I asked Virpi Korhonen, the founder and Managing Director at PTR (Package Testing and Research), one of our partners in Finland, how she sees the role labeling plays in helping your brand stand apart and reach commercial success.
Korhonen has a long experience in packaging research, and according to her, choosing the right materials for a label and packaging should be more consumer-based, rather than focusing on the brand. You are, of course, the most insightful expert on your own brand, but it’s your consumers who vote up or down with their loyalty. If the product fails to meet their expectations, that loyalty will drift away.
“There’s currently a shift from a product- and service-dominant logic to a more consumer-dominant approach to new product development. It’s important to understand the consumer ecosystem, the driving forces and the challenges they pose. Only in that way, can we devise innovative packaging solutions,” she adds.
Labels and packages are a unique media with a reach of their own
Korhonen explains that research shows 85% of purchase decisions are made without the customer picking up any other products on the shelf. If consumers don’t notice your brand within 3-4 seconds, it is unlikely to end up in the shopping cart.
I think these facts exemplify just why good and carefully selected label materials play a vital role in the commercial success of your brand. A label is the most valuable medium for a brand, with a unique access consumers’ homes and personal spaces. In the long run, that is the basis for building an iconic brand with a loyal customer following.
How the right labeling partner helps make your brand a stand-out
The young consumer generations Y and Z are significantly more environmentally aware than their predecessors. Brands are, therefore, expected to take responsibility and eco-friendliness into account in their packaging decisions.
As the brand owner, it is likely that you share these environmental values with your consumers. A reliable labeling manufacturer that can trace and verify the environmental impact of a package throughout its life cycle is, therefore, an important partner for a brand to work with.
“Material suppliers have started to play a bigger role in product development and environmental consulting for a wide range of industries. In order to succeed, a brand needs to have an edge in product development over its competitors. This is why a responsible and innovative material supplier, who can ensure that the safety and environmental requirements in your packaging are met, is essential,” Korhonen points out.
I couldn’t agree more with Korhonen here: in terms of a value-based service, such as sustainable labeling, mutual trust between your brand and UPM Raflatac is what guarantees success and offers real added value for your brand and consumers.
If you would like to learn more about our innovative solutions that help drive your brand forward, download our free guide to sustainable labeling via the link below:
Read more:
UPM Raflatac enabling circular economy with Reduce, Recycle and Renew
UPM Raflatac and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global
Commitments: Labels are an important link in the Circular Economy