The modern consumer is not only incredibly aware about nutritional benefits of packaged food, but also quick to dismiss brands that underestimate their intelligence. With the food and beverage market as competitive as it is, brands should be cementing loyalty and attracting new customers wherever possible – and often this begins with the food label. Rather than trying to oversell your product, follow these tips on creating a trustworthy food label that will not only attract attention, but also encourage repeat consumption.
5 Key Elements for Food Labels
1. The simpler the better
When it comes to food label aesthetics, a clear and simple design is much more effective than a busy visual that just overwhelms the consumer. The message conveyed is one of honesty and frankness, rather than trying to confuse and confound. Keep the design, image, logo and font simple and clean – and this is particularly true for the nutritional content on the label. Consumers don’t want to be squinting to find out what the product actually contains, it’s just easier to move onto the next brand on the shelf.
2. Use quality label materials
Although the adage states ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, the reality is somewhat different. And when it comes to food labels, consumers are going to assume that the quality reflected on the label is representative of the quality found within the container. By using quality materials for your food label, you are impressing upon customers your commitment to quality overall, so it’s worth spending a bit extra for the end result.
3. Use terminology correctly
As mentioned, today’s consumers are inherently more aware than days gone by, and if they don’t understand something, a full explanation is literally a click away. This is why ensuring the terminology used on your food labels is not only correct, but also easily understood. Popular phrasing being used in the food industry are related to health benefits, such as ‘all natural’, ‘free-range’, ‘organic’, ‘ethically sourced’, ‘gluten-free’, ‘sugar-free’ and ‘grass fed’. But, beware if your product is not actually as stated on the label. All you will do is alienate potential consumers and find yourself with a PR nightmare.
4. Offer realistic portion suggestions
Many food producers have tried to enhance the health benefits of a product by reducing the suggested serving sizes. This also encourages consumers to buy more than is actually required. Never reduce the proposed sugar, fat or calorie content on the food label as a way to appear healthier. Transparency in serving sizes is essential. Either consumers are happy to invest in a product with a higher sugar, fat or calorie content or they’ll go for a healthier option. You can’t have it both ways.
5. Provide contact information
One of the best ways to create a trustworthy brand experience is by sharing contact details freely on the food label itself. Your business will benefit by learning about bad experiences your consumers have had while also affording yourself the opportunity to rectify the situation, and potentially retain a customer. Alternatively, those looking to offer positive feedback are given the option, while also driving traffic to your website or social media pages, and exposing consumers to other product ranges available. Innovative product tools like QR product label codes are also increasingly beneficial at driving traffic with minimal effort.
Read more: Current food and beverage packaging trends
The key to business success is customer retention and this simply won’t be the case if you’re tricking consumers into purchasing your product under false pretences. They will soon realise the product isn’t as advertised and ditch it for a more trustworthy brand. Highlight your appreciation of consumers by being upfront with a food label they can trust, and a brand they can invest in.
Read more about creating effective food packaging labels here as well as labelling your unique container.
In order to make sure that all the necessary information is printed on your food packaging label it is important to partner with a food label manufacturer that has many years’ experience in the business.
