The Most Powerful Packaging Claims in 8 Product Categories

On average, more than half of shoppers (51%) say package label claims are either extremely or very important to their product purchases.

Nearly 4 in 10 shoppers say they would switch to a new brand from a current preferred brand in favour of increased product transparency. In fact, 73% of them would be willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency, according to a recent survey by Label Insight. The demand for transparency is clear, yet two of the most challenging categories in which to find information are those in which we come in contact the most – packaged food and personal care products.

Shopper demand for transparency has prompted the need for brands to create a standardised method for sharing product information in a convenient, easy-to-understand manner. New technologies such as Smart Label in the US are taking the influence of packaging claims very seriously.

This new tech offers a smartphone scan-at-shelf function which then reveals just about everything there is to know about the product such as allergy information, corporate ethics and sustainability programs, in addition to detailed nutritional and ingredient information. The Smart Label initiative is growing exponentially with a projected 34,000 products to be participating by the end of 2017.

With more and more people caring about the finer details about the food and products they purchase for their households, packaging labels can make an enormous impact on the shopper.

But which product claims, specifically, have most sway over shoppers and their spending?

The Most Powerful Package Label Claims

Field Agent Australia surveyed 500 Australians on its all-mobile panel to identify the most influential label claims across eight product categories: packaged foods, non-alcoholic beverages, hair care products, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, pet food, dairy products, home cleaning products & cosmetics.

Each of these categories are renowned for making bold product claims in their packaging. So, what on-package claims really engage shoppers and influence which product they pick up from the shelf.

The infographic below details the top five label claims across eight key categories:

 

Thus, depending on the product, the “magic words” may well be Made in Australia (packaged foods, non-alcoholic beverages), Real Fruit Juice (non-alcoholic beverages), Quick Relief (OTC medication), Moisturising (hair care), Real Meat (pet food), Kills Bacteria (home cleaning products), Full Cream (dairy products) and Sensitive Skin (cosmetics), or a variation of these words.

For many shoppers, such claims do have power over purchase decisions. In fact, when asked, 37% of said it had a direct impact in their final purchase decisions, some examples of this include:

“Free range eggs. I purchased this product as I believe the hens are allowed to roam and aren’t restricted and no chemicals are used when I purchase this product.” Female, 50, VIC

“Real fruit juice was the product and the claim was that the juice was made of “just 20 apples” Male, 19, NSW

“Panadol Rapid – I purchased this product because it claims that it is fast acting on pain relief.” Female, 35, VIC

“Low carb wraps and bread as I only eat those items if they are lower in carbs. Also ‘Fast Acting’ basic pain relief medication.”  Male, 22. ACT

“I was buying body lotion and chose one due to the scent, but the label claims of all natural product on the other bottle swayed my purchasing decision.” Female, 28, QLD

However claims can have the opposite effect if not meeting the expectations of the shopper. 27% of those surveyed told us how packaging claims actually discouraged their purchase decision.

“Low fat, low sugar, all those things just make me think there’s more bad stuff in there to compensate. I’d rather eat fat and sugar than eat something unidentifiable. Also more cautious around ‘RSPCA Approved’ now and the labelling on eggs and meat – I eat organic where possible to make sure as best I can.” Female, 28, NSW

“Pain relief medication claimed to target a specific area of the body, which I knew was untrue.” Male, 29, WA

“Pineapple in a can. Turns out it was from Thailand not Australia.” Male, 29, VIC

“I decided not to buy Cadbury chocolate because the packaging claimed the product was Halal. I even rang the customer service phone number and no one could tell me what ingredients required Halal certification.” Female, 52, VIC

Asked to rank the product categories by the relative power of their label claims, shoppers rated the claims of pet food products, packaged foods, home-cleaning products and OTC medications as comparatively more influential over their spending than those found on hair care products, dairy products, cosmetics, and non-alcoholic beverages.

There is still a big opportunity to influence a shopper with packaging claims at the point of purchase to try your product. Let Field Agent help you decide what should go on your next packaging design to get maximum cut through at the shelf.