For marketing operations and brand management professionals, a product label is far more than just a decorative element; it’s a critical touchpoint for consumers, a vessel for essential information, and a legal document all rolled into one. It communicates brand identity, highlights key features, and adheres to a myriad of regulatory requirements. Yet, the journey from concept to final production artwork, and ultimately to a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, is often fraught with challenges, hidden costs, and significant compromises.
The Labyrinth of Label Approval: Unpacking the Challenges
Imagine a new product launch – exciting, fast-paced, and demanding. The label artwork, however, often becomes a bottleneck. The process typically involves a complex dance between numerous stakeholders: brand managers defining the vision, marketing operations coordinating the process, R&D providing technical specs, legal ensuring compliance, QA checking for accuracy, and packaging technologists verifying printability.
Without a structured approach, this multi-faceted workflow devolves into a series of disconnected email threads, conflicting feedback, and version control nightmares. Artwork files are saved in multiple locations, making it impossible to ascertain the “single source of truth.” Deadlines loom as countless review cycles push timelines, leading to a constant state of fire-fighting rather than strategic execution. The inherent complexity isn’t just a headache; it carries substantial, often unseen, costs.
The Hidden Costs: Impact, Compromises, and Consequences
The inability to effectively manage the product label artwork approval workflow creates a ripple effect across the organization, directly impacting profitability and brand integrity.
- Delayed Time to Market: Each prolonged review cycle or rework iteration pushes back product launch dates. For major products, delayed market entry can cost companies upwards of $1 million per week in lost revenue and opportunity (according to various industry analyses on opportunity cost and competitive advantage). This isn’t just theoretical; it’s tangible revenue slipping away.
- Escalated Rework Costs: Disorganised feedback and outdated files lead to significant rework. Industry studies suggest that 30-50% of creative work involves rework due to unclear feedback, changing requirements, or incorrect asset usage, consuming valuable marketing budgets and designer time that could be spent on new initiatives.
- Compliance Risks & Recalls: Perhaps the most severe consequence is non-compliance. A single regulatory oversight, incorrect ingredient list, or missing allergen warning can result in hefty fines, costly product recalls (e.g. for a single food recall event, $3M-$5M AUD in Australia, $10M-$30M in USA)*, and irreparable damage to consumer trust and brand reputation.
- Brand Inconsistency: Without stringent version control and a clear approval pathway, inconsistencies can creep into different product lines or regional variations, eroding brand equity and creating a disjointed consumer experience.
- Team Burnout & Frustration: Constantly chasing approvals, managing multiple versions, and dealing with last-minute changes takes a toll on marketing operations teams and brand managers, leading to decreased morale and productivity.
Streamlining Your Process: Three Actionable Steps
Overcoming these challenges doesn’t require a complete overhaul overnight. Marketing operations and brand management teams can start with these three impactful actions:
- Standardise Feedback & Review Cycles: Implement a clear, consolidated method for collecting and delivering feedback. Rather than disparate emails, establish a protocol for reviewers to provide comments directly on the artwork, ideally in a single, sequential review stage. This reduces confusion and ensures all input is captured centrally, making it easier for designers to implement changes efficiently.
- Establish a Single Source of Truth for Artwork: Define clear file naming conventions and designate one primary, accessible location for all current and approved artwork files. This ensures that everyone, from internal teams to external co-manufacturers, is always working with the latest, compliant version. Regularly archive older versions but clearly distinguish them from active files.
- Integrate Compliance Early & Often: Don’t wait until the final stages to involve legal, QA, and R&D. Bring them into the artwork development process at the concept and early draft stages. Proactive input can identify potential compliance issues or technical limitations much earlier, preventing costly rework and delays downstream.
By taking proactive steps to manage the label artwork approval workflow, marketing operations and brand management can not only mitigate significant risks but also accelerate product launches, protect brand integrity, and foster a more efficient and collaborative environment.
*values are estimated costs of a large food recall (based on 2024 estimates). Costs include: to destroy stock, compensation, advertising, call centre & PR support, product removal from shelves.
