“People are buying beer in the same way they are buying wine now. It’s arguably still very much price sensitive, to a degree, but if you position yourself in a certain bracket, you will always look at the beer in that bracket above,” explains Stuart Kellock, managing director of labelling and packaging printer Label Apeel.
“Price is obviously not the sole deciding factor on why someone will buy a beer. If they want a beer, and agree with the price, then they will make that investment. But for those unsure of what they want, premium branding and packaging will help the consumer make that decision.”
He adds: “That is why it’s also important to work with good designers, and not to follow a trend, but to forge your own path and have that drive to do something different and something memorable. On a print side, different textures, contrasting textures help with this, so for instance you could maybe complement a matt finish with a gloss varnish to offer a tactile engagement.”
Finished Products
Kellock believes the increasing take-up of cold foiling, hot foiling, embossing, laminating, and flexographic finishes is ensuring that those that put the extra effort in on the packaging side of their product are frequently seeing the dividends on the sales front.
“It’s only a matter of time before the bigger guys need to up their game as they are recognising that they are under pressure to improve their labelling and packaging,” he says. “They can’t keep getting away, in my opinion at least, with putting cheap paper on bottles. People are perceiving quality in the touch, so high-grade stocks, foiling and laminating finishes, are all helping that cause.”
It’s a point echoed by Andy Hodd, digital director at Lemontop Creative. “Stocks are changing, and there is a diverse variety available,” he says. “People are also realising that shapes are far from standard, too. You don’t need to stick to certain rectangles or the like. Which is great from a branding point of view.”
He explains: “Standing out, especially when people pick up a bottle, is important. If it feels different, and if they are not familiar with it, then it’s more memorable and could be the difference in buying that beer. People are willing to give it a go, more than if they were non-plussed by the experience.
“Some want work done as cheaply as possible, while others that are more clued up and are willing to spend more to get the highest quality possible. That also extends to pump clips, too. Clients want to be known for quality, and for their vision of the brewery.”
Elsewhere, Richard White is the business development manager of Label.co.uk, a company that has carried out work for breweries such as Hop Stuff and ELB, among others.
He believes that keeping labels cost-effective and the quality high is always a key demand from its client base. “Generally keeping lead times short and above all, delivering labels when you say you’re going to deliver, tends to keep the world turning, he explains. “In Jan 2014 we launched an Express Production service – labels delivered within 24/48hrs. We’ve found this service particularly popular where breweries have needed labels extremely urgently in order to keep bottling lines and such running.”
