The Business Challenge
The category of dietary supplements is a very special one, very fragmented between the multiple choices of products and brands, available in various offline and online sales channels, and at the same time somewhat reserved and traditionalist in terms of purchasing and consumption habits. In this complex and perhaps still difficult to decipher market landscape, the Adams Supplements brand needs a new approach to earn its place beyond the familiar shelves of the retail network owned by its parent company, Adams Vision, where the opportunity to access new consumer segments is much greater, but also the competition much stronger.
The evolution of Adams Supplements to date has been largely influenced by opportunities from either the production, distribution or commercial sphere, without the benefit of a very clear portfolio strategy and brand message, or a coherent identity. This is also why the founder of the business believes that Adams' image is outdated, too “colorful”, not in tune with the trends of the category. Feeling that the lack of relevant visual positioning, in a category where consumers tend to become more informed about their choices and choices, was a threat to the business, he saw a need for a rebranding to continue to capitalize on the potential offered by the growing market.
Branding solution
We started the process with some sales and qualitative data related to the category, obtained from discussions with Adams management, but also with certain indications regarding the desired direction of brand development at the level of portfolio, positioning, packaging design. Therefore, we wanted, first of all, to understand the category, the factors that influence its evolution, who it is and what the competition promises, but above all to find out who the consumer is, how he relates to the category and how he perceives the options that it currently offers him. Subsequently, we used all these insights to argue the positioning recommendations and concepts proposed for the logo and packaging design, which opened up the client with a slightly different perspective than the one he started with in the project.
Adams Consumer
Always our first thought goes to the consumer when dealing with a product brand. He is best able to give us answers to all the questions that are essential for the development of the brand. So, through a series of in-depth interviews with different types of consumers, we set out to find out who he is, what needs and expectations he has, what motivations or what barriers determine his buying and consuming behavior, in order to identify that segment to which the Adams brand can promise something really valuable, which he now does not feel he is getting from other part.
The consumer profile that proved to have potential for the Adams brand was that of the “informed realist,” as we called him. It is that adult person, with a demanding lifestyle and multiple responsibilities, pragmatic and thoughtful, who consumes dietary supplements on a regular basis, thoroughly informing himself before choosing a product, his central need being to try to ensure thus a balanced lifestyle.
The idea of the brand
Discovering the needs and benefits expected by the consumer both at the functional and emotional level, the next step was to see if and how the brands in the category respond to them, at least at the declarative level, analyzing the messages used in communication. In this way, we were able to identify the positioning area where the Adams brand could come up with a relevant and credible promise, and this led to the brand idea expressed through the slogan Your source of balance.
Brand platform
Once the consumer profile and brand idea were established, we formulated the Adams credo around them and defined his personality, exemplifying the tone of his voice through different types of messages, thus creating the positioning framework that will underpin brand identity and communication in the future.
Visual identity
The new visual identity supports the brand's idea by striking the balance between the naturalness of supplements and pharmaceutical precision. This balance is visible in the created symbol, which represents a generic leaf, composed of clearly constructed geometric shapes. We have attached to this symbol a simple and accurate wordmark, using the silver color to emphasize skill and rigor in terms of product quality. The rules of identity alignment and composition have been carefully detailed in the brand guide we have developed.
Packaging design
Using the precise, precise visual style and sharp wordmark angles, we built an architecture proprietary to Adams packaging. The resulting triangle from the intersection with the first letter, generates the entire structure of the labels, dividing the surface into clear areas with distinct information. The special treatment applied to the images, together with the precisely used gradients, creates a coherent but diverse packaging family with many possibilities for further development.
Creative platform
To ensure consistent implementation of the new Adams identity, we have used the brand's core messages and visual language to create design templates for various offline and online communication materials, from digital banners and posters that can be used in points of sale to promotional items.