Cutting-Edge Biometric Insights from Quad inform successful brand design for Creature Comforts Brewing

Creature Comforts Brewing Company, a craft brewery based in Athens, Ga., designed and launched its new Bigger Dreams Hazy IPA brand using industry-leading biometric research from Package InSight by Quad (NYSE: QUAD). Just four weeks after its launch, Bigger Dreams became the number-one new craft beer brand in Georgia, based on in-store scan data from retail research firm Circana.

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Creature Comforts Brewing Company partnered with Package InSight by Quad for an interactive study using biometric testing and real-world consumer feedback. Data from the study drove design changes to packaging for its new Bigger Dreams Hazy IPA brand – including larger font size for the product name and beer style; a bigger and clearer alcohol-by-volume callout; and tasting notes added to the front of the package. The resulting package design helped Bigger Dreams grab the number-one place for new craft beer in Georgia just four weeks after its launch. (Image Credit: Quad)

Founded in 2014, Creature Comforts Brewing sought to address the perennial marketing problem of differentiation by taking a business-savvy approach to packaging. The brewing company partnered with global marketing experience company Quad and packaging researchers on its Package InSight team for an interactive study that tested original packaging for Bigger Dreams against a design based on quantitative and qualitative data. Package InSight experts used biometric testing and gathered real-world feedback from consumers to assess the packaging design’s effectiveness in actual shopping environments.

“Packaging is a new frontier for marketers, and data-driven packaging design is an absolute game-changer. With insights like what we uncover in our eye-tracking and anecdotal tests, marketers get a turbo boost for attracting consumers. This is critical for brands, especially those in a crowded space like craft beer,” said Shannon Anderson, Client Research Manager for Marketing Data & Analytics at Package InSight by Quad. “Helping brands understand the impact of creative design on consumer behavior is one of the ways we allow marketers to see around corners and remove friction from the marketing experience.”

Participants in the Creature Comforts study wore eye-tracking glasses to measure how long they looked, how often they looked, and how quickly they saw a product on the shelf. The test results identified design elements that would help draw consumer attention and drive sales. Package InSight’s final design recommendations for Bigger Dreams were to increase font size for the product name and beer style, make the alcohol-by-volume callout larger and clearer, and add tasting notes to the front of the package.

“By bringing data analytics into package design, Creature Comforts is at the forefront of innovation for the craft beer industry,” said Dan Reingold, Director of Marketing for Creature Comforts Brewing Company. “We’re growing from a local brewer to a regional brewer and, ultimately, to one with national scale. This becomes possible with powerful differentiators like data-driven packaging. And we’re encouraging other craft brewers to do the same by being strategic about where they put their dollars. There’s high value in good packaging – it represents a major opportunity for breweries aspiring for similar growth.” Creature Comforts plans to expand in the southeast by adding distribution in South Carolina and Tennessee and is opening its first West Coast brewery in Los Angeles.

Craft beers are a competitive and growing U.S. market. Craft brewer sales volume grew 8% in 2021, while overall U.S. beer sales volume rose only 1%, according to The Brewers Association, a trade group of small and independent American brewers. And yet, according to a 2022 Craft Beer Study by Package InSight, packaging styles for craft brews have remained unchanged even though brands are constantly evolving and the need for differentiation increases with a growing market. The study used cutting-edge eye-tracking technology to test consumer behavior in response to packaging for 120 craft beers. The results revealed opportunities for new and existing brews to strengthen their brand presence on the shelf if they deploy data-driven design with eye-catching flair.

About Quad

Quad (NYSE: QUAD) is a $3 billion global marketing experience company that gives brands a more streamlined, impactful, flexible and frictionless way to reach their target audience via a uniquely integrated marketing platform. Quad connects every facet of the marketing journey efficiently and at scale through its innovative, data-driven offerings – from strategy and consulting to data and analytics, technology solutions, media services, creative and content solutions, and managed services. Quad provides a better marketing experience for its clients, so they can focus on delivering the best customer experience.

Quad employs approximately 15,000 people in 14 countries worldwide and serves more than 2,900 clients across the retail, publishing, consumer packaged goods, financial services, healthcare, insurance and direct-to-consumer industries. Quad is ranked as a leader in multiple industries including largest agency companies (Ad Age, #14); largest commercial printers (Printing Impressions, #2); and largest Milwaukee-area manufacturers (Milwaukee Business Journal, #1).

For more information about Quad, including its commitment to ongoing innovation, culture and social purpose, visit quad.com.

About Creature Comforts Brewing Company

Founded in 2014, Creature Comforts Brewing Company is a purpose-driven, craft brewery based in Athens, Georgia. The award-winning brewery has experienced incredible growth since its inception, expanding into a second Athens production facility. The Athens location was named the Official Taproom and Official Craft Beer of the University of Georgia Athletics in 2023. Its new brewery and taproom in Los Angeles, CA, debuted in Fall 2023, and the brand is strategically increasing its distribution footprint into new markets. For more information about Creature Comforts, please visit www.creaturecomfortsbeer.com or follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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