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Putting the Best Face Forward on Labels

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By: Jamie Matusow

Editor-in-Chief
A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on the face of a personal care product. Not only does a label tell the story of the product, but it is also the vehicle to grab a consumer’s attention on increasingly crowded shel-ves. Label industry innovations have led to the popularity of clear labels, foil-stamping, silk-screening and holographics to achieve what every manufacturer dreams of—market sovereignty.

For example, in the food industry, Campbell soup has changed its traditional red and white label to a label with the same color scheme and an additional bowl of soup. The bowl tantalizes the consumer’s hunger and anticipation of a future meal, and effectively competes with Progresso soup, which also features a photo.
Clairol Herbal Essences ignited the clear film label “look-through” trend.
But what works in the soup section doesn’t always transfer to the shampoo aisle. A personal care item is much more complicated, with specific active ingredients, regulations, results, fragrances, and most importantly, dazzling trimmings to distinguish it from its competitive neighbors, according to industry sources.

“Labels on grocery shelves need shelf appeal; they have to jump off of the shelves,” said Bob Biava, president, Driscoll Label Company, Inc., Fairfield, NJ. “Consumers want to anticipate the virtue of the product before they pick it up and experience the product visually before buying it.”

And even with all of the diverse options in the industry, labels have begun to replace the ever-popular direct silk-screening which is permanently printed on the bottle, irreversible and limited in design, according to label executives. “Labels make a statement about the richness of the product,” opined Paulette Carnes, vice president, sales and marketing of Garden Grove, CA-based Ampersand & Label, Inc. “Silk-screening has limited colors and images. These companies are now turning to labeling, especially for tubes, which are gaining ground in the cosmetic industry.”

And since 80% of the buying decision is made at the shelf, image limitations can hurt the sale of a product. In the past year, several big name personal care manufacturers have completely overhauled their packages. This is much like a balancing act on a tight rope; the package and the label must look up-to-date while retaining some aspects of its former image to help consumers identify the brand.

“Six major companies have made complete makeovers in the last 18 months at Tape & Label Engineering,” said Bob White, president, Tape & Label Engineering, St. Petersburg, FL. “Makeovers really make an impact. The better the package looks, the more likely people will put it in their shopping bag. One product was virtually unrecognizable in terms of bottle shape, color, cap and a clear label. There were less severe makeovers too, but they took place nonetheless.”

The makeover concept has caught on like wildfire, according to Tom Silvano, president, Label Graphics, Little Falls, NJ. “If the competition is getting the leg-up with a makeover, others must react or they will get left behind. Whatever the message is, it will make the sale.”

Another labeling challenge is the adaptation of an original design to existing technology and materials. According to Mr. Silvano, a label manufacturer’s job is to make sure an image is printable and adheres to the package. Executives can adjust or adapt an image to obtain the desired impact or to make the end results more cost-effective. For example, a product line may have multiple flavors or fragrances and their distinction is important. There are many ways to relay what each flavor is, such as printing a peach, orange or banana on separate labels. Or to save costs, all of the fruits can be printed on one label to keep label changes to a minimum.
Industry experts agree that label designs have become more elaborate and upscale, especially in department stores where the subtlety of packaging really sells, according to Mr. Biava. At the same time, packages are expected to meet aesthetic standards, before and after the use of a product.
Clear labels have gained momentum in the market, allowing more space for text and advertising with a clean feel.

“Manufacturers are getting to the point where they want their packaging to look good and be durable even when the consumer is done and ready to throw it away, to keep them coming back for more,” said Mr. Silvano.

What You See Is What You Get
With today’s time-starved consumer, the bells and whistles of a label must deliver a power-packed punch at first glance. Not only do consumers need to know the product’s latest technology but also the value of the product. And a quality-looking package speaks volumes to the consumer.

“Personal care labels need something new and different,” said Bill O’Don-nell, sales representative, Laser Excel, Santa Rosa, CA, a division of Green Lake, WI-based Ste-ncil Aire. “If it looks intricate, interesting and expensive, consumers will think it’s worth the price. For example, there are 50 or 60 different Chardonnay wines at a store. If you don’t know much about wine when you go to the store, you will choose the one with the most attractive label.”

