Wine labeling | 61The wine market is a crowded space. How to stand out? With the perfect label. Piotr Wnuk reportsver the last 20 years wine has become a high value drink, “Every brand and wine label are leading wineries to focus on the quality of the product, its packaging and market research.Ounique. General rules rarely apply ‘Research shows that 64 percent of consumers try new products because the packaging catches their eye,’ says Vanita Marzette, to them - that is what makes wine senior product manager for wine and spirits at Avery Dennison. ‘You marketing so fascinating”have about three seconds to catch a consumer’s eye at the shelf, which makes packaging and label design crucial. Choosing label materials that help you stand out can greatly impact whether a a purchasing decision. But, how to develop a label that will not only consumer grabs your bottle.’ stand out on a crowded shelf but also build an intimate relationship However, according to a recent wine market survey, 36 percent of and engrave the brand identity in the consumer’s memory?US consumers said they are confused by wine labels. Seventy-fve ‘Decorative design elements such as foil, screen ink and percent said that even when they like a wine, they usually can’t interesting label shapes accomplish this task,’ answers Darren remember its name. More than half of those surveyed said they Hudson, president of Multi-Color Corporation in Australia and New fnd wines with humorous labels appealing, and 81 percent said Zealand, the region placed in the top 10 wine producers globally. they want clear and easy-to-understand labels. ‘Once seen, it must invite tactile engagement, so it is picked up. ‘The perfect wine label represents the brand authentically and This is achieved by incorporating texture into a paper label or speaks to the consumer in a language they understand,’ says selecting a unique material such as felt. Lastly, the label is a visual Matthias Vollherbst, managing owner of Germany-based Vollherbst, cue of quality and value. A well-designed and printed label foretells which works closely with wineries around the globe to produce the premium experience the consumer can look forward to.’striking and memorable wine labels. ‘There are also values attached to the wine industry, like history, ‘Reports often say that a specifc design style and specifc colors culture, comfort, a certain image of sociality, but also sustainability. sell better – such as a black paper with gold foil and embossing. This A label is then the main way to convey a message and these values, is probably true if you look at the wine market in general. But every whether by the material, by the embellishment, and by design: a wine and, therefore, every brand and label are unique and general simple chateau design, the reproduction of a work of art, or even rules rarely apply to them – that is what makes wine marketing so a graffti,’ suggests Louis Rouhaud, global marketing director of interesting and fascinating,’ adds Vollherbst. Arjobex Synthetic Paper, part of Polyart Group, who often helps It’s about understanding the people behind a brand, their values, wineries and printers to create branding experience suitable for the and the values they are seeking to share, says Vollherbst. wine and region it represents. ‘Unlike other categories, like food, the wine label has a much ‘I always fnd this to be a great question as many would more diffcult task. It needs to describe the taste and the assume it is the best design, the most intricate label, or a highly personality of the wine without showing it or using obvious cliches. embellished label,’ says Kevin Frydryk, vice president responsible It’s a bit like the perfume industry: the design must make you for markets and products at US-based Resource Label Group, who feel rather than see,’ adds Giuseppe Mascia, visual design lead at oversees the development of wine labels. ‘I believe the perfect wine Milan-based branding agency CBA Design, who has completed label considers the total package and fnds the right intersection several projects in the wine and spirits space. ‘The perfect label can between the story the brand wants to tell and the image they want tell a story and create an intimate connection between the wine to create to maximize the experience for the customer. The product and the consumer. Of course, different markets need different can be limitless as that story may translate into a highly decorated approaches. The New World wines are usually less related to label or something straightforward.’ancient traditions than the Italian or French ones, so they can be bolder and more expressive.’ Design evolutionGlobal converting group All4Labels has recently launched To better understand what makes the perfect wine label today, we Motherland, a marketing campaign dedicated to wine and spirits can consider its evolution over the past few years. that displays each product’s unique essence and shows off its local ‘There has been a revolution in the winemaking as volumes had heritage through eye-catching label designs. In the coming months, been stalling, and producers had to venture to other consumer the group will produce eight label concepts for wine and spirits populations,’ explains Polyart’s Rouhaud. ‘This has been impacting from Argentina, France, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Russia, China the labels. The wine industry opened itself to new markets, new and Germany. generations and new countries. And thus, labels have accompanied ‘We are embarking on this campaign to highlight our presence as this change with different substrates and designs: to appeal to a main player in the wine and spirits market and to show our high young consumers, they couldn’t use the traditional chateau label. premium solutions,’ says Adrian Tippenhauer, CEO of All4Labels. They had to appeal to different values and cultures of those new ‘Motherland will demonstrate in very real terms how All4Labels target markets.’is pioneering innovation with bold creativity, high quality and Ten years ago, premium wine labels were printed on an uncoated sustainable packaging for local and global wine and spirits brands.’ material with a more natural look and feel, some metallic effects, ‘Setting the standards of perfect labels is a question of sensitivity, high build varnish, preferably on the brand name and key brand as we need to connect with the time we live, and to link our elements. These effects are standard on today’s wine labels.capabilities together with the instances of the regional regulations ‘Two major developments have led to what is often described and the changing demands of the end-users,’ adds Paola Iannone, as premiumization in wine packaging: frst, the understanding of vice president of marketing and communications at All4Labels. ‘It consumers and brand owners that wine is a luxury good where requires a deep connection with the industry in which we act and people want to treat themselves and experience consumption strong sociological know-how to interpret reality with extreme as a pleasure,’ Vollherbst. ‘Secondly, the ever more effcient and fuidity, accordingly to the trends of the moment.’ increasingly sophisticated materials and fnishing options mean In a retail environment, the label is crucial when consumers make that ever more extraordinary visual and tactile effects can be Apr - Jun 2022