Getting Crafty with Craft Beer Packaging

The arrival of March indicates several things. Most notably, a little warmer weather and the annual celebration of Irish heritage come to mind. Though there is a lot more to being Irish than drinking green beer and throwing back whiskey, American festivities embrace these aspects to the fullest.

Not Pictured: Anything St. Patrick would approve of.

But hey, it’s fun, and it’s the first big party of Spring. So put on your green socks, work up your Irish accent and grab a pint of your favorite brew. This St. Paddy’s Day, however, you can expect to see more diversity among the beers consumed than previous years. Why is that?

Crowding the Market

This growth of craft beer means the competition for shelf space and shelf appeal in a competitive market will also continue to rise. Big chain grocery stores have long had a healthy relationship with the big breweries but are dedicating more space to the smaller craft brewers. Liquor stores pride themselves on offering more choices than the big box stores, but even the largest of these stores are limited.

This situation is not unique to craft beer, it is found in every aisle of every store you visit. The battle for shelf superiority can define the winners and losers in the retail game. It’s a challenge we know well and know how to win. Poindexter Nuts, who makes a product that just so happens to go perfectly with a beer, received a packaging makeover from us that helped them stand up to the competition. Literally stand up.

Simply having a great product is only half of the consumer battle. You need to differentiate from the other brands, too. More competition in the beer space means packaging is playing an increasingly important role in buyer decisions – and thus, creating some impressive designs.

Take Alter Brauch and its hipsterific kraft-paper-tied-with-twine approach.

It’s like a pre-loaded Instagram filter. Source

Or look at Oskar Blue’s massive 32-ounce “crowler” (growler in a can).

I think you’re going to need a bigger koozie. Source

A good packaging experience can move customers for beer, peanuts, cosmetics or anything.

Want to get on board with a new approach to your beverage packaging? Contact Ernest Packaging Solutions today to learn how we can help you innovate how you package your brew to stay top of mind. Of course, we’ll need a few free samples of the product to really understand the brand—we bring our own pint glasses.