LabelValue Label Blog

Designing Labels: 3 Mistakes You Probably Don’t Know You’re Making

I recently put together an infographic that pointed out just how important it is to invest in high quality product labels. During my research for the infographic, I learned that 70% of consumer purchases are made while shoppers are standing at the shelf, 85% are made without even picking up a competitor’s item, and 90% are made after simply looking at the face of the packaging. While I do try to look at the nutritional labels on many items, I realized that I do make most of my purchasing decisions simply by looking at the front of package (FOP) label, and rarely even pick up the item before deciding to purchase. If you think about it, you’ll probably realize you do the same.

For this reason, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to product high quality, effective labels that will get your product selected over the competitor. Check out these 3 label design mistakes you probably don’t know you’re making.

1. Designing for someone other than your target audience. You can’t be all things to all consumers. It’s important to clearly define your target audience and think in terms of what THEY would be drawn to. Get a clear understanding of your customers’ wants and needs. Consider the psychology of colors and what messages your colors are sending to your audience. Even carefully consider the selection of fonts. Remember: it matters less what YOU like and more what your AUDIENCE wants.
2. Missing consumer trends. Be aware of the current trends in the market. Currently, many consumers are concerned about using all natural, organic products. If that is something that applies to you, you may want to place a USDA organic label on the FOP label on your product. Don’t miss out on a prime opportunity to generate sales because you aren’t fully aware what trends are going on in your industry.
3. Viewing an oldie as a goodie. It’s easy for brands to think that just because their brand is established and recognizable that it doesn’t need to be updated. However, you should avoid becoming complacent with your labels and packaging and recognize that even the largest brands need to be revitalized with new labels from time to time. (Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Miller Lite all demonstrated this with recent updates to their product design.) Re-evaluate your products and give a reason to pick your product off the shelf (remind them of your unique selling proposition on your FOP label!). Chances are your product will wind up in the consumer’s shopping cart.

American Manufacturing on the Rise

Good news for Americans who want to support the American economy by purchasing American-made products: the production and shipping costs in China and other overseas manufacturing centers are rising. While there are many industries that are still dominated by imported products, there seems to be a broad shift towards manufacturing in the U.S.

January marked a definite shift in the tide, as retail giant Wal-Mart announced that it would be spending an additional $50 billion over the next 10 years on American-made products to help U.S. production. Apple Inc. also announced that it planned to build some of its iMac line in the United States.

As Dan Seiver, chief economist for Reilly Financial Advisors, notes, “They run the numbers and say ‘We can deliver just as cheaply from a U.S> operation as we can from, say, China.’”

And not only does it help the bottom line, it also has the added benefit of giving the company a boost in public opinions. Americans want to buy American and for large manufacturers, being able to put the made in the USA labels on products can be a public relations gold mine.

Use Wafer Seals to Send Professional-Looking Brochures and Newsletters

Newsletters and brochures are a regular part of the marketing strategy for many companies. However, getting those marketing pieces to consumers in one piece can sometimes present something of a challenge. The easiest solution is often to fold them in half and fasten them. Unfortunately, staples can sometimes cause the post office sorting machine to jam.

So what is the solution?

Wafer seals.

High quality wafer seals can be applied by hand or by machine, depending on the amount of mail you are sending, and offer an inexpensive alternative to staples.

LabelValue.com provides 1” round labels are easy to tear and will leave you with professional-looking results. The clear polystyrene wafer seals use permanent adhesive, designed to keep them firmly in place until you’re ready to tear them off.

Look for Changes on Sunscreen Labels this Summer

For years there has been talk about making changes to sunscreen labels to get rid of misleading information and it has finally come to pass. This summer, consumers should notice some differences on product labels when they’re out shopping for sunscreen.

One change? Broad spectrum. In order to make the change the sunscreen is broad spectrum, it has to have a proportional amount of UVB and UVA protection. UVB rays will only protect the skin against burning. It is UVA rays that protect against aging.

One thing they shouldn’t look for, however, is “waterproof.” Despite many sunscreen manufacturers touting their product as waterproof, the truth is that no sunscreen was truly waterproof and manufacturers will no longer be able to make the claim. Sunscreen manufacturers will now be required to replace “waterproof” with “water-resistant” and actually specify the length of time that you are protected in the water, whether it be 40 minutes or 80.

The FDA is also considering placing a cap on the max SPF, which would be 50-plus. The idea behind the cap is to make the labels as accurate as possible, and there is no evidence to prove that anything higher than 50 can offer better protection.

Influence Labels Have on Consumer Purchasing [Infographic]

We understand that it can sometimes be difficult to spend time and money investing in custom labels for your products. So for our shiny new infographic, we took a look at a number of studies to help you better understand the value behind labels and product packaging and show just how important they are during the consumer purchasing process.

What are FOP Labels and Will They Help Obesity Rates?

With obesity rates higher than ever, it’s quite clear that the nutritional labels aren’t cutting it. It’s for this reason that the FDA is in the process of creating a proposal for updates to the food labels, the first in 20 years. The idea behind the changes is to implement nutritional labels that will be easier for consumers to read and understand.

