SSRG International Journal of Economics and Management Studies ( SSRG – IJEMS ) – Volume 3 Issue 11 Nov 2016 ISSN: 2393 – 9125 www.internationaljournalssrg.org Page 17 FMCG Packaging Strategies: An Exploratory Study Shiv Ranjan 1 , Deepa Sharma 2 , 1 Research Scholar (Management), Uttrakhand Technical University, Dehradun, India. 2 Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi, Delhi,India. Abstract Generally, Packaging Strategies are the part of marketing strategy in India. The trends show that the consumers are inclined towards the packaging which makes the product economical, easy to handle, easy to store, different from competitors, more stylish and attractive. Main objective of the study is to analyze specific packaging strategies & innovative strategies for rural consumers of personal care products. Keywords:Packaging, Packaging strategy, Packaging attribute, Consumer, Sachet. I. INTRODUCTION FMCG companies are using many packaging attributes in the personal care category to catch the attention of the customers and persuade the customers. The trends show that the consumers are inclined towards the packaging which makes the product economical, easy to handle, easy to store, different from competitors, more stylish and attractive. Generally, Packaging Strategies are the part of marketing strategy in India. Through this study we explore packaging strategies like unique shape and design, functional, better protective, easy to use, multi-packs, brand reinforcement promotional, etc. II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE A review of earlier literature reveals that there is a vast difference in various studies done so far on rural markets &packaging. A vast number of studies concentrated on the consumer behavior& consumption pattern of rural consumers & evaluated the achievement of the objectives of the concern studies. Manjunatha.K (2004) put forth that the consumption pattern of rural people is increasing in recent years. The rural consumer wants to acquire the urban life system in their buying behaviour and it is reflected in their buying decisions. While Subrahmanyam&Harnath.G (2005) revealed that the amount of purchasing toffees/candies in piece is affected by consumers‟ monthly income and their family size. Consumers are giving different preference to different purchasing pattern (piece basis, pouch basis).Size of pouch for toffees/candies are not affected by consumers‟ monthly income & their family size. In another study, Mishra.B&Sakkthivel.A.M (2005) explored that the life style products from FMCG category make their deep impact among rural markets. Thanks to Velvette International, the pioneer in Sachetizing FMCG products with the trial attempt on shampoos. This effort opened several iron gates for corporate that struggled to identify the profile of rural consumers. They further state that consumption pattern & purchasing frequency is directly related to the income & need of the consumers.Maruthamuthu.K, Kumar.K.K&Vasan.M (2006) stated that the consumers are highly complex individuals, subject to a variety of psychological & sociological needs apart from their survival needs. Needs & priorities of different consumer segments differ drastically & there is no significant association between influencers & purchase decision. Selvaraj.A (2007) explored that the factor of nearness (proximity) plays vital role & most significant factor to purchase the non durables in rural market. Further he states that media communication should be such that to disseminate the facts about non-durable goods to all consumer. Satisfaction belongs to price, quality, quantity, colour and availability to rural consumers. It is found that high price is an important problem of rural consumers. Further Anandam.C, Prasanna.M&Madhu.S (2007) revealed that the quality is the major driver to prefer a particular brand in the rural market. It is found that there is a significant relationship between the age of the respondents and the factors influencing the customers‟ brand preferences. Shende.R (2007) stated that all the income groups purchase the FMCG products but their brands differ from each other. The place of purchase, which the rural consumer prefers is the weakly market, which is a good channel of distribution of FMCGs moreover, the youth are influenced by the city culture & it is reflected in their purchase decisions. Garg.B (2007) put forth that the factors influencing brand preference of hair oil are fragrances, attractive packing, small packs & low price. Rural consumer emphasize on core utility of product in lesser price. Chandan.P (2009) revealed that the human beings are creatures of habit. Many of our actions are repetitive and require little conscious thought or effort however, according to a new study, by predicting our behavior we can actual reinforce good habits and break bad ones. Indu.P&Gupta.V (2010) stated that “Unilever” believed that its