"Packaging is often referred to as a silent salesman its use is critical within any marketing plan, whether it responds to market needs, existing or new or whether it creates now opportunities and new markets" (source Bill Stewart)
             Packaging can make a major contribution to a company's profits through the stimulation of sales. "Attractive packaging is vital to the success of a brand as its total images can be portrayed in the packaging" (Source Eric Paxton). Exciting visual presentation can make all the difference between the success and failure of a product, this could be the fundamental force in driving cosmetic houses ahead of competition in the market.
             The authors research questionnaire compiled for this project shows the importance of packaging especially between the 20-44 year age group. In these categories the questionnaire showed that the reason why they bought their usual normal brand of cosmetic, primarily being drawn to the quality, whilst over half said they were drawn to the packaging.
             When consumers purchase the product for what the packaging contains this is when you know the importance of packaging.
             Purchasing cosmetics is an emotive purchase, it is not fundamentally an essential item. Cosmetic companies play on this emotive purchase. Packaging in the larger cosmetic houses, are done with a touch of luxury. Cosmetics will be on display in bathrooms and in public. An outsider first of all sees the packaging before anything else. They don't know what the inside product is like, but from the outside of it-the package they can form an opinion.
             Packaging speaks volumes about the product itself and the person that uses it. The authors focus group that was formed for research into this project, certainly spoke in favour of this view. The group also showed that the number one reason why younger people (age of focus group 20-27) that bought premium price cosmetics was for the packaging. ...