Blog

Branding; if it ain't broke, update it

Posted 16.4.2012

I have recently been involved in discussions about branding being redesigned much to the confusion of many consumers. Consumers love their brands and don't like to see them changed. Struggling at times to understand why if 'it isn't broke, don't fix it' so why update it if it was fine in the first place? As human beings we have evolved and redesigned everything, constantly thinking about tomorrow and evolving for the future. If human kind were to sit still and settle for what they have then frankly we would still be living in caves. It is in our nature to expand and push things further, this is what should be applied to brands. At Design Activity we strive to refresh, renew and revitalise. A brand like Cocacola for example doesn't seem to have changed at all. But over the decades everything about the brand has been evolved. Even when the branding wasn't redesigned the packaging was. Had this not happened Coke would still look like it belonged in 1886 when it was introduced to the market. The product may be great, the branding good but if it doesn't keep with the times your brand may not be as popular tomorrow as it is today.

Mark Stubbington

Good news for Pomegreat bad news for Waitrose

Posted 06.2.2012

We've recently helped Pomegreat relaunch their range of 100% whole fruit pomegranate juice drinks. The range included chilled and ambient juice in tetrapacs and pet bottles, also a pomegranate extract supplement range extension called PurePlus.

As branded packaging designers we addressed the entire pack architecture including a complete redesign of the brand marque, on pack graphics and colour ways and product photography.

We concentrated on the provenance and taste of the product, keeping layout and messaging simple and essentially saying, "it's all about the pomegranate".

Andrew, our M.D. recently returning from the Waitrose sandwich run noticed that Pomegreat was absent from the shelves, sold out. Great news for the brand, bad for Waitrose!

Pat Starke

http://www.pomegreat.com/

Duck Confit appears on Dieline

Posted 24.1.2012

"In 2010, we were approached by a new a client with the idea of importing authentic duck confit from South-West France. Wth no branding or listing in place, It was clear from the outset, the confit was a premium proposition and everything about the brand including the packaging had to communicate this.

As branding designers we set out to create a unique brand and associated identity – something to pique the foodie target market and once established; we focused on packaging, exploring a range of territories from rustic French to super chic.

Results so far include listings in a range of up market delis across London, and the Knightsbridge branch of Harvey Nicholls."

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2012/1/20/confit-of-duck.html

Alison Dymond

Liberty of London - artisan brand and structure

Posted 13.1.2012

When Bristol based exclusive stationery designer and friend of the studio, Caroline Back came to us with her latest range of individually designed swing tags for Liberty of London we were only too glad to help her.

Being an artisan designer Caroline revels in the art and craft of her work so came to us for our expertise in the fine detail of packaging format and merchandising.

Her products are hand finished and packed so the actual packaging itself needed to have as few components as possible and be quick to assemble without compromising quality or that hand made feel.

The original design consisted of two pieces of card, printed both sides, a self adhesive clear plastic sleeve and a staple to hold the whole lot together.

We simplified this down to a single piece of card printed one side only and folded. The self adhesive strip on the plastic envelope then acted to bond the pack together.

We also worked with Caroline to develop her packaging brand marque for Paperback before producing bespoke cutter guides for this delightful range of stationery packaging.

Needless to say Liberty of London were extremely happy to stock Caroline's packaging range which in turn flew off the shelves this Christmas.

http://www.paperbackdesign.co.uk

Pat Starke

Category Cues or Me Too's?

Posted 05.1.2012

Our design agency has worked with mass market cheese brands, artisan cheese producers and speciality cheese brands over the years.

We've noticed that over this time the market has become vast, with seemingly no room for new product formulations or packaging innovation.

In fact the opposite is true, the cheese market has expanded to accommodate this growth in branding in both the multiples and independents and it's those independent cheese shops, local delis and farmers' markets which absorb the less mass market brands.

With shelf space at a premium the multiples will do what they can to stock the less ersatz brands but ultimately it will be the big players who dominate especially in the commoditised cheddar sector.

And it's to that point that we've noticed a trend for what could be perceived as me too branding at the top end of mass market cheddar with the market leader, Cathedral City being pursued graphically by Pilgrms' Choice in terms of brand colour palette, architecture and packaging format.

So is this "me too" branding, playing to the category cues or big brands playing it safe in a market affected by economic fluctuation?

Well even with it's commodity status the cheddar market grew 2.4% last year, so maybe not that factor?

You'll find that globally, in Anglo Saxon derived markets such as North America, New Zealand and Australia the mass market brands also follow UK cheddar category cues.

Look at another commodity - Baked Beans, Heinz dominates but Branston Beans doesn't look like Heinz.

My opinion is there's a hefty slice (every pun intended) of playing it safe going on here with a side order of me too pickle.

Pat Starke