WHAT IS IT? WHAT YOU DON’T SAY CAN HURT YOU.

Have you ever got a package or gift and upon opening asked, “What is it?” While surprises can be delightful, receiving product with improper labeling is confusing, and can damage your business.

Let us tell you a quick story. A client sent us a package and asked that we look at the item inside and provide feedback. When the box arrived, We opened it to find a very modern, shiny, and futuristic envelope from a popular direct-to-consumer (D2C) fashion brand. With our curiosity on overload, we ripped open the highly reflective, flashy foil envelope inflated with tiny bubbles to protect its precious contents. Denise reached inside and pulled out something wrapped in branded tissue paper and tied with a fabric bow. “Pretty packaging,” Denise said out loud.

She pulled off the bow, unrolled the tissue paper to discover a long, round transparent glass tube with a shiny silver top. The brand name was in red raised letters with crystal-clear liquid inside. It was gorgeous but what was it?

We rummaged through the box and envelope hoping to find product materials but there was nothing. We twirled the glass tube around, looked on the top, then the bottom, but the only copy was the name of the company. We took off the top and discovered a silver rollerball and continued to question, “What the heck is this?”

As we stood staring at the glossy product and thoughtfully branded packaging, we had a lot of questions:

• Is it a lip gloss, facial product, or fragrance? …DON’T KNOW

• Does it have a name? …NOPE

• What does it do? ...NO CLUE

• Are there directions? ...NOPE

• Are there ingredients listed? …NOPE

We went to the brand website and discovered it was a fragrance! . Oh, and sold for a premium price to boot.

What if one of us had applied it to our lips thinking it was a lip gloss? Or under our eyes as an eye serum? What if we had a known allergy and wanted to review the ingredients before using it?

Proper product descriptions and labeling are not just good marketing, but also required by law when selling something.

Here are our words of advice.

• A product must clearly communicate what it is, how to use it, size, and ingredients at a minimum.

• Packaging can be fun and engaging but make sure there is attention to details and know what is required.

• Most outer packaging gets tossed so some details should be on the primary component itself.

• Brands need to ensure products are compliant with labeling regulations to protect consumers.

• Should a consumer have an issue, it’s incumbent on the brand to make the MSDS/SDS available.

Here to help.

If you’d like help with your packaging or other parts of your business, we are here to help guide you and answer questions. Contact us for a complimentary discovery call at info@buzzbeaute.com or visit our website at www.buzzbeaute.com.