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There are few genuinely new categories which emerge in the FMCG

sector, so it’s little wonder that manufacturers are taking advantage of

the burgeoning market for ’functional foods’ that claim health

benefits.

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis is soon to launch Aviva, a brand of

functional foods, in the UK, and Kellogg has joined the fray with its

new functional food brand, Ensemble.

As media attention focuses on the health benefits of functional foods,

Marketing challenged four design and brand-naming agencies to respond to

a fictitious brief for a product launch in the functional foods

sector.

The results, as well as an explanation of the processes behind the final

name and positioning, are revealed over the next two pages.

The agencies were charged with coming up with a name and package design

for a bottled fruit juice, targeting busy women. The product contains

all the essential minerals, vitamins and supplements for a healthy,

balanced diet and is positioned as a breakfast drink to replace fruit

juice, as well as any vitamin pills taken in the morning.

The brief also stated that the product should be packaged in 350ml

bottles/cartons and be premium priced.

As the success of Benecol testifies - it grabbed a 5% share of the

spread/dairy category three months into launch, despite a pounds 2.49

price tag - customers are willing to pay a premium price for products

with a clear health message.

Finally, the agencies were told that the manufacturer is a leading

player in the FMCG market and will be giving the product significant

through-the-line marketing support.

It became clear that Marketing’s brain-storming session to come up with

an innovative product idea had hit the mark. Two agencies that took up

the gauntlet were already working on a similar brief and a further two

agencies chose not to take part for fear of upsetting ’real’ clients

working in this area.

The submitted work makes interesting reading, with each team taking a

very different approach to an identical brief. And with the functional

drinks market estimated to grow in value by 200% from 1997 to 2002, some

of these designs may yet come to market. So now you’re the client -

which one do you like?

PI DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

Our approach to this brief had less to do with pack design than with the

creation of a highly relevant, motivating and distinctive brand

personality, which communicated with the target consumer simply and

immediately, functionally and emotionally.

’a.m’ was born of a holistic vision, which doesn’t separate brand

positioning, naming, graphics and structure. It is one idea rather than

an incoherent amalgamation of many.

To create an identity and brand name which personified the vision, we

looked at various verbal strategies and positioning statements. The one

we chose to work with was: ’New ... is a range of natural breakfast

fruit juices, infused with all the essential vitamins and minerals your

body requires every day. There isn’t a more delicious way to support an

intelligently balanced diet.’

As well as the basic communication of the product - fruit juice with

added vitamins - this provided us with a number of key motivational and

communicative words: ’natural’, ’breakfast’, ’infused’, ’essential’,

’every day’, ’delicious’ and ’intelligently’. The basic message here is

that this new brand delivers a ’smarter’ and far more pleasurable way of

taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements.

At this point, an overall feel for the way the brand should look started

to formulate. We quickly rejected any thoughts that were based on fun or

fashion and opted for a serious, yet extremely approachable character

which would stand the test of time and have a very broad appeal.

A flint glass bottle, quite stubby and soft with a wide neck aperture

(for direct drinking), would create a feeling of tradition and

naturalness.

A minimalist graphic treatment would convey more ’scientific’/health

cues and deliver an overall premium and slightly feminine

impression.

We wanted to create a clean, fresh identity that didn’t have to ’try too

hard’ and that was capable of sitting quietly on shelf while providing,

through its simplicity and single-mindedness, huge confidence and

presence.

The fact that the client was going to heavily support the brand allowed

us to focus a little more on its emotional delivery.

A fresh, blue satin neck-sleeve was chosen as the visual anchor point

for the brand. It would also carry the branding, honest, simple

versioning copy and a jewel-like, natural fruit shot. Legal mandatories

would appear on the back.

The brand name was chosen simultaneously. We were looking for a short,

simple, memorable name that helped convey as much of the proposition as

possible. ’a.m’ has the benefit of communicating not just the usage

occasion but also the sense of ’being’, which is encapsulated in the

strap line, ’I think, therefore I a.m’ - an idea that can easily be

leveraged through advertising.

The brand name would also be embossed in the bottle.

A good result is only achievable when the product is based on a sound

idea. This idea seems so good, I’m surprised no one’s done it!

BRANDSMITHS AND CONRAN DESIGN GROUP (HAVAS ADVERTISING NETWORK)

The brief specifies women, but gives little extra information. We are

therefore targeting women over 30 who are actively health aware.

This group will probably fall short of their ideals in health and diet

regimes and need extra help from a product such as ours. This is not a

product for fanatics or specialists.

We have purposely not made the product or pack design overtly

feminine.

Our view is that the benefits that this product can offer could be just

as motivating for men as for women - so we will continue to target women

but attempt not to exclude men.

