Drink Branding Ideas
20th Jan 2025
In the competitive beverage industry, your product packaging could be all the difference in your customers choosing your drink brand over another. More people than ever before are going online to order their drinks from independent retailers, as there’s much more variety than in your local supermarket. Crucially, those with original, creative packaging stand out.
Quality products need to be represented as such, which means your drink packaging should reflect its contents and your brand. An original packaging design will leave a lasting impression on your customers, encourage them to repeat purchases and recommend your brand to friends and family. Great packaging will lead to better business - but where do you start?
Drink Branding Ideas for Your Packaging
We’ve put together some creative drink branding ideas for your drink packaging that will maximise exposure and keep your customers coming back.
Custom Box Design
Custom postal boxes are an excellent way of showcasing your brand's style. A colourful and well-designed cardboard box will build anticipation for your customers. Like the thrill of Christmas morning and unwrapping a gift, a beautifully branded box for your packaging is a great way to delight your customers from the get-go.
Using quality images of the drink inside can be a mouth-wateringly great way of enticing your consumers further. It’s also a good idea to make your logo and other branding clear to enable brand recognition and memorability.
Change Your Box Shape
Whether it’s bottle carriers with handles for wine or a unique design that makes opening your drink packaging more engaging, changing your box shape can help your product stand out. Consider rethinking how your box opens - for instance, a side-opening design could allow a bottle to slide out smoothly onto a reusable cardboard tray. You might also redesign the shape of your packaging to align with your product, such as a cylindrical box for canned drinks or a teardrop shape for water bottles. Another idea could be to take inspiration from something related to your brand, like a picnic basket design for summer drinks or a cooler box motif for chilled beverages.
If you want your brand to stand out and make a statement to your target audience, going against the grain and doing something more unique will set your brand apart from the rest.
Internal Box Design
Why should the outside have all the fun? Create a memorable unboxing experience that will encourage your customers to share online. A fun, creative interior that is a seamless extension of the exterior can be a great asset to your brand. Think creatively, like adding your brand story with an illustrative timeline or recipe ideas and the best ways to use your product. For something a little more unique, you could add a pop-up element featuring a miniature version of your product or something specifically related to your brand like a slogan or mascot. You could also expand on the usual ingredients list by adding a map of where they are from, ideal for drinks products such as wine or coffee.
You can always add a QR code that takes your customers to a thank you page with a discount or to follow you on social media. The possibilities are endless and it adds a fun, interactive element to a standard postal box.
Sustainable Packaging
As a sustainable company, the last thing we want is for your packaging to go to waste. While it’s incredibly important to choose sustainable packaging like recyclable cardboard boxes, there are other ways you can promote sustainability to your customers, while also making a lasting impression. Why not create drink packaging that can be repurposed for multiple uses? Perhaps it could be turned into a dispenser for the product or a way to display what’s inside.
It’s also useful to consider the interests of your target audience. If your product is aimed at eco-conscious consumers, you could include packaging that encourages interaction, such as a perforated design that turns into a storage holder for reusable bottle caps or straws. Adding a QR code to share creative ways to repurpose the packaging on social media is another engaging approach that also helps boost brand awareness.
Choose ASC as Your Drink Packaging Supplier
Packaging is an extension of your drinks business and a key way to showcase the quality of your products and how you differentiate from cheaper alternatives. Customers will expect more from online stores, so creating a memorable unboxing experience by using original drink branding ideas will maximise exposure and loyalty before they even take a sip.
With that in mind, it might be time to step away from your basic cardboard boxes and go with more creative ways of packaging your drink products. Custom cardboard packaging is the way forward, and here at ASC Direct, we can create bespoke packing solutions to ship your products.Get in touch with our team today to kickstart your journey to an unforgettable packaging experience.
James Palfrey-Smith is the Commercial Manager at ASC Direct with extensive experience in both operations and sales. James is passionate about solving packaging problems, delivering fast customer support, and building lasting relationships. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and skiing. A fan of real ale and business podcasts, he continuously seeks personal and professional growth.
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