Personalized Labels Effect on Recycling and Reuse

Were you the kid who would search through every hook on the key chain stand during your family vacation only to walk away empty handed because you have a less-common name or an uncommonly spelled name? If you were, I bet if you finally found your name plastered on anything– even a pair of socks, let’s say– you would snatch it up and never let it go. Well, for all of you Xaviers and Aimees out there, you may be in luck. 

More and more companies are finding that personalized labeling not only boosts sales but increases recycling and reuse rates of products, as well. We’ve all seen this type of labeling presented on Coke cans– recommending who to share with or promoting different sports teams. When a customer finally finds the one can that speaks to them directly, it often times becomes more of a novelty to display on the shelf in an office or a home rather than a refreshing drink. Furthermore, these labels make the consumer look at the label for a longer amount of time and with more attention to detail than one that is non-customized. This not only drives a stronger connection between the company’s brand and consumer preference but it also increases the chance that they will see the chasing arrows or How to Recycle directions. Because the consumer has a more personal connection with this product, they are more likely to take better care of it– either by keeping it around longer as a momentum (reusing) or making sure it serves its purpose at its end of life (recycling).

The trend of personalization has manifested in many other product types as well. Beyond the O.G. key chains, we are seeing personalization on water bottles, chip bags, laptop stickers, you name it. General personalization is by no means a new concept. Speaking directly to your target audience is Marketing 101. However, it is the one-off, very specific individualization that drives such a strong connection between product and consumer. It’s about speaking directly to those who have not paid much attention before and driving an emotional connection- even if it is a subconscious one. Not only does this level of customization drive initial interest to purchase the product due to its novelty, but it makes us as consumers feel more attached to the product because it has made a genuine connection with us.

So, how does one create these personalized labels? Short run digital printing. If you are interested to tap into the potential of customized labels, check out Arrow Systems’ Anytron Anyjet Digital Printer and In-Line Finisher— This technology can print high quality labels at any time in your preferred quantity. It also has the capability of cutting labels with complex images at high speeds. This minimizes unnecessary inventory costs and facilitates customer satisfaction through fast lead time. The Bebop CPM-100G5 allows for you to create and print your own custom labels in smaller quantities so you can produce exactly the amount of labels you want when you want them. You may also want to explore the capabilities of our Colordyne 2800 Mini Laser Pro. With this, you’ll be able to seamlessly merge designs and layouts with text, images, barcodes and database information to handle the needs of personalization as well as security packaging, tracking, and micro-segmentation.

This level of personalization gives your product more than just a functional purpose. The emotional connection that it derives begins at first glance of the product on the shelf and extends throughout the product’s life cycle. The added dimension of consumer identification produces a longer lasting and deeper consumer-product relationship than a general label would. Try it out with your labels! And make sure to include a special run for the Aimees and Xaviers.