Thehill.com notes: “If you’ve looked at the back of a food package recently, you may have noticed that the Nutrition Facts label looks different. Calories are bigger and bolder. The serving size is more visible and more accurately reflects the amount people eat. There is also a new line for added sugars, along with a percent daily value that specifies how much of the day’s added sugar limit is in a serving. This is the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) helping you to make informed and wise choices for the health of you and your family…The updated Nutrition Facts label will make it easier for consumers to make more informed food choices. Surveys show consumers are seeking healthier options and looking to consume less sugar.”
So, why do so many product manufacturers continue to put these important references in very small type? By now, one would think that the message being conveyed loud and clear in the nutrition world would permeate the rest of product manufacturing, as well.
Obviously, product label size and packaging are subject to space limitations and regulations. Products required by regulators to disclose large amounts of information often have their hands tied to a certain extent about how to fit in everything without resorting to the use of tiny type.
In addition to basic product information, consumers increasingly want access to accurate and complete information about the efficacy and safety of particular products. CBD and vape are two industries tasked with offering up-to-date consumer information that enables informed choices based on individual circumstances.
Extended content labels, QR codes, smart speaker-driven voice response, URLs, augmented reality, and digital IDs are all ways to connect consumers with information about everything from the latest product research to product authenticity in a counterfeit-crazed world.
The common thread of all these technologies and offerings is that the consumer typically initiates the search. While this is valuable and often adequate, it’s only part of the story. Besides offering conduits for consumers to acquire more education and accurate data, labels can serve as the entryway for a continuing dialogue and provide ongoing information.
In essence, this means that product manufacturers need to provide more than a connection platform; they need to start a conversation and determine consumer preferences that enable periodic outreach with current and relevant communications. Depending on the size of the audience, this can be a complex, sophisticated challenge or a relatively straightforward one.
There are many ways to start and carry on a regular conversation. Everything from developing periodic e-blast updates sent to a list to social media news and views on particular topics is fair game for consideration. Regardless of the channel(s), several overarching practices will enhance interaction, engagement and in some cases, response:
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Make it personal. More than ever, consumers crave one-on-one communication. When they feel that a company is speaking just to them, it provides a sense of belonging, helps increase trust and establishes the basis of a long-term relationship. Whereas a group e-blast may provide useful information and ideas, it’s just that—a group communication. In contrast, finding out people’s preferences in such areas as to how they want to be communicated with and around what topics will go a long way toward curating content to them. Then, it’s a matter of presenting the content in a way they most want to receive it. -
Encourage constructive criticism. The best intel often comes from those who are frustrated, confused or disgruntled because addressing their concerns can vastly improve overall product ratings and reviews. So, do more than provide a platform for critical feedback. Encourage it. This gives people a channel to vent, a value in itself, and gives the manufacturer critical weakness and threat information in the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) matrix. Given that most dissatisfied customers either leave without the manufacturer knowing why or they post a blistering review, this can go a long way to assuage concerns and keep someone in the fold. -
Reach out to check in. Conversation doesn’t always need to be about a recent transaction. Sometimes, it’s very useful to phone (or text/email) just to say “hi” and see if the consumer needs anything. This doesn’t have to be confined to present customers. Communicating with prospects without being overly salesy can help convert them into customers.
Product label effectiveness starts with giving as much information as practically possible, then finding ways to continue the conversation to get as much feedback as possible.
Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA, since 2008. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.
