As you design your product packaging, you will likely want to include some claims on it to help draw attention on the shelves or with online shopping. Claims can have a strong influence on whether shoppers decide to buy your product, but you want to make sure you craft them carefully to get the best results and remain within the law.
Know the Types of Claims
There are several key categories of claims found on product packaging, so you should start by figuring out which of these categories you want to fit into. This is not a definitive list.
Health Claims
These claims say that the product decreases the likelihood of getting a condition or reduces symptoms about it. Health claims require FDA approval, and they cannot make any false claims about cures, diagnoses, or treatment. As such, they are one of the toughest categories of claims to create.
Qualified Health Claims
These health claims do not require scientific agreement to the same high standard as previously required. Instead, they cannot mislead consumers.
Nutrient Content Claims
These are claims related to how much of a certain nutrient a product contains or something similar. Claims about nutrient content also require verification by government agencies for quality control. If you include these claims, be sure to pay attention to legal limits to the number of times you can have it on the packaging and the upper limit for font size.
Others choose to break up the types of claims into the following categories:
- Category drivers showcase the product’s purpose and why consumers need it. These claims are ideal for the top brands or those that offer something unique.
- Differentiations showcase how a product is different and better than the competition. The focus of these claims is on resolving a specific need of consumers.
- Context claims put the product in the context of current events for the audiences. These tend to be market-specific.
What to Think About When Creating the Claim
As you craft your claim, you will need to think carefully about your audience, goals, and a few other things.
Representing Your Product
Start by ensuring that the claim accurately and positively represents your product. After all, the goal of the claim is to improve sales.
Inspiring Stocking of Your Product
Your claim should also be something that will make retailers want to stock your product in their store.
Following Your Goals
The result or action you want to achieve from the claim should meet your company’s adjectives, whether that is expanding your audience, being seen as the leader in a category, or just making more sales.
Focus on the Right Selling Points
When you decide what to include in your claim, take some time to think about your product’s main selling point. Highlight what sets you apart from the competition or why customers should pick your product. To figure out the best selling point to use, discover why people choose your product and look at which of your marketing campaigns were the most successful.
Do Not Make False Claims
In addition to it being illegal to make false claims on nutritional, health, and certain other types of products, it is also simply a bad idea. In the worst-case scenario, you could be fined for breaking the law and have to pull your product from shelves (both physical and virtual). In the best-case scenario, customers will realize your claims are false, and you will hurt your brand’s reputation.
Sources:
https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/how-create-effective-claims-your-packaging/
https://www.assemblies.com/advertising-labeling-packaging/
https://www.zappi.io/web/blog/3-steps-to-better-claims/
