How to Avoid These 5 Common Packaging Mistakes
Running a brewery is not easy. It takes hard work and dedication to not just make something delicious, but also to be a successful business. Thankfully CanCraft’s dedicated packaging experts are here to help your brand succeed.
- Going Too Big, Too Soon
For many craft breweries printed cans are the ultimate goal. They look great and are often half the cost of labeled cans. Unfortunately, many companies rush into this format too soon.
Printed cans have high minimum order quantities (150,000-200,000 cans per sku) and they have longer lead times. This means additional costs for warehouse storage and less flexibility.
The solution: Choose labels that fit your needs. Consider starting small and paying more for the ability to change things on the fly. Shrink-sleeved and labeled cans have very low MOQs, fast lead times, and the cost to make changes to artwork are minimal – sometimes no charge at all. Once you’ve nailed down your design and copy and have a good understanding of inventory turns you’re ready to move to printed cans.
2. Goofing Up Your Labels
This may seem like an easy mistake to avoid, but because label requirements can vary considerably based on where the beer is sold, goofs can easily be missed.
Simple things like not capitalizing the correct word or writing ABV instead of ABW, can lead to bigger problems. Having to redo labels will cost you precious time and money.
The solution: Always make time to proofread and ensure the artwork has been reviewed by at least two sets of eyes before submitting it to your can supplier (and again when approving final PDFs). Pro tip: Run the ingredient list past your liquid formulator to make sure everything is accurate.
3. Using an Uncommon Can Format
New craft breweries are always trying to find unique ways for their product to stand out on a shelf. One of these ways is by choosing an uncommon can format. But it is important to understand there is usually a good reason why certain formats are uncommon.
Rare formats are often harder to source, can cost more and make it harder for the consumer to compare pricing against similar products.
The Solution: Choose a more common can format that can be easily and reliably sourced and instead focus on creating exciting artwork to help your product stand out.
Here at CanCraft our team of specialists will work with you to find the right can for your brand. We can provide you with important information about where the cans are being manufactured, how regularly they’re produced, how much inventory they carry in the event there is a supply chain issue.
4. Not Working with a Designer
Being a craft brewer means wearing a lot of hats, from bartender to accountant to even janitor. One mistake brands often make is trying to do too much on their own. This is especially true when it comes to graphic design.
Even if you have a great idea for a label, unless you’re an experienced graphic designer there are certain nuances that can go overlooked. Just because a graphic looks great on a computer doesn’t mean it will look good on a can.
The Solution: Don’t be afraid to consult with an expert for your label design. A professional graphic designer, especially one with experience in packaging, can make your vision into a reality. Here at CanCraft our in-house creative team are print and creative experts fluent in aluminum can decorating. So you can rest assured that your design will be the best it can be.
5. Price Hunting
Those who’ve been in this industry a while knows the market can sometimes swing dramatically. Import tariffs, international conflicts, the influx of overseas produced cans, and of course Covid, have all had a dramatic effect on pricing and supply, making it easier or harder for you to secure cans from year to year.
This is why it can be tempting to accept an offer from a new supplier selling cans at prices that seem too good to be true. This can lead some to make the mistake of always searching to find the lowest price every time they place an order. Unfortunately operating this way is risky and can cost you in the long run. Orders may go unfulfilled, and even if it works out you need to factor in the time it takes to find these deals.
The Solution: Instead of spending your time price hunting, focus on building a relationship with a supplier you trust. A good supplier isn’t always the one with the lowest price. While managing upfront costs is extremely important, knowing how your supplier will support you when a quality issue arises can also have a huge impact on your bottom line.
Running a business, especially a brewery, is complicated. No matter how much planning you do, things can still go wrong. That’s why it’s so important to find good partners you can trust who can help you navigate these complexities so your brand can succeed.
That’s where CanCraft comes in. From expert design services to the delivery of ready-to-fill cans, we simplify the packaging process for you, so you get a solution tailored to your business needs.
For more on these tips and how CanCraft can be Your Can Supply Solution, visit https://cancraftsolutions.com/