For 40 years, Stonemill Kitchens has been handcrafting artisan dips with fresh ingredients. But despite its premium quality, the Oregon-based brand had been under-marketed. In an effort to attract a younger audience and to expand into more mainstream supermarkets, Reser’s Fine Foods (the company behind Stonemill Kitchens) commissioned a packaging redesign.
The company replaced the original 1970’s waterwheel logo with an upscale, “foodie” script and eliminated its ingredient clipart in favor of vivid food photography. To increase product visibility, Stonemill Kitchens eliminated the stock round tub and created a proprietary “sqround” (square-round) container with clear sides and large display panels.
The Bottom Line:After Stonemill Kitchens’ redesign, for the 52-week period ending April 16, 2011, the brand realized a 20 percent increase in sales where stocked, according to Nielsen Supermarkets Scantrack. There was no increase in marketing support or discounting during the period.
David Lakey, vice president of marketing at Reser’s says consumers also responded positively to the new design. “We noticed a substantial uptick [45 percent] in consumer calls for the brand,” he says. “Many of these were people who tried the product for the first time while visiting the West, and then wanted to buy it back in their hometown.”
Lakey says the new packaging has also motivated hundreds of stores to stock Stonemill Kitchens for the first time. “One of our latest wins is new acceptance at Central Markets. Arguably the most upscale food chain in Texas.”
CREDITS
StructureAirlite Plastics,www.airliteplastics.com
Labels
Verstraete,www.verstraete.be
Package Design
Murray Brand,www.murraybrand.com
