In the world of specialty coffee, packaging is so much more than a vessel to store beans. It is a canvas that tells a story, gives a first impression of the product inside, and reflects a brand’s identity.
That said, coffee packaging is about more than simple aesthetics: it’s a strategic marketing move that can encompass various motivations. These can range from a complete rebranding effort, cost-consciousness, eco-friendliness, business growth, or meeting consumer demand.
Partners Coffee, a trailblazer within the industry, recently unveiled its revamped packaging for single origin coffees. And, according to the team, there were several compelling reasons for updating the packaging.
The most important one is that the brand identity has evolved. Plus, the brand has a desire to better represent the uniqueness of the coffees it sources from around the world.
To learn more about the inspiration behind Partners Coffee’s new packaging for single origin coffees, I spoke with Olivia Laskowski, Marketing Lead at Partners Coffee.
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Sign upCoffee packaging: A reflection of origins
Partners Coffee‘s Single Origin programme is built on long-term farm relationships and sustainable sourcing efforts. These relationships allow the brand to offer consistent flavour profiles for its mainstay offerings while discovering exceptional coffees that deserve to stand alone.
“We believe that any design changes we make should be a visual representation of our values and serve as tools to help us communicate them,” explains Olivia, who has worked with the brand for over two years.
The redesigned packaging aims to elevate the brand’s single origin coffees. The stand-out coffee bags make the product more distinctive from the mainstay lineup. Beyond this, the updated packaging highlights factors around the coffee, such as its quality, transparency, and purity.
Olivia explains the team wanted to create packaging that honoured the brand’s producing partners and showcased the unique qualities of each coffee.
“The growing and processing efforts of our producing partners at origin result in unique coffees that beautifully display the qualities of countries, regions, cooperatives or single estates,” says Olivia. “We wanted to create an ode to this that was both beautiful and cohesive with our lineup.”
Additionally, the new coffee bags also form part of a zero-waste manufacturing chain. This makes them eligible for Savor Brands Reprocess and Repurpose (R&R) programme, which perfectly aligns with the sustainability ethos that Partners Coffee values.
Showcasing single origin coffees through custom packaging
Olivia explains the redesign started with the brand moving away from the neutral kraft coffee bags it used previously. Instead, the new packaging features a cream-coloured background, allowing each coffee to shine.
The coffee bags are fully recyclable and stand out sharply among the vibrant packaging of the brand’s mainstay coffees. The front of each coffee bag showcases the brand’s logo, and an enlarged, coloured label.
Notably, each label displays the producer’s name alongside detailed information about the coffee. More so, Partners Coffee goes the extra mile. Each coffee bag includes insights, anecdotes, or other fascinating tidbits about the coffee crafted by Partners’ green coffee buyer, Sam Klein.
“We wanted customers to learn something intriguing about the coffee and its qualities right on the bag, without needing to search a website or read an additional sign,” Olivia adds. “The new coffee bags and expanded labels strike a harmonious balance of being both customer-friendly and informative.”
What to consider when designing coffee packaging for single origin coffees
For coffee roasters looking to redesign their packaging, Olivia and the team at Partners have sage advice.
“The first thing to consider before starting is your ‘why’. Why move away from your current packaging? Determine what a new look could better communicate and what you’re trying to display,” Olivia says.
“We started by thinking about how we could set these coffees apart from the rest of our lineup, while giving them attributes to make sure they still felt like they fit within our larger product family.”
Next, she advises roasters to identify the focal point of the change. In the case of Partners Coffee, it was the label for the coffee bags. “We thought about the hierarchy of information. What we wanted to add or remove and what needed to be displayed most prominently. Then we found creative ways to fit those pieces together.”
However, she points out that the team kept important brand graphics in mind, such as its submark, typeface, and use of linework. “We just wanted to refresh the overall layout and flow of the packaging.”
Notably, Partners Coffee’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop at design. The brand’s foldable, flat-bottom coffee bags feature a side gusset for stability. Beyond this, the bags have a foil lining to guarantee the freshness of the coffee.
While Partners Coffee bags do include some plastic components, the brand is part of a Zero Waste supply chain through Savor’s R&R programme. Therefore, these reclaimed materials find new life in creating fresh coffee packaging and contribute to construction and landscaping projects.
Essentially, Partners Coffee’s redesigned single origin coffee packaging is not just a visual upgrade. It is a testament to the brand’s dedication to its producing partners, the quality of its coffee, and its commitment to sustainability.
For coffee roasters and enthusiasts, the journey of Partners Coffee offers valuable insights into the importance of thoughtful packaging. Beyond this, it highlights the storytelling potential coffee bags carry, and the sustainability choices that can be made in the coffee industry.
As Olivia aptly puts it, “our packaging isn’t just about coffee; it’s a reflection of our values and our relationships with producers around the world.” With this packaging redesign, the brand has not only elevated its coffee but also set a new standard for the industry, where every bag tells a compelling story.
Once, the sole purpose of packaging was to get coffee from origin to consumers. Now, it serves several roles, including marketing, preserving freshness, and telling a story.
At MTPak Coffee, we understand the important role coffee packaging plays in today’s market. As such, we offer a range of sustainable options that can be customised to include as much information as you require and showcase your brand.
Our range of coffee packaging options is made from renewable materials. Our line of coffee boxes is made using recycled cardboard, while our sustainable coffee bags are made from kraft paper, rice paper, or multilayer LDPE packaging. They also feature an environmentally friendly PLA lining.
More so, both our sustainable coffee bags and coffee mailer boxes can be fully customised to reflect your brand details about your coffee offerings. Our talented design team is ready to work with you in order to make coffee packaging unique to your brand.
We also offer low minimum order quantities (MOQs) to micro-roasters who are looking to remain agile while showcasing brand identity and a commitment to the environment.
Images supplied by Partners Coffee
