11/3/2014

Small craft breweries may find that they don’t have the resources to keep up with the latest industry and wider seasonal trends. Big events such as Christmas or even this year’s FIFA World Cup often being popular times to deliver offers or on-pack promotions. With modern coding machines, brewers now have the flexibility to react quickly to seasonal demand, something that will help brewers stay in contention for the estimated £16.7 million the industry is expected to make this year.

Coding Machines & Seasonal Changes

Digital coding machinery has meant that it is now easier than ever before for packagers to change messages across their production line at the touch of a button. Automated date coding and other features also ensure that user error in the coding process is reduced even as seasonal beer promotions are added. And the changes can be applied across a whole production line either by USB or across a network using technology such as our own Linx Insight® software.

As packaging design changes seasonally, it is essential that coding machines can keep up with different configurations as well. Therefore, having the ability to code on a variety of substrates at different angles can also help brewers to ensure that even as the style of the packaging changes, the codes on the products remain consistent and of high quality. This can be delivered using both CIJ and laser marking technology, ensuring that coding on bottles or even cans is reliable and cost effective.

Competitions, Promotions and How Coders Can Help

Many companies often decide to offer beer promotions and competitions to their consumers around seasonal events and holidays, and as such require the ability to create unique codes quickly and effectively on their products. Many coding machines have the ability to produce different kinds of code, for example Data Matrix or QR codes for interactive packaging in instances such as this.

QR codes are perhaps the most commonly used at present, as they can be scanned by mobile devices to deliver unique data or information to users through specific web pages. However, more simple competition codes can also be delivered on the underside of lids or pull tops, using food grade inks so that they are suitable for contact with the product itself.

It is vital that breweries can react to seasonal trends effectively to remain competitive, especially in the growing craft beer market. Therefore having versatile and reliable coding machinery on their production line that gives them a range of different options is essential to keep up with the fast moving market.