Tempus Two drinks labels

What Aussie consumers are looking for in labels

September 12, 2019
By Alana House

New research has revealed that colour and finish is what consumers value most when it comes to standout drinks labels.

The research was commissioned by Prime Labels and carried out by Honeycomb Strategy, a market research and customer insights agency.

A nationally representative sample of Australians were interviewed through a survey that looked specifically at labelling for craft food and drinks products. The survey covered areas including shape, colour, finish, material and product associations to determine what features of labels resonated most with consumers.

The research, conducted to coincide with the launch of Prime Labels into the Australian market, gives craft producers and business owners new insight into what matters to their target audience when developing product labels for their business.

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” in order to provide clarity for the growing artisan and craft food and drink market in NSW and Australia.

Archie Rose Sydney Opera House

Respondents placed equal importance (35%) on the colour of a craft label and the finish of a craft label, demonstrating that although a brand name and brand identity is vital to conveying a product message, it is also the label itself that can be a potential purchase driver.

Finishing power

Almost three quarters (73%) of consumers agree that a drinks label has the power to make a craft product feel premium. The research revealed that gold and silver are the colours that enable a product to feel premium. Consumers believe a metallic finish (21%) on a label would contribute to driving a higher price point and present a premium craft food or drink product to the market.

Interestingly, when it comes to craft brands standing out among others, the research found that 35% of consumers preferred a matte finish to a gloss finish (26%). And while a matt finish is the most successful way to communicate a product that is of craft origin, only 9% of consumers felt a transparent label was the best finish for a label.

The right environment to succeed

But it’s not only greater appeal to a craft product that a matte finish can add, the research revealed that 63% of those surveyed also associate a matte finish with “eco-friendly”. In terms of label materials, paper is the most popular material for a craft food or drink label (55%). Paper labels have a significantly higher association with environmentally friendly, handmade and organic products.

Choosing the right place on drinks labels

There’s also no doubt that drinks labels have a practical purpose to inform the customer of a product’s positioning, ingredients and benefits. Interestingly, 60% of consumers believe that the information presented on the label is the most important factor, with more than half (54%) of consumers stating that a square or rectangular shape was preferred on a craft label.

When asked consumers to rate the importance of features on a label, 83% of consumers agreed the ingredients and product description (81%) are vital. Country of origin was third (72%) and brand logo came behind all of these with 59% of respondents rating it highly.

Burim Ahmedi, Prime Labels Digital Marketing Manager, said: “Consumers value craft products often for the natural ingredients they contain and 83% of those we surveyed feel that the ingredients should be displayed on the front label of any craft product.”

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