While talking about the importance of packaging, Kapil Sekhri, Co-promoter and Director, Fratelli Vineyards, says, “The way a wine bottle looks, Kapil also emphasises the significance of package and labelling in recruiting new consumers to wine. “People who are new to the wine industry are more likely to pickup products with creative packaging, and a beautiful display surely evokes in the consumer `a desire to buy a product helps communicate a message to the target audience. Many individuals relate the wine they drink to the bottle they have seen it in. A creative wine label increases the chances of a particular variant being picked up and helps sellers reach a previously unattainable market.”
A label can also become a deciding factor when you are deciding between two wines selling at the same price.” Apart from attracting consumers, packaging in the case of wine has a special importance because “wine is a great gifting option and its overall packaging could impact one’s decision of choosing it as a gift or not,” says Kapil.
However, for those who are familiar with “the contents of a wine bottle, branding and packaging design will not be a criterion affecting their buying decision. Branding and packaging design are important as cues for newer buys but for regular wine drinkers the product quality matters the most,” says Kapil.
Talking about the packaging changes seen in the recent past, Kapil says, “In the last few years I have seen brands making alterations in bottle shapes and designing innovative labels to create colourful and attractive packaging to make the product visually more appealing.”
The purpose of these changes is “to help increase the perceived value of a product. Innovative branding and attractive packaging help in brand recognition and to a certain extent in increasing sales,” says Kapil.
However, he cautions against “a drastic packaging change which would make it difficult for the consumer to relate to the brand, resulting in a decrease in its acceptance.”
When asked about the packaging changes made for Fratelli products, he says, “Fratelli Vineyards has been in the market for five years and so far we have not felt any need for a change in packaging. Our packaging was designed with a long-term vision.”
However, Fratelli altered the bottle for its SETTE wine and opted for “a contemporary tapered bottle to make it a little more attractive for the 2011 and 2012 vintage,” informs Kapil. The bottle shape for the 2009 and 2010 SETTE vintage was clyndrical.
Regarding their choice for caps and closures, Kapil says, “Like many other renowned international brands, we too are using cap screws instead of corks, as they are economical and easy to open. They make it possible to store wine bottles vertically and reduce wine spoilage. In contrast, a bad cork results in cork taint leading to the spoilage of the wine.”
How competent are the Indian packaging companies to provide products of global standards? Kapil replies, “There is surely room for improvement, but the domestic bottle-making, labelling and packaging companies are well-equipped because they work on modern imported machines.”
In fact, he says, “Many international brands are outsourcing their bottle production, printing and packaging to the companies in India, as it is much cheaper and the quality of work is good.”