In today’s connected world consumers are increasingly using the Internet, tablets and smartphones to dig up extra product information beyond what is on the label or packaging. Eager to make their customers happy, producers should be concerned about the quality of data that they provide. Besides, without comprehensive product descriptions their businesses will not be legit anymore. From December 2014 manufacturers are obliged to meet new EU trade regulations on product information application in the food industry.

Access to satisfactory product data seems essential, yet contemporary digital marketplace often leaves consumers with inaccurate, incomplete or…no data. In a consumer research conducted by GS1 UK and the Cranfield School of Management, 91 percent of mobile barcode scans returned incorrect product descriptions and 75 percent returned no data at all. Regardless of legal requirements, providing accurate, trusted digital data to consumers is essential to help them make informed choices in the world dominated by smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.

Most Wanted: Nutrition and Ingredient Information

Another survey revealed that most people want more information about products. 77 percent of the 650 women and 350 men participating on the survey said that they are “very to somewhat” influenced by the quality of content (descriptions, copy, images and tools) on a particular website. Moreover, 79 percent “rarely or never” purchase a product without complete product information. When faced with incomplete information, 72 percent go to a competitor or research further. When shopping for food, 68 percent of consumers are interested in information on energy/calories of a given product, 67 percent want information on saturated fats and 65 percent need to know sugar content. They actively research nutrition information, allergens and ingredients online and on their mobile devices, and are often concerned that some information may either be inaccurate or out-of-date.

Images That Speak Volumes

Quick to respond to consumer needs, some firms are already offering comprehensive solutions. One of leading providers of free product images, nutrition and ingredient information, Kwikee created an API (Application Programming Interface) for retailers and e-commerce developers that need information for consumer products. The Kwikee API aims at providing companies with a trusted source of accurate product information and images from the thousands of brands who pay for their product content to be represented in Kwikee's database. Manufacturers concerned about EU regulations and product image quality will be happy to use another new tool. Offered by HiperCom, 360Dataview is the solution that delivers full product information including GS1 standard, barcodes pictures for printing, pictures for digital use, 360 photos for e-commerce and packaging images for shelves planning. The firm runs a database which provides all data and images for immediate product identification. Uploaded by a manufacturer, all necessary data is easily available to a number of different retailers. Finally, by providing manufacturers with 360 shots displaying essential product information and enabling them to share product data via GS1 framework, the solution is compatible with new EU regulations.

Sources: http://www.gs1.org; http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com; http://www.getelastic.com; https://www.hiper-com.com