It is specified as a breakfast drink. This is something of a challenge

as there is probably no such thing as a standard breakfast among this

group. A 350ml pack suggests some out-of-home usage. Rather than develop

a series of pack formats, we have developed a concept which uses a

concentrated essence as the base product, which can then be mixed with

different carrier liquids.

We will also include a multi-dose pack, which can either be used for

in-home or out-of-home use, and mixed with whatever seems

appropriate.

This product is about general wellbeing. We have, therefore, chosen a

Swiss metaphor to represent purity, and efficacy.

So to our product concept. We would probably want to test this out

alongside some other ideas among our Superconsumer panel before

committing to any research - just to refine our thinking and allow us to

experiment before closing down to a series of defined concepts. So the

concept is necessarily loose at this stage:

’Plus+ is a concentrated mix of natural fruits, rich in vitamin C, with

added B vitamins for energy and vitamin E, good for circulation and the

immune system. A rich source of important minerals including iron, zinc,

and magnesium. Designed for people who live life on the run, Plus+ keeps

you fit and healthy from the inside out. Choose either our detox formula

or our nourishment formula.

’Our detox formula is made from pure mineral-enriched Swiss water,

fortified with a nettle, designed to help detoxify and purify your

system, and give you a gentle lift.

’Our nourishment formula is made from fresh skimmed milk, fortified with

calcium, to give you sustained energy.

’Simply remove the seal and press to release the fruit concentrate - and

then shake for a delicious, refreshing fruit drink. Start the day with a

Plus+ - the natural advantage.’

Our launch variants will be lemon and lime detox and raspberry

nourishment.

We see there being a number of different possible variants after these

first two, each offering a separate benefit dependent on the liquid that

Plus+ will be mixed with. Future variants could include a bio

yoghurt.

The multi-pack format could be added to tap water, bottled mineral water

or even tea. A hot drink variant could add depth to the range.

THE BRANDNAMING COMPANY

The relatively open brief from Marketing magazine gave The Brandnaming

Company team the opportunity to start from first principles.

Usually, however, we will come in when a clear marketplace proposition

and positioning has already been developed.

We considered all the different elements of the process in terms of the

product characteristics and the positioning of the new juice drink in

terms of where it would sit in the marketplace.

We also looked at the brand proposition with reference to its target

audience (professional women) and what their motivation was for buying

such a product.

From this came a number of possible routes and then names, identity

design and the structural shapes.

A caveat is that while there are no hard-and-fast rules, some basic

elements should be noted.

When creating marketplace brands it is important to have cleared the

trademark and legal rights to a name prior to creating identities, which

- given the two weeks available - was impossible.

However, as a first stage of screening the two shortlisted names were

put through the first level of trademark.

Also there was no time for formal consumer, qualitative research, which

is where the two resultant routes would be heading next.

In summary, the process was as follows: interpreting the brief,

generating ideas and names and further creative development.

For the initial brainstorm, we used an array of products from this and

parallel categories (for example, personal care and cereals) as

stimulus.

We thought about the target consumer and what really made her tick. What

are the target audience really like as people? What are they looking

for?

What mood are they in in the morning? When and how might it be bought,

opened, drunk and disposed of? What could make this brand really

distinctive in the marketplace?

From this discussion, we soon realised that - for these people -

simplicity is everything. Mornings simply aren’t the time to fiddle

around or think too hard about products.

We believed that this needed to be reflected in the name and design -

nothing too clever, demanding or cryptic. We established two routes to

bring the positioning to life.

Route one: As a replacement to their daily nutrient needs. This area has

a more upbeat ’because life is too short’ tone, so we were looking for a

short, ’no-nonsense’ real word as a name.

Route two: To act in harmony with our natural chemistry and energies.

This has a more calming feel to it - so more softer and more comforting

in tone than route one.

Now we had a clearer idea of the specific routes to develop, we briefed

our specialist namewriters and designers. Both routes have transparent

sides as it was considered important for consumers to see the product to

help suggest ’freshness’.

The key driving idea behind route one is the five foil-wrapped portions

- one for each weekday - in a pack shape, reminiscent of a sliced

orange.

The thinking was that the working routine will be a key to ensuring that

this drink is taken daily.

The packaging conveys ’Revs’ in a natural but upbeat way.

The best names either reinforced the differentiated shape - ’Slice’, or

’Segment’ - or its benefits - ’RDA’ or ’Revs’. All of them are short and

snappy but new for the juice sector.

The pack graphics retain the simplicity and accessibility of the brand,

while retaining some of the natural cues that are needed.

For Route two, we wanted the brand to forge a connection between the

natural qualities of the product and (desired) harmony and energies of

the consumer in body, mind and spirit.

