Recently, Neenah Packaging announced the expansion of its Estate Label and Bella Label with new colors and textures. The addition of the new items is intended to advance Neenah’s portfolio of premium labels designed to meet market demands for the rapidly growing packaging needs of the beer, wine and spirits industries.

“We’ve seen a strong demand in the market for a brighter white label, so we’ve added a 95 bright option. We’ve watched labels with solid black printing increase in popularity, so we’re offering an additional solution with a new black vellum label. Texture is in demand within the craft beverage market, so we’re introducing a new Burlap finish. Every addition is a direct answer to what the market is seeking,” said Ellen Bliske, Senior Brand Manager, Neenah Packaging.

New colors available in the line include Titanium White, a brilliant 95, available in Estate Label 60T Vellum, Laid and new Martele; and Black, the deep rich black brand owners love, available in Estate Label 60T Vellum. New finishes include martele, a classic European texture, available in Estate Label 60T White and new Titanium White; and burlap: a home grown rustic texture perfect for craft beverages, available in Bella Label 55T White and Natural.

Bliske said that with this new launch, Neenah Packaging has “expanded the number one uncoated label brand.”

“Estate Label, by far, has the biggest market share in uncoated labels in the United States,” she said.

“In Estate Label, we’ve added a brighter white that has been really asked for out in the market. There are a lot of beautiful, natural whites in the line, but titanium white was added as per customer request. We also added very rich, deep black. We now see more labels that are black that look very elegant and sophisticated; it really makes the bottles stand out against other white labels. We’ve also added textured called martele (French for “hammered”). Its a texture that’s common in Europe, and we’re bringing that to the US.”

Bella Label includes a much more paired down offering, she said. “Its a workhorse offering. The burlap texture has been added and works very well in the craft beer and spirit application,” she said. These offerings, she added, are available so brand owners can effectively tell the brand story.

“Estate label has a lot more products, including a pearlized white, craft color, whites and creams,” she said. “Texture is very common for wine and craft beers, and they are available in both lines.”

The packaging and label industries are certainly growing, and Bliske said that one of the things she has seen is much more emphasis by brand owners on the package itself.

“It has such a huge impact on consumers; if brand owners can just get the consumer to pick it up off the shelf, it is much more likely they’ll choose to buy it. Touch is so important. We’ve seen a huge increase in texture, and color is also important. It helps brands to stand out on the shelves. One of the things we’ve learned through research is that color stays with people much more than other things. People will remember what they see more than what they hear. Touch is another sense that helps them remember. They are both really, really important for the brand,” she said.

Because color is so hugely impactful for consumers, choice of ink is crucial in terms of the label. Clean, consistent, reliable color enhances the trustworthiness of a brand. Bliske said that, specifially in terms of wine, the size of the label is a major factor when it comes to inks. In addition to bold color choices, foils and other special effects are hugely popular in the wine market, for good reason: wine bottle shapes are consistent, so the label is what makes a brand stand out. The introduction of tags on wine bottles has also expanded in response to the enormous competition in this market.

In spirits, she said, there’s more variety in bottle shape, which has a huge impact on consumer recognition.

“The shape of the label is critical, but the combination of ink and paper is essential. Its important to have perfect registration,” she said. “This is one of the things our papers do really well in.”