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Whole Health: Fresh Looks

There are a lot of new looks gracing the natural and organic category this spring, as companies large and small modernize their logos, packaging and brand positioning. Barbara's Bakery, Nature's Path and Rudi's Bakery are just some of the companies sporting updated appearances. We want to bring a consistent look across our entire product line, and we want to make it easier for consumers to find us,

There are a lot of new looks gracing the natural and organic category this spring, as companies large and small modernize their logos, packaging and brand positioning. Barbara's Bakery, Nature's Path and Rudi's Bakery are just some of the companies sporting updated appearances.

“We want to bring a consistent look across our entire product line, and we want to make it easier for consumers to find us,” said Jacquie Perlmutter, brand manager at Barbara's Bakery. Experts believe such changes are indicative of how far the whole health business has evolved over the past few years.

“They're realizing that their equities, the way their packages read, the way they communicate their benefits, are not as sophisticated as they should be in relation to large national brands,” noted Bruce Dybvad, president of Interbrand Design Forum, a consulting firm in Dayton, Ohio.

Barbara's wants to build equity by unifying its look across all 55 SKUs. At Nature's Path, Maria Emmer-Aanes, director of marketing, said the goal is to distinguish itself as the Canadian brand penetrates deeper across the border.

“Everything is ‘Nature's This’ and ‘Nature's That’, and as we go into the U.S., it's hard not to be confused with the others,” she said, adding that U.S. consumers now account for 70% of sales. Nature's Path started a redesign with its granola bars, and hopes to have all products converted to the new look by mid-summer.

Experts point out that brands like these came from humble backgrounds, growing up in the natural food channel.

“I think that when a lot of these companies started out, just having their name on a package was good enough, but that's not the case as you start competing with national brands or go into national grocers,” said Dybvad.

If they want to succeed in mainstream supermarkets like Kroger and Safeway, there needs to be a more unified approach, an insight that companies like Nature's Path are ready to act on.

“We're evaluating the architecture of our brand and trying to understand how the products relate to each other, and what makes the most sense to the consumer,” said Emmer-Aanes.