in cardboard boxes, from many industries! Electronics, toys, even some homeware come in this type of packaging.
Their durability can vary, depending on the level of protection required for the product. Most of the time, they need to be stored in an environment with little to no humidity.
A very good example of cardboard boxes used as primary packaging can be found in the boardgame industry. For instance, think about a Monopoly game. Those little pieces and all the accessories need to be contained into a bigger package! And that is usually a cardboard box.
Because of how much they vary in thickness, color and size, you may not identify easily these boxes. But you surely interacted a lot with them! For example, if you’ve ever received a camera as a gift, or any other electric device that had accessories, chances are you got them in a customized cardboard box.
Metal cans
Metal cans or tin cans can be found in any supermarket! It’s one of the favorite choices of the food and beverage industries and they have many reasons to justify that.
The main advantage of using metal cans as primary packaging is their ability to conserve the content they protect and to preserve its characteristics. This is especially important for perishable foods or for fizzy drinks that require a certain pressure on the inside.
But what about the cosmetic industry? Some hair sprays or even facial cosmetics that need to be pulverized are also stored in metal cans.
The businesses that use such packaging have also found ways to personalize it with their brand identities. The metal itself is hardly customizable, but there are certain ways to make your product stand out. For example, with an additional paper, as you can see in the image above.
Plastic bags
Very popular for packing food, plastic bags are some of the packaging solutions that have been constantly innovated. You can now find easy-open plastic bags or resealable ones everywhere! These improvements were done to enhance the customer experience and to maintain the quality of the food.
Depending on their material, they offer protection from damaging factors of the environment, such as sunlight or humidity. This can prove useful, as bacterial growth is slowed down and the food remains fresh for a longer period of time.
Plastic containers
Plastic is still one of the main raw materials used in the packaging industry. It’s cheap, easily customizable and resistant – who wouldn’t want it? This is why it is so popular for any type of product, especially when it comes to what we drink or eat.
Plastic bottles are probably the favorite option for the beverage industry. Any liquid you want to sell will be kept safe in plastic, and its color will definitely attract the customer. If the color is not the strongest point of your product, don’t worry; there are many options of tinted plastic.
The drink, especially if it’s fizzy, will be kept fresh because of the ability of the bottles to preserve the pressure on the inside.
Thinking about food, there are even many utilities of plastic!
Products like honey, chocolate cream or peanut butter are often protected by plastic jars. Precooked food can also be stored in plastic boxes. It’s a convenient form of packaging, light and resistant to shocks, and that’s why everybody doing business loves it. Their losses during transport are minimized, and the customer has a nice experience.
Plastic cups
They are mainly used for commercializing ice-cream. Since plastic is water-proof, the melting ice-cream won’t affect the plastic cup.
They are also temperature resistant, so they can also be used when selling a hot or cold drink. Moreover, its transparent nature will make sure to highlight the vibrant colors of your product, and do a little bit of marketing for your product!
Blister packaging
Mostly known for how much they are used in the pharmaceutical industry, blister packs are another popular form of primary packaging. However, apart from medicine, blister packs are also used for batteries, toys or even some small electronics.
Blister packaging is usually made out of plastic and another material. For the medical industry, the second material is usually aluminum, but cardboard remains the most popular, because of the other ways blister packaging is used.
There are many advantages for those who use them! Firstly, they will have a fully customizable, transparent and resistant packaging.
Since plastic blisters are thermoformed, they will take the shape of the product they protect. The actual product will be actually visible for the customer, which will increase his trust and the chances of a purchase.
This type of primary packaging can also help with dosage, a very important characteristic for the pharmaceutical industry. Pills are made to contain a certain quantity of substances, in order to deal with the patient’s problem. This is only possible thanks to plastic blisters!
Conclusion
Some say that primary packaging is the most important layer of all 3 that exist, because of the impact it can have on sales. That is true, because marketing is among the most important packaging functions, even though protection is still the main purpose of it.
This is why you need to pay attention to it and maybe even seek professional advice, so you will have the perfect solution for your needs!
