Packaging History
The function of packaging has changed markedly over the years. In the beginning, it fulfilled two main functions - transportation and storage. The ordinary paper bag, among the oldest and most enduring of all packages, continues to fulfil the same straightforward purpose - in helping consumers carry goods home from the marketplace. As with any package, the effectiveness of the paper bag stems from three main characteristics: It is made from long-lasting material, helps protect contents in transit and saves space.
Modern retailing practices demand increasingly sophisticated packaging solutions. Product manufacturers need value-added packaging that promotes sales by providing pleasing, eye-catching aesthetics and important consumer information. Packaging also plays an essential role in product branding – by communicating ideas, values, and life styles. Packaging is essential to differentiating products and making them unique.
Packaging’s BeginningsThe earliest packaging solutions appeared at least 9,000 years ago, when people began using baskets, bowls and animal hides to wrap and contain their goods. Soon afterward came the invention of clay pots, which, when buried in the soil, afforded improved product storage.
Over the millennia, people gradually discovered new packaging technologies - such as glass, kerchiefs, sacks, boxes and barrels.
The Birth of Branding
During the 19th Century, as producers encountered growing competition in selling their wares, some began to differentiate their products in order to attract customer attention and build loyalty. The art of branding was born.
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