Beer Label Design Matters!
Designing for your brand's personality.
Hi, I'm Jen Borror owner of Hoot Design Studio, an illustration studio focusing on craft beer label design and branding! I'm a firm believer that in order to be a good graphic designer you must first be able to pick up a pencil and draw.
My studio offers custom original illustrations, monochromatic line art in a black & white tattoo style.
Click here to take a tour of my ink drawings.
Honored to have been a leading industry speaker at the Cheers Yinz Fest this year! Presented by Fueled By Hops, I spoke on Why Beer Label Design Matters.
SO WHY DOES YOUR LABEL MATTER?
Well, to get straight to it - It’s your customer’s FIRST impression of your beer!! The label represents what’s inside. Plain and simple. When your cans are on the shelf at your distributor how else are you convincing strangers to buy your beer?
Your label should work as hard as you do!
You worked hard to create that special brew - making sure the ingredients are quality and just right, spent time, money and energy on the flavor shouldn’t your label follow suite? Otherwise you wasted time on what’s inside ...
YOUR LABEL SHOULD MATCH THE PERSONALITY OF THE BEER
A well-designed label should invite your customers in and show them what they are going to taste. Does your label tell a story and visually give them an eye candy sample?
CATCHY & MEMORABLE
The illustration and label design should tell a story and match your beers name. A customer might not remember the name of the beer, but they will remember... “hey that one with a fish on it, what brewery was that!?”
KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET
Who are your customers? Your label should target that group. What will your customers be doing while drinking that beer of yours?
HOOK THEM!
While word-of-mouth, contests, and free samples are all effective methods of promotion, at the end of the day, your label’s branding is still going to account for most of your first impressions! You want to create a physical connection with your customers.
GIVE THEM EYE CANDY!
Like a kid buying cereal – customer’s eyes gravitate to the exciting boxes on the shelf, not even knowing what it even tastes like! The purchasing power is in the packaging! Your label is a visual representation of the product inside.
PLAY UP THAT CLEVER NAME!
Do you use very specific ingredients? Show them. Have a dog that’s become the brewery’s unofficial mascot? Incorporate him into the design! Make it personal! Relatable.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BEER UNIQUE?
How was it created? - Show them visually with an iconic label that represents flavor. Remember, when you look at your label, it should answer this question: Why should I buy this beer?
TYPOGRAPHY
Words are design too! Custom typography can elevate the look and draw attention quickly. Pick a name that is fun and makes your customer tilt their head.
Is your brand easily recognized? Is your logo placement and branding the same from can to can to create unity and consistency? It’s important to have a strong branding layout that represents your brewery and is easily recognizable. When you come out with a new beer, you want your customers that are already familiar with your quality and flavor to be anxious to try it right? A strong brand forward design will help create awareness in the community and beyond!
LABEL DESIGN IS AN INVESTMENT NOT A PRICE TAG
In a nut shell – label design matters because it is what sells your product! It’s the front-end billboard to what’s inside that can!
YOUR LABEL’S GOAL IS TO CONVINCE THE CUSTOMER TO PICK YOUR BEER OVER THE COMPETITION.
If your cans are lacking luster on the shelf, don’t sweat it! I can help. Contact Hoot Design Studio for a FREE discovery call and project discussion on how we can create a label that holds your customers interest and makes them eager to buy more! At the end of the day, your ultimate goal is to sell more of that awesome beer you made right?
Click Here to download a pdf of my presentation from The Cheers Yinz Fest.
