"Is modern beer branding alienating potential customers?" asks Matthew Curtis in this article for Beer52. It initially struck me as a curious question. I'm not someone who is (or at least likes to think of themselves as) easily swayed by packaging rather than product - but I can't deny that can design has regularly seduced me into purchasing certain craft beers while perusing Pop'N'Hops' shelves or webshop. When faced with such an incredible array, surely it's only natural for the non-aficionado to judge the metaphorical books by their covers (at least partially)? In that respect, then, the design can attract rather than alienate.
However, Curtis is concerned that prioritising artwork over text risks making the most important details (beer style, ingredients, ABV) illegible or inaccessible - a fair comment. Furthermore, he argues that an emphasis on eye-catching bespoke designs for individual beers may be detrimental to breweries' attempts to establish a recognisable brand - something likely to be vital for long-term survival in a competitive market.
In these terms, I'd argue that Howling Hops have struck exactly the right balance: visually arresting designs without compromising on overall brand identity or clarity of textual information. While taste, quality and value will always be the key factors, this is another reason why their mixed cases have been making regular trips from Hackney Wick to my doorstep this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment