Reported by Heidi Ruge: Designer Labels

Two years ago, Belvoir came up with a radically new look for the labels on its cordial range, which according to the Lincolnshire-based producer resulted in around a 140% increase in volume sales

“We used an expensive London design company called Big Fish Design, but it was worth it,” says Belvoir managing director Peverel Manners. “We spent about six figures but it has helped give us a really original look and pushed the brand upmarket. Before, we felt the image was dated and looked too unfriendly and posh, which is not what we are about. Now it reflects our natural, wholesome values.”

In the end, the re-design came out over budget because of additional print costs and publicity material that had not been accounted for. “We had to spend more money changing the printing plates and cutter-size as well as on new photography and point of sale material.”

Belvoir uses the Irish print company Label Art, which prices the labels per 1,000. “I usually order a year’s worth of labels for the cordial and pressé but this year I might tweak them so I’ll only order six months. We use costly French paper, which is more expensive but worth it because it’s thicker and more old-fashioned, which gives the product a more artisanal feel. We haven’t ever considered printing the labels ourselves because we use a full colour process with a lot of heavy black, so it would be very difficult to get it right.”

The labels are reel-fed and applied at the Belvoir site by an ALS rotary labelling machine.  “We are swapping it soon for an Italian model which should be better for the pressé because it comes in a funny-shaped bottle. The advantage of the machines is that they are accurate and high speed.”

Belvoir’s Good Stuff fruit juice and spring water range – currently sold in pubs, delicatessens and sandwich bars – has just been given a similar label make-over by the same design company to bring it more in line with the cordials.“The fresh natural colours combined with the handwriting gives us a strong identity and makes the products stand out on the shelf,” says Manners.