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NEWS Branding & Marketing
Don’t get left on the shelf
Says Myles Pinfold
The last year has seen an acceleration of growth in packaged formats and beer has truly joined the world of FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) – not just for the off-trade, but for the on-trade too.
The 4P’s of marketing have never been more relevant for brewers: - Your beer is your hero Product and monolithic beer brands have given way to variety and choice. Having differentiating styles, flavours and ingredients are fundamental to success, whilst innovation is driving the beer category. - Beer has largely moved to the high-end which means that consumers are willing to pay a high Price for a product that is unique, desirable and well presented. Premiumisation is the name of the game and discounting is for the discounters and the big brewers who are ‘buying’ market share. - Knowing your Place in the market, on shelf and in the hearts of your consumer
is a key part of your brand planning. Ignore this at your risk. - Your brand is the catalyst that enables successful Promotion and a brand is much, much more than simply a logo. In the absence of significant advertising spend, the branding of your packaging can be the make-or-break factor delivering success or failure.
Even the packaging format is critical in today’s market. Whilst bottles remain the stable fare for traditional ales, the shift to can has been phenomenal, driven by the ‘craft’ movement and now on the ‘size matters’ trail – moving from 330ml to 440ml and latterly to 568ml (pint cans).
Whilst in the USA, the ultra high-end has been dominated with the 750ml speciality beer bottles (back to glass again) that are giving the wine category a run for its money and with eyewatering prices. Or why not super-size your brand with 1.5L and 3L bottles for special occasions, enough to make any
partygoer a star guest.
Set against this is the burning issue that will be at the forefront of every consumer’s mind for the rest of this decade – sustainability. The materials we use for our packaging and how we communicate our environmental credentials are a major consideration – aluminium vs glass vs paper even. Probably not plastic though… Of course, growlers are the ultimate returnable. Watch this space as the debate heats up. What is undeniable is that branding sells beer, get it right and your product will move fast from the shelves as consumers buy into your message. Get it wrong and you will be the one left standing on the shelf (at a discount price)
Myles Pinfold is founder and strategic director of WPA Pinfold
For further information: wpa-drinks.co.uk
Gift pack ‘a real emphasis on luxury and indulgence’
Northern Monk brewery is no strangers to premium beer packaging, having shown time and time again its recognition for the value of the unboxing experience.
Over the years, the company has commissioned many extraordinary packaging designs to accommodate its products, all with the aim of creating remarkable brand experiences for customers.
In November 2020, Northern Monk contacted Saxon Packaging for a luxury gift packaging solution for its new limited edition ‘Heaven Chocolate Box’, a luxury gift pack to be brought to market for the festive season.
This took the form of a luxury doublesided litho printed gift box designed to hold four canned products and associated branded material, whilst reflecting the brewery’s brand identity.
“This festive season, we released the Northern Monk Heaven Chocolate Box, a curated selection of four beers that aimed to recreate classic chocolate flavours”, said Fay Hunter of Northern
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Monk. “The design draws nostalgic inspiration from our favourite Christmas confectionary boxes, containing multiple moments of joy, with a real emphasis on luxury and indulgence.
“The aim of the packaging is to draw the customer into the drinking experience from the moment they see the box. Upon opening it, they get the full heavenly reveal in all its golden glory. No chocolate box would be complete without printed tasting notes on the inside, to guide you on this decadent stout journey. We chose a double-sided printing process for our Heaven Chocolate Box, as we wanted to create a unique, memorable experience for our customers.”
After confirming the chosen design, it was passed over to Saxon’s in-house design team, so it could start looking into which material, paper grade, print solution and overall packaging design structure would be best suited.
The end result, is a premium beer packaging solution worthy of admiration. With a bright and rich blend of both functional and visual design work,
Northern Monk’s customers have been able to experience the products both arriving safely and in visually engaging packaging. This beer packaging design has demonstrated that by using the correct materials, matched colours and clever designs, stunning results can be achieved. “We are very happy to have helped Northern Monk again achieve a great design on their packaging, consistent with their brand overall look and feel, pushing the limits to what can be achieved with double litho printed beer packaging,” says Mike Impson, Sales Director, Saxon Packaging Ltd.
For further information: www.saxonpackaging.co.uk
BREWING & BEVERAGE INDUSTRIES BUSINESS • Summer 2021