The shortlist of names against this route included ’Level’, ’Spirit

Level’, and ’Sola’.

In the end, we went for Aura - it evokes such a rich set of imagery

around natural, spiritual energies and well-being, but also has echoes

of ’aurora’ - the dawn with all its optimism.

The pack emphasises the purity of the drinking experience, with the

glass in a very classic, vertical shape.

The pack graphics reinforce the name imagery - harmony with a circular

device around the name and optimism with the star.

The opening device would include a re-sealable, plastic lid for

convenience, with an inner foil to denote freshness.

And the final decision?

Our own panel of experts preferred Aura as a more complete concept but

we feel that, on balance, Revs is a stronger, more distinctive

proposition and name.

CONFLICTING CONCEPTS

The Brandnaming Company looked at the positioning of the new product by

drawing out its differing characteristics (shown on the axis above).

It outlined two different routes for the new product. The first

emphasised the speed of modern life and the role of ’Revs’ as a

supplement for busy but health-conscious individuals. The second route,

on the contrary, stressed a more relaxed and harmonious image, building

on ideas of natural goodness and balanced elements.

DRAGON

An exciting brief, and one which many brand companies may be actually

looking into.

So how did Dragon come up with the kind of long-term, profitable, yet

truly inspirational drink concept that a brand manufacturer would be

looking for?

Claire Nuttall, senior consultant, says: ’Our initial step was to

identify the key trends and issues which are influencing drink

development in global pointer markets such as the US, Canada and

Japan.

’From our work with opinion-formers, we are very aware that there are

key brand manufacturers out there, such as Odwalla, Hansens, SoBe and

Fresh Samanthas, which are really changing market dynamics.

’There are also the harder-end ’therapeutic’ supplement replacement

drinks that are emerging more slowly, which build upon the kind of

Yakult, Actimel and LC1 Go territory.’

Nuttall continues: ’The introduction of these new types, styles and

attitudes of drinks, which do what they actually say they do while also

addressing real women’s needs, are key growth areas.

’It would have been very easy to come up with yet another orange juice

or smoothie with added calcium or ACE vitamins. While Dragon’s

independent functional research studies clearly indicate that these

options are definite growth sectors, we feel that consumers are looking

for a bit more fun and something which fits in with the way they

live.’

So what does that say for the product? Dragon’s independent research

states clearly that today’s women are looking for something

great-tasting first, with additional health benefits second.

Convenience, of course, simply goes without saying.

Nuttall continues: ’We therefore built upon fruit juice and added more

adventurous natural and herbal health ingredients to give the product a

real reason for being. We added echinacea, one of the fastest growing

immune enhancement herbs for busy active lives, St John’s Wort, added

vitamin D for bone and skin health, and cranberries for women’s urinary

tract health - sounds gruesome, but women are concerned about these

things!

’We also made the product variants and descriptors a bit more

interesting.

Fun-sounding brand names make healthy drinking much more pleasurable and

desirable.

The three alternative positioning and naming routes that were generated

represent the tone of voice which the Dragon team feels that today’s

woman is ready for.

The first, Eve’s Garden, is the ultimate depiction of natural and

delicious, a bit ’fruits of the earth’, quite classic but with a modern

twist. The second, Happy Chicks, full of ’70s imagery and grooviness.

The look of this range is quite kitsch, but very of the moment,

capturing the lifestyle of a busy active woman in the ’90s. Lastly,

Dragon has a slightly more serious route - J4U products are health

drinks just for women.

So which one did Dragon take through to design development?

’Eve’s Garden really captured the mood and needs of today’s women. The

receptiveness to new herbal ingredients in safe doses really creates a

breadth of opportunity for the right manufacturer. Along with the

forecast growth of organic products, Eve’s Garden hit the note’.

The creative team was involved from day one. The development stage was

initiated with a clear and concise creative brief, using Dragon’s DREAM

analysis, along with trend work and a competitive review to show the

potential for the selected route. With functional foods and new foods

such a difficult area to crack, we had to get it right first time.

As Milly Mills, the designer, explains: ’We had to capture all the taste

and naturalness of a real fruit juice and hit a health note among young

women who normally don’t have time to stop in the mornings, but still

want to do the best for themselves. The outcome is really fun and

fruity, but with a definite good-for-you overtone.

’The physical pack is different to the standard juice-bottle shapes out

there. Using a more feminine and organic shape moves the brand forward

significantly and has excellent shelf impact. Supported by a sports cap

for convenience and portability, the pack is translucent, so you can see

what’s inside. According to Dragon’s research, that matters a lot.’

So, says Dragon, Eve’s Garden hits the mark and leads the UK women’s

health drinks into the millennium.