At BrauBeviale 2018, FoodBev’s Alex Clere spoke with Olivier Goffin, vice-president beer, wine and spirits for Gebo Cermex, part of the Sidel Group.
As Goffin explains, whatever packaging material Gebo Cermex’s customers decide to package their products in, the Sidel Group has solutions to meet their needs. Yet consumer perceptions of the different packaging options shift between consumers, between geographies, and between categories.
“When you look at the various regions in the world,” Goffin says, “Latin America is still highly dominated by bottles; North America is an interesting region at the moment because today 20% of the beer market has been taken over by the craft brewers, so the whole industry has been shaken by these guys… and they have pushed the can.”
In some parts of the word, the tendency towards bottled beer or canned beer can be radically different, even between neighbouring countries: take Thailand, which traditionally has opted for bottles, and Vietnam, where the can is the preferred option.
As craft beer becomes more influential, consumers are changing their opinions of cans, bottles and even other packaging materials for beer based on shifting perceptions of premiumness and sustainability. Goffin says: “In some countries, [cans] are still seen as an average type of beer [container], but with the rise of the craft brewers you really see this as being the support for premiumisation and even the super-premium.
“People want to move away from the lager – from the genuine, big, global brands – they want to drink something new. And the can is the ideal container for these guys because filling a can is much easier than filling a bottle in terms of capital investment, it’s slightly more competitive than a glass line, and you don’t have the problems of having to return a bottle when it’s in a returnable market.”
The can is also an ideal option for craft producers, who are much more tuned into branding and authenticity, as the can has a 360° surface with which to work.
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Presented and edited by: Alex Clere
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