One-third of consumers worldwide don't know what "clean label" means

According to Canadean Ltd., London, Caribou Coffee and Mars are the latest big players to embrace clean labeling. The former committed to removing all artificial flavorings by the end of 2016, while the latter will phase out artificial colors from its food and drinks globally over the next five years. However, Canadean's research found that consumers are very confused when it comes to what "clean labeling" actually means.

"The term 'clean label' resonates differently among consumers globally, and moreover, a third of consumers (34 percent) do not actually have any understanding of what it means at all," stated Melanie Felgate, senior consumer insight analyst, Canadean, citing finds from Canadean's fourth-quarter 2015 global survey. "This may reflect the fact that the term ‘clean label’ is more widely used in industry than as a marketing claim in itself. However as the ‘clean’ movement gains mainstream traction, as reflected by the popularity social media hashtags such as #cleaneating, it is important that marketers understand what ‘clean’ actually means to the consumer."

Those consumers who do recognize the "clean label" term, are most likely to interpret it as meaning products are free from artificial ingredients, are natural or organic, or are chemical-/pesticide-free, according to Canadean's fourth-quarter 2015 global survey. A smaller proportion of consumers also associate clean label with other attributes such as being allergen-free.

"The 'clean label' term generally resonates with consumers as an indicator that a product is natural or chemical-free," Felgate said. "However, the fact that a significant proportion of consumers don't understand the term or interpret it to mean, for example, that a product could be gluten-free, suggests that brands should continue to place their marketing focus on core benefits, rather than simply promoting their products as 'clean.'"

According to Felgate, the more the term is bandied about, the less impact it will likely have among consumers in the long term.

"What's interesting is that in the U.S. where the clean labeling movement is arguably more advanced, almost half of consumers (45 percent) do not understand its meaning," she noted. "The lack of clarity may actually turn consumers away from brands marketed in this way, rather than promoting the simplicity that should underpin the ideals of clean labeling."

Retailers and brands could align with the clean label trend, without alienating consumers by following the example of U.S. coffee chain Caribou Coffee, Felgate said.

"While Caribou Coffee promotes the removal of artificial flavorings as their 'clean label pledge,' the message given to consumers focuses strongly on the sensory benefits," she said. "The brand emphasizes the 'realness' of its ingredients to provide a 'superior flavor,' with slogans like 'change you can taste' and 'it just got real' taking center stage. Highlighting these sensory advantages will resonate much more strongly with consumers than relying solely on the potentially confusing clean label message to sell the brand."

As more brands take steps to remove artificial ingredients from their portfolios, it remains to be seen how much weight 'clean label’ will have in the future, especially as the philosophy behind the term increasingly becomes the norm rather than an exception, the company said. What is clear is that brands cannot rely on clean messaging alone to convince consumers to buy a product. Given that Canadean's 2015 global survey found that just one in 10 consumers would be willing to pay over 5% more for a product claiming to be clean label, brands must focus on other core benefits, such as taste or health, to differentiate themselves and justify a premium.