Labeling Innovations from Weber

We're excited to be exhibiting at BrewExpo America during the 2016 Craft Brewers Conference  in just a few short weeks! The conference takes place May 3 - 6 and you can visit our booth (961) during the trade show from May 4 - 6 in the Philadelphia Convention Center.  Brewers will have the chance to meet with over 800 vendors who specialize in everything you could need for your brewery from tax resources to large brewing equipment. 

For the last few of years we have enjoyed helping small breweries grow their brands with labels, labeling equipment and ink jet coders.

Here's a quick preview of the packaging solutions we're bringing to BrewExpo:

Labels for Craft Beer Bottles and Cans

Weber's booth will have beautiful examples of beautiful pressure-sensitive beer labels that are suitable for bottles and some that can even be applied to beer cans.

In addition to seeing the labels on rolls and applied to the products, we'll be giving away samples of our top beer label materials so you can take them back to your brewery and test them with your product.

There are many different types of label materials now available including white films, clear films, metalized films, Estate papers and and even wood! Get inspired with these designs from local breweries and our in-house Graphics Team. 

Labeling Applicators for Beer 

We've talked about our three options for craft beer labeling equipment for bottles and cans and now you'll be able to see one of those systems live in our booth!

In our BrewExpo booth #961 we'll be demoing our Model 121 Wrap-Around Label Applicator. You'll notice this unit is compact and easy to use and is adjustable so you can  apply labels to both cans and bottles. 

This all-in-one labeling system is on wheels so you can roll it to your bottling or canning line, apply labels to your batch, then roll it out of the way.

Ink Jet Coding for Craft Beer Cans

Our most popular craft beer product is our BestCode ink jet system. This printer is easy to use and cleanly applies the coding you need on your cans.

The ink jet printer can be a stand alone unit with its own stand or attached to the your packaging line. The system is easy to use, requires minimum maintenance, and carries a 2 year manufacturers warranty.

See a live demo of this ink jet printer coding bottles and cans, or request a Weber expert to visit your brewery and give you an on-site demo. 

Back in 2005, when the Julian Pie Company was experiencing phenomenal growth, the company realized that it needed to add automation to an awkward, labor-intensive operation of labeling and sealing its boxes of freshly-baked fruit pies.

Now, after over eight years on the production line, the company knows it made the right decision when it chose labels and a custom system from Weber Packaging Solutions to solve its dilemma.

Recently, while exhibiting at a trade show in the area, a few members of our Marketing team decided to swing by Julian Pie Company's bakery to see how things are going now that they've automated their labeling process.

One of the hot trends we discovered at the Dairy Deli Bake trade show was many brands are offering multiple flavors for their products. This included:

• Limited Edition Flavors
• Seasonal Flavors
• Experimental Flavors

Let's say you have a business that specializes in jams and sauces. You might want a special holiday jam or to test a new flavor combination for your hot sauce line.

The more flavors you can offer, the bigger your potential customer base. But this can also lead to some packaging challenges.

If you want to use the same label size and label art for every flavor, you can simply have labels preprinted and then later imprint the variable information, such as ingredients or nutrition fact, on-site using a Zebra or Datamax thermal-transfer label printer.

Labels are the perfect medium for informing consumers about the nutrition and ingredients in packaged food but they can also be the best place to share your story and connect with a consumer.

Here are a couple of ways that you can share your story with consumers, from the farmer's market to grocery store shelves:

Reach out with QR Codes

QR codes work well on labels because consumers can connect with your brand at the store or even later after the purchase.

Scanning the code can direct the consumer to your company's website or a social media page where they can continue to connect with your brand by getting more information, coupons, special deals or other content that helps build a relationship.

Share your biography

Include a short story or summary on your prime label about the growers or producers of the food. Including a picture of the farmer or the farm also adds a personalized touch to the product's label.

In the example below, not only does the label include a picture of the farmer, but they also included a biography about their brand. This jar label will definitely sticks out at the farmer's market or the shelves of the grocery store.