Metallic inks and tactile finishes such as a dusty feel or raised type are also gaining popularity. Shrink sleeves, such as Arizona Iced Tea’s label, has a tremendous conforming ability to any kind of container and has been applied on Johnson & Johnson’s children’s shampoos to highlight cartoon characters. Holographic details and images have also been gaining ground in the past few years. The process is delivered via a hot-stamp process and is seen on many toothpaste boxes, such as Rembrandt and Colgate Total. “Holo-graphics are really eye-catching and set the product off from the competition,” said Label Graphics’ Mr. Silvano. But perhaps the most prevalent label trend identified by label manufacturers is that of the clean, no-label look, such as Clairol Herbal Essences’ shampoo.

“There is a trend toward simplicity in the overall look of labels and moving all the gobbledygook to the backside,” said Driscoll Label’s Mr. Biava. “Labels are very clean, instead of reading ‘new and improved’ or listing ‘starburst’ ingredients. They are designed to look great on the shelf or in the shower.”

Combinations of the aforementioned trends are also increasingly in demand. For a recent deodorant label, Philadel-phia-based Star Label Products used a clear label screen print with four colors and hot-stamped silver on top.

“A lot of products have utilized clear labels, silk-screening, full-color graphics and hot-stamping, making labels and print processes more creative,” said Star Label’s Irv Magill, sales manager. “This is especially true in clear hand soaps so you can read right through the product. Fancy type can also be seen on the adhesive and outer label.”

Clearly the Winner
Laser Excel offers intricate label designs as an alternative to die-cutting.
If an upscale image and a money-saving label are major priorities, clear film labels are the way to go. There has been an incredible boom in demand for this look in clear liquid products, such as shampoos and shower gels, label industry executives said.

“Clear labels are dominating the market,” remarked Tape & Label Engineering’s Mr. White. “The ultra clear and invisible nature of products are what customers are looking for. The trend has also been growing for a pastel, soft look of late, more so than in years past. Yet there is also bold and vivid, depending on the customer category you are trying to reach.”

Clear labels create a seamless package with an adhesive that is applied smoothly, making the print look as if it is directly stamped onto the bottle. It also adds perceived value and allows the appeal of a colorful bottle to show through.

“You can have a very rich-colored bottle and maintain the color of the bottle with a clear label. For example, Bath & Body Works products look like they are silk-screened, yet they have vibrant color,” commented Ampersand & Label’s Ms. Carnes.

The similar physical properties of a clear film label and a plastic bottle are also highly desirable for distribution, especially in inclement weather or unforeseen traveling conditions from manufacturing plant to retailer. “The shift from paper to film labels, especially for glamorous or more sophisticated products, is due to the fact that plastic expands and contracts with the bottle, while paper bubbles up and wrinkles,” explained Elisha Tropper, president, Prestige Label, Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Tropper also noted that less is more, and this dignified clear-label look has filtered from high-end cosmetic packages to smaller private label manufacturers, who are also trying to increase perceived value.

Beam Me Up, Scotty
From advances in medicine to intricate wine labels, lasers are also creating quite a stir. Laser Excel, a Santa Rosa, CA-based laser label manufacturer formerly called Laser Craft, began with desk furnishing engravings in the 1960s and moved on to paper in the 1970s. Today, it produces labels such as a unique lace-like wine label, called a wine owl, on the bottom of the bottle.
Ampersand’s FlexView multi-panel label gives extra room for regulatory information.

“Laser filagree die-cut labels, which look like paper doilies, are up and coming. Lasers evaporate the excess parts of the label to make lacy or intricate cuts that are not possible with rotary tools,” noted Mr. Biava of Driscoll Label.

Laser Excel in particular uses a sheet feed paper-cutting system in which individual sheets are lifted off an in-feed stack by vacuum pickers and carried though a scanning laser beam that vaporizes selected areas of the paper. This process leaves no scrap and no physical tools come in contact with the cut area. The sheet is then carried out of the machine on a conveyor and stacked on a tray. According to Laser Excel’s Mr. O’Donnell, this type of labeling is just bridging over to personal care products.

