As of December 8, 2023, the European Union (EU) will require wine sold within its member countries to declare ingredients, allergen, and nutrition information on their labels. This regulation has left wineries, exporters, and industry professionals scrambling to find solutions that ensure compliance while maintaining attractive label designs.
Understanding the New EU Label Regulations
Starting from December 8, 2023, all wine products bottled and labeled for sale within the EU must include comprehensive ingredient and nutrition information. The aim of these regulations is to enhance transparency and empower consumers by providing them with essential insights into the composition and nutritional aspects of the wines they purchase. However, wineries are facing challenges regarding limited label space and the need to accommodate additional information without compromising design aesthetics.
To learn more about the new legislation itself, please see EU New Wine Labeling Legislation.
Wine producers are predominantly opting for QR codes and digital labels for compliance, driven by two primary advantages:
- 1. Dynamic QR codes enable them to bypass expensive modifications linked to physical label design updates.
- 2. QR codes can be seamlessly incorporated onto labels, while landing pages (digital labels or e-labels) can be flexibly adjusted and modified over time as necessary.
Challenges for Wineries and the Solution of eLabels
The implementation of the new EU label regulations presents significant hurdles for wineries. Label space is already occupied by mandatory content, such as brand identity, appellation, and warning labels, making it difficult to include extra information without overwhelming the design. Furthermore, the ever-evolving compliance requirements add complexity to the task of keeping labels up to date. Wineries must navigate these challenges while ensuring their labels remain visually appealing and informative for consumers.
To address the issue of label overcrowding, limited packaging space, and evolving compliance requirements, the EU label legislation has approved the use of eLabels. Electronic labels, or eLabels, offer a digital alternative to traditional printed labels by utilizing connected technology, such as QR codes, to provide dynamic product information to consumers. By scanning a QR code, consumers can access a digital interface that displays a wide range of information, including ingredients, nutritional values, allergens, manufacturing details, sustainability certifications, product history, and more.
The Advantages of eLabels
eLabels offer several advantages for wineries striving to comply with the EU label regulations:
- – Automatic Language Translation: eLabels eliminate the need for region-specific label prints or over-stickers by allowing automatic language translation. Mandatory information can be displayed in a language easily understood by consumers where the product is sold.
- – Real-Time Updates and Changes: With eLabels, wineries can amend any issues or errors even after the labels are printed, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- – Reducing Label Overcrowding: By utilizing eLabels, wineries can alleviate the challenge of limited label space and avoid compromising the visual appeal of their designs.
- – Geotargeted Content: eLabels enable wineries to deliver compliant content in the EU while providing sales and marketing content tailored to non-EU regions.
Ensuring Compliance with Connected Packaging
To meet the evolving regulations, wineries may need to leverage separate websites or digital platforms specifically designed to fulfill the requirements. Traditional websites are unsuitable due to their marketing and tracking functionalities. However, connected solutions can enable wineries to comply with EU regulations by utilizing QR code eLabels that provide full compliance. By adopting connected solutions, wineries can ensure compliance in EU markets, offer brand protection, and even deliver sales and marketing content in non-EU markets through geotargeting.
Delivering sales and marketing content in EU markets
Appetite Creative can provide comprehensive support to wineries, as well as beer & spirits brands in label design, creation, and implementation of e-labels and QR codes. We understand the importance of visually appealing labels that comply with regulatory requirements. By leveraging the expertise, Appetite can help wineries create captivating label designs that effectively communicate their brand identity while accommodating necessary information. Additionally, the e-labels and QR code solutions enable wineries to provide dynamic digital content, such as product details, ingredient information, and nutritional values, accessible to consumers through scanning, while reducing the amount of space needed to provide this information on the physical label. Furthermore, the analytics capabilities allow tracking and provide valuable insights on consumer engagement, including the number of scans and geographic locations, empowering wineries to make informed marketing decisions and reach a wider audience.
Delivering sales and marketing content in non-EU markets
Although the new legislation prohibits sales and marketing content and activities via any kind of digital labels, the law refers to EU only. Non-EU markets still have a chance to benefit from digital solutions.
At Appetite, we have the expertise and resources to provide comprehensive support and assistance not only to wineries but also to beer and spirits brands, ensuring their success and growth in the market. With a deep understanding of the beverage industry, Appetite offers tailored solutions that encompass marketing strategies, distribution channels, brand development, and customer engagement. By harnessing our knowledge and experience, we empower wineries, beer brewers, and spirit distillers alike to maximize their potential, establish a strong market presence, and effectively connect with their target audience
Appetite Creative, one of world’s few creative technology studios focused on Connected Packaging, is here to help with exactly that. If you’re looking to build connections and engage with your audience, the following might be interesting to you:
Appetite Creative x Bacardi
Appetite revolutionized Bacardi’s brand experience with an engaging app which was accessed via a QR code. The objective was to highlight the fun and essence associated with Bacardi, creating lasting impressions and brand loyalty. The results were extraordinary. The GDPR-compliant platform captured valuable user data, with users returning twice on average and spending an impressive session length of 2.5 minutes. The competition within the app awarded 12 bottles of rum and over 900 mojitos, amplifying brand awareness and fostering repeat usage.
Appetite Creative x Halewood Artisanal Spirits
In collaboration with Dead Man’s Fingers, Appetite launched their first Connected Experiences campaign, aiming to engage pub-goers across the UK. By bringing the ‘fruit machine’ game to mobile phones, after scanning a QR code, players had a chance to win prizes by matching Halloween Edition bottles. The campaign resulted in over 4,300 game plays within a month, with a high data registration rate of 71.19% and a low bounce rate of 1.97%. The success of the connected experience demonstrated effective engagement and retention of pub patrons.
Conclusion
As the wine industry prepares for the introduction of new EU label regulations, the challenges of limited label space and evolving requirements can be overcome through the use of eLabels and Connected Packaging. By embracing digital technologies and leveraging specialized platforms, wineries can navigate the regulatory landscape while delivering a seamless and engaging consumer experience. With the assistance of agencies like ours, wineries can create eLabels via Connected Packaging, ensuring compliance and providing consumers with the transparency they deserve.
Stay tuned for more insights on our blog, and to discover how our agency can assist wineries brands in implementing eLabels through Connected Packaging for EU compliance.
Final Thoughts for Non-Wineries
As a cutting-edge creative-tech studio, Appetite specializes in leveraging the latest consumer trends, such as scanning QR codes, to enhance brand-consumer interactions. By incorporating Connected Packaging solutions, we enable beer and spirits brands to initiate conversations with their customers, gaining valuable insights into consumer preferences and collecting GDPR-compliant first-party data. This approach empowers brands to deepen their understanding of their target audience, fostering stronger connections and delivering more personalized experiences. Our collaborative efforts ensure that brands can take full advantage of this new consumer trend, creating meaningful engagements while respecting data privacy regulations.