Pricing, Problems, and Potential: A Look at RTD Packaging by Beth Demmon
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hen choosing what beverage alcohol product to drink, components like base spirit, flavor, and nutritional information are some of the primary factors that guide individual decision-making. Will it be wine, beer, spirits, hard seltzer, or something else? It is time for something tropical, or would floral notes satisfy? However, there’s one overlooked trait that may influence one’s choice more heavily than many realize: the packaging. According to a 2017 Mintel report, “Two thirds of alcohol buyers pay attention to packaging,” meaning it remains one of the fastest ways to communicate value, uniqueness, and product information with potential consumers. And while consumers have the ability to choose what products they purchase, the decision of what to package said products in happens long before it hits the shelves. Producers across all beverage alcohol segments have to pick between a relatively small menu of standard options: aluminum cans, glass bottles, or, in rarer instances, less common alternatives like the bag-in-abox option popularized by boxed wine. So what value propositions do producers take into consideration when selecting packaging? Aspects like up-front cost, sustainability, regulatory limitations, and supply chain availability all come into play. And things can change quickly, something that Mark Anderson, founder and CEO of 70 BEVNET MAGAZINE – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