One change that is being considered is front of package nutritional labels. A recent study compared literacy and comprehension of Front-of-Package (FOP) food labels versus the nutritional facts label (NFL) on the back of a product. The study found “parents demonstrated statistically significant improvements in comprehension using the FOP label for each category, with 87% getting all questions correct versus 67% using the NFL label.”

This is especially important since complex labels are cited as being one of the main causes for parents not reading the label to begin with. With 42% of parents reporting that the labeling influences their purchasing decision, implementing easier-to-read labels could potentially have a significant impact on childhood obesity.

What do you think? Will the FOP labels reduce childhood obesity or do you think parents will feed their children the same foods, regardless of the labels?

Coca-Cola Launches Anti-Obesity Campaign

Do you think the new anti-obesity campaign will make a difference?

While many of us are aware that obesity is running rampant in America, you may still be surprised to learn that more than one-third of adults, 35.7%, suffer from obesity. Unfortunately, sugary drinks played a significant role in contributing to the obesity rates. A typical 20-ounce soda contains 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and around 240 calories. The problem is that adults don’t feel as full as if they had eaten those calories from solid food and therefore don’t compensate for the added calories by eating less.

Coca-Cola is fighting back, however, with its newest anti-obesity global campaign. Coca-Cola announced May 8, 2013 that it commits to:

1. Offering low- or no-calorie beverage options in every market
2. Providing transparent information on nutritional labels, showing calories on both the front and back of the packaging
3. Helping to support physical activity programs in each of the 200 countries where it does business
4. Marketing responsibly, which includes not advertising to children under the age of 12

This is not the first major change Coke has made to encourage good health habits. They beverage giant has already encouraged portion control by offering mini-cans in a number of countries.

What do you think? Will Coca-Cola's efforts make a difference in the obesity epidemic?

3 Labels You Should Read This Summer

Many college students are already out of school for the summer and many more students will be released in the coming weeks. You know what that means…long days at the beach, backyard barbeques, and hot summer nights. However, even though the carefree summer days are almost upon us, there are some precautions you should take. Check out the three labels you should be paying attention to this summer.

1. Sunscreen labels. While you may think that sunscreen labels haven’t changed much, a closer look will show that terms like “sunblock” and “waterproof” have been removed. The new sunscreen labels are more clear than those in the past, but you have to read them closely to recognize the changes.

• Look at the SPF. The SPF can range from two to 100. You should be looking for products with at least 30 to 50 SPF. And don’t forget, you should be reapplying every two hours.
• Look for broad spectrum claims. In order to make the claim that they provide broad spectrum protection, a sunscreen now has to pass a standard test. This means that sunscreens can’t just use “broad spectrum” as part of their marketing gimmick. They must legitimately provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Don’t look for “waterproof.” The days of “waterproof” sunscreen are over. Now labels can claim to be water resistant and they must provide instructions for reapplying when you’re sweating heavily or swimming.

2.  Fireworks labels. The 4th of July is still several months away, but the reality is that it will be here before you know it. If you plan to use fireworks this summer, be sure to read the safety labels, particularly the information about storing any fireworks you don’t use. Fireworks-related injuries are extremely common and it’s important to follow the safety precautions when setting them off.

3. Labels on meat. Summertime means barbeques, which likely means you’ll be purchasing meat to grill. You may want consider looking for “grass fed,” “free range,” or “USDA organic” on the labels of the meat packaging. And don't forget to take a look at the marinade and barbeque sauce labels to review sugar content, since many sauces are full of sugar. Also be careful not to cook your meat too hot. Cooking food too hot will cause the outside to be burned or well cooked while the inside can still be raw and cold.

Race Organizers Use QR Codes to Better Meet Runners' Needs

I’ve written on more than one occasion about different ways you can use QR codes to market your products and your business and better connect with your customers. But what if you could use QR codes to improve efficiency and streamline your business? This is what the organizers of the Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, MI, will be doing for this weekend’s race.

Race participants will be able to instantly view their unofficial times at the end of the Race May 11. As soon as they pass the finish line, runners will be able to scan their personal QR code and even share on it social media channels.

In addition to scanning the QR codes at the finish of the race, however, the participants in the 25k who are carrying their phones during the race will be able to scan their QR codes after they cross the timing mats and share their progress online with their friends and family.

The QR codes are a great addition to the race since they will allow the distance runners to communicate with family and friends and share their progress during the race. It will also provide the instant results that runners expect.

Does your business hold special events where QR codes could be a great idea? How could you use QR codes to better serve your customers and improve customer communication?

What are Traffic Light Labels?

Have you ever heard of traffic light labels?

The British government is in the process of implementing a ‘traffic light’ labeling system for food that is supposed to take effect during the summer of 2013. The idea behind the new system is to make it easier to read and understand nutrition labels.

The system would use color-coded information, where green indicates low levels, yellow indicates moderate and red means high levels (and generally means bad).

A big concern by many is that the traffic light labels don’t provide a total picture for the health value of the food. For example, high fat foods like nuts are considered healthy, as are many fruits that are high in sugar. However, each of those items will have a red label because of their high fat and sugar contents (even though the sugar in fruit is natural sugar).

What do you think? Will the system help or hurt the food industry? Or will it just cause even more confusion where food is concerned?