Consumers need a break from the myriad of competing product claims that have left them dazed, confused, and cynical.

Without a standardized system in place, these colorful bursts on packages shout claims about nutrition, eco-friendliness, and even carbon emissions that make it hard for consumers to understand their meaning.

Marketers of packaged goods have an opportunity to provide credible, useful information in an instant with iconography that is designed well and follows set criteria rather than random claims.

CBX conducted an audit of icons in the marketplace. For the most part, the findings are extremely disappointing. A successful icon clearly and simply communicates its message—ideally, without words. Or, the on-pack visuals should be memorable enough so that if the words eventually were removed, a consumer still would recognize the brand message. Icons must be used with consistency and never vary in message. Great icons pick up on common visual associations and give them a twist. A perfect example is the slow-food icon (snail = slow + escargot = food).

An icon from a nationally recognized institution or organization reflects the best of both worlds: credibility and impartiality. Some good examples include the National Organic Program’s USDA Organic, which has established a long history of credibility, and Energy Star, an international program indicating energy-efficient products.

The recent trend of companies developing their own set of icons for their products is causing greater confusion. Eco-friendly icons seem to be everywhere. With consumers more sensitive than ever to green washing, these initiatives are turning them off.

Companies need to make a true commitment to sustainability and back up these claims with action and reform, not simply slap a green icon on the front of their package. If there are legitimate environmental benefits (i.e., a product is locally grown, created using green energy, or produced with recyclable materials), companies should consider putting these claims on the back of the package.

Nutritional icons designed to help consumers make healthier choices, such as PepsiCo’s Smart Spot™, also cause confusion and mistrust. This is especially the case when these symbols appear on items such as chocolate-chip granola bars. Kraft has a system for identifying “healthy items” called its Sensible Solutions program. Currently on more than 500 of its products, these flag-like icons make claims for whole grains, fat, sodium, heart-healthy, etc.

Even supermarkets are jumping in with programs like Hannaford Bros.’ Guiding Stars logo program. Guiding Stars awards one to three stars for items throughout the store that range from good nutritional value to best. The problem for consumers is that each of these programs has different aims and uses inconsistent nutrition criteria. In addition, an overabundance of iconographic communication quickly becomes white noise.

Consumers are most likely to embrace as bias-free those initiatives that government agencies or other outside authorities regulate, rather than those that individual marketers control. Some of these initiatives include:

• The Smart Choice label. Developed with the input of academic nutritionists, this icon aims to help consumers make sense of individual companies’ competing claims. The program is set to debut later in 2009. General Mills, Kellogg, PepsiCo, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Kraft, and ConAgra all have agreed to use it for their products. To qualify for the label, products cannot exceed certain levels of fat, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium. They also must provide nutrients. Products that receive the Smart Choice label also will display the calories per serving and the number of servings per container on the package front.

• The new Green Good Housekeeping Seal. An extension of the Good Housekeeping Seal (which debuted in 1909) that consumers recognize as the “proverbial” blessing of quality assurance, the new Green Good Housekeeping Seal will help consumers identify environmentally friendly products as well. Good Housekeeping magazine has partnered with an environmental consultancy, Brown Wilmanns Environmental, to develop the criteria. A product’s composition, manufacturing, and packaging will be reviewed before receiving the designation. Separate criteria will be developed for different categories of products, including appliances, electronics, and health and beauty aids. The new icon reflects the look of the original seal, but is rendered in a dark-green color and is flanked by leaves on either side. This is a simple system that is consumer-focused and easy to understand—bravo!

• Carbon footprint labeling. A simplified, single banner now can be found in parts of Europe and Japan in an effort to inspire producers and consumers to lower their CO2 emissions. Carbon-footprint labeling began in the UK with the governmentally funded Carbon Trust. A carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by the product. Tesco, the UK’s largest grocery chain, began carbon-footprint labeling of its own products in May 2008. Eventually, all Tesco suppliers will have to comply.

In the U.S., Timberland has begun to include carbon-footprint labels on its shoes. PepsiCo is planning to provide consumers with an absolute number for a product’s carbon footprint, which many believe will become a trend. The information will be posted on Tropicana’s Web site. The company has not decided if the information will be printed on the actual package.

While many of these initiatives have originated in Europe, the time has come for the U.S. marketplace to step up to the plate. The U.S. has been spoiled by the largesse of its own resources and seemingly limitless supply of space. As the richest nation on the planet, we have had the power to purchase additional global resources as well. However, recent awareness during this period of economic distress has focused our attention on the cost of these resources (to our pocketbooks and our planet). In addition, the backlash against corporate greed and a president who cares about green issues based on a platform of change are helping to move the U.S. in the right direction. We are ready for a kinder, gentler agenda, one that is in tune and better educated about the health of our environment and ourselves.

Marketers of consumer packaged goods have an opportunity to develop new icons with universal standards. These icons would replace independent marketers’ initiatives and help consumers make better purchase decisions. Some icons under consideration include:

• Made in America. With the U.S. economy mired in a deep recession, U.S. consumers want to buy and support “American-made” products. In addition, unregulated conditions in other countries, such as China, have brought dangerous products into our marketplace. Made in the U.S.A. translates into “safe” for consumers. While several such icons exist—one is Made in the USA (American flag, star, etc.)—it is time for a national iconic system to be put in place. Creating an iconic USA communication standard for the front of a package or bundling U.S.-made products at retail (similar to the organic section of a supermarket) is advisable.

• Local banners for homegrown products. The first step is deciding how to define “homegrown.” Does it mean grown within a 50-mile radius? Or a 100-mile radius? After establishing the standard, other factors need to be considered. Often, consumers are looking for locally grown products to provide other benefits, such as organic, pesticide-free, artisan, etc. Opportunities also exist for locally grown products to add cachet (i.e. Amish growers, small farms, etc.). A government approach, similar to Smart Choice, would help create a universal system.

• Energy efficiency. The Energy Star program for appliances should be expanded to cover different categories of products. This would include a clear set of criteria for eco-friendly claims per industry. Consumers today might look for an Energy Star icon when shopping for appliances, but there is a difference in what that means for different products. The current HE (high-efficiency) program also is confusing because consumers don’t understand what it means. They know only that some products they purchase are recommended for use because of better efficiency.

Regardless of where these icons appear on the package, they should never overwhelm a product’s basic communication. They should aid a consumer’s understanding of a product. Well-designed icons on packaging that help consumers shop smarter and make wiser choices for their health, the environment, their country and their local resources require an understanding of effective communication design. The result will be positive change.