AGH Labels has a mantra that says, “Branding is more than a logo; Our clients see results, and so can you.” The funny thing about this tagline is that it is something that has resonated in my bones for my entire 35 years in labeling innovation. We don’t print labels. We print stories. We print emotion. We print creativity. We print innovation.
Some may say that gaining market attention in 2024 is more competitive than ever, but I would argue that today’s market offers more opportunities to get creative and differentiate than ever before. Massive promotions and advertising campaigns are a thing of the past people. On-line media, in-store branding, and on-premise experiences create touch points that marketers of the past would have killed for.
I’ll go old man here for a minute and harken back to my early marketing experiences with Spear in the late 1990’s. We always led every customer meeting with “you have 1/6 of a second to draw attention to your brand” and “the package is the product.” These were scientifically proven facts using eye charting software and both quantitative and qualitative focus groups. The crazy thing is that 25 years later those same principles still hold true.
Forbes magazine published an article earlier this year confirming that 82% of all purchase decisions are made in the store (this number has been consistent for years) and that 62% of consumers admit to making in-store impulse buys. It’s a fun read if you have time, In-Store Branding And The Psychology Of Shopping. In addition, IPSOS reports that 72% of all purchase decisions are driven by the product’s packaging. The bottom line is that your label cannot be considered a commodity; the label is THE DIFFERENCE MAKER.
One of my favorite examples of a dynamic brand using extreme creativity and not spending one extra penny on the label is the 120 Year Indio Anniversary Beer promotion. Indio is a relevant and youth driven lager produced and primarily sold in Mexico. It utilizes an industry amber beer bottle and a traditional gravure printed paper label. How in the world do you use that combination to create industry excitement? You engage your customers, that’s how.
Indio launched an impeccable consumer focused campaign asking for their customers’ creativity to design their special anniversary labels. Consumers were encouraged to submit designs representing how Indio beer resonated with their unique societal group, connections and activities. The Indio team then chose their 120 favorite designs (one for each year) and produced and supplied these designs into the market randomly. Indio then built an entire social media campaign around the 120 urban cultures they chose to represent. This video says it all INDIO beer, 120 years celebrating diversity in Mexico.
Utilizing traditional printing and papers, Indio’s label supplier applied the art designs randomly to the production cylinders and the label sorting was done through the traditional production process. Not one extra penny was spent on the package and the market engagement and response was overwhelming. When did this incredible execution happen you ask? 2014. Think about that for a minute and imagine what you can do with your brand in 2025. Creativity has no price tag.
Danny´s Corner
Dan Muenzer