Abstract:
This paper provides empirical research on packaging role in consumer purchasing behaviour in the Indian market with specific references to discrepancies between appealing packaging and the quality of the product. Packaging in the current competitive retail world is acting as a silent sales man in that it creates the initial impressions, purchase expectations, and value of the product. The research makes use of survey-based quantitative design to examine the impact of visual appeal, packaging design and informational cues on quality perceptions and purchase decision among consumers. A structured questionnaire was used to sample 70 consumers who took part in the study and their data was analysed with the help of Pearson correlation, one-sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The results show that although the good packaging does not have a significant effect on the purchasing decision made on the basis of attraction alone, it has a substantial effect on the perception that holds customers about the quality and performance expectation of the product. Age differences on these perceptions were however seen to be statistically insignificant. The research paper points out the ethical and strategic implication of packaging-based marketing and proposes that the marketer needs to create a balance between the aesthetic and authentic value of products in order to maintain consumer trust in the long term.