Advancements in technology are changing where, how, and why consumers purchase products. Now, consumers can quickly research products before deciding to purchase, and they can purchase with one click of a button through a variety of shopping channels.
The information consumers are researching prior to these purchases is changing quickly too. In Deloitte’s recent study, “Capitalizing on the Shifting Consumer Value Equation,” 51% of consumers reported product attributes including health and wellness, safety, social impact, experience, and transparency played not a minor, but a major role in their purchasing behaviors.
And businesses are recognizing these shifts. Econsultancy reports that “74% of businesses say improving their ability to meet customer expectations is more important in digital transformation than reducing IT costs (54%) and reducing the costs of doing business (62%).”
We agree. And we know that nowhere is it more important to meet consumer expectations than in your product label content. Therefore, our gift to you is this list of the top consumer behavior trends that will affect your product label content strategy in 2018.
Trust
According to Mintel, in 2018 companies will have to prove they’re trustworthy as consumers re-prioritize their beliefs. States Carli Gernot, Manager of Trends, North America at Mintel, “Evaporating trust means that companies sometimes have little choice but to communicate where they sit on various issues, make bold moral actions, and take clear political stances when necessary. Product innovation that meets the changing needs of apprehensive consumers can build or redeem trust, including adding more information to packaging…”
Value
Mintel also predicts that budget-minded consumers will evaluate multiple value factors for each purchase decision, and brands will have to make these individuals more of a priority. In fact, they can’t afford to ignore them. The latest research from Nielsen indicates store brands are gaining market share against the big national brands. States Mintel’s Gernot, “Tighter budgets will cause many consumers to re-evaluate whether their go-to choices are worth the cost and brands need to be able to respond accordingly.”
Health
Largely due to rising health care costs and an aging population, health and wellness has become a priority for a large number of consumers. States Stacy Bingle, Consumer Trends Consultant at Mintel, “Interest in self-care and preventative health has been building for decades, but a combination of strong forces is bringing these topics into the spotlight in 2018… The opportunity is ripe for brands in any sector to develop their support roles for the growing number of consumers seeking to better themselves and get ahead of health concerns.”
Speak (and Show)
As the line between online and offline blurs, smart systems are delivering seamless shopping experiences – with voice technology such as the Amazon Dash Wand and image recognition at the forefront. The possibilities for such devices are “basically limitless,” notes Stephen Kaufman, chief product officer at BLUE. However, their use requires consumer goods manufacturers to provide accurate and rich product data on the bar code. “If the data’s incomplete or inaccurate, the brand will risk a slide in consumer trust or confidence,” Kaufman told the E-Commerce Times.
Product Label Content: Address New Consumer Trends
As consumers become more digitally savvy and their expectations change, retailers and manufacturers can respond by delivering rich and value-added product label content and digital assets related to their products that foster trust, promote health, and communicate value. And innovative retailers and manufacturers will employ a product label content strategy that accounts for the multiple product data distribution channels they have at their disposal.
This, of course, is where BLUE’s advanced Label and Artwork Management solution can add value. BLUE stores the final, approved and audited digital label files with product information including romance copy, ingredient lists, and artwork required for e-commerce, retailers, and customers alike. Then, through our partnership with 1WorldSync, retailers and manufacturers can pull this product label content from BLUE and distribute it across all of the customers’ trading networks.
The end result? When a consumer scans a QR code on a package or searches for their product on Amazon, he or she is presented with up-to-date, accurate product images and information including item descriptions, nutritional information, ingredients, marketing claims, and warnings – all of which maintain trust, establish value, promote health, and give consumers what they want in 2018.
To learn more about how your label content can meet consumer expectations, download our e-book: Eliminate Reactivity and Enable Creativity in Marketing.
