The choice of a packaging material to use is one that is both personal and dependent on a wide number of variables. The choice of the best product packaging materials will be affected by the type of product that needs to be packaged. A factor that also affects the choice of product packaging materials to use is the budget of the person or company doing the packaging. It is also affected by the aim of the person or company in terms of what marketing angle it is trying to build into its brand, what message it is trying to pass along, and what it would like to be associated with its brand.
One of the main considerations that affect the choice of product packaging materials is the type of product to be packaged in the sense that the size and constitution of the material will dictate this choice to a large extent. For instance, heavy objects need to be packaged with materials that can reasonably withstand their weight, while sharp objects need to packaged carefully so that they do not hurt anyone. In the same sense, fragile objects will also be packaged with such materials that ensure the integrity of the product will not be compromised through its destruction even before it gets to the final consumer. Even liquid objects or powdery substances all require their own special types of packaging materials.
Another important factor that affects the type of product packaging materials that a manufacturer or company will use is the type of message or marketing angle it is trying to build into its brand. For instance, some companies have created a corporate image that is based on responsibility and ethical considerations regarding nature and the responsible use of materials from nature. Companies like that often stress the fact that they do not use animals in the testing of their products, so the logical continuation of this theme of responsibility would be to use materials that would not be harmful to the planet, such as those that were recycled or sourced in ethical manners. Another consideration for the choice of product packaging materials would be the message that the company is trying to pass along. If the company’s success is based on the exclusivity of its products, then this lavish theme would be extended to a calculated choice of expensive product packaging materials that will blend into the image of the company.