A Drink for Every Occasion

For beverages, packaging's role is shifting. "Companies are trying to provide consumers with every potential packaging option for every drinking or thirst occasion," explains Gary Hemphill, vice president, Beverage Marketing Corp., a New York-based consulting firm that focuses on the beverage industry. "So, for example, if you're going to a picnic, you might take a two-liter bottle, but if it's 10 o'clock at night, an eight-ounce can might be just enough." With that strategy, the proliferation of beverage package sizes and shapes continues to balloon. Here are two new packages developed to deliver the right amount of beverage to the consumer at the right time.1. Wine Just hitting store shelves -- and the Internet -- is Sofia Blanc de Blancs, a carbonated white wine in a can from the Neibaum-Coppola Estate Winery, Napa Valley, Calif. The "Sofia Mini" can holds 187 milliliters (about six ounces) of wine and sells in a four-pack with a retail price of nearly $20.Marketing ObjectivesThis easy-to-transport package is aimed at the summer picnic and concert crowd. It addresses the portable but upscale drinking occasion and offers single-servings in contrast to a multiple-serving bottle. It is an example of a winery using innovative packaging to reach its target audience. The wine is sold on the Internet and in upscale specialty stores.Packaging TechniqueThe aluminum can is 1/2-inch smaller in diameter -- and 3/8-inch shorter -- than a standard soft drink can. It has an easy-open end and holds just more than 6 ounces of beverage, compared to a standard can's 12 ounces. The red-wine color of the can's transparent ink creates a shine that supports the product's premium positioning.The cans are sold individually and in a paperboard, four-can multi-pack that has a "gift" look. The pack has a metallized surface printed with a transparent ink, which provides a mirror-like surface. In addition to the brand name, it is decorated with such words as "Reactionary," "Poetic," "Effervescent," and "Sparkling." Furthermore, small holes in the outer carton let consumers see the cans inside.AnalysisIs America ready for wine in a can? Mona Doyle, president of The Consumer Network, Philadelphia, thinks the time might be right. Doyle has several thousand consumers in her research panels and uses them to stay in touch with the consumer's "pulse" on packaging. She brings up a significant point:"Look at the cachet of the skinny cans like the ones for Red Bull," she says. "There's something 'cool' about them, and that's beyond being a cold drink. Small is upscale."It wouldn't be the first time that the attraction generated by a package used for one product (Red Bull, for example) transfers some of the "aura" to a different product using that same package.I question the outer carton holding the cans in the multi-pack, though. For product sold over the Internet, the carton works -- its gloss and shine support the value proposition for the wine, which has already been explained and "romanced" online.At retail, I don't believe the package tells the consumer about the product's positioning and the value of $20 worth of wine. Even with die-cut holes in the carton's side, consumers are likely to open the sealed carton to look inside and understand what is being sold. In addition, although the graphics convey a great mood, they never answer two key questions: 'What does this do?' and 'What is the benefit for me?'2. Beer as "Cold Shots"In Canada, Molson Inc., Montreal, is rolling out a 240 milli-liter (8.4 ounce) can for Molson's beer. The company uses the brand name "Cold Shots" for the package. (An image was not available at press time.) Marketing ObjectivesThis is another occasion-driven package, appealing to consumers who feel that less is more, at least in terms of design. "We see there are multiple occasions for drinking beer, says the company's David Jones. "We have done five-liter kegs for party occasions. Sometimes the consumer wants to drink less. This is for the times when you want to have a quick beer." Molson's strategy is also to bring a "bit of news to the brand," Jones continues. Currently, the package is available only in Canada, but if the reception is good, Molson could bring the package to the United States.Packaging TechniqueThe aluminum cans, like those used for Sofia, are in the "slim line" proportion popularized by energy drinks. Molson opted for transparent inks on the cans, letting the shine of the metal underneath become part of the graphic statement on each can. Jones says Molson sees the shape and the graphics as "a little more urban and a little more edgy."Cans are sold in both four-can and eight-can multi-packs. Prices for eight-packs are similar to six-packs of the conventional 12-ounce cans. AnalysisThe "Cold Shots" sub-brand, along with the shine and popular shape of its package, give the brewer a reason to create news and some excitement around its Molson brand. From a communications perspective, the package does an excellent job of reinforcing that the beverage is a quick solution to a thirst for beer.Jim Peters is a writer and consultant with 25 years in the packaging field. He is president of J. Peters Associates Inc. Click here for his contact information.

A Drink for Every Occasion

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

Related Topics

Related Images

Business Topic

Market Segment