You are in the process of launching a new product into the market? Or you just improved your items ready for a fresh start? Perhaps you already have a perfect product in function, quality and quantity, but something still feels missing. What you need is your own unique product label. Labeling products in a sufficient, effective and creative way helps your items not only grab customers’ attention but also gain their complete trust which soon lead to brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Just a product label can bring you that much success? Yes, it does. To show you how, this article will address 3 questions: What’s a product label? What makes a sufficient one? And Why are labels important? Just keep reading and you’ll find out the answers.
What’s a product label?
Definition
Labeling products is the act of displaying information about your items on the outside for easy identification. It can be an pictorial label that show branded image or an informative and descriptive text attached to the product. It provides detailed information for customers who are considering buying the product or creates eye catching outlooks so that it can be easily recognized by passersby.
Parts of a product label
Labels show important details of the product which customers must know. We summed up below a 7-thing checklist that must be included when labeling products:
1. Product name
The product name is a mandatory part which is always be prominently displayed on the label, describing the product inside. To deeply communicate with customers, the product name usually comes with brand’s slogan or a brief description.
2. Brand name
Same like product name, brand name is a must-have part when labeling products so that customers can easily recognize your company. Consistency in brand information displayed on product labels make your customers become more aware of your brand and form their interested in your company. In the long run, this creates customer loyalty, leading to more sales.
3. Legally required details
There are some details that are legally required to show on the product label, depend on what type your product belongs to, for example:
- Require ingredient lists on all food or drink labels.
- Choking hazard warnings on plastic or latex products and on toys with small parts.
- Information about redemption or return for bottles and containers.
In some cases, these details are even required to be placed on a specific area of the label. Before the process of labeling products, carefully check the law applied in your area to prevent facing fines and lawsuits in case you fail to include these required information on your product label.
4. Series Name
If your product is part of a series, the series name must be displayed on the label. Unlike the product name or the brand name, series name is not required to be remarkable shown but it should be visible enough to identify.
5. Packaging Size
Parameters such as net weight, volumn and amount are required to be indicated on product label. These information let your customers know exactly how much they’re buying.
6. Company Contact Information
Company contact information on the label make it easier for customers to reach your company for feedback and for government agencies to contact in case there’s an issue with your product.
7. Barcode
A barcode help to turn your product data to be represented in a visual, machine-readable form. Company use barcodes are used to track their products, especially if the product are produced in high-volume.
Common types of product labels
There are four common types of labels are used for labeling products: brand labels, informative labels, descriptive labels, and grade labels.
1. Brand Labels
Brand labels are labels that only contain the brand name of the product. They provide details about the product brand and help communicate a specific message to the customers.
2. Descriptive Labels
How to use the product is what displayed on descriptive labels. You can find information such as product’s features, handling, security, storage, etc… on the space of descriptive labels.
3. Informative Labels
Like its name, product information labels provide detailed information like instructions on the product’s usage, manufacturer’s name, intermediaries information, manufacture and expiry dates. Informative labels are more detailed compared to descriptive labels.
4. Grade Labels
The last type is grade label which may not be indicated on all product. It describes the product’s features and aspect in figures, letters, or words. For examples: A,B,C,D grade can be put on packed pea cans; 1,2,3,4 grades for packed wheat; and word labels such as good, better, best etc. are used in other cases.
Importance of labeling products
Product labels play an important role in success of a business. Labels that provide information in an effective way will help your consumers take full advantages of the product. Cool product labels will leave a long lasting impression about your product as well as your brand in the customers’ memory. Below are the 3 main reasons why label is important and what you need to pay attention to when design a product label.
1. Labeling products provides customers with important information of the product
Product labels are made to provide the customer with detailed information about the product so they know what is in the food they’re eating or in the product they’re using. Information displayed on labels not only allow consumers to know whether the product is healthy or unhealthy, expired or not, but also important for those who are allergic to certain ingredients.
In addition to allergic risks, product labels also provide information about other health risks. For example, health warnings must have be found on cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or alcoholic beverage labels. Or in other cases, product labels also warn customers about harmful chemical which can be dangerous to children.
Another importance of labeling products is to distinguish fake items. Accurate labels on products can help customers to tell the difference between fake products and the authentic ones. To ensure the identity of your products, label them with clear, easy-to-read and professional designs.
2. Labeling products let customers know how to use the product
Labeling products is the way to provide crucial instructions on the usage, disposal, and recycling process. Almost every kinds of products include directions for using on the labels. It is especially important for cleaning, medicines or chemical products to provide step-by-step guide or appropriate dosage and duration of use to avoid any problem such as poisoning.
3. Labeling product is a way to promotion and marketing
An eye catching product label can market the product all on its own because it is the first thing people see on your items.
Psychology studies on colors showed that consumers are likely to be attracted to a bright and strong colors on product packaging labels and end up purchasing that product. Although one color can affect different people in different ways, depending on their ethnicity and past experiences, there’s still a there is still a general trend for the use of color in label design.
Fonts and images used on labels also significantly contribute to promoting your products. If your item has a unique label, it can be key to helping a consumer pick out your product amongst the others on the supermarket shelf. You may want to go for fonts that match your brand’s personality from our 45+ great label font suggestions.
Also, with today’s and advancements in designing, labels now comes with coupons, bonus or interactive games, ect,… They become a great marketing tool which not only helps your company increase sales but also enhances brand awareness. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that labeling products can be a wise investment.
Words to the wise
When lauching your products, lauch them with great labels. Labeling products not only provides crucial information and instructions to consumers but also help your product stand out, so make sure to put the correct, sufficient information and at the same time let your imagination run wild with an impressive design. Just do it and you’ll see how results pay off.
