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Despite a drop in sales for the overall beer market in the last year, the craft beer segment continues to grow. According to the Brewer’s Association, craft beer retail sales grew by 5% in 2021 and remained on-par with that percentage in 2022. With 23,042,285 BBLs sold in 2022, craft beer made up 13.2% of the overall beer market. These numbers are good news for craft brewers—consumers are continuing to gravitate toward craft beer. However, as more and more products hit the shelves and the market becomes more saturated, craft brewers will need to ensure their product stands out from the rest.
Packaging is a key part of doing that, offering endless ways to show off your product and brewery — and your creativity. Whether you’re interested in labels or another packaging solution, with today’s cutting-edge printing and packaging technologies, you have more opportunities than ever to make a lasting impression on craft beer drinkers. We’ll share some of the options you can take advantage of as you add new brews to your selection or revisit your packaging.
Pressure Sensitive Craft Beer Labels
Pressure sensitive labels are an excellent way to create a lasting visual or tactile impression. With options for dual finishes, embossment, dynamic colors, tactile varnish, pattern finish, and foiling options, pressure sensitive labels convey a high-quality product. Whether your brand is playful, sophisticated or somewhere in-between, pressure sensitive labels are an affordable way to create a memorable, multi-sensory experience that can reinforce your brand essence. They can be applied to standard bottles, cans, growlers and crowlers and are available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.
Shrink Sleeves
Shrink sleeves have grown popular among craft brewers in recent years for their versatility and design possibilities. Fitting over the entire can or bottle, shrink sleeves offer the opportunity to create a 360-degree billboard for your product, making them a strategic use of space. They’re especially useful for limited or seasonal releases, playful designs and growing breweries, allowing you ample room to communicate product features, narratives, mascots or brand messaging.
Printable with state-of-the-art technologies like Trident MAX, shrink sleeves can set your product apart on the shelves with vibrant colors, fine details, bold text and complex illustrations.
Beyond visual appeal, shrink sleeves also offer scuff resistance and other features. They can be applied to aluminum cans, bottles, bombers and crowlers.
Folding Cartons
Folding cartons are a must for craft beer multi-packs. They provide a sustainable way to transport your products and add a layer of protection that snap-off can carriers can’t provide. They also add more billboarding space for your brand and an opportunity to create a cohesive narrative between packaging and your product, expanding your brand presence and communicating a superior product. Folding cartons are useful for packs of four or more bottles or cans, variety packs and seasonal releases.
Like shrink sleeves, folding cartons offer ample room for storytelling, product features and branding. Shrink sleeves and well-designed labels can work in conjunction with folding cartons to reinforce your brand essence or continue the story you want to tell about your products, fostering brand loyalty and a positive experience.
Innovation and new brand introductions are essential - and - frequent in the craft brewing industry. Belmark offers standardized carton solutions to ensure you get to market in three weeks or less. Our standard carrier carton offerings coupled with a pre-determined production schedule allow you to plan your brand calendars and know your packaging will be ready for your next big release.
Sustainable Craft Beer Packaging
With consumers gravitating toward sustainable products, sustainable packaging is more important than ever for craft brewers. Sustainable packaging is likely to resonate with the values of craft beer drinkers and shows that your brand is committed to sustainability at every part of the brewing process.
Belmark offers several sustainable packaging solutions for craft brewers, including recyclable eco-READY™ packaging, tru-IMPACT® packaging made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) content and sustainable pressure sensitive labels to help you achieve your commitment to sustainability.
What You Need, When You Need it
When it comes to getting your craft brews to market, you can’t afford to wait — especially on your packaging. That’s why Belmark requires no order minimums and provides industry-leading lead times of three weeks or less. . With our service model, you receive expert guidance and tailored packaging solutions on the timeline you need it, avoiding interruptions getting your product to market and making a lasting impression with your consumers. Get in touch with us today to discuss your craft beer packaging needs
