The Multifaceted Role of Packaging: Product and Brand Perspectives

The global packaging industry is undergoing remarkable expansion, highlighting its importance as both a functional necessity and a strategic marketing tool.This study carries out a comprehensive thematic analysis of Packaging research from 1978 to 2025.A total of 461 research papers were analyzed systematically to identify distinct and overlapping themes in both "Product and Packaging" and "Brand and Packaging".Exclusive themes in product-related packaging include sustainability, consumer behavior, and product design, while brand-related packaging focuses on branding, plain packaging, and food design.The result of the thematic analysis highlights foundational research from 1978 to 2005, an expansion of topics between 2006 to 2015, and an emphasis on sustainability, sensory marketing, and consumercentric innovations from 2016 to 2025.This study provides a comprehensive analysis of exclusive and overlapping themes in "Product and Packaging" and "Brand and Packaging", providing valuable insights for both academic research and managerial decision-making.