Mr. O’Donnell insisted laser cutting catches the eye of the consumer and 50% of selling is getting the customer to stop and look. Secondly, they provide cutting options not possible with traditional die-cutting. Laser Excel laser filagree labels can run the whole gamut—everything from olive oil to wine to catalogs.

Much like other label manufacturers, there is also an in-house team at Laser Excel to convert a logo design, for example, into a laserable package, keeping with a corporate image and providing sturdiness en route.

A Label with Many Faces
Clear film and laser labels aside, several new Food and Drug Administration regulations for personal care products, such as “drug fact” panels for SPF items, has spurred the creation of labels that provide more area for information. And as manufacturers scurry to meet these needs, demands have increased for multiple-sided labels.

“We now have the ability to do multi-labeling to tell the story of a product on a bottle and regulatory demands, without taking up marketing space,” said Ampersand’s Ms. Carnes.

Ampersand offers four informational labeling options. EasyTab is a two to four layer resealable label that features opening and closing panels for usage, coupons or regulatory information on 40- to 500cc bottles. TwinView is for cosmetic items such as mascara, tubes, nail polish and eye shadow. It features a top panel for company identification and the product’s name and ingredients on the back panel. TwinView also features three layers of labeling space with an optional hinges and a “peel here” area. Ampersand’s Multi-fold labels are one to six double-sided printed panels in a clear or paper base that can be machine applied in any direction. And lastly, FlexView is a conformable, two-layer lift-up label for tubes and custom-shaped bottles.
Lorac cosmetics chose Ampersand’s TwinView label, which offers 3 layers (front, inside top and inside bottom).
Bottle size changes could also accommodate the text but label alterations are much more feasible and less expensive. And since limitations also exist on bottle size, manufacturers have little choice.

“There are regulations for type, size and ingredients,” explained Mr. White of Tape & Label Engineering. “It really depends on the product to determine the varying levels of regulations needed for claims in certain typefaces. If the ingredients are benign, the manufacturer only needs to list phone numbers and contact information or general postings for concerns. But by and large, ingredient listings are there to help the consumers make a purchasing decision.”

In addition to squeezing regulations and ingredients onto labels, many companies also print several languages on one label, or create a different label for each region in which items are sold.

“Multinational companies require multiple languages on the same package as far as instructions, recipes, directions, warnings and ingredients,” explained Mr. Silvano of Label Graphics. “Rather than multiple labels for multiple SKUs for different countries, one label is used for all of the countries.”

“Some big companies no longer use the same label in different markets; the labels are customer-based,” countered Mr. Tropper of Prestige Label. “For example, a detergent in Quebec may list French, while one in Miami may have Spanish. Or a product targeted for the beach in California is marketed for the mountains in Montana. Companies are realizing it is hard for them to effectively compete with just English labels,” he continued. “This is where private label manufacturers have taken a bite out of the market—it is easier to do this on a micro level.”

Promo from the Get-Go
Multiple-sided labels not only provide room for regulatory information, but can also be an advertising vehicle using testers, coupons and contests to promote products.

“Promotions have been around for many years, but more are crossing over into the consumer products packaging industry,” noted Mr. White.

With the rise of piggyback and direct mail labels (pe-el-off and stick, scratch-off and scratch and sniff labels), consumers can often sample their purchase before they actually buy it. Mr. Biava of Driscoll Label noted this trend uses everything from mon-ey-saving extras to scent sampling. This is directly related to the slowing economy, executives insisted, since consumers are looking for ways to cut corners and keep tabs on the pocketbook.

“Promotional labels such as re-deemable coupons, mail-in rebates, contests and games have increased in the slowing economy because people are looking for a value-added product,” said Mr. White. “It is the least expensive way to add volume to a package and is driven predominantly by the market we’re in right now.”

