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From branding to storytelling, discover the key elements that lead to the success of an alcohol brand in a competitive market.
Establishing a brand presence in the competitive beverage industry can be a challenge, whether you're a well-known company with a range of products or a new player specialising in a single spirit.
Even once you've made a name for yourself, it can be difficult to maintain your position in such a saturated market. Although there's no guaranteed formula for success, there are key strategies that have been proven to help.
Many of the most successful companies in the alcohol industry use these strategies to achieve long-term success. In this blog, we explore the measures beverage businesses can take to strengthen their market position amidst fierce competition.
Understand your target audience
One common factor that successful alcohol brands share is that they know their audience inside out. This means understanding their interests, preferences and the best ways to connect with them.
For example, suppose your brand specialises in a sophisticated wine, gin or whiskey beverage that you aim to sell at a higher price point. In that case, you will likely have more success targeting an older audience than a younger demographic.
An older target audience will be more interested in details about your beverage’s production, such as where it is produced and the quality of the ingredients you use. They will also be more attracted to bottles with premium-looking packaging.
Similarly, if you offer a range of vibrant and versatile spirits, such as flavoured vodkas or liqueurs to add to cocktails, your brand is more likely to appeal to a younger demographic, such as university students.
In comparison, a younger audience might be more attracted to the design element of your bottle, with vivid colours and striking designs that stand out on crowded shelves.
Once you understand your audience, you can then relay your story. And the most important place for this of course – is your label, but how do you effectively convey your brand's story, especially with the limited space on a label?
Tell your story
Did you know that sharing your story could help you connect with your audience in a better way? Recent studies indicate that when you present a fact as a story, the audience are 22 times more likely to remember it.
And the beauty of label design is it offers great versatility, giving you the freedom to tell your story in a creative and authentic way.
There are two crucial elements that you need to consider while designing your labels. Let’s take a look at how other brands approach these elements.
Insightful imagery
When choosing the right imagery for your product labels, it’s important to think beyond just aesthetic appeal. Successful brands use visuals that connect with their product and resonate with their target audience.
For instance, rum brands often incorporate images of palm trees or ships to evoke associations with the Caribbean or piracy. Gin brands that use botanicals in their distillation process may use illustrations of the herbs and botanicals on their labels. Similarly, wine labels often depict scenes that reflect the winemaking process, such as a picturesque painting of a vineyard.
The imagery you choose can also be presented in various ways to produce different effects.
You can silhouette them in the background behind your brand name or create them using vintage or retro colour palettes to evoke nostalgia or heritage. If your brand prefers a minimalist approach, you can even simplify the imagery to an abstract representation, which conveys elegance or modernity. There are endless possibilities!
Telling typography
Every aspect of your label design plays a crucial role in telling your brand story, and typography is no exception. Typography refers to the font style, size, and alignment of the text, including your brand name and production information. Selecting the right typography is essential to ensure that the text is easy to read and visually appealing.
Choosing the appropriate typography can significantly impact how customers perceive and remember your brand. Whether you opt for a vintage-inspired font or a sleek modern style, typography is equally important as imagery in conveying your brand's personality and heritage.
Our work with Wessex Gin
Wessex Gin is an excellent example of how different design elements on a label can help to tell your brand’s story.
Wessex Distillery, established in 2017, crafted six gin recipes using botanicals from the Anglo-Saxon period in homage to ‘Alfred the Great’, the mighty king of Wessex.
With their heritage at the heart of the brand, they had a clear vision for their bottle labels and approached Premier Labels to bring that vision to life.
To evoke a sense of history and tradition, we chose a black and white colour scheme that would transport consumers back to the 9th century. Using the emblem of Wessex, a white dragon, designed in a traditional woodcut art style, helped to enhance this aesthetic.
Wessex Distillery also wanted a high-quality material with a rich feel, and this allowed for an excellent contract with high-build gloss varnish to emphasise the Wessex Gin logo and dragon emblem. These elements are highlighted with a gold-foil drop shadow, giving the bottle incredible shelf presence.
All of these elements work together to convey the brand’s personality and story to consumers.
Do you have a story to tell?
Are you looking for a way to make your brand more memorable and unique in the market?
At Premier Labels, it’s our passion to provide exception labelling that captivates customers and sets your brand apart from the competition.
Contact Us today to discuss your product specifications, and let us help you take your brand to the next level.
