Beverage-makers today are turning to inks and coatings to create a deeper purpose and connection with consumers and the products they purchase, experts note.

An upbeat color palette; easy-to-read, elegant typography; contrasting colors that pop; and playful graphics that emphasize branding are among the ways modern designers are bringing these concepts to life.

Eye-catching, protective and sustainable materials are all attributes helping to drive numerous primary packaging markets.

Today’s consumers are blessed with an ever-growing choice of beverage solutions. As these beverage options proliferate, so do the packaging options. Among the options, shrink and stretch labeling materials are “stretching” the creativity brand owners can utilize for packaging.

The issue right now is trying to define what ‘packaging from renewable sources’ actually means, and to provide methods for comparing one alternative to another.

To create repeat customers, brands must consistently deliver on their product promises. As beverage SKU proliferation continues, manufacturers and their caps and closures suppliers must stay up-to-date with the latest market and consumer trends in order to do so.

A number of macro trends are empowering beverage innovation and contract packagers/contract manufacturers are helping to fill an important need state, experts say.

The record-breaking event welcomed nearly 45,000 attendees with 2,500 exhibitors, in more than 1.25 million net square feet, according to show owner and producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. PMMI also reported 457 new exhibitors this year.

With the increasingly varying package shapes and sizes, it’s becoming more challenging to pack out a truck to its capacity, maintain stability, and remove products at multiple locations.

As consumer preferences lean toward environmentally friendly products, brand owners and packaging material suppliers must adapt and manufacture beverages that utilize recyclable materials.