For all the trials and tribulations resulting from the pandemic, there have also been some triumphs. With “necessity is the mother of invention” as a driving force, product manufacturers have had to view their labels and packaging in a new light. As changes are contemplated and implemented, customer service is benefiting, as well.

One example is the craft beer industry’s shortage of cans because of the pandemic. Notes CNN: “One major factor is the coronavirus and changing habits related to it. Beer that would have ended up in kegs at restaurants and bars has shifted, along with other kinds of alcohol, to being sold in retail stores and through online channels and consumed at home – often in cans. The boom in pantry loading in the spring has compounded the problem by throwing brewer supply chains out of whack.”

Adds the Washington Post:“A nationwide shortage of cans is the latest threat to craft beer. Ball Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of cans, told investors this week that the US market alone is short 10 billion cans in 2020, according to Beer Business Daily, a trade publication.”

The CNN article addresses how this has impacted can labeling wait times and pricing: “‘Can supply is a big deal,’ said Paul Gatza, a senior vice president for the Brewers Association, the trade association representing America’s craft breweries. ‘We are seeing extended wait times for can orders and also some of the smaller players not having orders fulfilled. Expect to hear more about can shortages across beverage companies.’ In particular, the turnaround time for shrink-sleeve cans, in which plastic labels are shrink-wrapped onto containers, has grown to 4-5 weeks from 4-5 days, and the printed cans have doubled in price…”

One craft brewer solution is custom digital beer can labels that can be delivered within 2-3 days at a very reasonable price. One “silver lining” is that ability to order timely short-run numbers of labels has enabled experimenting with a variety of different flavors to see what resonates best with the marketplace. It also has enhanced the process of trying out different branding and graphics, right along with the new beer flavors.

Customer service is being honored in a variety of ways. Timely availability of product without price increases tied to soaring printed can costs are two obvious customer service benefits.

In addition, consumers can try out a wide range of new flavors, and rate label information, graphics and branding that’s most appealing to them.
With the pandemic disrupting supply chains and other business workflows in a variety of ways, product manufacturers are discovering new ways to be nimble, creative and inventive. Among options and strategies to consider in the labeling realm are:

1. Reviewing current branding and labels with an eye toward innovation and renovation. If not printing labels digitally, this may be a great time to consider making a change in at least part of a product line. As exemplified in the above example, digital label printing can be a cost-effective, fast-turnaround solution to meet immediate needs and try out something new.

2. Expanding consumer education (and entertainment) via enhanced labels. Such choices as extended content labels (ECL) offer more surface area on which to explain and inform the buying public. Right now, more factual and documentable information about everything from hand sanitizer safety to CBD efficacy is definitely in the best interest of the buying public.

This is an ideal time for product manufacturers to really think about more and better ways to provide customer service with accurate and complete disclosures, both about their products in particular and product categories in general. For example, various chemicals are used in disinfectants. Offering product-specific disclosures, as well as general industry intel, can be very helpful to overwhelmed and fearful consumers.

There’s also potential entertainment via enhanced labels. New Augmented Reality technology enables consumers to access entertaining product presentations simply by installing a smartphone app and pointing their phone at the label. Unlike links to static information, these typically are animated and memorable. ECLs also can be entertaining. One Rocky Mountain craft beer brewer uses them to print trail maps.

3. Ramping up health and authenticity protections. Emerging label track-and-trace technologies are enabling product manufacturers to validate every step of the process from initial creation to supply chain tracking. With counterfeiting practices at all-time highs, it’s more important than ever to document authenticity of everything from ingredients to assembly and delivery.

Small digital IDs are becoming the tamper-resistant choice for product manufacturers eager to develop ironclad protection not afforded by barcodes, QR codes and the like.


Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA, since 2008. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.