Whether you are a manufacturer or a retailer, sharing information relating to the products you market is part of your must-do’s. Consumer methods have evolved, and consumers wish to have access to a maximum amount of information concerning the products they intend to purchase. The idea of consumer transparency is relevant to all the players of the CPG, but what does that actually imply?
New needs expressed by consumers
The behavior of consumers has evolved in the context of omnicanality, giving them the opportunity to find out about a product before buying it at the physical point of sale or online. But today, basic product information is no longer enough. Many consumers are now looking for transparency and honesty about the products they want to buy and are questioning the existing relationship of trust between them and manufacturers. According to Kantar-2019, 43% of consumers no longer trust at least one brand. But what are they looking for? According to a study published by Trustpilot in 2020, 54% of French consumers prefer to buy from a company with an imperfect "score" but which knows how to recognize its mistakes. It is therefore clear that transparency is a subject to be closely monitored by all manufacturers, whatever the sector.
In this context, it is no longer sufficient to only provide mandatory information. Manufacturers must provide additional information in order to meet the new consumer requirements. Among the non-mandatory data, one worthy mention is the Nutri-Score for food products, labels (ecological, ethical, etc.), special storage conditions, additional information on packaging, advice on use, etc. And this information must also be available on online channels, with the addition of the notion of product visual displays, which are essential for consumers since they cannot handle the product online.
Manufacturers must take into account the issue of availability and legibility of the information subject to transparency. Communicating in a clear and comprehensible manner becomes necessary. With the development of new consumer expectations, several business sectors are being impacted and it is of course the food industry that is at the forefront. But what are the tools to help them disseminate this information to consumers?
Hands-on levers for improved dissemination
Although the concept of transparency is attractive and essential, putting it into practice can be a more complex approach. We propose to guide you on the two levers that will help you in this approach.
Use a PIM platform
Essential for digitizing and sharing your product data sheets with your commercial partners in France or abroad, a PIM solution (Product Information Management) est votre atout is your asset for distributing the information in your product catalogue in omnichannel. Indeed, consumers are looking for reliable and quality information, whatever the channel: e-commerce sites, drives, marketplaces, applications... The PIM solution for digitizing product descriptions makes it possible to simply distribute reliable and comprehensive information. Fill in your mandatory data and a maximum of non-mandatory information then distribute them to your customers in mass distribution, marketplaces, e-commerce sites...
Optimize your products’ visual displays
It is important to remember that product visuals are part of the product data. The visuals of your products are not always compliant, clear to consumers, of sufficient quality or smartphone-friendly, which can negatively impact the promise of transparency as well as the sales of your products in e-commerce. Don't neglect this source of information for the consumer and offer them visuals of all sides of your products that are of sufficient quality to be zoomed in (readability of information).
What about you, how important is consumer transparency to you?
