Study backs up craft beer consumers’ packaging preferences

It’s hard for a small business – such as a craft brewery – to allocate funds to an element of operations that doesn’t produce real results with consumers. It’s therefore natural to ask whether spending time and effort designing and printing new and improved beer labels will have enough impact to be worth the effort. Brewers should turn their attention to Nielsen’s latest research on customer preferences for confirmation that packaging is indeed a difference-maker.

Drinks buyers affirm labeling’s importance
According to Nielsen, approximately two-thirds of craft beer buyers in the U.S. rate label and packaging design either “very important” or “extremely important” in winning their attention. In a market that is becoming saturated with quirky and colorful options, creating a great-looking product that stands out is a primary way of emerging from the muddle and making a strong case for a particular brand.

Trying a new offering is an investment on the part of consumers, and they don’t pick just any craft beer. According to the research organization, 71 percent of buyers enjoy taking a chance on brands that have “bold and interesting” labels. This should be all the confirmation brewers need to rededicate themselves to establishing a visual identity.

Nielsen added that the craft drink categories where packaging design is most essential are the ones seeing the most new products released. Consumers, facing these new choices, will look the options over and pick one, potentially because the label was so excellent. One such subcategory is cider, with three times as many new ciders introduced in 2016 as 2012.

Digital Arts Online offered a reminder of the evolutionary process that has brought craft beers to their current, bright look. The source noted that the fresh and different tastes represented by craft brews were out of step with the labels that adorn more traditional beers. The switch to bright, bold designs often created by professional illustrators has been meant to parallel the evolution in tastes: Customers today have more options than ever, and each deserves a distinctive look.

Printing comes home
When companies have their own printers on-site, they can take control of their labeling and introduce new designs in a hurry. Of course, bringing the process into a small company’s own headquarters instead of relying on an outside partner is the kind of decision that requires its own calculation – will quality still be up to professional standards? That’s why it’s so important to select a powerful printer such as the Afinia A801. Check it out in our U.S. store or on our Canadian site.