Label power: what's important for artisanal products?

Recent research from Prime Labels, an online label manufacturer, was designed to provide insights for artisan food and beverage producers about how their target audience responds to product labels.

Following the growth of the artisan food and beverage market, in 2018 the NSW Government redefined the definition of the ‘artisan food and drink industry’ as products for “consumers who want an alternative to mass-manufactured offerings”.

Research results demonstrated that although brand names and identities are vital to conveying a product message, product labels also determine whether or not consumers purchase an artisanal product — the craft labels' colour and finish were considered of equal importance to the respondents.

Image credit: Prime Labels. For a larger image, click here.

73% of consumers surveyed indicated that labels had the power to make craft food and drink products feel premium, with research revealing that gold and silver colours emphasised a product’s exclusivity. While 35% of consumers preferred a matte finish to a gloss finish, 26% of consumers preferred a gloss finish. While matte finishes effectively communicate that a product is of craft origin, only 9% of responders felt that a transparent finish was best for a label, with 63% of responders also associating matte finishes with ‘eco-friendly’.

“If you’re a craft producer in Australia the market can be extremely competitive. Our research has demonstrated how important it is for companies to have additional knowledge on a label’s finish to ensure success. Prime Labels works to ensure that any brand we work with has a high-quality, premium finished label and we’re excited to now be able to offer our range to the Australian market,” said Burim Ahmedi, Digital Marketing Manager at Prime Labels.

The research showed that 55% of consumers consider paper the most popular material for a craft food or drink label, due to the association between paper labels and environmentally friendly, handmade and organic products. Labels also serve a practical purpose, informing consumers of a product’s positioning, ingredients and benefits, with 60% of consumers considering the information on a label the most important factor, with 54% preferring a square or rectangular-shaped craft label.

Image credit: Prime Labels. For a larger image, click here.

When considering the features on a label, 83% of consumers believed that ingredients and product description are vital, followed by country of origin (72%) and brand logo (59%). Consumers value craft products for their natural ingredients, with 83% believing that the ingredients should be displayed on the front label of any craft product.

The research was conducted to coincide with the launch of Prime Labels in the Australian market.

Pictures supplied by Prime Labels.