There are a number of buzz words that can help you to sell a product. These include things like cleansing and detoxing. Right now though, there are few terms that are more compelling to consumers than the word “natural.” But should you use it?
Should You Use the Word “Natural” On Your Packaging?
In this post, we’ll explore why you should and why you shouldn’t use the word “natural” on your packaging. In addition, we’ll review the implications of this very charged word. Finally, we’ll discuss how appropriate (and beneficial) it might be to your business/product to include it.
Why People Love the Word Natural
Of course, placing natural on your product is likely to help it sell. The reason for this is that people have become increasingly conscious about the number of unwanted additives and the heavy amount of processing that goes into products. This particularly relates to foodstuffs, as well as cosmetics, supplements, and beauty products.
Take the average diet of an American man or woman, and it will include a large number of foods that are heavily processed. This means they’ll have gone through numerous stages before reaching the consumer, which in turn might have altered the texture, chemical composition, flavor, and more. Often, this will involve adding flavoring and preservatives, freeze-drying, blending, grinding, sieving, boiling, heating, and cooling.
The result is that very often, the food that ends up on the plate has lost most of its nutritional value. It will often be devoid of any beneficial properties, and more likely to simply spike your blood sugar, increase inflammation, and potentially even cause other side effects such as hormonal imbalances.
The same thing applies to supplements and beauty products. Many beauty products and cosmetics include additives that may irritate the skin, or that might increase the production of estrogen. All this and those products also tend to be harmful to the environment. In short, they plunder natural resources but can’t be recycled.
The human body evolved in nature, and as such, it has been optimized to respond to the nutrients and properties found therein. Organ meat, salad, vegetables, and more: these things contain far greater nutrient density at a fraction of the calories/simple sugars.
This is before we even discuss GMOs and other modifications. Therefore, natural products are not only seen as healthier but also as a mark of pride and a lifestyle choice.
Is It Appropriate?
BUT there is also some disagreement as to just how appropriate this term often is. The issue is that the term has been extremely overused and has in many ways become meaningless. Almost any food, or any supplement, is going to have gone through some steps that make it less natural.
For example, even if you eat a vegan meal, it will still have been heated up, packaged (which exposes it to parabens and other issues), mixed with other things, frozen, salted, and more.
The most paleo meal on the planet is never going to be completely natural unless it is consumed in the exact same form it was found lying on the ground!
The same goes for supplements and hair products: the very process of bottling them makes them “unnatural.”
And things are not immediately superior because they are natural anyway. After all: most medication is “unnatural” but we would die without it. Understanding how to manipulate our resources is what makes us human, and helps us to thrive beyond other animals. Promoting “natural” products may simply add to the oversimplification of this discussion.
So should you add this term to your packaging?
The reality is that most other businesses are, which means you will need to use similar strategies to stand out. The difference you can make is simply to elaborate on that phrasing in your supplementary materials. Don’t be vague. Explain what you mean by natural, and help to empower and educate your customers!
What can Fortress Nutrition LLC do for you?
Rest assured that you’re in good hands with Fortress Nutrition. To learn more about how we tailor our blending, ingredient sourcing, logistics, consumer packaging, and other services to meet customer needs, and to find out how we can partner with you to ensure compliance with new GMO laws, contact us today.