Liquor and spirits have the idea of packaging as an important marketing tool. In the case of luxury wines and spirits, the container and the material from which it is made can be as valuable as the contents. Luxury packaging plays an important role in conveying quality, improving and sustaining the image of the brand, and positioning the product at a higher price for giving the client an unforgettable first impression.
Expressing Quality through Material and Stylish Design
To a premium liquor packaging transcends the role of a container; it is a part of the image of the product in question and represents a tangible value of the liquid inside. The spirits brands of the high-end sector focus on using quality glasses and great images for labels to enhance the perception of the luxury. Subtle and thick glass suggests extra attention while manufacturing and smooth, contemporary shapes of bottles are associated with elegance. Metallic foils, textured papers and embossing on labels serve as haptic signals of worth. The closure also counts – some premium brands have metal or ceramic, crystal, or real wood instead of simple plastic or cork. Each material decision adds up to convey that the product is superior before one even uncorks the bottle.
The aesthetic design also has its part to play in the design process. Many premium brands prefer simple, modern designs that are sophisticated yet inconspicuous. Clean graphic logos, using high-quality inks, and diagonal ribbons crossing through labels give a touch of contemporaneity. Elaborate retro design elements, coat of arms, and handwritten title fonts evoke the themes of tradition and ancestry. In any technique used, the general idea is that luxury packaging does not appear to have been produced in bulk for the masses but are more personal in appearance.
Enhancing Brand Image
Unlike in other retail environments where products are displayed on open shelves, packaging also carries significant appeal in a liquor store shelf or a bar back-bar since it can create a first and lasting impression and have a way of compelling repeat consumption of a brand. To brands such as Grey Goose Vodka or The Macallan Scotch Whisky, luxury packaging is an integral part of the brand identity. Just consider the sleek glass Grey Goose vodka bottle with the frosted Arctic-blue color or The Macallan’s amber-colored bottles with rounded shoulders to name but two; these designs alone scream out premium liquor. When customers take these bottles into their homes as a sign of their affluence or order them in a bar just to prove a point, the packaging serves brand recognition at its best.
For new and less familiar brands of high-end alcohol, premium packaging conveys assurance and status of their origin that is appealing to first-time consumers. Smooth and interesting graphic faces such as wax lined seal, ribbon and capped tops grab the consumer’s attention on the shelf. A heavy or curved bottled or a sleek label creates eagerness to learn more about the content and the story behind it. In the finality, the liquid gets the sale done while packaging adds value to the brand and provides the initial push. It is why new luxury tequila introductions rely so heavily on hand-blown Mexican glass and old world style–it adds credibility and heritage. For the new brands those are the signals that are vital in competing for attention with established name-brand liquors on the menus and store shelves.
Finding Rational for a Higher Price Point
In cases of super-premium liquor brands, overemphasized packaging is used to explain sometimes outrageous prices to the consumer. Alcohol pricing depends more on perception which is customer willingness to pay as opposed to intrinsic value. In gifting special occasions, packaging has been found to overly influence consumers’ perceptions of price. A customer searching for spirits for a VIP corporate present or a special birthday present will be ready to spend more for the product with an added prestige box or custom showcase. Sealing a $200 bottle in tissue paper and placing it in foam inserts speaks high-quality service and attention to detail through gift wrapping.
Everything can literally be made presentable and these even come at a higher cost just because they are packaged in as handle-held bottles. Factors such as glass weight, rough or unsmooth labels, wax dip seals, or such specific features as an individual number on the bottle should provide enough of what consumers believe to be their worth to cancel out sticker shock. From the marketing perspective, the bottles wrapped in tissue paper and sealed with branded ribbon also convey that the recipient is getting a special something rather than just a bar code scanned product. Wearing premium materials to the products gives it a cover which makes the high prices to be acceptable. It enables high-end brands to operate in a different network than mass-market value liquors in terms of operations, instead of competing head to head.
Setting Up the Perfect Unboxing Experience
In the era of unboxing videos and social media personalities, a spirit’s packaging might be even more significant as the visual representation of it. The act of discovering a high-end liquor is as important as tasting it, at least for many brands in this category. This has created a new level of complicated liquor packaging boxes that plays out a brand experience that engages several of the senses.
These are not simple cardboard cartons, but elegant black matte boxes with magnetic closures, leatherette sleeve boxes with magnetic keepsake straps or body sculpted boxes which open like a jewelry casket. Inside, bottles are nestled in protective foam or velvet nests with precisely shaped spaces for the bottles to lie down. Foil stamping, interior artwork or the booklets, if any, take up the dramatic cues from the storyline. To take the luxury aspect up a notch, some may arrive with its own glassware or a list of cocktails that goes well with that type of alcohol. In addition to what is seen when unboxing, nearly all types of packaging offer additional value-added features, such as a magnetic gift box, a display stand for the bottles once the contents have been consumed, or a mechanism to seal the container itself so as to retain the quality of the contents.
Unlike basic transportation from one point to another, the level of detail regarding the design of a package and the actual unboxing event appeals to the social media aspect. It offers instant social media highlight, the ‘Grammable, shareable joy to both the giver and the receiver of gifts. So for the younger generation of consumers, having a pleasant experience through other senses can compensate for taste predispositions that determine consumers’ affinity and loyalty towards liquor brands. Consequently, premium spirits will keep on exercising pressure on packaging to create and enhance the customer experience, satisfaction, and repurchase.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to high-end liquor, every detail counts in communicating brand positioning – including the shipping box. In the case of premium spirits brands, packaging holds key function of contributing to brand image, brand associations, setting the mental references of price and designing the unboxing experience. The choice of materials, the appearance, weight, seal, as well as the sound and feel when opening and closing the package all serve to signal quality and socioeconomic status. As people are using their mobile devices more often, and as the society has become more visually oriented, packaging has become a key persuader and a sign of differentiation. With competition rising in the overall alcohol business, expect more innovation, customization, and social media moments chasing from packaging in the premium spirits segment. In the case of new and existing luxury liquor brands, packaging is the final factor that cements the product’s position as an icon that consumers would want for themselves and share with others.
