The ultimate guide for showing the product's name in Catalog Ads

The name of the product can be important to help customers recognise whether the product they're looking at is the one they want to buy.

For some products, the image is the most important information to decide - when looking for a new hat, the picture and the look of the product are probably more important for the consumer than the name.

On the other hand, when looking for a very specific model of a computer with the right specifications, the name is often more important than the product image.

Here's how showing product names on average influence Catalog Ads:

Often, advertisers don't reflect on whether it makes sense to show the product name and include it by default.

There's cases where the name is extremely relevant and can help you sell more, but there's also some cases where the product name provides no important information and only takes away focus from all other elements, including the main star - your product.

Even though showing the name improves performance on average, we still recommend you relflect on whether the name of your product is important information to buy your product - or whether the product image, certain features of the product, or the product brand, are more important.

Fashion is a good example of an industry where the product name might be irrelevant - the look of the shirt is more important than the name of the specific model.

Showing product names in Catalog Ads

As we already mentioned, on average, the product name helps improve ad effectiveness - but the average doesn't always represent the entire spectrum.

With Catalog Ads, you have limited real estate to show relevant information (1080 x 1080 px to be specific).

The human brain is pretty good at quickly scanning and comprehending the elements in a design. However, the more information, the more the user has to process, and the slower and more effortful this scanning becomes.

With that said, even though we suggest you consider your offer before adding the product name, on average, Catalog Ads with the product name shown performed at a 22% higher ROAS.

We also found the following when showing the product name:

• 20% lower Cost per action
• 9% lower Cost per click
• 6% higher on-site Conversion rate
• 0% difference in Click-through rate

When does it make sense to show the product name?

Let's look at some examples where the product's name helps customers choose to buy.

There are probably many more cases than the three we've chosen to highlight, but it'll allow us to go through the key considerations.

Product's version

This first case is probably the most obvious, with the product name being the model, or version, of a product.

When we think about it, an iPhone 12 and 14 will look almost identical when shown in an ad, but are very much different - you could say that the true difference is on the inside, not outside.

And most people don't want to downgrade their tech - they're looking for an upgrade.

The item doesn't have to be very complex either, for this information to matter - even with something as simple as a USB flash drive, the name contains the number of gigabytes and is relevant to include.

Showing the product names in this case can help users instantly recognise that your product is better than their current version, or that it fits their needs.

The most obvious use of this is electronics, however it also applies in many other industries. Even in industries where it's usually not a good idea (i.e. fashion), there are of course exceptions. If you were selling football jerseys, it can be relevant to show which year/ season the shirt is from.

For example, the name can also be helpful when looking for a specific version, such as the Air Max 95, which looks quite similar to the Air Max 98.

Showing names and titles of products works best for multi-brand stores, which often sell many more different products compared to the brands themselves.

• Brands and DTC companies see a +11% improvement in Return on Ad Spend when showing product names
• Multi-brand stores see a +31% improvement in Return on Ad Spend when showing product names

Also, if you've ever seen a lip liner and eye liner side-by-side, they look almost identical - adding the name in these cases helps users understand exactly what product they're looking at.

Size and dimensions

Next, there are certain products in which the dimensions are among the most important pieces of information.

For example, let's say you're looking for a bed sheet. If your bed is 120 cm wide, that's the exact size you're looking for - any other dimensions simply won't work.

Similarly, a table or a couch that's too big won't fit in your room. Curtains that are too short won't fully cover your windows.

This can also apply outside of furniture, where a certain dimension is needed: for example the size of a backpack in litres, or the circumference of a frying pan.

And obviously, no user has the ability to measure an item by looking at the product image.

Specifications and type

This last case comes into play when your customers are looking for a highly specific part or item, as is often the case with, for example, hardware or replacement parts.

This one feels personal: my father once asked me to buy M6 screws - I can definitely say he wasn't too happy when I instead showed up with a pack of M6-1s.

When exact specifications are needed, it's a good idea to clarify this. A hydraulic jack rated for 1 ton won't safely lift a 2 ton SUV.

Similarly, information such as wattage is equally as relevant.

Sure, this information is definitely available on your website, but when we consider that it's a qualifying factor to whether the product will work for the customer, or not, why not include it in your ad?

How to add the product's name in your Catalog Ads

Here at Confect, it's our mission to make it as simple as possible to reach higher performance through improved designs for Catalog Ads.

If including the product name is relevant for your company, it takes no more than just a few simple steps to get done...

1. Create a new design in Confect

2. Add a text layer

3. Add a "brand" product text field

4. Voila!

Read about  how to create designs - or learn how to  customize your Catalog Ads designs with Confect here.

If you want all the data and insights we have about designing Catalog Ads, based on billions of impressions, you can see it right here.