Sep 30, 2025
In today's beer market, packaging does more than just hold cans or bottles. It communicates the brand's story, ensures product protection through a complex supply chain, and demonstrates sustainability credentials at a glance. That's why Step Two - Identify - of our Eight-Step Solution Cycle is where we roll up our sleeves and dig into what really matters.
Let's take the case of a growing mid-sized craft beer brand, one riding the wave of strong regional sales and eyeing national expansion. They've nailed their product, built a loyal customer base, and have a good-looking brand. But operational inefficiencies, rising sustainability pressures, and inconsistent sales performance are holding them back.
They don't need a generic solution. They need packaging that will help them scale without compromise.
Not just "What do you need?", but "What's slowing you down?", "What could be done differently?", and "What value is being lost in the process?"
Our cross-functional team of designers, technologists, and supply chain experts, work directly with the brand's operations and marketing teams to unpick the full picture. Here's an example of what they uncover:
By running a full technical audit of the brand's current packaging performance, we track:
Our team runs through the client's formats through the VPK Product Carbon Footprint calculator, uncovering the impact of the shrink film and identifying how much could be reduced by switching to a recyclable, corrugated multipack solution. The numbers speak volumes, not only in emissions saved, but in long-term total cost of ownership.
Instead of reinforcing the old solution, we optimise material combinations, review locking mechanisms to reduce the need for glue, and assess a move to paper-based clips that offer the same strength, with a lower footprint.
We challenge why packs were grouped in 4s instead of 6s. We push for alignment across SKUs to simplify future growth.
It's where we slow down to think critically, gather the right data, and build a picture of what needs to change and why. From there, the rest of the Eight Step Solution Cycle flows with purpose.
The outcome is clarity. In this example, a tailored, technically sound roadmap to packaging that matches the ambitions and that means less waste, fewer SKUs, lower costs and stronger impact on shelf is achieved.
