A master storyteller

Whether purchasing a new bottle of wine by grape variety or price, the first thing consumers will notice is the label – primarily used to showcase the winemaker’s heritage, as well as distinctions of the wine itself. This means that when a bottle is opened, consumers can expect to quaff precisely what the label conveys.

While winemakers make good use of their bottle’s front labels, often with eye-catching designs that stand out on-shelf, the bottle’s back label traditionally only communicates the finer details about the wine – its origin and alcohol content, for example.

However, Pyrotec PackMedia – known to push the boundaries of innovation – stretches the concept of this back label with its removable eight-page Fix-a-Form® booklet label that allows wine estates to extend back-of-bottle labels to work as promotional devices.

The brainchild of Pyrotec’s MD, Rowan Beattie, the idea blossomed when he realised how many producers generate additional revenue from their restaurants, venues and accommodation. "Wine estates are the pride of the Western Cape and this label enable bottles to be used as a vehicle for on-pack marketing and promotions," Beattie points out.

Pyrotec PackMedia’s Fix-a-Form® booklet label is used to create the ‘Story Behind our Wine’. This eight-page booklet label is manufactured inline in one process using a base label, paper booklet, and an outer cover that is over-laminated with clear polypropylene.

"While this is a technical product to manufacture, it doesn’t affect application speeds," says Jacques Loubser, Pyrotec PackMedia’s national sales manager. "Another benefit is that this promotional booklet label doesn’t compromise the bottle’s aesthetic while providing additional information."

Loubser adds that the potential is limitless. Wine producers can provide consumers with information about food pairing and recipes, their estate’s history, cellars and vineyards, their restaurants, facilities and accommodation, and their people and their region.

And it’s not just wine producers who reap the benefits of applying this innovative label to their bottles. It can be adapted for all types of packaging and is particularly suitable for fruit and vegetable producers, as well as food and beverage manufacturers who want to extend their marketing scope and promote their farms, products, facilities and services on-pack at retail.

The label also adds value for consumers who are interested in knowing more about the producer and products they offer.

"According to research conducted by Fix-a-Form® International, 60% of purchasing decisions are made in-store. Value-adding booklet labels ensure that products stand out in the minds of consumers in cluttered retail environments and are a guaranteed way to increase sales," Loubser concludes.