Cardboard Display Stands: Packaging or Advertising?

2025-09-26

Cardboard display stands are increasingly common in retail displays and product promotions. They not only display products but also promote brand awareness and sales.


Many people wonder: Do cardboard display stands belong to the packaging or advertising industry?


To answer this question, a systematic analysis of cardboard display stands is required, considering their essential attributes, application scenarios, and industry positioning.

Cardboard Display Stands

What are cardboard display stands? What are their characteristics?

Cardboard display stands are display structures made of corrugated cardboard or other paper materials, used to display products and convey brand information in retail environments. They are commonly found in supermarkets, convenience stores, shopping malls, and various promotional events.


Key Features

    • Lightweight: Cardboard display stands are lightweight, making them easy to transport and install.

    • Customizability: They can be customized to suit product specifications, display space, and brand requirements.

    • Printability: The cardboard surface is suitable for printing patterns and advertising messages, creating a strong visual impact.

    • Environmental friendliness: Recyclable and biodegradable, they adhere to the concept of environmental sustainability.

    • Economical: Compared to metal or wooden display stands, cardboard display stands are less expensive and suitable for short-term promotions.


Thus, cardboard display stands possess both a carrying function and a communication attribute. This dual nature is the root of the controversy surrounding their industry classification.

Display Stands

What is the relationship between cardboard display stands and the packaging industry?

To determine whether cardboard display stands belong to the packaging industry, we must first understand the scope of the packaging industry.


1. The Core Concept of the Packaging Industry

The packaging industry primarily encompasses product protection, transportation convenience, storage safety, and product design during the sales process. Packaging is more than just a container; it is also a means of enhancing the value and functionality of a product.


2. Packaging Attributes of Cardboard Display Stands

    • Protection and Carrying: Cardboard display stands can, to a certain extent, support and protect products, keeping them neat and stable during display at the point of sale.

    • Extended Packaging Function: Although cardboard display stands are not direct shipping packaging, as part of the product display, they are still an extension of packaging. They help products present themselves to consumers in a better manner at the point of sale.

    • Material Relevance: Cardboard display stands and traditional paper packaging boxes are both made of cardboard, and their production processes and supply chain overlap significantly with the packaging industry.


From the above perspectives, cardboard display stands are indeed closely linked to the packaging industry and can be considered an extension of packaging.


What is the relationship between cardboard display stands and the advertising industry?

On the other hand, we also need to analyze the connection between cardboard display stands and the advertising industry.


1. The Core Concept of the Advertising Industry

The essence of the advertising industry lies in information dissemination and brand building, influencing consumers' purchasing decisions through visual, verbal, or other means.


2. Advertising Attributes of Cardboard Display Stands

    • Information Dissemination: Cardboard display stands can be printed with brand logos, promotional slogans, product information, and more, directly fulfilling the advertising function.

    • Attention-Grabbing: Through their design and color matching, cardboard display stands can quickly capture consumers' attention in retail environments.

    • Promotional Effect: Cardboard display stands are more than just a product carrier; they are also part of a sales strategy, and their advertising value directly impacts sales.

    • Brand Extension: The visual design of a display stand is highly consistent with the brand image, making it a key link in the advertising communication chain.


This shows that cardboard display stands not only possess characteristics of the advertising industry, but in many applications, their advertising function even surpasses that of packaging.

Cardboard Display

Do cardboard display stands belong to the packaging industry or the advertising industry?

So, what is the industry classification of cardboard display stands?


1. Dual Attributes

Cardboard display stands possess dual attributes of packaging and advertising:

    • From the perspectives of materials, production, and function, they are highly related to the packaging industry.

    • From the perspectives of communication, design, and promotion, they are also a key component of the advertising industry.


2. A Typical Example of Industry Crossover

Cardboard display stands are a typical crossover product. They cannot be categorized solely within the packaging industry, nor can they be completely classified as advertising. In fact, they sit precisely at the intersection of packaging and advertising, serving as a bridge.


3. Differentiation of Dominant Attributes

If we consider the primary purpose of use:


    • Packaging-oriented: When a cardboard display stand's primary function is to carry and protect products, it tends to fall more towards the packaging industry.

    • Advertising Orientation: When the core value of cardboard displays lies in conveying advertising messages and attracting consumers, they tend to be more oriented towards the advertising industry.


Thus, cardboard displays are both an extension of the packaging industry and an application tool for the advertising industry, essentially a product of cross-industry integration.


Why do cardboard displays spark controversy regarding their industry affiliation?

Many people are confused because of their diverse functional positioning.


1. Diversity of Functions

They can both carry goods and disseminate information, making them difficult to define within a single industry framework.


2. Interconnected Supply Chains

Cardboard displays are produced by packaging companies, but their design and application are often led by advertising agencies.


3. Differences in Market Positioning

Cardboard displays have different positioning in different usage scenarios: in logistics, they resemble packaging; in sales, they resemble advertising.


This is precisely why the question of industry affiliation has long eluded consensus.

Cardboard Display Stands

Are cardboard displays closer to the packaging industry or the advertising industry?

Despite their dual nature, cardboard displays are closer to the advertising industry in terms of actual market application.


1. Value Creation in Advertising

The widespread use of cardboard display stands primarily aims to enhance product display and brand exposure, rather than simply serve a functional purpose.


2. Usage Scenario Determines Positioning

Cardboard display stands are primarily used at point-of-sale locations. The core objective here is to attract consumers and boost sales, which aligns closely with the goals of the advertising industry.


3. Design and Creativity Driven

Compared to the packaging industry's emphasis on materials and craftsmanship, cardboard display stands emphasize visual design and creative expression, which are also the core value of the advertising industry.


Thus, while cardboard display stands have a natural connection to the packaging industry, their industry attributes tend to lean more towards the advertising industry in real-world applications.


How to Understand the Industry Value of Cardboard Display Stands?

Whether cardboard display stands are categorized as part of the packaging or advertising industry, their overall value cannot be overlooked.


1. They Are an Extended Product of the Packaging Industry

From the perspective of materials and manufacturing processes, cardboard display stands originate from the packaging industry and are a derivative within the packaging industry chain.


2. They Are a Platform for the Advertising Industry

From the perspective of performance and commercial value, cardboard display stands directly fulfill the tasks of advertising and brand building.


3. It's a crucial tool for point-of-sale display

In retail settings, cardboard display stands play an irreplaceable role, combining the functions of packaging and advertising to achieve sales growth.


"Do cardboard display stands belong to the packaging industry or the advertising industry?"

—This question can be concluded as follows:


1. Cardboard display stands are closely linked to the packaging industry, as their materials, craftsmanship, and load-bearing functions are similar to those of packaging.

2. Cardboard display stands are highly compatible with the advertising industry, as their primary value lies in information dissemination and promotion.

3. Cardboard display stands are essentially a cross-industry product, serving as both an extension of the packaging industry and an application tool for the advertising industry.

4. In practical applications, cardboard display stands are closer to the advertising industry, as their core purpose is display and communication.


Therefore, cardboard display stands should not be simply categorized as belonging to either the packaging industry or the advertising industry, but rather as a crossover between these two industries. It is this unique characteristic that makes cardboard display stands an indispensable and important tool for point-of-sale display and promotion.


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