Things are changing.

With big beer and capital investment groups buying up craft breweries, customers are not only trying to decide which beer they want to drink, they’re trying to decide who they want to support.

And with bought out breweries maintaining their craft “look”, customers are spending more time in the aisle trying to figure out who is who.

Your beer’s package design has to stand out from other craft beers, look-a-likes and regular beers, reaffirm that you really are a “small, independent brewer”, and set an experience expectation for the brew inside — and it has to do all of that in about three seconds.

Breweries that accomplish this know who they are and make that clear on their packaging. They are authentic; they know what their customers are looking for on a package, but they don’t follow trends that would compromise their brewery’s soul.

That’s why your package design needs to be full of real character, not gimmicks, and be an extension of your taproom/brewery experience.

Then people will know they can expect an authentic experience — whether they’re going to your “home”, or inviting you into theirs.