The past few years have been a period of change in the approach of manufacturers to what their final product should look like. The changes are related to the developing trend to implement personalisation in label and packaging design. Having analysed marketing activities conducted by global brands to promote their products through the use of packaging personalisation, it can be noticed that the unique design of the product is a stimulus to make a purchase decision.
What is meant by personalisation of labels and packaging?
Personalisation is defined as giving a unique appearance to a label or packaging by applying to the project elements which make it unique and personal. An extremely dynamic progress with regards to the ability to personalise products has been observed in recent years.
One of the ways to create an original look is to use the software released by a manufacturer of printing machines, Hewlett-Packard, in 2014. The launch of HP SmartStream Designer, which includes HP Mosaic and HP Collage, enables the generation of countless patterns based on a single graphic file. International companies such as Coca-Cola and Budweiser have recognised the great benefits of the software. Products labelled with images designed with the use of HP MOSAIC were not only sold at a record pace but also contributed to an increase in the interest in the beverages. Customers who bought unique packaging posted photos and videos of the purchased products on social media.
HP MOSAIC is a perfect tool to create customised marketing campaigns based on an individual approach to a Customer; all thanks to the algorithm that generates variable data in the area of images and text while retaining the ability to make changes to the obtained design. With the use of HP SmartStream Designer, it is possible to create unique labels or flexible packaging.
The importance of personalisation as regards the selection of a product by a Customer
Personalisation of labels and packaging is extremely important because it is a reliable way to become noticed. Presently, the competition in the market is so strong that without a properly prepared design of a label or packaging it is difficult to stand out and catch the eye of the buyer. Therefore, it is extremely important to make bold decisions so that the design of the product is different to the standard patterns in the market. Moreover, it should be noted that both the appearance of the packaging and the manner in which it was made largely affect the image of the brand and the way it is perceived by the Customer.
The influence of labels and packaging on an image of a brand
When launching a brand, it is important to realise that one of the most difficult tasks is going to be making decisions that will contribute to building a good image, thanks to which the brand will become recognisable and will evoke positive emotions. It is worth noting that one of the elements that affect the perception of a product are self-adhesive labels, hence, it is extremely important that their design not only attracts attention but also has a positive influence on the way in which the brand is perceived.
What information should product packaging contain?
When designing a packaging label, not only graphics, colours and advertising content should be taken into account. It is also important to ensure that the printed self-adhesive label provides the most important information about the product for the customer, some of which must be included due to, i.a., legal requirements. In the majority of the cases, the information on the packaging should include:
- name of the product;
- list of ingredients;
- net content;
- minimum shelf-life (or expiration date, if applicable);
- storage or preparation conditions;
- manufacturer and distributor information.
However, it is worth emphasising that for some industries additional regulations related to the labelling of packaging are specified. An example can be the food industry, in the case of which, according to the applicable legal regulations, the minimum size of the font on the packaging should be 1.2 mm, with the reservation that for packaging below 80 cm2 the size can be reduced to 0.9 mm. Furthermore, according to the regulations, the product should also contain additional information such as
- a list of any ingredients or other food additives that can cause allergies or intolerance – this type of information should stand out within the list of ingredients, e.g., a different type of font, colour or background;
- country or place of origin;
- instructions for use where, in the absence of such information the appropriate use of the food product would be difficult;
- with regards to beverages that contain more than 1.2% of alcohol, the actual content of alcohol by volume should be advised;
- nutritional information (as of December 2016).
Another example is the pharmaceutical industry. In accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Health, packaging of medicinal products should also contain:
- information necessary for the correct use of the medicinal product;
- name of the medicinal product in the other Member States of the European Union;
- qualitative and quantitative composition of the active substance;
- pharmaceutical form and its content per package;
- expiration date after opening the package;
- series number;
- pictograms of prohibitory and warning signs;
- name of the medicinal product in Braille.
The Regulation also specifies the minimum size of font which, in this case, should be 1.4 mm, with a line spacing of at least 3 mm. With regards to medical products, it should also be remembered that if, due to the size of the packaging, it is difficult to use a specific font, the manufacturer is obliged to take measures to increase the labelling area by making the label longer or wider or to rotate the text by 90°.
Let the experts prepare your self-adhesive labels
Using attractive self-adhesive printed labels will help promote the brand and make it stand out from the competition. Therefore, it is extremely important to pay attention not only to the proper preparation of the project but also to whom we entrust its implementation. Aniflex is an experienced manufacturer of self-adhesive labels Thanks to the use of modern printing techniques, the company is able to undertake even the most demanding tasks. Also, by offering solutions related to printing with the use of digital technology Aniflex can give advice and complete orders using personalisation as a way to make labels or packaging look unique.
