Label Logic. Part One of Two: Do Labels Loom Large for Your Business?
Today’s post is about custom labels, and how they can help your products sell and your business grow. But first, I’d like to put you in the shoes of a shopper so you can see the connection quickly.
Imagine you are hosting a BBQ and you’re looking for craft beer options to offer your guests. You really have no idea where to start but your local supermarket has an end-aisle display full of dozens of individual bottles of craft beers.
It’s fun to just look through the various craft beer labels to see all the interesting names from microbreweries in your region and across the country. Suddenly, one name really grabs your attention, and you reach for the bottle.
When you do, you find that one corner of the label has loosened and is wrinkled. It looks as if it had gotten wet and you could peel it off easily. Plus, the bottles behind it seem to have the same issue.
Labels Don’t Talk. But They Say Plenty.
Bottom line, you probably wouldn’t buy that bottle. The wrinkled label might make you think that maybe the bottle had been there for a long time (not a great selling point). It also might make you wonder about the quality control at the company brewing and selling that beer. Maybe that’s not fair, but with so many beers to choose from, you might just decide to move on.
Coincidentally, a few aisles down, another label is doing its job wonderfully. You are about to grab a bottle of the BBQ sauce you prefer when another label on the shelf above it catches your attention.
The name is intriguing, creating an authentic, Southern grill-master vibe. And the graphics really help reinforce that proud-but-friendly down-home attitude.
But the final tipping point for you is the custom IRC label that gives you a nice discount. That bottle does go into your cart and you start a new relationship with that brand.
Checklist: What Your Labels Need to Do
Bottom line, to be effective a custom label must perform on several levels. It needs to:
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Stand Up to Conditions
Naturally, it depends on your product and situation. But most products require shipping and handling, often through multiple stages and variable weather. If it doesn’t survive and look great all the way to the end-user, your brand won’t look good, either. A good example of this need for customized labels to stand up to sometimes stringent conditions would be the PTI label.
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Stand Out from Competitors
It’s all about image and making sure your selling message comes through loud and clear. Whether your brand is sophisticated or friendly, traditional or “hip” your label had better show that. It’s often the last chance for your product to be noticed, liked, and purchased by consumers.
What YOU Need to Do to Ensure Custom Label Quality
Next week, I’ll offer some specific suggestions what you should do to get the greatest benefit from the custom label you use in your operation. You’ll find next Tuesday’s post helpful whether those labels are the “face” your products present to customers, or the behind-the-scenes logistics trackers that make sure it is produced and distributed accurately and efficiently.
We’ll talk about what to look for in an experienced custom label provider. But if you don’t want to wait, call Superior or one of our label-smart sales reps now. Our ISO certification and three straight Best of Print and Digital awards are a good sign we know what we are talking about.
But either way, don’t miss Tuesday’s post. With 95 years’ experience in helping businesses operate more efficiently, we have a lot of insights to share, on custom labels and plenty of other ways to help your business “stick around’ as long as we have!
