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Coffee connoisseurs go to extensive lengths to obtain and enjoy some of the most distinctive coffees in the world. From shipping internationally to exploring local roasters, pursuing high-quality coffee means embracing equal parts of art and science. From 2020 to 2021 alone, the International Coffee Organization reports that global coffee drinking increased by nearly 2% to 167.26 million bags consumed annually.
For coffee manufacturers, packaging your beans and grounds requires a specialized design and production process that can significantly impact your brand experience.
Coffee Industry Trends
As the coffee market adjusts and responds to volatility, the industry has experienced steady price increases over the past couple of years. As a result, brands are embracing different trends in design and coffee packaging.
- Text-based designs and wordmarks that can playfully and boldly convey a brand’s personality
- Clever branding that can include almost cartoon-like logos and illustrations, punny naming, and whimsical lightheartedness
- Nostalgic colors and effects like neon, pastels, metallics, and other details can recall on-trend aspects of the 1990s and 2000s
- Embracing imperfection conveyed through raw or craft-style packaging and label design that not only can convey artisanal quality but also environmental-consciousness
These coffee industry trends have a core anchor point — uniquely establishing and cultivating a brand experience that helps a coffee company stand out in a crowded field of competitors clamoring for a spot in shoppers pantry. Flawlessly executing a brand through packaging is critical to assisting coffee companies in succeeding and building consistent satisfaction with shoppers.
Coffee Packaging Considerations
There are many components to coffee packaging that coffee manufacturers must keep in mind when selecting their solutions. Some of these elements include:
- Size of the bag - What size (weight) will you offer consumers, and how might this affect your display on a store shelf?
- Style of the bag - Is your product better suited to using a stand-up pouch, flat-bottom box pouch, or flat pouch?
- Features of the bag - What type of valves, lining, and seals will help optimize the taste of your coffee as it makes its way to consumers?
- Weight of the bag - Could opting for flexible packaging solutions help further reduce the item’s weight (and therefore shipping and storage costs) of your coffee packaging?
- Sustainability - What degree of eco-friendly packaging aligns with your brand values and your consumers' expectations?
Particularly for ground coffee products, ensuring the best packaging can mean the difference between a customer brewing something that tastes like perfection or discovering that a product has dried out and lost its flavor in the bag.
Finding the Right Coffee Packaging Partner
As experts in the coffee packaging space, Belmark is uniquely equipped to help coffee companies get their beans and grounds into the right type of packaging. With a wide range of solutions available, coffee manufacturers can leverage options like Belmark’s Web-to-Print® solution, which offers quick turnaround digital printing without order minimums. With no order minimums this lets smaller companies test new blends or house special editions on their shorter runs.
Choosing high-quality packaging for your coffee products not only strategically conveys your brand; it ensures their taste and quality for the end consumer. This can be a make-or-break for small batch producers but also attracts the attention and loyalty of shoppers whether they’re ordering online or grabbing your products at the store.
Find out how Belmark can help your coffee company put its best foot forward with the right packaging solution and consult a packaging expert today.