The next time you’re prowling the aisles looking for something new to try, notice what influences your decision making. Are you wooed by a groovy logo or generous portion size; price point, provenance, or perhaps, a gleaming medal on the label?
While awards and medals are synonymous with wine bottles, many food brands use this tactic too. But do they actually lead to more sales?
Yes! But.
🏅 More than 70% of Australians say third-party certifications and awards play into their purchasing decisions. Australian Made Campaign Ltd
🏅 Awards are effective for increasing intent to purchase and willingness to pay, especially when consumers are considering trying something new, gourmet or local. Food Quality and Preference (e.g., Van Herpen et al., 2014)
🏅 A reputable award can boost the perception of quality and desirability for smaller, artisanal brands just starting out.
🏅 Award icons and logos are processed visually very quickly by shoppers, and can contribute to the Halo Effect (where packaging leads to an improved perception of the product, even if it’s kinda average). Journal of Consumer Behaviour (Wang & Minor, 2008)
🏅 Medals and awards can give premium foods and drinks the edge over similarly priced competitors.
Here come the caveats.
⚠️ Credibility matters.
Well known Australian awards like the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, Australian Food Awards, Delicious Produce Awards and the Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards are instantly recognisable. A medal from one of these bad boys is bound to increase brand trust, whereas…
⚠️ Objectivity matters.
…a medal from the Australian Society of Shiny Circles or [insert brand name]’s in-house review will probably backfire.
⚠️ Breathing space matters.
Plastering so many medals onto the front of a packet that it looks like it’s been in a paintball skirmish is not very appealing. One or two credible medals trumps visual clutter any day.
⚠️ Category matters.
You don’t expect to see a Sydney Royal Fine Food Show medal on caster sugar, do you? Premium and specialty products are the logical home for humblebrags, not so much commodity items where people will be looking at the price tag.
👉🏻 There you have it, heavy medal rockers. Did you learn something? Can you tell us more? Hit reply with your award-winning insights.