Soap Labels May Help Revive Sales

Bar soap is back, and soap labels will help brands effectively position their soap products. Over the past decade, liquid soap and body wash were "the suds of choice," as Advertising Age put it. Most Americans preferred using liquid soap over body soap, whether it was because of price, function or some other reason.

However, bar soap has made a noteworthy comeback in recent years. Citing data from Mintel, Advertising Age noted that in 2011, mass retail sales of bar soap increased 4.7 percent to $1.2 billion. While total sales trailed behind at $1.9 billion, the year-to-year growth was almost double. Many people view bar soap as almost a luxury, old-fashioned way of washing down - it does not feature the same manufactured fragrances of body washes and gives a more pure clean.

Plus, bar soap can be made at home, and many Americans have made a hobby of creating their own soap, much like crafting a home-brewed beer.

"People try handmade bar soap for different reasons - [for] some, it has to do with allergies, sensitivities to [mass-produced] fragrances," Cathleen Timberlake, president of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild, told the news source. "But I also think there's just a big interest in products that are homemade."

Soap Stickers are Important for Commercial and Private Makers Alike

With sales for bar soap on the rise, homemakers and commercial sellers alike need to take another look at their soap labels. For personal use manufacturers, soap labels will help them tell the different bars of soap they make apart from one another. Additionally, custom printed labels make their product look nicer and more professional, which is important if they want to give their soap bars away to others as a gift.

For commercial sellers, labels are even more important. This is their tool to stand out on shelves and make an impression on potential buyers. Not only does the package need to be well-designed, it needs to effectively convey the brand's values and messaging through both graphics and marketing slogans. Legally, the bar soap must also feature product ingredient lists so customers understand what they are buying. This is particularly important for allergy purposes, people do not want to buy products that will cause an adverse reaction.

Waterproof Custom Design Labels Keep Branding Intact

By working with a professional printing company, bar soap manufacturers can get custom design labels that will stand out on store shelves. Of course, for bathroom products, it is important that manufacturers also consider the environment in which their goods will be stored - the bathroom. This means it will be quite likely their soap will come in contact with water.

If labels are not designed adequately, contact with water may cause the label to dissolve. By making them waterproof, however, manufacturers can ensure their branding stays intact until customers open and begin using the product.