Brands may wish to be careful what claims they put on their printed labels, if the results of a new study are anything to go by.
Researchers at Brigham Young University in the US have discovered that overly-persuasive packaging can cause people to use less of it once they have bought it, decreasing sales in the long term, Packaging Digest reports.
Professor Darron Billeter, one of the authors, explained that terms such as 'clean' on household products and 'whitening' on toothpaste lead consumers to believe a little goes a long way.
"Conversely, they tend to use more of a product when the packaging lacks strong cues of effectiveness," he added.
The study suggested that brands may want to emphasise effectiveness claims on TV advertisement but remove it from peelable labels, or use cues without strongly implying effectiveness to drive sales.
Earlier in 2011, The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research found that one in four people are willing to pay more for a product if they think it will contribute to saving the environment, suggesting printed labels could benefit from green claims.
Denny Bros Ltd, 01 December 2011
