Changing the design of cold coffee cans based on flavour
Cold coffee cans are widely available in most corners of the coffee-drinking world today. Supermarket aisles, convenience stores, coffee shops, and transport hubs are awash with different brands, different flavours, and different packaging styles.
Given their widespread popularity among consumers, competition is tight in the ready-to-drink coffee space. Moreover, coffee quality has increased significantly over the last three waves since the early 2000s, so businesses can’t win new customers or retain existing ones on quality alone; they need compelling brand storytelling, evidence of sustainable business practices, and imagination-capturing design and aesthetics.
We spoke with Gabrel Tan, a three-time Australian Barista Championships podium performer and brand ambassador of Veneziano Coffee, to learn more about the significance of cold coffee design, packaging, and product development.
Why are branding and packaging so crucial to coffee companies?
Coffee is a competitive enterprise. According to Coffee Beaned, more than 3,000 coffee roasters are registered in the United States alone. As you’d expect, many of these operators are located in urban areas and key coffee-drinking regions like New England, southern California, and the upper Midwest.
Coffee retail has moved far beyond the coffee shop. As ready-to-drink coffee demands have exploded among modern consumers, astute coffee companies have expanded their retail presence to incorporate online stores, e-commerce platforms, local and national supermarket chains, convenience stores, and transport hubs.
The result for consumers is a fantastic, seemingly endless choice of specialty-grade coffee in a convenient format designed to fit into their increasingly busy lives seamlessly. For example, you can get a can of single origin, specialty Blue Bottle coffee in a supermarket hundreds of miles from Oakland.
Coffee companies have a larger market to try to capture, which is definitely a pro. A con, however, can be the competition. To stand out from the crowd, you need to meaningfully capture the audience’s imagination on the shelf alongside other world-class brands or intriguing product variations.
We asked Gabrel how Veneziano approached the challenge.
“Our retail products represent the final touchpoint with our customers, so we approach packaging and branding with the utmost care. We ensure that the physical packaging balances consumer needs, quality, and functionality while the branding authentically represents who we are as a company,” he says.
“Every product is designed to clearly communicate our brand’s purpose and values while also guiding customers on how to best enjoy and benefit from the product.”
As Gabrel alludes to, Veneziano understands the key factors to a successful RTD cold coffee can product. Quality has to be exceptional, just as much as functionality is key. Meanwhile, consumers resonate with authentic, engaging branding, and it’s crucial to communicate company messaging on packaging platforms.
“The Australian coffee market is incredibly competitive,” he adds.
“Established roasters and new independents are entering the scene on a daily basis. For us, building a brand that resonates with people, evolves alongside consumer preferences, and stays true to our core values is essential to long-term success.
“The Veneziano brand has evolved strategically over time to reflect our customers’ changing needs and align with our growth objectives. With ambitious goals for the coming years, we’ve made significant investments in our brand to ensure it continues to drive connection and differentiation.”
How can changing the designs based on flavour help?
Veneziano offers four different cold coffee cans in its online shop. The product variety is built around flavours, such as iced mocha, iced latte, iced black coffee, and iced oat lattes.
A strong understanding of consumer preferences must inform product development before design. Veneziano clearly has this in spades. Modern coffee drinkers want variety.
A variety of lifestyle choices, health and wellness concerns and goals, and dietary requirements dictate that coffee businesses need well-thought-out and diverse options on their RTD listings.
Veneziano’s RTD cold coffee cans are a good example of how to cater to different audiences. Health-conscious customers can opt for black coffee or oat lattes. Those looking for a more indulgent experience can choose an iced mocha. The traditionalists who are open to new formats might select an iced latte.
Notably, Veneziano opted for aluminium cold coffee cans for their RTD products instead of glass bottles, plastic bottles, or pouches.
“We explored other options, but aluminium cans stood out as the most sustainable choice,” says Gabrel.
“Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, has a long lifespan, and is widely accepted in curbside recycling programs and national container deposit schemes. Additionally, its lightweight nature reduces freight emissions, making it an environmentally responsible practical solution for our cold brew products.”
Aluminium custom cans are a customisable option for coffee businesses seeking a sustainable packaging solution. They offer a 360-degree canvas for product variation and brand storytelling.
Veneziano subtly and tastefully varies its colour scheme, retaining the sleek look and feel inherent to slimline aluminium cold coffee cans. It also clearly explains to the customer that each version is part of a closely related product line-up, promising consistent quality across the suite.
As you choose to change the design of your cold coffee cans based on flavour, it’s essential to retain the recognisable brand elements that help existing customers find you on busy shelves while also appealing to potential new ones.
Veneziano sees cold brew as a broad growth category for specialty coffee. Retaining key branding elements alongside innovative design will unlock more aesthetic potential as new products are launched.
“Consumers are busier than ever, and the demand for convenient, grab-and-go coffee options that maintain the quality and taste of specialty coffee is on the rise,” Gabrel says.
“Our cold brew products cater to this need, offering premium, portable coffee without compromising on flavour or standards. This not only expands the accessibility to Veneziano coffee but also strengthens our reputation for innovation and quality, appealing to the modern, fast-paced lifestyle.”
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer immensely customisable cold coffee packaging for the specialty coffee sector. Our aluminium cans provide a 360-degree, fully customisable canvas for you to tell your brand story, add design and aesthetic variation, and better grab customer attention.
To source your own line of custom cold coffee cans for cold brew coffee, visit our website or get in touch with our team directly. Cold Brew Pak is committed to providing certified-recyclable cold brew packaging solutions to the specialty coffee sector.
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Cold coffee cans
*Note: Veneziano products are not packaged by Cold Brew Pak
