A group of young ladies share their views on packaging

The Tinplate Company of India Limited, recently invited a group of young women for an informal discussion on packaging and environment at Calcutta Club. The discussion was carried out with the vastly experienced, Mr. P.K. Dutt, acting as the moderator, supported by the Business Development Group of TCIL. The event was the first intervention of its kind as part of the "Voice of Consumer" initiative taken up by TCIL. The informal chat session brought out some good and valuable perspectives on tin packaging.

The ladies, who were called upon to give their unbiased opinion on the topic, expressed their views strongly. According to some of them, a good packaging is something that preserves the goodness of the product. One of the participant believed the brand was more important. ‘I stick to my brand whichever packaging it may come and whatever is the price’.

The group was unanimously conscious of the fact that plastic is not eco friendly, yet they felt they were left with little choice in the retail market for packaged products. They candidly stated that they were unaware that tinplate packaging was so eco-friendly. A participant expressed that, “we hear and read about bio-degradable plastics but had not seen any such thing about tinplate”.

For a homemaker, rusting and stain caused from moisture on tin containers are of concern. “We do not like stains in our kitchen”, is what a young homemaker-cum-professional had to say.

One of the mothers was particularly aware of the role that children play in buying decision. She added, “My son does not drink Pepsi from a plastic bottle and insists on a can knowing that plastics are not eco-friendly”.

The evening concluded with feedback forms handed out to the ladies to which all them responded enthusiastically. Some of them suggested mass communication through TV, as done for popularizing tetrapak, to make people aware of the eco-friendliness of tinplate. They also suggested greater awareness amongst school children. Many even added that involving the men folk in such discussions might be a good idea.

The evening clearly provided some interesting and incisive insights into customer psyche. 20 more such interactions are planned in due course of time, to capture consumer preferences in packaging. Translating their views into user needs and prioritization could help shape newer innovations in tinplate packaging.