Coffee culture has evolved a lot all over the world in the last decade. Most of the time, it’s coffee packaging which shapes brand positioning, brand sales, how consumers perceive coffee brands and the way coffee experience is being delivered.
Many coffee brands have started strategically using their coffee packaging to justify higher price point, long term growth and a connection with their customers.
Why packaging matters more in coffee than most industries
Coffee isn’t just a product, for many people it’s an emotional support and an experience. A warm and attractive packaging is essential to ensure the experience is memorable. These days coffee has moved beyond just being a beverage and has become a taste, personality trait and a lifestyle
Hence coffee packaging is integral in determining how the brand and product will be perceived.
Custom Coffee Packaging plays a key role in:
First impressions and unboxing moments
Customer trust and brand recall
Product preservation from preparation till the consumption
Justifying higher price point
In a competitive and growing coffee market, utilise small details in packaging to create bigger impacts in sales and brand growth.
Understanding the different types of coffee packaging
In the coffee industry an important thing to note is that each format of coffee has its own packaging requirements. And different packaging formats can be utilised for different business and operational needs as well as customer behavior.
Some of the popularly used coffee packaging types are as follows:
Coffee pouches
Coffee pouches have different variants such as stand up coffee pouches, block bottom coffee bags, gusset coffee pouches. These different types of coffee pouches can be further combined with a diverse range of features like degassing valves, zipper closures, and high-barrier laminates to maintain aroma and flavor.
K cup coffee boxes
K cup Coffee boxes are perfect for a single-serving brewing system. They play a key role in preserving the pods inside. This packaging is really popular for subscription boxes, aesthetic retail visibility and high-end coffee brands.
Tin Tie Coffee Bags
Tin Tie Coffee Bags are used for convenience due to their resealable feature. Tin-Tie Coffee bags are useful for multi-serve packaging as the product can be resealed again after use to preserve its original taste and freshness. It can be chosen by the coffee brands who care about usability and ease.
Kraft Coffee bags
These kraft coffee bags are made up of recyclable and sustainable kraft material along with inner linings. It is ideal for coffee brands who need packaging with organic, authentic and natural appeal.
Coffee brands can select their packaging type considering their brand nature and sales channel.
Psychology In Coffee Packaging Which Can Lead To Better Sales
Coffee is such an industry where consumers search for quick cues on the packaging rather than doing long evaluations. Factors which coffee buyers usually connect together include:
Color associations with roast levels
Clean vs complex design depending upon the market
Integrating the thematic elements for special edition coffee packaging such as christmas, halloween, holiday season etc.
Clear structure to avoid confusion
For instance, if a packaging is very complex it is highly likely that the buyer will put it back on the retail store instead of spending too much time trying to understand it. Rather, they will choose a product which has clear and quick information mentioned on it.
In modern retail culture, quick decision making leads to more sales.
How packaging influences buying decisions
Usually packaging is the decision maker when people are doing impulse buying either at a retail store or online shop. A smart and strategic packaging will result in favorable sales. Coffee brands need to convey accurate and clear information, have a solid visual presence, and a professional yet attractive design in order to convince potential buyers.
The sign of a credible coffee brand is that it mostly has this information mentioned on packaging.
Roast level and flavor profile
Product type and usage
Quantity and value
A clear communication on the exterior packaging represents transparency and confidence, which results in stronger brand image and higher brand sales.
The role of packaging in protecting coffee quality
Coffee is a delicate food item which can get easily affected by external factors such as extreme temperature, exposure to sunlight, moisture and light etc. It also keeps the taste fresh and quality preserved during storage, shipping and handling. Therefore, investment in packaging doesn’t just mean an operational cost, it means investment in the brand image, and long term growth.
A well designed packaging is useful in:
Reducing the chances of damage during shipping and storage
Retain the product quality over a certain time
Presents the brand in a polished and presentable manner
Packaging decisions that affect cost and scalability
Coffee brands can minimise their packaging cost by keeping in view the following points while designing their packaging:
Ensure to select the right size for product to eliminate the cost of extra material
Standardise the format across different product line
Avail wholesale rates by placing packaging orders in bulk quantity
Avoid complicated designs and styles
Please be mindful that packaging should be designed in a way that it helps the business sustain and grow over time.
Compliance and consistency build long term trust
In the food and specifically coffee industry, it is necessary for packaging to abide by the regulatory compliances in order to avoid doubts among customers and quality risks. Therefore, a coffee packaging should always be made up of FDA Approved, chemical free and toxin free material to prevent any interaction between the material and coffee. This ensures the maintenance of original taste and quality of coffee.
It is equally important to mention the labeling requirements to build transparency and trust among the customers. It can be really helpful in smoothing operations such as:
Ensure no interruption in the retail chains
Useful during expansion of product
Minimise risk during product inspection
One other important thing brands must always adhere to is consistency in the quality and safety standards of the packaging because it can put the long term reputation of the brand at stake.
Consequences Of Inefficient Coffee Packaging On Logistics
Packaging isn’t just important for the impressive exterior visibility of the product but it also impacts the way product behaves in the market under different circumstances. For instance, bad coffee packaging will result in higher return and refund complaints, higher risk of tempering and breakage during warehouse storage and shipping and increase shipping cost.
Choosing packaging which meets your selling channel
In the overcrowded coffee market, brands often get enticed to follow the trends and forget the ground realities like overlooking their sales platform. Each sales channel has its own specific packaging demand.
For retail setup, the visual presence and aesthetics matter a lot because they attract customers and help you standout on the cluttered shelves. While in e-commerce durability and maximum security is the major concern because if a product isn’t delivered safely and in its original form, it will result in a negative brand experience.
Therefore, Titan Boxes always suggests its clients to first understand the environment under which they are operating.
Common Mistakes Coffee Businesses Can Avoid
With a vast experience of serving coffee packaging to a diverse range of clients, we have seen many high quality coffee brands making very minor but heavy mistakes which includes:
Only focusing on the visuals and ignoring the performance
Overlooking the storage and logistical conditions such as transit
Inconsistency in branding
Unclear Information on packaging
Creating coffee packaging designs which look aesthetic virtually but dull in real life
In the modern coffee era, it is integral for all coffee brands to have an intent and vision while designing their coffee packaging. After all, it’s just not exterior packaging, it is going to shape how consumers see and choose your coffee. For instance, if it’s a high end coffee brand, you can choose hot stamp coffee bags to reflect the luxury and if you’re an organic or artisan coffee brand, you can select kraft coffee bags to show commitment towards sustainability.
Deliver style, quality and high performance keeping in view the important custom coffee packaging techniques.