Batman has Robin, Andy Taylor has Barney Fife, Han Solo has Chewbacca, and Pinocchio has Jiminy Cricket. While sidekicks might be the background character in all of these famous duos, secondary packaging has more of a spotlight position in its role as primary packaging’s sidekick.
Although secondary in name, secondary packaging is often what the consumer sees first on the shelf, notes Charles Pavia, director of marketing for Proactive Packaging and Display, Ontario, Calif. For example, on six-packs of beer bottles, the secondary packaging in the form of a corrugated carrier serves as the advertising component of the package, he explains.