Functional beverage packaging at a glance:
In today's competitive beverage market, smart packaging can be a game-changer for brands, helping you stand out on crowded retail shelves.
Let's explore five key benefits of functional packaging solutions such as beverage cartons and holders.
Beverage cartons and holders are designed with portability in mind, making them ideal for on-the-go consumption. Whether it's a commuter sipping their morning coffee or a fitness enthusiast hydrating post-workout, these packaging options offer convenience and ease of use.
For example, beverage company Juan Pistolas deploys this functional design principle masterfully with its premium tequila double shots packaging.
Functional packaging goes beyond mere containment; it creates a multi-sensory brand experience.
Beverage cartons and holders can be tailored to your brand's identity, incorporating unique shapes, vibrant colors, and tactile finishes. This mesmeric experience strengthens brand recognition and fosters a deeper emotional connection with consumers.
It leaves an impression.
For example, beverage company Fabrizia balances durability, visual impact, and brand representation into its functional packaging design that doubles as a carrier.
Beverage cartons and holders are engineered to safeguard your product's integrity from the production line to the consumer's hands.
Their sturdy construction and innovative design features, such as insulation layers or tamper-evident seals (among other anti-counterfeiting features), protect against external factors including light, air, and temperature fluctuations, preserving your beverage's taste and aroma.
It means consumers don’t have to worry about ruptured cans rolling around in their cars.
As consumers become increasingly eco-conscious, functional packaging offers sustainable solutions appealing to them.
Many beverage cartons are made from renewable materials such as sustainably sourced paperboard, which is biodegradable and recyclable. Gone are the days of plastic beverage rings and excessive use of other petroleum-based packaging. In addition to paperboard, other sustainable alternatives such as hemp, cotton, or other biodegradable substrates are available.
Cartons and holders can be tailored to accommodate various sizes, shapes, and volumes—ensuring a seamless fit for your product line (while embracing right-size packaging principles). This versatility facilitates efficient inventory management and cost-effective production runs.
Plus, expanded packaging material options enable you to combine high-quality visual elements with enhanced durability, without compromising either.
Whether for alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, your materials need to balance durability and sustainability with high visual appeal. Below are some of the most common substrates used for functional beverage packaging:
Innovative food and beverage brands stay ahead of the curve, always looking for new trends in packaging.
The functional beverages market size is expected to increase by $77.3 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 10.05% between 2024 and 2028, according to global market research and advisory firm Technavio.
The pursuit of health benefits including enhanced focus, improved energy levels, and better digestion drives this expansion of functional beverages. It’s also boosted by their rising popularity among millennials.
That being said, you may want to reevaluate how appealing your functional beverage packaging is to millennials.
More and more consumers are prioritizing sustainability as ecological crises worsen. Your food and beverage packaging should reflect the increased demand for more eco-friendly packaging.
Fortunately, an overwhelming majority of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging design. According to a 2023 study by global consulting firm McKinsey:
By accounting for this surge in environmental concern, your beverage cartons and holders are going to attract a burgeoning number of green consumers.
Your food and beverage packaging can no longer get by with merely protecting your product. Your brand must create more immersive experiences.
Those can come in the forms of connected packaging, the strategic use of QR codes, hashtags, URLs, and barcodes that encourage consumers to continue their interactions with your brand online. You can bridge the gap to the digital with entertaining games, further product instructions, or social media campaigns.
Get creative.
Maybe your QR code takes consumers to a website where they learn how you make your beverage cartons and holders more sustainable.
You may also want to investigate other advanced printing techniques, such as personalization through variable data printing.
Integrating sustainability and innovative packaging design will signal your brand’s forward-thinking and high quality—and differentiate your products from competitors on retail shelves.
Cartons, clusters, and boxes play crucial roles across the beverage, supplement, FMCG, and healthcare industries. You need high-quality cartons specifically designed to captivate your customers.
Oliver’s advanced printing capabilities generate attention-grabbing graphics and visual aesthetics on robust kraft carton boards.
With a focus on the beverage market, we deliver expert printing, die-cutting, creasing, and gluing cartons in a myriad of sizes, shapes, and configurations. Our functional beverage cartons not only ensure product safety, but enhance brand visibility—providing a comprehensive packaging solution combining functionality with aesthetic appeal.
When working with a domestic partner such as Oliver, with multiple facilities across the United States, you can expect: