OUGD601 — Presentation: Introduction

OUGD601 — Case Study: Brewdog

Brewdog's story is probably one of the most interesting I've heard in respect to their marketing strategies and the development of their brand & business. 

Starting in 2008, Brewdog was founded by two mates who simply didn't like the beer out there and so begun making their own. This tends to be the first chapter for most successful businesses purely because chances are, there are other people out there who think and feel the same way.

After the initial struggle of brewing small batches and bottling by hand to then sell at markets and out of their van they quickly employed more people, bought more brewing equipment and started having fun with it. They started to get people's attention by pushing boundaries people were usually uncomfortable with, some might of thought this would collapse a business but all it did was spark a media storm. By the 2nd year of business, they were the biggest independent brewer in Scotland.

The Anti-Business Model.

This is the interesting part of their marketing strategy. Becoming known as a company to push boundaries and be about well made + different beer rather than conforming to the norm, they even pushed the boundary of their image and began 'Equity For Punks'. 

'Equity For Punks' was their way of allowing people to buy shares in their business online.

14,568 people so far have taken them up on the offer to be a part of their 'anti-corporate-beer' movement which has blown the business up massively. Purely by adding such a value to their shares, people all over the world have invested in making the business bigger in return for a lifetime discount at their bars and their online shop.

This idea is intelligent in so many different ways and works as a great example of fusing consumerism, beer and people's hate for one thing with people's love for another. Not only are they creating an impact, spreading the word about great beer, pushing a movement and educating people that there is more out there than the same old pint, but they are growing their business and giving it a strong brand people know and remember.


When looking at a brewery like Brewdog, you start to question what people are buying.

The beer itself?

No one that likes beer can deny that Brewdog produce incredible drinks. The quality is good, the variation is good, the flavours are different but still enjoyable. At the end of the day, they are good at what they do and it is easier to market a product that is actually good than one that isn't.

The brand?

Brewdog's packaging stands out, it looks quirky, alternative and appeals to an audience that don't like to conform to society. That could be a huge buying point to a lot of people when deciding on their poison of the evening, some people want others to see what they are wearing, how their hair is and what they are eating/drinking and make a judgement on them — "That guy seems interesting, he's not drinking Carling, he's drinking something with stencilled type and contrasting colours.

The support of reducing bigger companies?

People have heard of brew dog, that is a slight understatement in the world of UK beer too. If you were a person against corporate hierarchy, consumerism, and money fuelled companies ruining quality of products and the environment, you would undoubtedly rather have a Punk IPA than a pint of Stella. But then the question comes to light, is brewdog's image a marketing strategy to make themselves bucket-loads of money (which is working and working well) and turning them into the exact thing they are seen to stand against - or is it all honest?

OUGD601 — Screen Printing Labels

"If you caught our earlier feature on craft beer labels, you’d know that the main label decision for a craft brewer is choosing between pressure sensitive or cut & stack and then working through a million options from there. Not satisfied with such a simple either-or decision to start things off? Then it might be time to look at screen printing as an alternative option. We spoke with Robert Howerth, owner of Bottleprint, about craft brewers entering the brave new world of screen printing.

Essentially, the people at Bottleprint print the labels directly onto the bottle. The brewer sends the digital artwork for their label to Bottleprint, which burns screens for their labels. The brewer either ships their bottles or they use the bottles provided by the printer. Bottleprint then prints the bottles and ships them back.

You’ll notice this process foregoes the use of any paper material. An eco-conscious brewer might find the paperless story appealing, brand-wise, but the full picture is more complicated than that. Historically, the curing technology for the screen printing required more power to cure the inks when compared to the paper label, making an eco-advantage negligible. But Howerth noted the advent of UV curable inks for glass has changed that. A UV-cured, screen-printed label requires roughly the same amount of power to cure versus a paper label, according to Howerth. Printers in Europe have been using UV inks on glass for a decade, and it’s starting to be used by printers in the U.S. Bottleprint also uses organic inks that can print a vibrant, lead-free color in finer detail than ceramic ink. The company also requires much lower heat to cure its inks, so its carbon footprint is smaller.

