The packaging is a very important part of a product, since it differentiates it from the competition, it identifies the manufacturer, and it creates brand identity. This will help the product be appealing to buyers when compared on the shelf with competing products.
A very important part of packaging that also protects the product, is the label, as it provides additional information, and in many cases, is required by law in each country.
So, here is a guide which will help you to make your labels effectively.
Remember to include any mandatory information required by law in association with your product. If you consider its inclusion from the beginning, it will be easier to choose an ideal place to position it, and you won’t have to redesign or alter the general design of the label later. Also consider the type of labelling machine which will be used, so as to design a suitable label.
Proper label design will attract consumers. It will also provide key information on the brand, manufacturer, content, ingredients, suggestions for use, care, etc. The price of a well-designed label can be justified, as it highlights quality and adds value.
Labels for food:
As a minimum you should include the following information as part of the packaging:
- Product name and denomination.
- Ingredients: ordered from highest to lowest, with respect to the initial weight.
- Net content (on the face of the container).
- Name, business name and particulars of the producer / importer.
- Country of origin and / or manufacture.
- Authorisation, as required by the Ministry of Health or the entity in charge.
- Production date and expiration date.
- Lot number, to be able to follow and monitor products, and facilitate internal management.
- How to use, cook and store. (You can also add small tips or recipes that can help customers)
- Nutritional information
A very commonly used and legal strategy, used by many healthy products, is to include portion information, when each package can contain up to 3 or 4 servings.
The first thing to include in the nutritional tables is the size of the portion and the number of portions present in the content declared on the package. This is followed by the calories contained in the unit of intake.
The following is the required information regarding macro nutrients, expressed in grams, in the following order:
- Total fat.
- Saturated fats.
- Trans-fat.
- Dietary fibre.
- Sodium (mg).
Followed last by vitamins and supplements that are contained in the product.
And don’t forget to highlight any information you believe can add more value according to your consumers, such as “without sugar”, “without preservatives”, “light”, “without cholesterol”, or any other thing that can help you create brand preference.
Clothing labels:
These should include, as a minimum, the following information:
- The materials and percentages with which the product was manufactured
- The country of origin
- Care of the garment
- Sizing
Finally, you can also mention additional value information for customers, such as that employees were not exploited, that sales help a certain charity or organization in a developing country, etc.
Remember, in general, how important it is that your product label adds value.