The craft spirits market is bouncing back in the post-pandemic market. The re-opening of bars and tasting rooms provide what may feel like whole new avenues for brands to reach their customers, meaning the future is looking bright for craft spirits. And, of the traditional spirits, few have as bright a future as gin. Drinks market experts IWSR estimate global gin consumption is set to grow by 4.4% by 2023.
This means gin brands face a highly competitive, ever-changing market rife with new flavours and experiences. Share of voice is no longer a given, and so brands must embrace innovative storytelling to make sure their message is heard by the consumer.
The benefits of being on-trend
Gin has reinvented itself in recent years. No longer is it seen as a stuffy relic of the Victorian era – it is a versatile spirit with a cross-demographic appeal. A survey by the Craft Gin Club found that gin was now the drink of choice for under-25s, driven by its popularity as a social media-friendly cocktail ingredient. Its global appeal is so great that we now celebrate world gin day across the world, every year on the second Saturday in June (this year’s is on 11 June).
There is a reason for this shift in the perception of gin. Consumers – especially younger Gen Z consumers – are increasingly interested in the stories behind the products they buy. Gin is the perfect fit for brand storytelling with its arcane distilling process and diverse mixtures of botanicals, each one with its own story. By capitalising on the inherent story-friendly nature of their product, craft gin brands can seize their share of voice and hold their own against the giant corporations of the spirit sector.
Finding your voice
Before brands start expressing their voice, it is vital that they nail down what they want to say. Much of the appeal of craft gins in particular is their provenance, so the story of each bottle has to ring true to the consumer. Brands must discover this story for themselves – they cannot invent or force it.
Fortunately, one of the reasons for gin’s booming popularity is that it lends itself well to this authentic approach. Brands can leverage local botanicals, or a particular approach to the distilling process to craft their own genuine story. Of course, once a brand is confident and self-assured enough to identify its story, it must effectively communicate this to the consumer.
Click here to see images of eye-catching gin bottles.
The power of labels
The most important way brands can express themselves is through their label. More than expensive TV adverts and billboards, the label is what will really connect with the customer and entice them to purchase a product above all the other spirits on the shelf. A good label needs to reach out and intrigue the customer, whether it’s viewed on a bar shelf, supermarket POS display, restaurant drinks menu, or even an online storefront.
Partnering with an experienced label partner gives brands and bottlers the scope to use whatever tools they need to authentically express their identity. Label manufacturers like OPM can offer brands the freedom to design almost anything and have it rapidly produced, whether it is a long-run flexo printed label for core lines or a shorter digital run for limited editions.
Here at OPM, we have decades of experience working to craft spirit labels that have maximum shelf appeal while still being durable enough to cope with hectic spells at the bar. We use bespoke die-cutting to produce labels in all shapes and sizes, with innumerable material options to adjust both the look and feel of a label. Ultra-modern brands may prefer a clear film for a no-label look, whereas traditional brands might favour a textured face stock for a more rustic aesthetic. Gloss paper, metallised film, tactile varnishes, and more – if you can imagine it, we can produce it. This lets brands explore every avenue to tell their story and build an authentic connection with their consumers.
Premiumising your label
The best part of producing a truly show-stopping label is that, if done right, it acts as a self-marketing tool. The trend of Instagrammable packaging is driving sales of luxury products, and spirits are no exception. Sales of ultra-premium gin are growing at a staggering rate, with a CAGR of over 50% between 2013-2018 and a further 25% on top of that forecast by the end of 2023 (ISWR). Brands can capitalise on this, even at lower price points, by premiumising their label.
Some brands may relish the opportunity for maximalism. Gin has a diverse history, with countries across the world imparting their own terroir into the production process. Brands can leverage this history, bringing in traditional colours and intricate designs from any place they have a connection to. By working with a label partner, they can add premium features to make a maximalist design look and feel premium. These features could include hot and cold foiling, silk screen printing, a mixture of textured and soft-touch coatings, or even a bespoke die-cut design that allows the bottle’s contents to peek through the label design.
Premium labels do not necessarily have to be ornate, elaborate affairs. Depending on a brand’s identity, a more simplistic, back-to-basics approach might be more effective. Minimalist does not have to mean boring – a plain black and white label can still be made with premium face stocks and feature touches like subtle embossing or spot varnishes on typography to give it depth and enhance the look and feel of the bottle.
All of these premium features put together into a complete label can (literally) highlight aspects of a brand’s message. Pick out a logo with gold foil, add soft-touch varnish to your brand name, or allow embellishments on the bottle to shine with a clear film. The possibilities for premiumisation are endless. And, with the right labelling partner, they can be made a reality.
At OPM, we are experts at giving brands the toolkit to tell their stories. Whether your brand is an upstart pink gin distillery or an established Indian craft gin, we can help make your story heard with a unique showpiece label. All you need is a little imagination.