“Some printers have been successful with it, while others have not,” Howerth admitted. “We’ve had great success with our testing and plan to start a UV print line in the near future.”

Bottleprint is new to the craft brewing game as the screen-printing option is normally preferred by a different clientele, but Howerth is excited for the possibilities of this growing segment as more and more brewers look for new ways to position their brands. Craft brewers looking to a screen-printed label are trying to ride the wave of the “martini culture,” and hit on the emotions stirred by brands in the spirit category like Absolut, Grey Goose, etc. Two craft examples being New Belgium Brewing’s Lip of Faith series and all of Stone Brewing Co.’s bottles.

“Our experience has been that this greater awareness is ultimately increasing market share of screen-printed labels. It may not be more than a few basis points, but it is increasing,” Howerth said. “It depends on how much the customer wants to spend on their packaging. Our set up costs are the same whether we print 1,000 bottles or 1 million bottles, so the price per unit drops dramatically as volume increases,” Howerth said. “In order for a smaller brewer to get noticed, they may choose to go with a screen-printed label to stand out from the sea of paper labels at your typical retailer. As they get noticed, their sales increase which will ultimately mean lower prices for their labels. A properly designed screen-printed label adds value to any brand, which will increase sales for any brewery.”

Depending on volume, a screen-printed label will usually cost 5 cents to 20 cents per label more than a paper label, according to Howerth. For those extra cents per label, the brewer will receive a more durable label with a completely different look compared to the norm. And it’s not just the look or cost structure that differs the screen print from the paper label.

“Turnaround will require more planning, due to somewhat slower printing speeds compared to paper labels,” Howerth said. The turnaround point is important as it holds the most potential for a misstep in the process. If a brewer chooses screen-printing and is late with artwork, the whole process will take that much longer."

Source: http://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/packaging-distribution/screen-printed-label-discussion-is-it-right-for-your-beer-brand/

OUGD601 — Beer Sales Trend Down - Taste or Marketing?

"Craft beer, as has been noted, is in a boom time that shows no signs of slowing. The beer industry as whole, however, is settling near panic mode. Each quarter shows another dip down in the overall beer drinking population. How can a tiny segment of the beer world be thriving while the overall market, most notably the Big Beer brands, sees its biggest downward trend?

The answer could be a flight to alcohol quality over quantity for the average consumer as the rise in the sale of liquors and spirits coincides with the rise in craft beer. According to the latest data from GuestMetrics, while spirits and wine both saw volume trends improve slightly through mid-August, beer trends deteriorated.

“Beer volumes were -4.3 percent during 1Q13, and then showed a relative improvement to -2.1 percent during 2Q13,” said Bill Pecoriello, chief executive officer of GuestMetrics LLC. “For the four weeks ending July 14, beer volumes softened to -3.8 percent, and during the four-week period ending Aug. 11, deteriorated even further to -5.3 percent, which is concerning, particularly in light of the slight improvement in underlying volume trends that spirits and wine both saw during the same period.”

More to the point, the GuestMetrics data shows that “premium light” volumes have been deteriorating the most, going from -8.9 percent through mid-June to -11.3 percent in mid-July, and now -12.6 percent in mid-August, which is its greatest volume contraction of the eight four-week periods thus far in 2013.

Could the answer also be marketing? Has the once powerful advertising power of Big Beer weakened, or at least lost its message on a new audience? Trade publication Advertising Age posted a great feature that delved into the issue:

When speaking with Paul Chibe, VP-U.S. marketing at A-B InBev, it’s best to tiptoe around the subject of the farting horse. Part of a suite of ads for Bud Light that ran several years ago under a previous marketing regime, it’s become an internal symbol at the brewer of what not to do in advertising. “It’s not going to build the category,” he said. The horse spot epitomized the brewer’s once-sophomoric ad humor, though the period also produced memorable ads such as the Budweiser frogs.

