INFLUENCE OF PRODUCT PACKAGING AND LABELLING ON CONSUMER’S PURCHASE DECISION OF SELECT SOAP DETERGENT IN UYO”

INFLUENCE OF PRODUCT PACKAGING AND LABELLING ON CONSUMER’S PURCHASE DECISION OF SELECT SOAP DETERGENT IN UYO”

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the study

A name is a handle. It furnishes a handle on a person, product, or an idea. It could be very difficult to identify or tell apart a product that is nameless. The identification of a nameless product would be laborious and inefficient. Such an exercise would entail a description of the product in terms of its colour, size, shape, taste, smell, and so on.

Thus, precious time would be needlessly wasted on a task that can quite quickly and effectively be done with a word or two. This is why manufacturers identify their products with brand names. Manufacturers spend much resource to develop, promote and protect their brand names. Not infrequently, corporate lawsuits arise in efforts to ensure such protection.

Jefkins (2008:1) and Ugboajah (1986:88) say that “brand name is a vital piece of communication”. It fixes the product in the consciousness of the consumer. Brand name communicates not just the physical attributes of the product like its colour or packaging, more important, it comes, with time, to stand for the product quality. A mention of the brand name calls up the product image which may be that of reliability, low cost or inferior finishing.

Jefkins and Ugboajah also state that implicit in a brand name is goodwill. This refers to brand loyalty, the preference of consumers for a product among a basket of products available on the market. Brand loyalty is born of the consumer perception that the brand has the right product fitness or quality at the right price (Bovee and Arens, 1986:157).

If brand name is so important, its effective communication to the consumer should be given utmost attention. Jefkins  and Ugboajah (1986:iii) have advised that whatever the name, it should be easy to pronounce, spell and remember. It should not be ambiguous or confusing, and if possible it should be identified with the product or service, or quickly associated with what it represents. Generally, consumers’ decisions are always directed towards packaging and labeling of products. That’s our focus in this study.