You’ve poured months, maybe even years, into perfecting your product. The formula is right, your business plan is solid, and your launch date is circled on the calendar. But in the final push to market, you’re probably overlooking one critical component: the product label.
Far more than a sticker, a product label is your silent salesperson and first handshake with the customer. Get it right, and you establish trust and credibility. Get it wrong, and you could face a host of consequences: a failed product launch, costly recalls, or even legal troubles, especially in highly regulated industries such as cannabis, alcoholic beverages, and health and beauty.
But don’t worry, our product launch labeling checklist will guide you through the essential steps to make sure your label is an asset, not a liability.
Why your product label is a core part of your go-to-market strategy
A well-executed launch requires all cross-functional team members, including sales, marketing, and product managers, to be on the same page. The product label is the tangible connection point for their efforts — the physical manifestation of your product positioning.
Your label impacts your product launch day in many ways:
- Empowers your sales team: A compelling label is your team’s most important sales collateral. It clearly communicates your product’s key features and benefits, which they can use to generate demand. To prepare your sales teams to articulate your product’s value, the label plays a key role in both their training and the sales materials they use in the field
- Anchors your marketing campaigns: Your label’s design, colors, and messaging form the visual foundation of your entire marketing plan. Every piece of content marketing and other marketing activities should flow from this central branding.
- Ensures customer satisfaction: The label serves as a vital connection between you and your target customers. It answers their questions, explains product features, and provides clear instructions, building trust that’s essential for customer success.
- Drives competitive differentiation: When your product is on a shelf next to other products, your label is your opportunity to showcase what sets your product apart.
New product checklist: A step-by-step guide to launch-ready labels
To execute a successful product launch, you must plan ahead. Follow this checklist for a seamless launch process.
Phase 1: Product launch strategy
Every successful product launch starts with meticulous pre-launch preparations. During this phase, you conduct market research to define the competitive landscape and establish your desired market positioning for your product.
☐ Identify your target audience
Who is your product for? Your target market shapes every branding decision, so understanding it is key. For instance, a label for a luxury anti-aging serum will look and feel very different from a label for drugstore cosmetics. Research to uncover customer needs, preferences, and expectations.
☐ Conduct market research and competitor analysis
Perform thorough market research on your competition. Consider the existing products that yours will compete against. What colors, designs, and materials dominate their packaging? Analyze these elements to understand market dynamics and pinpoint gaps or opportunities for differentiation.
☐ Define your product positioning
What’s the essence of your brand? Are you all about natural ingredients, clinical efficacy, premium quality, or playful vibes? Your positioning determines your core message, which should guide every design choice, from typography to color palette.
☐ Choose the right packaging materials
Your packaging materials must align with the product’s function and price point. For example, a shower gel requires waterproof, squeezable labels, while a premium cannabis tincture may use textured paper with foil accents to enhance its visual and tactile appeal. The material speaks volumes about the product’s value and usability.
☐ Finalize your container
Lock down the container — whether it’s a bottle, jar, or box — before designing the label. The container affects critical details such as label dimensions and overall presentation.
Phase 2: Design, content, and cross-functional alignment
In this phase, the focus is on accomplishing all the tasks related to design and content while ensuring alignment across all relevant teams for a seamless product launch.
☐ Establish information hierarchy
Prioritize the most important information for your customer, such as:
- Brand/Logo
- Product name
- Key benefits/features
☐ Gather all required copy
- Statement of identity (i.e., what the product is)
- Net contents (e.g., “NET WT. 12 OZ (340g)”)
- Manufacturer/Distributor information
- Ingredient list
- Usage instructions
- Expiration date/batch code
☐ Align with all cross-functional teams
Cross-departmental approval is crucial for product readiness:
- Marketing teams need to approve the branding.
- Engineering teams may need to confirm technical specifications.
- Legal must review all claims to verify compliance.
☐ Secure your barcode
Obtain your UPC or QR code. A barcode that fails to scan can cause disruptions for retailers and distribution channels, leading to delays and potential loss of sales.
☐ Commission professional design
High-quality design is a worthwhile investment. A low-quality design can make your product feel cheap and negatively influence customer perception, discouraging potential buyers from even trying it.
Phase 3: Regulatory and launch readiness
This is the final checkpoint before going to market, making it the most critical phase of your product launch.
☐ Research applicable regulations
Each industry has specific legal requirements for labeling.
- Food and beverage: Product labels must comply with FDA rules for Nutrition Facts panels and allergen declarations.
- Health and beauty: Labels must follow FDA and FTC regulations. Avoid making medical claims (e.g., cures eczema).
- Pharmaceutical: Labels comply with strict FDA guidelines for Drug Facts panels and dosage information.
- Cannabis: Regulations vary by state. Check your local laws regarding warning symbols, potency, child-resistant packaging, and prohibited imagery (e.g., cartoons).
☐ Conduct a legal review
Hire a lawyer specializing in your industry to review the final label proof. This small investment can save you from the significant cost and damage of a forced recall.
☐ Proofread meticulously
A single typo can undermine your brand’s credibility. Read every word on the label carefully, then have at least three other people do the same. Double-check for spelling, grammar, and especially numerical errors in net weight, volume, or dosage.
Phase 4: Production and post-launch planning
In this stage, you’ll bring your product’s digital packaging design to life and plan ahead for what comes next.
☐ Choose the right labeling services partner
You need more than a printer; you need a labeling services expert. A partner such as Pro-Motion Industries knows how to work with the specific materials, adhesives, and finishes your product requires.
☐ Order a printed proof
Never skip this step since a digital file on a screen can look very different from a physical label. A printed proof allows you to verify colors, feel the material, and test the label on an actual container.
☐ Establish user feedback loops
You can use your label to gather feedback. Add a QR code that links to a survey, offers technical support, or encourages customer engagement on social media.
☐ Conduct a post-launch evaluation and document lessons
After your product release, conduct a post-launch analysis. Did the label perform well? Did you receive customer feedback (positive or negative) about its clarity or design? Collect these customer insights and document lessons learned from your product launch performance to improve your strategy for future launches and product updates.
Avoid these common product launch-killing labeling mistakes
Don’t let these usual labeling mistakes ruin your product launch:
- Illegible fonts: That beautiful script font might look good up close, but if it’s unreadable from a few feet away, it’s not working. Always choose clarity over style.
- Wrong materials: A paper label on a shower gel bottle will disintegrate quickly. Always match your label material to the product’s intended environment.
- Illegal claims: Claiming your all-natural CBD gummy cures anxiety could trigger an FDA warning letter and force you to pull your product.
- Critical typo: A label that displays “1000 mg” when the actual amount is only “100 mg” can lead to a massive recall and a major loss of customer trust.
Partner with labeling experts for a successful product launch
Your product label plays a key role in connecting your business to your potential customers. Neglecting it is a risk you can’t afford. Use this product launch checklist to create a label for your product that also serves as a powerful sales material.
When you partner with us at Pro-Motion Industries, you get a labeling and product decoration partner. We’ve guided hundreds of brands in the cannabis, health, and food industries from a simple concept to a stunning, compliant, and successful launch. Contact us at 856-809-0040 to get started.