U.S. Consumers Sometimes Prefer Seemingly Redundant Labels

ABSTRACT More food products are carrying seemingly redundant labels, which are marketing claims or certifications that reiterate product attributes already conveyed. In this paper, we aim to answer two questions on redundant labels. First, do consumers view redundant labels as deceptive or informative? Second, how do redundant labels affect product and brand perceptions? Using an online experiment, we find that consumers viewed redundant labels as more informational than deceptive, though there was more skepticism toward a no hormones added label on chicken than a gluten‐free label on corn tortilla chips. Second, we find that redundant labels can affect product and brand evaluations, but the direction may depend on how consumers perceive the label.