Former A-B Chief Creative Officer Bob Lachky — who was behind A-B classic “Wassup?!” — blames his ex-employer for overtesting. “It’s almost impossible to get a breakthrough idea through a system that may be overanalyzing in the pre-test stage,” he said. “Once in a while, you do have to take a chance.”

Mr. Chibe counters that the new regime is taking plenty of risks; it’s just using data to make smarter choices. “Everything that I am running on air is an ad that has been tested and qualified to drive purchase intent and persuasion,” he said. Mr. Chibe has put a premium on music-themed marketing, signing up artists like Jay Z and Justin Timberlake, as the brewer seeks to appeal to millennials with more aspirational ads and fewer frat-boy pranks.

Big brands are also resorting to packaging as a major marketing tool. Coors Light is pushing a “double-vented wide-mouth can” that the brewer says produces a smoother pour. Miller Lite, which launched in 1975 as the first successful mainstream light beer, will be repackaged in its original can design from Jan. 1 to March 15, harkening back to its glory days as the beer that “tastes great” and is “less filling.”

Source: http://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/news/beer-sales-trend-taste-marketing/

OUGD601 — Craft Beer Label Design Trends

"Do you need a paper or poly label? Estate look or high gloss? Laminated label or varnish or raised varnish?

All of the available label design options could drive a brewer to cracking one open instead of settling on the right mix of paper, coating, colors, etc.

We asked our label sources to talk about what trends they are seeing and what options they recommend.

Green Flash West Coast IPA by Oaks Printing. 
Green Flash West Coast IPA by Oaks Printing.

“We offer brewers a variety of cut and stack label substrates — 60# C1S, wet-strength, metallized and specialty papers to differentiate their look in the industry,” said Gwen Chapdelaine, marketing director with Fort Dearborn Company. “Other brewers will use a matte, gloss or a combination of both coatings to achieve a specialty look and feel.

“At the outset, our question is ‘what is the essence of your brand?’ What are you trying to convey from the promise of your brand? Is it more of a sepia look and feel? High, vibrant color? If they have a label already designed, we make recommendations on substrates — material that goes on to label that enhances the brand,” said Mike Lane, chief executive officer with Lofton Label. Lofton usually advises craft breweries to stay away from foils, stamping or embossing, which can add more of a wine look, and additional costs that might be in a wasted effort.

When it comes to substrates, some labels are designed to look crafty on uncoated paper, some are designed to be on shinny metalized paper and others use a coated sheet, according to Rob Stevens, vice president of sales for Oak Printing. Pressure sensitive can also be produced on a wide variety of materials such as metallic, clear and wine label stocks. Other quality issues to keep in mind, according to Stevens, are repeatable color reproduction, trimming and die-cutting accuracy in each print run.

“The design and creative aspect is really brand specific,” Stevens said. “There seems to be a trend with some brands to move toward a crafty look utilizing uncoated papers and matte finishes.”

Lane noted that trend as well — the stamp of a “craft” look for the craft beer. Because of that, Lane said brewers should be looking at other ideas to set their brand apart from the crowd.

“It’s a medium to convey brand information on, and while it may be an earthy or natural or a raw look you want, you don’t want to look like all other beers trying to create the same look,” Lane said. “We say spread it out a little bit and look at other options. There are a number of ways to use materials and design to convey the essence of your brand.”

Thirsty Dog paper label from Atlas Labels and Packaging
Thirsty Dog paper label from Atlas Labels and Packaging

Jack Wright, president of Atlas Labels and Packaging, said he’s seeing breweries get more creative with color and shapes. “We have seen an uptrend in matte finishes as opposed to gloss. We still recommend the gloss laminate,” he said.

Wright believes a common misstep brewers make in the design process is not choosing a full color option. He recommends a four-color process and pressure sensitive labels produced at a high density preferably with 150 line screens or higher.

