Businesses are catching on to the importance of language in building customer loyalty. And the need to make it as simple as possible. On the surface, it seems an impossible task for rigorously scientific brands. But this year, we managed to humanize the language of three science-first health brands by giving them each a unique role to play.
We put AZO, Culturelle, and Estroven under the microscope to understand why their products weren’t flying off the shelves as much as they deserved to. The scientists had created probiotic supplements that beat out the competition in every way. So why were customers skeptical when it came to making the purchase? The culprit: the words on the pack.
Enter Dani McGee – Head of Global Brand and Marketing for these products. Having collabed with us for pack copy at Twinings, Dani knew the power of clear, relatable packaging. And wanted the same fortune for her current brands.
Six months since the project wrapped, we sit down with Dani to talk about her insight into pack copy having over 20 years’ experience in the industry.
Short on time? Here are three highlights.
1. Sometimes we think we need to say everything.
The science tells us that overly-scientific information can bamboozle the average person. Take AZO for example. Some of their products relieve UTI pain and vaginal infection symptoms. Imagine you’re that customer – in such discomfort – staring at shelf of 30 different supplements claiming to do the same thing. Or claiming to do things you can’t even understand. “It creates more angst and becomes an even bigger barrier.”
Tip: It might be tempting to throw all the science in and hope your customer gets it. Or even reads it. But focus only on what your customer needs in that moment to make a buying decision.
2. Is it clear? Is it going to connect?
Packaging is a space to connect with customers. But it comes with a time limit: 7 seconds.
“How you show up on the pack is so critical because you don’t have a huge amount of time. We live in a swipe society – you have to be able to engage someone within a very small number of seconds. That ‘hit’ you need to give them from a front-of-pack perspective has to draw them in right away, and make them want to turn the pack around and read more information.”
“The work that we’ve done together has taken us from a fairly functional and very lengthy back-of-pack to a really great place. When I watch consumers and even internal stakeholders read what’s on the pack, they smile. It resonates. That’s the magic of language and brand coming together.”
Tip: Think about what your customer is feeling when they come to buy your product. Use storytelling techniques like emotive analogies and show up on the pack as if it’s a human-to-human interaction.
3. Using simple language to normalise stigmatised issues
Vaginal infections and menopause are complicated. The language educating people experiencing them doesn’t need to be. “We have a responsibility to women: to make health accessible. They’re looking for solace, somewhere for answers. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously.”
The best way to normalise women’s health is to speak about it clearly – not bury it under big words and technical terms.
Tip: Use Dani’s ‘Grandmother’ test. Take what you’ve written to your grandmother – does she understand what you’re trying to say? Does it scare her? Does it settle her? What questions does she have? Answer them.