Wallet Savers
Consumers aren’t the only ones watching their wallets, manufacturers are too. Lowering manufacturing costs is a priority for most manufacturers to get more bang for the buck without compromising quality or perceived value. Label manufacturers need to know a company’s budget and distribution to present the most cost-effective options. Silk-screening tools require an expensive set-up price, which can hurt small companies with smaller runs, according to experts. In addition, silk-screening cannot accommodate high-end graphic designs or easily fix mistakes.

“It is not always more cost-effective to silk-screen, many large companies have silk-screening in-house,” said Ampersand’s Ms. Carnes. “But labels allow you to create an image to get branding started and are more likely to be used for high-end graphics and complex colors, to keep costs down or lower warehouse space and alter labels as needed, instead of throwing away bottles as you would with silk-screening.”

The same bottle can also be used with different labels to differentiate the SKUs instead of buying different bottles. Most experts agree that this is the most cost-effective option.

“The key to the industry in general is producing more SKUs in shorter runs,” opined Mr. Tropper of Prestige Label. “Hand in hand with improved technology, especially in the private label and HBA industries, the service front is focusing on smaller quantities with multiple labels. Our digital press, Indigo Webstream, doesn’t sacrifice quality in small runs. It enables us to avoid costly plates and setup, and can produce labels straight from an art file in the same colors as a flexographic printer. It is designed for shorter runs and faster turn around times.”

Scaled-down models also reduce costs for small shops to increase label consistency instead of labeling by hand, according to Mr. Tropper. And most importantly, improved communication and future label plans need to be present at a product’s inception to reduce manufacturing costs. Prestige Label offers a production and inventory control system in which weekly reports are printed a week in advance so customers can anticipate their needs and change them as needed. Also, when a minimum of stock is reached at the facility, executives begin production again so there are always quantities available in emergencies, Mr. Tropper said.
Prestige Label’s efficient Indigo Omnius Webstream digital press specializes in multiple SKU programs without plates and a memory to store artwork.
On The Technology Front
New label technology has improved label performance for both aesthetics and cost-effectiveness. In the past five years, industry executives cited several changes in all areas of label production, from UV inks (instead of water-based) to UV flexographic printers.

“Technology has improved in all of the components, not just in any singular area, but together they have made a huge impact on the industry,” explained Mr. White. “Printers now create extremely high-resolution graphics. Five years ago, a 150-175 line screen print was the best; now 175 is standard and 200 is on the leading edge, with testing occurring at 250.”

These leaps in technology were made possible by the industry’s determination to push the envelope as hard as it could around seven years ago, according to Mr. White. Flexographic printers now print at the rate of other printers. Combination printing such as rotary, UV flexo and hot-stamping has mushroomed in the past five to 10 years. One-color silk-screened labels have changed to multi-holographic stamps with UV flexographic printing to create powerful designs. Materials too have changed.

“The amount of poly-propylene and polyester film labels has increased, and though we continue to print labels on paper every day, clear films provide durability against moisture and add shelf appeal to a line,” Mr. Silvano said.

 With these technological changes comes the re-evaluation of lines and how labels are manufactured.
“Prestige Label offers six-color process printing. Trad-itionally it has been a four-color process combining four colors to make virtually any color,” Mr. Tropper explained. “Now the two additional colors in the six-color process make images very eye-catching and vivid, like magnifying an impression. It is like watching an old TV and then watching a high resolution TV. Cur-rently, many manufacturers are working to redesign their 4-color combinations to the six-color process.”

At Your Service
Perhaps the most important thing a label manufacturer can deliver is service. Executives strive to share the most up-to-date information and technology, cost-effective options and efficiency available, but these cannot be accomplished on just one side of the partnership. Herein lies a paradigm.

“From our servicing perspective, it is our challenge to continuously improve the quality of our products and the breadth of our materials, while increasing efficiency,” Mr. Tropper offered. “The paradigm is that longer runs decrease costs, but how are costs maintained over a large number of SKUs? The only way is through the partnership of labelers and manufacturers.”

With that said, once both sides understand one another’s processes, it can only encourage the exchange of information to improve a product’s image. After all, everyone wants to put their best face forward, especially on the face of a personal care product.

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