Packaging redesign for a growing Seattle bakery
Packaging
Brand Identity
Belle Epicurean began as a single umbrella stand at the University Farmers Market in 2003. 21 years later they have two storefronts, a central kitchen, and a presence on discerning grocery shelves.
Founder Carolyn trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris in classical French Patisserie and cuisine. So, everything they do is delicious. And when a big opportunity came their way in 2022, it prompted an examination of their retail packaging.
Gathering ingredients
The first step was to discover and understand what we were working with. What does the retail package look like now? A single box? Grouped together? On the shelf, surrounded by competing products?
And who are their customers? What are they looking for? How does Belle Epicurean measure up?
Here’s what we learned:
- Their baking mixes are among the highest quality options available on store shelves.
- Belle Epicurean packaging was easy to miss next to the competition, and had little-to-no visual distinction between individual products.
- There was a gap in the baking aisle’s visual landscape, well above the so-familiar-it’s-invisible Betty Crocker that was an ideal position.
- Their retail presence had come about organically, with product packaged in-house using off-the-shelf materials. The big new opportunity would make this method unsustainable. A co-packer would be entering the picture, as would a specific carton size and shape.
BEFORE
AFTER
Mix and bake
We could now approach the packaging design. We’d be aiming directly for that gap we identified, building on the existing BE brand experience.
But one big question kept coming up: With the shelves already choked with photos of delicious cookies and cakes, could BE really be distinct with the same photographic approach? The current packaging didn’t have photos, and because of that, they were unique on shelves but very difficult to differentiate from each other. Was there another way?
A wonderful surprise in this stage was that founder Carolyn’s friend and artist, Catherine Mayer, came on board to illustrate the full product offering in her joyous, energetic, and colorful style. This fit with Carolyn’s vision, would allow visual differentiation, and would definitely be distinct from the competition.
Taste test
The finished product looks absolutely unique in the baking aisle, comfortably filling that exquisite-but-accessible window.
If you’re in the Seattle area, make sure to get some! First, stop by one of their cafés. And then grab some at the store to take home.
If you’re not in the neighborhood, get ‘em online.
Nailing the vision
"The new packaging is awesome and we are all in love with the boxes. They are so beautiful!!! They are truly special! You guys nailed the vision!!!"
– Carolyn Ferguson, Belle Epicurean founder
What are you doing to be distinct?
It’s sometimes difficult—and always important—to remember that we are not the most important audience for our business. Knowing what your potential customers are seeing ‘on the other shelves’ can lead to a unique solution that stops them on their way down the aisle.
Need an outside perspective on how you show up in the market?