44 BREWING & BEVERAGE INDUSTRIES BUSINESS Colorscan Imaging Products, the well-known specialist printing company that produces pump clips for well over a thousand breweries in both the UK and overseas, has improved its service to brewers by investing in digital cutting to compliment its digital printing. Keith Forster, MD, commented, “Digital cutting has been around for a number of years and some years back we trialled a machine but the cut quality was not to the same standard as die cutting, so we reverted back to dies. However, we have now sourced a digital cutter that does not suffer from the many problems seen previously. Poor cut-to- image registration was an issue which has now been resolved with ultra accurate cutting. More importantly, it does not have excessive over-cut when going into tight internal corners. Furthermore, it cuts thick rigid plastic whilst many others are restricted to thin or non-rigid plastics. We have been so pleased with the initial trials that we have just placed an order for a second machine which will be delivered mid September, with a third machine coming in the new year. It is anticipated that over 90% of new shaped pump clips will be suitable for this type of cutting, eliminating set-up costs completely for most jobs.” Another area of marketing that Colorscan has invested heavily into over the past year is keg badges and lenses. Colorscan now has a dedicated printing line for keg lenses using the very latest digital printing equipment. Keith Forster added, “Quality is our primary goal and our new printer is simply the best available on the market at present for printing clear acrylic lenses. Inks are vibrant with good density to combat the ‘burn-out’ that can occur on LED illuminated fonts and have great adhesion to acrylic.” Keg lenses are available in both flat 6mm acrylic and the acrylic ‘frog-eye’ lenses. Using the latest digital printing technology enables Colorscan to produce lenses economically from just one single house beer lens to many thousands for mass market beers and ciders. Keg-Fix, launched last year as a way of placing a cask ale style badge onto a keg font, is also growing in popularity. Forster stated, “Whilst many cask ale style badges are too large and need to be reduced to around two thirds size for keg fonts, we can now produce the smaller size with our digital cutting thus eliminating set-up charges relating to both new artwork and die cutters. The Keg-Fix system is also proving popular with traditional acrylic badges on pub company seasonal programmes, allowing the rapid change of the badge without the use of glue or foam gaskets.” Digital cutter investment boosts Colorscan www.wpa-pinfold.co.uk For more information visit: www.colorscanimaging.com For more information visit: Showcase ON THE BAR USA craft brewers have grown in number from 100 to over 5,500 in 36 years and, more significantly, there are another 2,700 in the pipeline. This growth has not exactly matched that of Silicon Valley, although it has had a pretty good go at it (Moore’s Law comes to mind) – no wonder the computer group that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniac first pitched to was called the Homebrew Computer Club… Why is this relevant? As we know, the ‘beer revolution’ originated in the States and like our weather systems, what happens over there has a tendency to come this way. There are over 2,000 brewers in the UK and there is probably a significant number of new brewers in the cylinder here too. For brewers both sides of the Atlantic, the big issue going forward will be maintaining equity. For Silicon Valley, semiconductors have probably reduced in price at a similar rate as the volumes have increased. Whilst, in the craft beer sector, retail prices have held, or even increased. As the market matures, competition for a place on the bar is increasing. We have been doing a lot of trade insight research recently and the general consensus is that there is too much confusion and too much choice – all but the mega brands are struggling to get traction. Building brand equity is key – both in terms of adding value and creating a strong consumer fan base. For the smaller microbrewer, the opportunity is to focus on provenance, to capitalise on the consumer trend to buy local – even one of my American brewer friends was lamenting the fact that drinkers prefer to buy local brewed beers, when his beers are better quality. However, the mid-sized brewers will increasingly feel the squeeze (the larger brewers have economies of scale to play with) and to survive and grow over the forthcoming years, they need to ensure that they are relevant – to both their market and their brand. In today’s crowded bar landscape, you need to understand your value proposition and invest in brand differen- tiation. Your brand needs to be all about being recognised and standing out from the crowd - not being a ‘me too’. Colorscan Imaging Products 42,000 sq. ft factory is dedicated to the manufacture of pump clips, keg badges and labels for the brewing industry Be relevant to create bar presence Says Myles Pinfold, WPA Pinfold 44_Layout 1 14/08/2017 09:46 Page 1