Third Party Keto Certification reduces Conflict of Interest
According to Nielsen’s Global Health & Wellness Survey, 44% or nearly half of the people in the United States and Canada distrust what manufacturers claim on their food labels. For this reason alone, it is apparent that food manufacturers would benefit from increased transparency about the contents of their products, and from claims coming from an impartial organization. Luckily, that’s exactly what Third-Party Keto Certification offers: a way to increase transparency, support claims, help manufacturers garner the trust of consumers, offer social proof marketing for keto brands, and increase sales.
What is Third Party Keto Certification
Third-Party Keto Certification is certification by which an impartial third party gives written assurance that a product has conformed to certain predetermined, universal, written standards for quality and macronutrients. The Third-Party Keto Certification Organization must conduct an investigation, inspection, or audit to ensure that the food product meets the criteria of the Keto Certified Program standards. And, keto certification is provided by a party that has no direct financial interest in the relationship between the supplier and the buyer.
A Third-Party Keto Certification Organization also issues a certificate, logo, and permissions to bear the Keto Certification logos that signify brand compliance to Keto Certified standards to consumers and retailers, and industry regulators alike. In essence, keto certification is a medium of communication that a brand has successfully adhered to a set of quality standards throughout the supply chain. Further, the certificate issued by the certifier substantiates product claims of the supplier, which is more convincing than if the supplier only provided claims itself.
Why Third-Party Certification is ideal for claim substantiation
Social Proof marketing is a form of informational social influence that is a powerful psychological and social phenomenon drivers consumer trust and consumer buying habits. Smart marketers know that leveraging social proof is the most effective marketing tactic for easing the minds of distrusting customers, and food keto certification is a method of social proofing that establishes credibility and trustworthiness in a way that other claim makers simply cannot.
Because certification is provided by a party that independently develops and verifies standards with no direct financial interest in the relationship between the supplier and the buyer, it imparts a reduced potential for conflict of interest in substantiating claims and is, therefore, more trustworthy. In other words, keto certification claims can only be made based on merit alone, while the potential for other types of claims on packaging and marketing materials can feel misleading and less trustworthy in the minds of consumers. Conflict of interest imparts a negative connotation in marketing claims.
Third-Party Certification Reduces Conflict of Interest in Claims
First-party certification: First-party keto certification is really a self-declaration. “My product is keto-friendly because I meet the criteria which I have defined and therefore I can say that my products are keto friendly.” The conflict of interest is very high.
Second Party Certification: An example of Second-party certification may be when a company creates its own definition for clients that they produce for. “My product is keto-friendly because I meet the criteria defined by the co-packer that produces my products.” The conflict of interest is still high.
Third-party certification: Third-party certification verifies that a product, process, or service meets a defined, universal standard. “My product is Keto Certified because my product was determined to have met the criteria defined by an impartial organization that maintains a universal standard for Keto products.” Here, the conflict of interest is at its lowest.
As you can see, it is clear that third-party keto certification offers a stronger form of trust signaling than first-party, second-party, and third-party Keto certification, which is likely why studies have found that third-party certification is the strongest and fastest way to increase brand trust and improve sales.