Californian goat cheese brand color-codes labels for reinvigorated shelf appeal
15 Jul 2020 --- Laura Chenel craft goat cheese and milk products have received a complete packaging makeover courtesy of US-based design agency Gershoni Creative. After the sale of the goat cheese brand to a family-owned French company that specializes in boutique creameries, Laura Chenel identified a need to reestablish its brand recognition. Using color-coded labels for different goat cheese variants and on-pack messaging has created “a strong brand system [that] is critical for every rebrand.”
“The [labeling] system itself creates a hierarchy of information and catches the eye. Standing out on the shelf is essential and when a brand is authentic and consistent, you can make design choices that are functional and also inspire and delight,” Amy Gershoni, Co-Founder of Gershoni Creative, tells PackagingInsights.
Each flavor within the Laura Chenel products family has a color value representing it, which appears along with flavor indicator and as part of the background label and messaging. The exception is Original, which shares its value with Jalapeno Chili and all aged goat cheese styles.
Connecting with consumers via labels
There are many requirements for US packaged food labels, Gershoni continues. “Trends in marketing language come and go, but the key element from a systemic point of view is a clear messaging hierarchy, so that the consumer experience of the package is accessible and compelling – and can iterate over time.”
“The [labeling] system itself creates a hierarchy of information and catches the eye,” says Gershoni.In washed-out capital letters, the colored labeling reads “Elevate Any Recipe” on its Dill and Four Peppercorn cheeses and “Spread The Love” on its Plain Chef’s Chevre. “Cheese For Any Time” is read on Laura Chenel Fig & Grapefruit as well as Garlic & Chive variants, while “Everything But The Wine” makes the Ash-Rind Buchette stand out on shelf.
“For Laura Chenel, messaging on-label was connected to the brand’s strategic foundation, developed within the visual and verbal systems and refined with each brand expression, including the packaging, website and sales collateral,” Gershoni details.
She adds that Gershoni Creative’s methodology is rooted in a cross pollination that comes from working across industries, audiences and mediums. “We believe in empathy, collaboration and rigor, and our style is diverse as the clients we serve. However, our style of service is always full of joy. We make sure the process is always as exceptional as the results,” she explains.
Winning with words
Contextualizing the goat cheese experience was an essential prerequisite before embarking on this design journey, says Gershoni. “By understanding the heart of the brand story, the products’ roots, the way the cheese is made, how the farmers and the cheesemakers interact, how chefs and consumers use the product, even the corporate culture – all play a role in defining what the ‘right’ design is.”
Indeed, Innova Market Insights identified “Storytelling” as the top food and beverage trend of 2020, as consumers are increasingly interested in farm-to-fork traceability and ingredient provenance.
The Laura Chenel cheeses wrapped in their new designs are already commercially available, concludes Gershoni. “My husband – and Gershoni’s co-founder – and I buy Laura Chenel cheese at our local market all the time. The joy of buying products we have designed never gets old!”
By Anni Schleicher
