Claims on food packaging: How effective are they?

Promises are one of the mainstays of packaging – everything from the ubiquitous word “NEW” to a boast about calorie count could be considered a promise. You likely employ this attention-grabbing tactic on your own brand’s packages. However, there’s a noticeable downside to the sheer amount of exciting claims made on labels and wrappers, namely the fact that when they’re inundated with information, shoppers may have a hard time believing any of it. So, is this tactic losing its luster?

Defeating cynicism
According to Packaging Digest revealed an unsurprising trend: distrust of brands. The process of selling a product to a target audience is well understood today, and the general audience for consumer goods has a healthy distrust of what they read from brands. This is logical, in a way. People know you’re trying to make a sale, so they’ll view every claim you make with a suspicious eye.

The answer to the above problem may involve stepping back and taking a new approach to promotion. Instead of using promises in the brand’s own voice, why not earn a certification from a third party? If an organization that covers your field can vouch for you, attest that your products are up to its standards and give you permission to use a seal or a logo, that co-sign may attract eyes and convince shoppers in a way your own claims can’t.

There is a generational divide regarding the way consumers read wrappers. Packaging Digest added that millennials respond better to brands that include autobiographical company information on labels. Learning the history of a brand lets young consumers feel they know where a company is coming from. Since these buyers often refuse to be tricked into accepting an easy sell, it’s better to disclose plenty of info and let them in.

Hall of shame
Of course, fighting cynicism and opening up about your brand history are at one end of the packaging spectrum – with unfettered hyperbole at the other. Stuff recently reported on Consumer NZ’s list of dubious promises made on food and drink labels in New Zealand. You should avoid making these companies’ mistakes. For instance, Almond Milk Original calls itself “made from the goodness of almonds.” That claim doesn’t mean much, as the drink is made using under 2.5 almonds.

Time for a change
When it’s time to update your brand labels, the whole process can be very quick and efficient – provided your in-house label printer is up to the task. An Afinia L801 can deliver colorful and effective labels, ones that will draw consumers’ eyes to your accurate and effective claims. Learn about that printer and more here if you’re in the U.S. or click here for our Canadian store.