Can you ever have too much cheese?
In 1962 French President Charles de Gaulle lamented “How do you govern a country which has two hundred and sixty-four varieties of cheese?”.
I am unsure exactly how many varieties of cheese are produced in Australia. However, I do know that our fabulous local dairy industry provides for a great many wonderful cheese makers. And that competition within the dairy cabinet has never been more intense than it is today.
Recently we (Brand House Communications) have had the pleasure of working on an excellent example of how a neglected brand can disappoint an excellent product range and thus become disenfranchised from its consumers.
A Great Back Story
Originally built by the Kraft Corporation in the 1950’s, the Kenilworth cheese factory was shut down in the 1980’s. A group of former employees then reopened the factory, as Kenilworth Country Foods and established a tradition of producing quality hand crafted cheese from recipes developed on the Darling Downs over a hundred years before.
In today’s marketing parlance, a great back story.
The production of fabulous cheese and other dairy products has since continued. Sadly though, the intensely competitive environment saw sales of cheese from the historic factory at Kenilworth diminish, slowly at first, and then more rapidly in recent years.
A Silk Purse Wrapped in a Sow’s Ear
However great the actual products, the presentation of the cheese made at the Kenilworth factory had become poor. The packaging neither communicated with, nor engaged an ever-discerning consumer. The logo was out-dated and the packaging was dominated by the word Queensland, plastered like a band aid across the front of the label. A narrow range of ugly primary colours were used in concert with silver foil. Variant descriptions were over-printed at the factory, in black type, without any strategic consideration to the colours used for each. Different varieties utilising the same dubious colour combinations sitting side by side on shelf.
In essence – great products were being sabotaged by hopeless branding and woeful design.
Fresh, Clean and Vibrant
Packaging is of course a brand’s last chance to advertise to its potential customers. It is essential to its ability to stand out in a busy market place, to communicate its proposition, to invite consideration and hopefully motivate purchase.
New owners, The Cochrane family, dairy farmers for six generations have purchased the Kenilworth business and along with their milk provide the newly named Kenilworth Dairies with an even stronger “back story”.
A new logo, with a funky stylised cow, breathes new life into a deserving brand. The strap line, “Udderly delicious, udderly nutritious” lends a cheeky personality where before there was none. Each product variant now has its own appropriate colour selected from a pleasing palate. The design is simple, utilises space and communicates brand and individual product.
A senior buyer at one of Australia’s foremost retailers recently described the Kenilworth re-branding as “…fresh, clean and vibrant”.
Into the Marketplace
Kenilworth Dairies has begun releasing their re-branded cheese into the marketplace. Thus the resurrection of the essential Kenilworth business and its brand launches in earnest.
Much has been, and continues to be done at the Kenilworth factory with revitalisation of factory and cellar door and ever-popular café. Most importantly new management and leadership are not only rejuvenating the existing but forging into new and innovative areas.
The brand identity – the face of the business, the values, services and personality which generates customer loyalty – which previously had disabled the products, will now demand the business be reconsidered by both trade and consumer.
Visit Kenilworth Dairies’ website to view the new packaging and other elements of the brand. Don’t forget to look out for the product on shelf also.
Brand House Communications has greatly enjoyed the process of providing the brand and marketing services to Kenilworth Dairies.
With the greatest respect to President DeGaulle…..we really don’t know understand how too much cheese can be a problem.
