Over the years, takeaway coffee consumption has evolved from a morning caffeine boost to something of a status symbol.
A 2022 national survey found over 32% of American consumers will purchase a takeaway coffee from a cafe between 1 and 3 days a week. More so, it is estimated the average consumer will carry a takeaway coffee cup with them for 45 minutes to an hour each day.
A bright, vibrant, custom print coffee cup sleeve is more likely to capture the attention of those who pass by.
Roasters who customise takeaway coffee cup sleeves may benefits from a highly effective form of marketing that involves nothing more than ordering the sleeves and letting the customers that visit do the rest.
In addition to choosing the right colours and designs, deciding what to feature on custom print may do more to increase business than any other marketing strategy available.
Read on to find out when is the best time to customise takeaway coffee cup sleeves in order to boost sales and brand awareness.
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When should roasters customise coffee cup sleeves?
While coffee cup sleeves may appear as a simple aesthetic accessory, they are essential for any business that sells beverages.
Predominately made from recyclable materials such as cardboard, cup sleeves are lightweight, slim, and cost-effective.
Traditionally, they were designed to protect customers’ hands from burns while carrying coffee on the go. However, they have quickly become a powerful marketing tool for coffee businesses.
Takeaway coffee cup sleeves can not only offer additional space for branding but also be customised according to drinks and seasons. This helps to create a more memorable and versatile product that fosters greater customer loyalty.
Highlight holidays and company milestones
Many well-known coffee brands, such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee, customise their takeaway coffee cups and sleeves over the festive season.
In addition to promoting limited edition festive offerings, coffee brands do this in order to increase morale among both shoppers and employees.
Studies show businesses that feature Christmas decorations often invoke a positive feeling in customers. For any business, the customer’s experience is paramount.
While a coffee shop or roaster can stand out through its offerings or packaging, customers are more likely to return to brands that make them feel good. Therefore, it is essential that coffee shops and roasters provide an experience that enhances the customer’s festive mood.
On the other hand, some brands may choose to customise cup sleeves to highlight an important company milestone.
For instance, Seattle Coffee Company in South Africa recently released a line of custom-printed coffee cup sleeves celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The metallic silver sleeves feature a slightly altered version of the brand’s signature catchphrase, the company logo, and a thank you message to its customers.
The cup reads: “thanks to you for 25 years of good times!” in bold font beneath a fine-line ‘25’ logo. As a result, many loyal Seattle Coffee consumers have taken pictures of their limited edition sleeves and shared them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Customised coffee cup sleeves can expose a brand to thousands of customers around the world, as every day, over 4.62 billion people around the world use these social media platforms.
Promote limited edition offerings or specials
Offering limited edition coffees can help capture consumer attention and act as a powerful sales initiative.
Many roasters choose to offer limited edition coffees or specials at peak times of the year, such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day. The majority of customers are inherently drawn to a ‘new’ label, and the limited edition run gives roasters the opportunity to be more creative with their roasts.
A small run of custom print cup sleeves that promote limited edition offerings can help boost consumer awareness and attract more sales.
The simple phrase of “have you tried…?” in bold font across the sleeve may entice customers to ask about limited edition offerings or special promotions being run.
Additionally, some coffee shops have taken a clever approach when customising their coffee sleeves and opted to use them to upsell products.
Phrasing that encourages customers to pair their coffee with another complimentary item, such as a coffee of a similar origin, or a sweet or savoury pastry, can help increase sales.
What to consider when customising coffee cup sleeves
When customising takeaway coffee cup sleeves, there are a few things roasters will need to factor in.
These include how the colours will pop on the material used for the sleeve, which is predominately cardboard. Roasters will have to determine whether to opt for the raw, unbleached look, or whether they require bleached kraft paper in order to make the colours pop.
In addition to the colours and look of the design, roasters must also consider how customers will react to it.
For instance, recent insight into packaging trends shows customers are shifting away from simple minimalistic designs. A growing number of customers are favouring designs with more vibrant colours, as well as retro-looking images, fonts and illustrations.
Maximalist design is also increasing in popularity. This refers to combining and layering bright and bold colours to create an eye-catching design that keeps the business top of mind as customers drink it.
Customising coffee cup sleeves allows roasters to cut down on costs and easily change their messaging when needed.
MTPak Coffee can provide roasters and coffee shops with sustainable, custom-printed coffee cups and coffee cup sleeves made from sustainable materials, such as kraft paper, or PET with a PLA lining.
In addition to being 100% compostable, our cups are strong, waterproof, and lightweight. Our design team is also able to work with you to custom print your takeaway coffee cups or coffee cup sleeves to your specifications.
At MTPak Coffee, we use innovative and eco-friendly digital printing technology with sustainable water-based inks that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are highly resistant to abrasion, heat, and water.
Our range of cups is available in different sizes: 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, 12 oz, and 24 oz. Each one is available to order as either single or double wall, while customisable sleeves are available for all three sizes.
We also offer a range of low minimum order quantity (MOQ) options. This means you can order as few as 500 fully customised units in just five working days.
