Is the wine industry ready for innovative packaging?

Jul 1

Wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages, and as such, it has earned a certain reputation. Consumers perceive it as classy and elegant, and wineries design their brands with that in mind. This perception of a sophisticated wine bottle has created a loop in which wineries try to compete with their competitors without offering anything different, and we know selling products without differentiating your brand from the competition is impossible. However, there have been some changes in recent years when it comes to innovative wine packaging. A heavy glass bottle is no longer on the throne as the sole form of wine packaging. Keep reading to find which innovations have started rocking the world of wine packaging design.

Boxed wine

When we think about good wine, an image of a heavy glass bottle is likely to spring to mind. But not in Scandinavia! Boxed wine, also known as Bag-in-Box wine upholds more than a good reputation in this northern part of Europe. Of course, some wineries can be skeptical towards such a shift in packaging, mainly because the first boxed wine used to be seen as cheap and of low quality. This can’t be farther from the truth today, and wineries that think like that are missing out on the opportunity to diversify their market. If you don’t trust sentiments, trust numbers: in the last five years, sales of boxed wine have increased by 13,7% in Sweden. And this is not just a fad trend either, because even connoisseurs admit that the boxed wines have a fully preserved taste.

Now, let’s go through some of the benefits of packing wine in boxes. Logistics are usually the biggest concern. With boxed wine, things can’t be easier. Boxes can be perfectly stacked and they don’t break. What about wine promotion? Boxes are lighter than glass bottles, but they offer a bigger space for advertising. You can go wild with your visual identity ideas because your space is not so limited. All in all, boxed wine has steadily been conquering the Scandinavian market, and it is likely to spread to other markets as well.

Flat bottles

Before IKEA took over the industry of affordable but reliable furniture, the concept of flatpack design must have sounded weird. And now it’s slowly becoming a standard type of packing furniture. Something like that has been going on in the wine industry. Let us introduce you to the amazing world of flat bottles.

A UK-based company Garçon Wines have pioneered packing wine in flat bottles. This allows for a sleek and elegant design. Admittedly, their primary motive was sustainability, but you can’t say their bottles don’t look super cool. Back to sustainability. Flat bottles are made of food-grade PET, which saves weight and energy. Transport is also cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the transport of glass bottles. Due to the low weight of PET, the carbon footprint of transportation decreases. Finally, customers also directly profit when they buy flat bottles. Customers can still enjoy their full-sized wine without any compromises to quantity. But they can now stack wine! And if they have room for three flat bottles in their fridge instead of a single round glass bottle, they may want to purchase more wine at once than they did before.

Canned wine

Boxed wine and flat bottles are becoming more prominent in Europe, and it’s just a matter of time before they shake the wine market in the USA. But one wine packaging phenomenon is already all the rage in the USA. We are talking about canned wine. The sales of canned wine have been growing exponentially since 2017, so this format is here to stay.

This innovative wine packaging format benefits everybody: wineries, customers, and our planet! Aluminum is light, durable, and doesn’t shatter, which makes it easy and cost-effective to transport. One other benefit for wineries comes in the form of design decisions. As opposed to glass bottles that come with paper sleeves glued onto them, you can print your design directly onto a can. This makes canned wine a playground for all your design ideas. When it comes to customers, they love canned wine because of its size. Without committing to a full-sized bottle, they can explore different kinds of wine. And since canned wine chills faster, it’s an ideal choice for picnics and other outdoor activities. Finally, canned wine is better for the environment not only because its transport doesn’t produce a large carbon footprint, but because of recyclability as well. Aluminum has higher recycling rates than glass, which makes this container option more eco-friendly.

Change can be challenging, we know. Just look at how all businesses had to adapt because of COVID-19. But let’s not forget that many of them flourished because of their innovative approaches to the usual situations! Today is a great day to start thinking about shaking things up and seek novel solutions. Customers are reacting positively to innovative wine packaging design, so there is no reason for wineries to only sell wine in glass bottles. Packing wine in boxes, flat bottles, or cans will do wonders for the visibility of your brand when you stand out among the competition. We’ve been closely examining innovative wine packaging for quite some time now, and we know all the details, great and small. If you have any questions about venturing into the waters of innovative wine packaging or maybe about wine promotion strategies in general, reach out to us! We’d love to be a part of your story.