Branding: How will your customers know yours?

The demand for more earth friendly food, beverage, body, supplement, and household products has made it increasingly incumbent on manufacturers in the natural and organic sectors to better understand their own, unique branding needs. For these companies it is crucial to become story-tellers of sorts --- to develop their core beliefs and commitments and communicate those ideas with the consumer.

One of the most important pieces of the branding puzzle is product packaging. No matter what else you do, your packaging will be the last and best chance for someone to purchase it. If you don't already, you need to start thinking about your packaging as the ultimate communication tool for your brand.

How many times have you stood in a store going back and forth between "this product or that one". The truth is, if you're debating between two products they're likely pretty similar. So what's the deciding factor? Do you pick up the product? Read the packaging? Whether or not you're aware of it, you're probably basing your decision making on --- you guessed it, branding!

Packaging is particularly important for the natural and organic industries beacuse consumers expect more. More quality, more results, more of a story, more reason to buy. This means that these products have to be different from their mass-marketed counterparts inside and out.

Whatever your message, be sure that it is clearly stated on your label. Do you give a percentage of your proceeds to a charity? Is your product good for families because it offers a healthier solution? Does your product promote environmental sustainability? If so, how? These are the same questions you may have addressed when creating your product. They are your core values and they need to be shared with the consumer.

Things to include on your label, in addition to regulatory demands, for better branding:

your story (core beliefs, contributions, etc.), so that the consumer can better relate to your ideas and build an attachment to them
their story, so that the consumer is clear on what using your product means to them
any trade association symbols (organic, fair trade, gluten free, vegan, etc.) that help to solidify your story and give your brand added credibility
if you've invested in environmnetally friendly labeling, such as PLA or tree-free stocks, say so!
contact information, such as your website, to encourage the consumer's further understanding and connection to your company and ideas