Information the Way It Should Be

By: Leslie G. Sarasin, President and CEO, Food Marketing Institute

Recently my husband Ron and I were watching a movie based on a historical event during World War II. At one point I turned to him and asked, “Did that really happen?”  Not knowing the answer, but being curious, I grabbed my phone, opened a search window, typed in our question and had an answer before Ron could even locate the TV remote and hit pause. 

Not so many years ago, finding the answer to our question would have likely required a trip to the Encyclopedia Britannica or even the library, time to track down resources and hours scouring articles or references in search of the tidbit we wanted. In truth, I probably would have decided it wasn’t worth the effort, leaving the question unanswered and our sense of curiosity frustratingly unresolved. 

The scene described above– or something similar to it – gets played out thousands of times a day in households and offices across America. Our fascination with data has swiftly moved from a mere attraction to a determined expectation. Technology’s gift of speedy access to the facts and figures we want touches every aspect of our lives – including what we expect to know about the food we buy, cook and eat. 

The food questions we have are often very specific; they are tied to individual health needs, related to personal convictions about social causes or directly linked to subjective preferences regarding production methods. Just as no two families are exactly alike, the questions they bring to their food purchases are unique as well. There is simply no possible way we could have the answers to all our customers’ questions fit on the labels of products on the grocery store shelves. That is where SmartLabel® enters the picture. 

SmartLabel® was designed mindful that consumers not only want choice in their products, but also want choice in the way they find information. Depending on their personal preferences, shoppers can engage SmartLabel® by visiting a website, scanning product codes with their smartphone, using the SmartLabel® APP or –where applicable-- by calling an 800 number. SmartLabel® enables customers to quickly find answers to their specific questions by offering targeted access to hundreds of product attributes across food, beverage, household, personal care and pet care products, vitamins, supplements and over-the-counter drugs. This includes information about ingredients, of course, but also about allergens, third-party certifications, usage instructions, social compliance programs, and safe handling.

Currently, the number of products using SmartLabel® exceeds 25,000 items. Reaching this milestone triggers the June launch of a consumer education campaign to raise shopper awareness of this valued information tool. Whether or not your company’s private brands use SmartLabel®, your store teams should be prepared to answer questions about the ways SmartLabel® can help your customers and how your customers can use it for their own advantages. 

The centerpiece of the consumer campaign will be a hero video featuring a You Tube influencer family – The Johnson Fam – who encourages others to “Go Beyond the Label” by demonstrating how SmartLabel® enhances and informs their shopping experience. The video will be sharable and can serve as a great resource to use with your teams and your customers. 

Technology has driven the increased appetite for information, but SmartLabel® satisfies our hunger to know more. It is a great tool offering customers the targeted information they want in the way they prefer to consume it -- transparent information that can be configured according to their questions and in a convenient, quick, easy and satisfying way -- the way technology ought to be. 

 For more SmartLabel® information, go to www.smartlabel.orgor reach out to Doug Baker at dbaker@fmi.org.