EAN, or European Article Number, is a global standard for product identification. It is most often used in the form of a bar code printed on products to identify them and make them easier to scan at the checkout. EANs are similar to UPCs (Universal Product Codes) but have a greater range of numbers assigned to them and accommodate more countries; for example, the United Kingdom has its own EAN-based system known as the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
EANs are 13-digit codes composed of four parts: the first two indicate the country where it was issued, the following five indicate either a particular product group or manufacturer code, and the final six digits represent a unique product code. This means that each individual product can be identified and tracked by its EAN number. In addition to being used at retail stores during checkout, EAN numbers also assist in inventory management and ordering processes.
Both EAN and UPC have been widely adopted by retailers across the world; however there are some distinct differences between them. UPCs are 12-digit codes with only 10 digits assigned to specific products, meaning they can only identify 1 million products within a single country – this is compared to over 1 billion combinations possible with an EAN code. UPC codes were also created for use in North America, whereas EAN numbers are international standards accepted by many different countries throughout Europe and beyond. Finally, since their introduction in 2005, EANs can contain letters as well as numbers – this makes them much better suited for tracking items such as books or DVDs which may have longer titles than what would fit in a numeric-only UPC.
EANs and Marketing:
Product Identification and Organization: EAN helps to uniquely identify products, making it easier for digital marketers to track and manage large numbers of products in their online catalogs. This efficient organization and identification of products can lead to more accurate targeting and better ad performance.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): EAN can be used in structured data markup, such as Schema.org, to provide search engines with accurate and detailed information about products. This can help improve the visibility of products in search results, potentially leading to higher click-through rates and more conversions.
Data Management and Analysis: By using EANs, digital marketers can better track product performance data, such as sales, customer reviews, and inventory levels. This data can be used to inform marketing strategies, identify trends, and optimize advertising campaigns.
Product Feed Management: EAN can be used to create accurate and consistent product feeds for various online marketplaces and advertising platforms, such as Google Shopping and Facebook Product Ads. This can help ensure that product information is consistent across different channels, improving the overall customer experience and increasing the chances of driving conversions.
Multichannel Marketing: Including EAN in product listings can help improve the accuracy and consistency of product information across multiple sales channels, such as online marketplaces, comparison shopping engines, and retail websites. This can lead to a more seamless shopping experience for customers, increasing the chances of conversions and repeat business.