Built a Regional Brand into a Snacking Powerhouse
Sources: IRI, Spins, Kar Nut Company
Kar Nut Company 360° Brand Development
Challenge
Ready to Expand Beyond Michigan Roots
- Private label dominates the category.
- Lots of regional players.
- Little to no brand awareness despite strong sales.
Goal
Establish a brand architecture for two brands without cannibalizing each other.
Insights
- 40% of people plan for and purchase snacks in advance.
- Traditional snackers: crave variety, want taste and to satisfy hunger.
- Fitness/wellness snackers: read labels, shy away from ingredients they don’t understand.
- Consumers seek snacks that fuse new flavors and deliver new functionality.
Strategy
- Reposition Kar’s as “The American Trail Mix”.
- Prioritize functional snacking and indulgent culinary flavors for Second Nature.
- Establish innovation programs to drive ingredient selection and manufacturing.
Go-to-market Strategy:
Kar’s Nuts: Detroit Born 1933: The American Trail Mix
Second Nature: Instinctively Good Snacking Ought to be Second Nature
Results
Bookended the trail mix category.
Scope of Work
- Audits & Analysis
- Audience Insights
- Research & Insights
- Trend Analysis
- Brand Positioning
- Visual Strategy
- Packaging Design
- Branded Ecosystem
- Sales Collateral
- Photography Guidelines
- Brand Bible
“What I appreciated most was the interactive nature of the process. In the end we feel that we evolved as a company in our understanding of what distinguishes our brands. This creative yet disciplined approach produced results that energized the entire organization.”
– S. McKinnon, VP Sales & Marketing, Kar Nut Company
We helped Kar’s and Second Nature use brand architecture, brand positioning and product innovation to successfully bookend the trail mix category. What’s your brand’s growth challenge?