DENVER, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Frisco, Colorado-based Outer Range Brewing Co. is now including extended content label trail maps on its microbrews. This novel use of extended content labeling is proving highly popular and is creating substantial buzz among consumers and industry colleagues.
Proving that labels can create as much buzz as the brew itself, Outer Range and Lightning Labels worked together to create the innovative trail labels, giving the already nationally acclaimed microbrewery additional recognition and revenues.
Ryan Tennant, Lightning Labels' Account Manager in charge of Outer Range label production and printing points out, "Wise brewers take special care to create branding and packaging that emulates the quality of the brew itself. Nowhere is that more important than labeling, which can drive sales among first-time and repeat buyers alike. The trail map labels are doing this on steroids."
Outer Range co-founder and CMO Emily Cleghorn notes that the novel extended label idea conceptualized in-house is proving a major topic of conversation right along with their beer. Among accolades to date are USA Today's Second Best New Brewery in the US; Denver Post, 303 Magazine, and PorchDrinking.com designations as Best New Brewery in Colorado; inclusion on Beer Advocate's 50 Best New Breweries in the US list; Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine's listing as one of the Best New Breweries in the US; and 303 Magazine's recognition for the Best Hazy IPA in Colorado.
Cleghorn notes that the labels, "speak to beliefs, our love of the mountain lifestyle. I love hiking, and wanted a map to show favorite trails. We worked with a cartography expert to create an accurate map—starting with lower difficulty trails on up to 14ers."
Tennant works with Outer Range to oversee and advise about label production and printing for the Frisco brewery. Cleghorn emphasizes, "Ryan is incredible. We went through two other vendors; one had a very long lead time and we kept getting different reps. Another firm claimed shorter lead times, but at the last minute said they couldn't do it."
She adds, "We met Ryan, and decided to give Lightning Labels a shot. They're the best vendor, so attentive, and they come through in a pinch. This gave me confidence when doing the extended content labels. We knew they would be high quality."
Having served in retail, winery and brewery industry positions, Tennant has built a reputation for focusing on partnership and problem-solving. "Partners take a proactive and consultative role in brainstorming possibilities with customers, not limiting themselves to being order-takers. And problem-solving always is going to be a primary focus, because issues are going to come up no matter what, and you'd better be ready to find solutions," he points out.
Among custom-label areas Tennant focuses on for micro/nano-brewers are:
- 1. Establishing turnaround time and response time parameters that are clear and carved in stone is a first priority. Micro/nano-brewers work in a dynamic, fast-growing environment, and need partners who are nimble, reliable and communicative.
- 2. Achieving branding excitement and consistency. Many micro/nano-brewers are fighting hard to build their brand amid heavy competition, so ensuring a dynamic and consistent look and feel on everything from labels to tap handles is critical. Certain textures, making a label pop with chrome and other effects, coming up with anniversary limited-editions are just a few of the ways to establish customer engagement.
- 3. Working within low-margin parameters. Brewers typically have tight margins on pricing, so meeting label requirements cost-effectively is a delicate, and necessary, balance.
- 4. Instilling confidence. Many micro/nano-brewers have been burned multiple times with lavish promises unfulfilled. From the get-go, expectations need to be set…and met. (Lightning Labels maintains a multi-person account service team for every customer to ensure timely and quality performance.)
- 5. Communicating in the manner that works best for the brewer. Voice, email and text options need to abound. To ensure prompt response regardless of the form of communication, Lightning Labels uses a redundancy system whereby those on a particular customer's account team all are charged with making sure customer requests and communications are addressed quickly and competently.
Other micro/nano-breweries working with Lightning Labels include Broken Compass, Cerebral, Barrels and Bottles, Alternation, Comrade, Bull & Bush, Ska, Odell, Great Divide, 38 State, La Cumbre, Salt Flats Brewing Steel Bender Brewyard, and Thirsty Street Brewing.
Lightning Labels uses state-of-the-art printing technology to provide affordable, full-color custom labels and custom stickers of all shapes and sizes. They offer many options for materials and laminates and special effects to achieve digital short-run requirements (50 minimum) on up to 15 million labels, plus Lightning fast delivery. For more information and to place orders online, visit LightningLabels.com. For the latest in packaging news and labeling promotional offers, find Lightning Labels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@LightningLabels), Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Lightning Labels / Print360
Share this article