“With only 10 seconds to get a consumer’s attention, they should be an attractive colorful label with the variety of beer easy to read,” he said. Atlas is continuing to add new products for breweries, such as keg collars, and works with more than 500 craft breweries.

Most label companies have a consultative or creative element for brewers unsure of what options to choose or the best visual path to venture down. Lane said about 25 percent of the time, Lofton Label is either starting from scratch or adding substantial value of design to the label itself for the craft brewing industry."

Source: http://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/packaging-distribution/craft-beer-label-design-trends/

OUGD601 — How to Choose Among Your Craft Beer Label Options

"Craft beer label decisions go well beyond the graphics. The material, the finish, the cut, the adhesive and the adhesion method all need to be considered for utility, look and cost.

Inland Label hosted a two-part webinar to break down these options, and Craft Brewing Business listened in to see what Inland Chief Executive Officer Mark Glendenning had to say.

“Labels are that rare piece of advertisement seen 100 percent of the time. Try to bring innovation into play; tie it into your branding. Also, design to the container. Too often we see art designed flat and not to the container,” he said.

First label question facing a craft brewer: Do you want cut and stack, pressure sensitive or shrink sleeve?

According to Glendenning, Cut and stack labels are still the most widely used option in the industry because of the cost efficiencies gained ordering them in large quantities. But pressure sensitive, a mid-tier label in terms of cost, is gaining share, growing about 3 percent a year. Shrink sleeves, the highest cost option for a brewer, has shown a 6 percent pick up and is the fastest growing, but still significantly lags in overall market share among the three.

But why choose one over the other?

Inland Labels cut and stack
Cut and stack labels can be applied at a very high speed, up to about 1,500 bottles per minute, with either hot or cold glue.

Cut and stack

Cut and stack labels are versatile, with an entire library of paper and film options, and nearly an unlimited selection of shapes for both bodies and necks.

For application, the labeling machine usually consists of two circles: One that spins the labels through glue application and another that spins the bottles into the freshly glued labels for application.  The labels are removed from the first circle by gripper fingers and are placed onto oncoming bottles from the second circle, which then move through a series of brushes for smoothing and wiping down.

Cut and stack labels can be applied at a very high speed, up to about 1,500 bottles per minute, with either hot or cold glue. The downside here is the front-end capital expenditure for implementing such a labeling system.

Your labeling equipment will dictate the type of label you run, but new labeling equipment is making all of this easier, according to Glendenning.  Newer labeling equipment is modular, which will allow a unit to bolt onto a machine, run cold glue for a few days, and then unbolt for completely different run, like pressure sensitive.

Pressure sensitive

Pressure sensitive labels are a middle-cost option, but when taking into account application and adhesive expenses, they are often a more cost-effective option overall for craft brewers.

“With pressure sensitive design, get good glass with a consistently good surface. It’s a limited amount of adhesive to smooth across and it’s susceptible to voids and pits and problems on the glass. It’s more likely for opaque bottle labels to have wrinkles, and for clear bottles to have wrinkles and/ or bubbles.” — Mark Glendenning,  Inland chief executive 0fficer“Pressure sensitive are well-suited for entry-level labeling,” Glendenning said. The reason is the labels come with adhesion pre-applied to the substrate. Pressure sensitive labels are essentially stickers, thus removing the extra glue and application expenses.
Versatility of pressure sensitive labels in terms of shape, size, material and film is similar to cut and stack. Pressure sensitive costs more because the liner that winds up the roll makes it a six-layer product versus cut and stack’s four layers.

Pressure sensitive costs will also increase as speed increases. If you need more bottles per minute, you will then need a material for the liner that helps it withstand the added stress of the faster machine. If you have the machine in house, costs go up there as well as the machine will need better tension controls at higher speeds.

