Articles by Kristin Joker

As founder and chief creative officer of LITTLE BIG BRANDS (LBB), John Nunziato brings his strategic knowledge of global brand development to every project and works directly with clients on a daily basis, but as a small business owner, he's the IT guy, beer tap fixer and office DJ.

According to Georgia-Pacific, the Vanity Fair brand of napkins has a reputation as a product for special occasions. Now the parent company wants consumers to know that Vanity Fair napkins can be part of their everyday lives.

To date, mass-produced jerky brands referencing strong American traditions of cowboys and cattle have dominated the category, and even new challenger entrants have aligned with cliches of masculinity.

The makers of the Wholly Guacamole Brand have introduced Wholly Simply Avocado, a new line of avocado dips and spreads. Each variety is made with only simple flavor-enhancing ingredients such as sea salt, garlic, roasted red pepper, jalapeno and lime, and they are packaged in premium peel-back trays with lids, allowing for easy storage and multiple usages.

As more consumers turn to plant-based dairy alternatives for health and dietary reasons, Coffee-mate has introduced all-natural, plant-based creamers. Made with almond and coconut milk under its Natural Bliss sub brand, the line launched with four flavors: Vanilla, Hazelnut, Caramel and Sweet Creme.

The 10-year-old company reached out to Haberman, a Minneapolis-based creative agency, for a fresh new look and updated packaging in a time of growing retail distribution.To reduce packaging waste, Maty's redesign doesn't include an outer box. Now on shelves at Walmart, CVS, RiteAid and Target, Maty’s competes with conventional brands like Robitussin as well as natural brands like Zarbee’s.

Marimekko and Clinique have announced a collaboration offering new, print-centric beauty products to customers around the world.

For the first installment in our Q&A series, we reached out to independent branding and design agency Flood Creative in New York and spoke with CEO Paula Grant and strategic director Renée Whitworth to get their take on what’s making an impact on consumers, advice on crafting a brand story and how a disaster became a mantra.

I vividly remember the first brand whose packaging I fell in love with, Village Lip Lickers. Never mind the not-so-great name, it was the vintage-inspired design and atypical packaging that spoke to my 11-year-old heart.

Never before has packaging played such a powerful role in brand building. BRANDPackaging's state-of-the-industry report takes a closer look at the trends, changes and challenges facing manufacturers, retailers, design agencies and suppliers