We are in the midst of the so-called “third wave” of coffee. Gone are the days when devoted java drinkers simply reached for the most recognizable coffee brand on the store shelves.

In the new millennium, efforts to build your coffee brand require more than just a recognizable logo or clever commercial — customized coffee bags and inventive new packaging styles are playing a more active role in drawing customers to coffee products and communicating their exceptional roast and flavor characteristics.

Trust and devotion to smaller, localized businesses is increasing as people drift away from mass-marketed products (usually from companies in major need of a brand refresh). This is why large coffee chains and corporations are retooling their images and focusing more on telling the story of their unique beverages while emphasizing the origins and complex flavor profile of their grounds and beans. Conveying this messaging to consumers can be successfully achieved by selecting creative, vibrant customized coffee bags that create cohesion for your brand and product.

More and more brands are switching away from traditional, rigid coffee containers (like plastic tubs, glass jars, and tin cans) as they work to carry their product into the 21^st century. Flexible packaging styles, like stand bags for ground coffee and flexible box bags for whole bean coffee, are becoming the new standard for brands that want to create a personal connection with coffee drinkers. The reasons for this are abundant, ranging from the environmental benefits of lightweight packaging to the superior protective qualities new flexible pouches provide, effectively sealing in flavor and aroma while extending the shelf life of the coffee inside the package.

Selecting stand up pouches for coffee is only the first step in your efforts to build your coffee brand. Careful consideration must be placed in the material structure, finish, external features, color, shape, size, and function of your customized coffee bags. Navigating all the intricacies that come with selecting bags for ground coffee or bags for whole bean coffee can be difficult, especially when roasters would rather focus their time and attention on expertly crafting their beans and running their business. 

As packaging suppliers, we understand coffee businesses have plenty to do, which is why we partner with both mid-market and mom-and-pop shops to deliver the most innovative coffee bag styles while helping them handle all packaging needs in house.

We have prepared an in-depth, comprehensive guide to selecting the coffee packaging that best suits your individual beans and grounds to serve as a go-to resource when launching a new product or updating an existing roast.

In this complimentary eBook, we break down the following packaging characteristics of customized coffee bags to help build your coffee brand:

• Style – From quad seal bags to bottom gusset pouches, flat bags, and more

• Material – Clear, metalized film, aluminum foil, laminated kraft paper, rice paper

• Features – Gas release valves, tear notches, hang holes, etc.

• Closures – Zip locks, resealable tape, tin ties, Velcro locks, sealing equipment

• Plain vs. Custom Printed Packaging

• New Innovations in Coffee Packaging – Stick packs, liquid pouches for cold brew, etc.

• How to make the switch from rigid containers to eco-friendly flexible packaging