If your brand is setting out to develop, update or refresh your packaging, or search for new packaging suppliers, you’re probably not doing it for sport.

Consumers are starting to invest in fewer, nicer things. They’re no longer accumulating just to accumulate, but seeking out products that feel authentic, unique and designed to last.

There isn’t a clear-cut answer to this question. In fact, “versus” is the wrong word to use when comparing digital and flexographic label printing; neither technology is inherently better or worse than the other.

Digital printing presses have disrupted the traditional label production paradigm. With conventional flexographic presses, you hand your artwork variations off to your printer — and plates are made for every flavor, scent and seasonal variation.

Labels aren’t purely a cost. They’re also an investment in your brand, and deeply affect how consumers perceive your products.

To many consumers, your label is an extension of your brand and, in fact, the label branding — not the product — is often what entices them to put your product in their cart.

Recent neuromarketing studies corroborate this, revealing that minor label material and design changes have a major impact on how consumers perceive products at point-of-purchase.

So when you factor in brand equity, consumer perception and sales uplift, minor cost discrepancies often become inconsequential.

Here, we’ll explain why brands shouldn’t take a “price-first” approach to designing labels or partnering with a label converter. And, for the price-conscious brands out there, we’ll reveal a few ways your procurement team can cut costs without compromising your branding.

When your brand has labels that aren’t sticking correctly, securely or long enough…

Wait, we’ll stop you right there. Label adhesives not performing? That’s not really an option.

You need labels that stick reliably — and your customers do, too.

So how can you guarantee that label adhesion problems won’t affect your products, your brand and your bottom line?

Brand managers rely on labels to perform dependably and consistently: Household cleaner labels with adhesives to withstand the harshest handling, luxury wine labels to hold up in fluctuating outdoor temperatures, water-resistant shower product labels that stand up in the humidity.

This performance is essential — so what is the best way for brand managers to verify it?

Every label converter will boast of their commitment to quality control — such innocuous phrasing is simple to toss into procurement conversations, slip into a company slogan or use to assuage the concerns of your brand’s QC manager.

But what does quality control actually look like for your label converter? And more importantly, how can you as a brand owner verify that it’s valued not just in phrasing, but in practice?

When you strip away all the glitz and glam of product labeling — Consumer trends! Branding! Embellishments! — you uncover one unifying requirement every brand owner has for their labels:

Identical colors and graphics, label after label and order after order.

And the foundation for achieving that level of consistency is laid long before your labels are ever run on the press. It begins with the upfront work done by pre-press.

In this article, we’ll help brand owners by explaining:

• How the role of pre-press before label printing is similar to that of pre-op before surgery

• What brand owners can do to better facilitate the pre-press workflow

• The many ways experienced pre-press departments add value to their label projects

• The benefits of having pre-press and printing under one roof

Walk down any aisle in any store, and hundreds of labels will stare back, vying for your attention. Across product categories, the competition for consumer attention is stiff.

This competition is even more fierce for luxury products (including high-end wines, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, spirits), where premium label embellishments and decorations are key to justifying higher prices. And while no gold medals are awarded for labels that draw the consumer’s eye, sales are lost by those that don’t.

Decorative label varnishes are a powerful tool for brands looking to create a sophisticated label that stands out on a shelf (or website) lined with other luxury products.