Image credit: Import canned goods taken by Tomomarusan under Public Domain.
There are lots of issues surrounding product label replacement. For many consumers, it is the way to go. It makes the product more accessible and easier to patronize. This is something that many business owners also consider. For products that are locally made, they normally print the labels in the local language. However, translations are also made if the country has another dominant language or if English is widely used. For products that were imported from another country, the label is usually in another language. Therefore, business owners are in a dilemma on whether to replace the labels or retain them.
The Need for Product Label Replacement
One major reason why product label replacement is important is because a lot of the target customers may not be able to understand the language written on the label. This does not only discourage the customers from buying, but it could place those who have decided to buy one in a great risk. They might buy something that is not appropriate for them or could pose health threats.
Another reason for doing this is that the local company must also be acknowledged. The label might only depict the country in which the product was manufactured. If it was repacked by another manufacturer, then the people need to know about it as well. This is also done for the sake of advertising.
The Dilemma
Though it sounds easy to simply replace the label, it may also have negative repercussions. For instance, it is possible for the people to think that the product is not genuine since the current label is not the actual label. Also, covering something up might be misinterpreted by people. They will think that the company is hiding something. Not all countries are used to importing goods and replacing the label with another label.
The material to be used for label replacement is also another issue. There are lots of materials to choose from such as sticker papers, ordinary papers paired with adhesives or even photo paper. The material depends on the surface of the product container. This is a problem since there is a need to determine which material will last longer. The replacement label should also look as organic as possible so that it won’t affect the overall look of the product.
To top it all, the cost for label replacement is another thing to consider. To begin with, mass production of label replacement would require higher cost. There is also no machine that may cut the actual label and have it pasted on the product. Thus, the process might be done manually and would require the help of more people. This will again result to more operational expenses for the company.
Accurate Translation
In the end, if the company decides to go for a product label replacement, the most important thing is that the label is accurately translated. It is not just about the material used for the label or how to make the label look organic. The exact translation of the words matter the most since this is what the label replacement is intended for in the first place. Translators spend a lot of time just to come up with the right words to avoid messing up the product.