“With pressure sensitive design, get good glass with a consistently good surface,” Glendenning advised. “It’s a limited amount of adhesive to smooth across and it’s susceptible to voids and pits and problems on the glass. It’s more likely for opaque bottle labels to have wrinkles, and for clear bottles to have wrinkles and/ or bubbles.”

Shrink sleeve

Inland Labels_shrink sleeve
More risks and a higher cost, but shrink sleeves look pretty awesome when done right.

Shrink labels are, well, sleeves that shrink. The film is highly engineered with shrink-extraction properties in order to ensure that it shrinks onto the package in a predictable way. That amount development and production drives much of the cost.

Cans are the more friendly option for shrink sleeves because they are simple. Bottles have shoulders and lips and subtleties that create more careful shrinking considerations. Shrink sleeves have also been known to break glass from time to time. Application of a shrink sleeve is typically done by a specialist and not at a brewery.

The advantage of the shrink sleeve is the 360-degree branding opportunity.

“In markets outside of beer, companies have lowered their overall container costs by using a cheaper or less attractive container because the shrink sleeve is covering the entire container with branding,” Glendenning said.

The shrinking of the sleeve is brought on by heat, which is important to remember if you happen to be storing rolls of shrink sleeves. Stored in a hot location, by the time they are pulled out, they may already be shrunk.

Final thoughts

Don’t let the costs and graphics dictate your entire label decision. Every variable will affect the substrates, coatings and adhesives you will need.

Variables to consider:

The environmental impact of your label design. If you are concerned about sustainability, you will probably want a square cut label. Labels are based on squares. If you want a curved label with a curved neck, those are being cut from a square, sending the surrounding material into the trash.

The impact of the bottle on your design. “Design to the bottle so that the main image fits the entire front,” Glendenning said. “Also, do yourself a favor and have a label panel on the bottle. That will lower your costs and your labels will look better, too.”

The curvature of your bottle’s neck. Know where the overlap is for a full-wrapped neck. If you don’t have those measurements just right, the label ends won’t connect and it will look like a mistake.

The end use of your label. How is it being shipped and sold? Who is likely consuming it, and where? When? If you plan on this bottle going to a freezer or an ice bath, you will need a more aggressive adhesive.

The best way to navigate through all of these considerations is with consistent, quality communication with your label supplier throughout the design and procurement process.

“Get connected with us as early as possible in the process,” Glendenning said. “Can’t tell you how many problems are alleviated the sooner we can work with the designer on that label. Review type, bleed, cut tolerance, color specs. Review color expectations. Measure twice, cut once.”

Source: http://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/packaging-distribution/label-options-explained-cut-stack-pressure-sensitive-shrink-sleeve/

OUGD601 — Leeds Wharf Chambers Beer Festival

Wharf Chambers Co-operative Club is proud to announce the return of its beer festival, showcasing some of the best in Yorkshire breweries. A hit in last year's heatwave, the event is going ahead on 19-20th September at the club on Wharf Street, Leeds offering a selection of 25 beers across the spectrum.

This smaller festival was pointed out to me by a friend of mine after the Leeds International Beer Festival. Being disappointed about the fact the breweries weren't actually at the bigger event, just pint pullers - I was positive that there would be a lot more of an intimate event here and there would be the right people to talk to.

As much as the atmosphere was very close-knit, friendly and welcoming. There were no breweries in sight, rather a trio of chaps stood behind a selection of wooden tables taking people's beer tokens in exchange for half-pints of whatever drink tickled their fancy.

I grabbed my first beer and took in the surroundings in a hope to spot someone with a branded shirt or anyone that might be directly involved with any of the breweries. As nice as the atmosphere was, there wasn't a single person there I could talk to.

It was a very nice evening with a couple of good mates and I can't really complain about an event full of spicy vegan food and incredible beers. The community was very alive at this event and it is nice to see how thriving the underground beer audience is in Leeds even at such a small event. It's just a pity that I still haven't been able to speak to anyone yet despite my efforts.