New ecolabel FAQs
The MSC and Saatchi & Saatchi X, the global advertising and marketing agency, have been working together to help the MSC add value to our partners through marketing and communication. The first outcome of this partner support marketing programme is the introduction of an evolved and improved MSC ecolabel.
What consultation and research has been carried out?
What does the new ecolabel look like?
How is the new design an improvement on the existing MSC ecolabel?
How will the new MSC ecolabel add value to stakeholders?
Will the new ecolabel take up more space on packaging?
What are the cost implications of changing to the new ecolabel?
We are using the existing ecolabel, when will we have to change to the new design?
What consultation and research has been carried out?
The launch of this new ecolabel is the result of extensive consultation and research over a 14 month period. The process has involved research with consumers in the USA, UK, Germany and Japan and extensive consultation with our partners around the world, through surveys, workshops, face-to-face meetings and concept testing.
What does the new ecolabel look like?
The new design is not a radical change – the addition of the text ‘Certified Sustainable Seafood’ next to the blue oval and fish-checkmark – but while the change is small, it provides a significant benefit to partners.
The consultation process with partners also brought to light other ways in which we could improve the ecolabel. The new ecolabel will be available in a number of different formats and with improved regional translations.
How is the new design an improvement on the existing MSC ecolabel?
The new design clarifies the role the MSC ecolabel plays on-pack – independent, third party verification that the product comes from a sustainable fishery – and has been shown to add value by benefiting our partners’ sustainability credentials*.
How will the new MSC ecolabel add value to stakeholders?
The MSC, like the computer company Intel, is an ‘ingredient brand’ i.e. the MSC ecolabel and the ‘Intel Inside’ logo are featured on a host brand’s product; the logos serve to bring to customers’ attention a specific component or ‘ingredient’ of the product.
The purpose of an ingredient brand is to deliver customer-reassurance, which adds value (related to that component) to the host brand.
Independent consumer research conducted for the MSC* showed how the new MSC ecolabel benefits our partners’ sustainability credentials with a 69% or greater agreement from respondents that:
• The host brand is a responsible business
• The host brand is concerned about the future of fish stocks
• Respondents had a better feeling about the host brand
• Respondents were more likely to buy the product
• Respondents are rewarding a good business when they buy the product
*Two Minds Dec 2008 – 800 respondents across USA, UK, Germany and Japan
Will the new ecolabel take up more space on packaging?
While the new design sees additional text next to the existing blue oval, we are not asking partners to print the oval at the same size they do now. The minimum size of the new ecolabel will ensure the new ecolabel (including the text box) takes up the same print area on packaging as the current oval ecolabel.
What are the cost implications of changing to the new ecolabel?
The MSC is committed to improving value to our partners but not at any cost and we do not wish to see any of our partners inconvenienced by this change.
To avoid unnecessary costs, we are not asking you to change any packaging immediately and we are not asking you to scrap existing packaging. Instead, we are asking our partners to make the change only when it is convenient to do so.
We are using the existing ecolabel, when will we have to change to the new design?
If you have packaging ready to go to print, the new ecolabel is available now but if you already have product in the market, you do not have to change it until you next update or reprint your packaging. This gradual change-over will mean that there will be two MSC ecolabels in the marketplace for two or more years.
Find out about using the new ecolabel on your packaging
Won’t it be confusing for consumers if there are 2 MSC ecolabels in the marketplace over the next 2 years?
Because the new ecolabel is an evolution of the current version, the similarity to the existing ecolabel will prevent customer confusion and avoid loss of sales or recognition in the market. To help the transition go smoothly we will use communication materials including our website to highlight the change to consumers.
