Rebranding exercise increases chocolate slab sales by 48%

“To introduce the new flavours into the market, Beyers wanted a complete shift in design,” says Sylvia Schutte, md of Stratitude. “It’s any creative team’s dream to come up with a completely new design concept, which we did for Caramel Popcorn, Apple Pie and Turkish Delight.

“Your brand tells a story through its packaging, which is why we put a huge amount of thought and planning into the new designs. We focused on the emotions that people feel when they eat chocolate. For example, the Apple Pie slab takes you back to your grandmother’s kitchen, so we wanted to recreate the same feeling of comfort and nostalgia with our designs, and this led us down a vintage path. The vintage look is perfect for Beyers as it also connects with its target market.

“In choosing the vintage theme, we incorporated certain shapes, such as the label, and distinctive treatments, such as a grunge texture, into the designs. The choice of colour was also essential and we picked striking colours that worked well together, ensuring the design would stand out in the chocolate aisle. In terms of the actual designs, the approach was light-hearted and fun, combining quirky illustrative elements with real images of the ingredients found inside the chocolates.”

Since the new slabs went on sale in October 2015, their sales have outperformed the rest of the slab range by 48%. “The sales have proven to be so successful that Beyers briefed us to rebrand the existing four slabs, so that the entire range has the new look and feel.”

The redesigned slabs are now appearing on shelves - first is Dark Chocolate, with Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter and Espresso Coffee following.

“Consumers make impulsive decisions about what they buy, which is why packaging is a vital part of selling chocolate,” says Beyers founder, Kees Beyers. “The colour, shape and design are the first thing that you see on the shelf, making it as essential as the chocolate that’s found inside. We relied on Stratitude to make that first impression and we are thrilled with the result. We are anticipating the same success in sales with the latest slab designs.”