A few weeks ago, I was speaking with a friend and colleague and he we started talking about the labels of supplements. “Who designs them?”, “What difference does the label make?” And so on.
It got me thinking. The question is not really “does the label really matter?”, it’s “How much does your brand matter?” Because your label is a reflection of and representative of your brand – all day and all night.
Is your label important? Well only you can decide for you, whether or not you think your label is important. But for me, it is not just important, it’s one of the most important decisions you can make when creating or defining a brand.
I gave this more thought and came up with what I consider to be the “dos” and “donts” regarding the labels on supplements. Here they are:
The Dos and Don'ts of Supplement Label Designs
Let’s begin with the easy part – the dos include:
- Do have legible or easy to read text
- Do make it as clear as possible what product in inside the bottle
- Do explain to the customer the benefits of the supplement
- Do include on the label instructions on how to benefit from taking the supplement
- Do make the supplement look like something that is appealing to your customer
Now, the don’t seem a bit harder but here goes my initial list:
- Don’t make it difficult to read or understand the product
- Don’t include information that is not important
- Don’t use a lot of different fonts
- Don’t have a confusing message
- Don’t copy some other companies design
I think a lot of people make the simple mistake of thinking they know what the customer will like without even asking a customer.
I think a lot of people could benefit tremendously from doing one simple thing – taking a survey.
Survey Real People And Use The Results
I cannot tell you how many times I have seen someone run a survey, get results, and then ignore them. I’m not saying you would ever do that dear reader, but I have seen it happen.
Look, the point of any survey is to get useful feedback from real people. “Do you think red or blue represents a calming supplement for dogs?” Well, 75% or more people would say “blue” so you then use blue as the primary color. Or you use red and the whole survey was wasted.
The point here is, the CUSTOMER is the one buying, not you and not me. As much as I would like to buy every supplement we manufacture, I simply cannot. The customer is the final authority who decides whether or not your product is beneficial enough for them to decide to buy it.
So, find as many people as you can and write up a quick survey, and ask them honestly what they prefer. You may be surprised at their answers. It may just confirm what you already know. But, either way, you can use the information to create your label(s) knowing that others would be somewhat interested in buying it.
My Thoughts On Supplement Label Designs
My thoughts on supplement designs are simple. I prefer simple labels that show me what is inside, and make it easier for me to make a decision. Sometimes I get questions from startup companies or their owners rather, and they ask me if I like their labels.
I usually find something about their labels that I do like and I tell them. But many still don’t really know how competitive the space is. If your supplement is on a shelf, it’s probably right next to other supplements that are similar in some way. So, you are competing directly with other “like” supplements. It’s not always easy to stand out. Some are better than others. Some supplements has long, established branding, and some are just more attractive than others.
The one thing that I will say is that your supplements have to represent YOU and YOUR BRAND. If you stand for animal rights, show that on the label. Show it on every label. If you really care about gut health and your probiotics and greens are all about gut health, show that.
I think the most effective labels are the ones that really show where the brand and company are at. It shows their company and beliefs if possible. It at the very least represents them positively. And it doesn’t take a lot of work to make that happen.
Just decide what about your company and product line is unique, or how you think, or what you do, or whatever makes you who you are. People love stories and they love to relate. So, to make a great label, talk to your audience and tell them how great your supplement it. The label is your message.
