Quality standards and symbols
Quality standards are set by the industry or the government and can be awarded to organisations whose products meet certain standards or criteria. For example:
CE Marking
The CE mark shows that a product meets EU safety, health or environmental standards and that it complies with EU legislation
This mark proves that the product meets the requirements needed to sell within the European market.
BSI Kitemark
The Kitemark is a UK-based quality trade mark operated by British Standards Institution. BSI check and test products to ensure they meet minimum standards of safety and quality.
Trade logos
A trade logo is an identifiable sign which shows that a product or service conforms to certain standards or identifies them in a specific category. For example:
- Fairtrade logo
- Recycling logo
- Keep Britain Tidy logo
Achieving a quality standard can be expensive and time-consuming as there are strict sets of criteria that need to be adhered to.
These standards always need to be maintained or the quality standard will be removed from the business. This may generate bad publicity.
Businesses that achieve recognised quality standards often gain a competitive advantage over other businesses.
Customers perceive the products provided by these companies as superior. This may lead to customer loyalty and the ability to charge higher prices.