Case Study Overview

When we first met Etera Foods founder Blake Godlove, he had a great concept, a cool name, an amazing recipe, and the beginnings of a “look and feel”.

As we began working together, he realized we had a lot to offer his start-up venture. We encouraged him to take a step back, and with our help, develop a clear brand strategy to clarify his brand values and personality, identify his ideal customers, and key competitors, and set a solid position in the marketplace.

The first non-hemp derived CBD muscle recovery protein bar, that contained 0% THC. This meant all of the benefits of CBD without the psychoactive side effects.

As the project progressed, we also designed the logo and packaging, along with the retail display boxes, and other marketing assets. A year later, we became part of the team that launched his brand.

The After Bar brand was beginning to take shape.

The Challenges

1. Standing out in a very crowded Protein bar space

Every day, it seems there is a new protein bar hitting the market. We needed to focus on how to set The After Bar apart. We zeroed in on its key differentiators: Non-Hemp Derived CBD, 0% THC, Muscle Recovery, and High-quality Pure Plant Ingredients. It was really important to make sure the packaging clearly communicated each of these elements.

2. Package design pivots

Our initial plan to photograph the ingredients proved to be a huge challenge. The ingredients had to look vibrant and we weren’t satisfied with the first round of test shots. We also needed the flexibility to arrange elements independently, so we turned to our favorite illustrator, David Harrington, to partner with us on this project. His incredible photo-realistic illustration skills turned out to make all the difference in the world. This allowed us the ultimate control to arrange ingredient images exactly how we wanted them to appear on the package. The results were stunning.

The client really wanted a matte-black flow wrap. We made sure the main ingredients popped. And yes, these are actually illustrations!

3. Covid

Launching a product in the health and fitness space is ambitious. Covid, which hit about 2 months after the pilot bars, added another dimension. The pandemic caused about a six-to-eight-month delay in final bar production, as well as, the ability to produce photography and video for social media, and other key milestones that needed to be met for the launch. Patience on everyone’s part was definitely a virtue.

4. Website integration

We spent the time during the Covid delay getting the website ready to launch. Among other integrations, the shopping cart had to integrate with our client’s fulfillment warehouse for shipping and inventory tracking. This required days of testing, tweaks, and more testing. Possibly, one of the longest delays was due to the lack of available merchant accounts that approve online sales of products that contain CBD. Even after we were ready to launch, we had to wait an additional month for final merchant account approval to sell online. Once the merchant account integration was completed, we ran another round of testing to make absolutely sure all the elements successfully “talked” to one another. We were ready to launch!

Results

We couldn’t be more excited about this brand launch and the important role we were able to play in helping to get all the pieces to align in a cohesive and unique way. 

Aimed specifically to support essential muscle recovery, The After Bar is a great example of innovation in an existing category of Post-Workout Recovery Bars. It is the first of its kind to hit retail and online stores nationally using the patented PureForm™ cannabinoids, one of the safest and purest form of commercial grade CBD that is 100% THC-free. 

We successfully helped our client communicate his main goals of: 

• Transparency via third party testing: Each bar was independently tested at an outside lab and the results are posted on the website – and with a QR code on each bar wrapper.
• Communicating high-quality organic, delicious, gluten-free and vegan ingredients which are clearly and beautifully illustrated front and center on the packaging
• A seamless and easy to navigate user experience on the website
• Providing a sense of community by incorporating a blog called the Recovery Room

It’s thrilling to launch a start-up! But, you are often too close to your own business, to see the big picture. We incorporate our unique ability to think creatively, as well as from a small business standpoint. It’s important to partner with a professional that is experienced in strategically designing food brands. We work with all of our clients to make sure they step back and look at things from many different perspectives.

It all starts with our brand strategy sessions to uncover your unique positioning in the marketplace. 

This creates a roadmap for your messaging, visuals, and marketing. If you stay true to that positioning in everything you do, your brand will have a strong foundation from which to grow. 

We’d love to hear your brand story. Let’s brainstorm together!

Photos shown by: Round2 Agency