S2 Design Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director Of Marketing of Cookies United

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cookies United is a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Baking Co., Inc. Louis Avignone and Wally “Famous” Amos founded what would become United Baking in 1994 as a cookie company.

Since its founding, the Company has reorganized into two operating entities: Uncle Wally’s (our sales and marketing component) and United Baking (our manufacturing entity and the parent corporation).

United Baking is privately held and employee owned. We pride ourselves in running a family business with a management team that has remained with the Company since the beginning. United Baking has been entrusted with iconic brands and sells its baked goods to the largest retailers in the country.

Based in Shirley, New York (Long Island), United Baking is a premier manufacturer and marketer of high quality, branded and private label baked goods for consumers nationwide. In 2014, United Baking’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Cookies United, acquired the assets of Silver Lake Cookie Co., Inc., including the Silver Lake brand.

With such acquisition, United Baking added a dedicated cookie factory in Islip, NY. We challenge our team to create new products and efficient processes and to identify partners who will enable great opportunities to develop across our company.

We will always pride ourselves in long standing, trusting and transparent relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire S2 Design Group to accomplish?

• 1. Increase brand recognition to drive value and strength!
• 2. Need to be loud in the sea of other competitors since they have so many more facings/blocks
• 3. Need shelf block to compete while maintaining and elevating brand value/premium feel
• Must take existing consumer along on the ride so we do not lose anyone

SOLUTION

How did you find S2 Design Group?

Other

Why did you select S2 Design Group over others?

High ratings, Close to my geographic location, Pricing first our budget, Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Company values aligned, Other

What was the size of S2 Design Group’s team?

6-10 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with S2 Design Group?

Virtual Meeting

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Relaunch of the CakeBites brand logo concepts & packaging design architecture system for a much stronger shelf presence & brand experience while maintaining the excitement of the product visual differentiation, delicious flavors & appropriate equities to drive sales and build brand equity.

Design & development initially of one Flavor Italian Rainbow in the box and single pack to establish the system. Then execute the balance of all flavors, all product and flavor photography/retouching, 3D renders for ecom/social media and final files for print production.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• internal and external key stake holders LOVED the work!
• Increased sales

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

S² was extremely efficient & responsive, helped us stay on time and delivered above expectations.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The S2 team is best in the business! There is no end to their creativity and thoughtful design sense. Not only did the designs come together better than expected but the whole team made it a fun and pressure free process! Can’t wait for the next project!

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

None that we an see - we just want to work with them more.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is Mullen Foods. We’re a food marketing and manufacturer. Our main product is apple sauce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with S2 Design Group?

Our brand needed an update. We were trying to get our packaging to look better out on the shelves.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, S2 gave us 5–6 different designs for packaging ideas. We started to narrow those down, and we went to a nice sorting process with them. We’re currently working with my packagers and manufacturers to make sure that the labels are flawless and the printer is doing a good job, using the right colors, and so on. They’ve followed this process all the way through, and I’m very grateful for that.

What is the team composition?

My main contact is Nancy (VP of Client Services), but I’ve worked with at least 4–5 other people.

How did you come to work with S2 Design Group?

I was fortunate because my sales manager had worked with them in the past. He put me in touch with one of their partners, and I started a conversation with her. He’d liked them so much because S2 did a redesign work for the company he was in, and the products had a major boost in sales because the packaging was so much better. It brought attention to the product.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent approximately $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in early December 2020, and we’ve been working together since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I can’t give any metrics because we’re still in the production process and trying to get it out on the shelf. However, I think everybody that sees the new design likes the packaging a lot. We’re very pleased with the outcome.

Also, I just had a call with a couple of buyers from Wal-Mart, and one of them gave me a big thumbs up. He said he liked the package over what we had before, and we’ll hopefully have an opportunity with them within the next six months.

How did S2 Design Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent. We’ve been in touch with their project manager, and they have a good timetable. Everything we’ve done has been well played out. The team sets up appointments and calls, and they’re always punctual.

We communicate through emails, phone calls, and Zoom calls. We can reach out to them whenever we need help.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been really pleased with their professionalism, knowledge, and experience. During the design phase, the team always gave me good reasons for why we were doing certain designs and why they were created that way. They make suggestions and know about labels, branding, and products on the market. They’re experts in their field.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any criticism. We haven’t been the easiest client, but everybody works well together. Moreover, the design came out beautifully, and they’re following through on everything. All in all, S2 is always professional, so I don’t know what else to ask for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re the professionals; let them come up with the ideas. Give your input, but follow their advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is Shelf Life Brands, a consumer packaged goods company that launches and owns brands. We also provide consulting services on brands in the consumer packaged goods space, specifically among food and supplements firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with S2 Design Group?

We were launching a new baby products brand, and it needed a voice and personality. We also needed help with the aesthetics of the brand’s packaging and creative assets, which could also be used on the website and for advertising. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the engagement by giving them an overview of the business, its prospects, and the origins of the product. This helped ground them around what our product actually did and who it was serving. 

From there, they circled back to us with a brief restatement of the project, validating their understanding of everything we shared. The team played back everything we’d said in their own words to make sure they picked up what we meant in terms of brand voice and aesthetics. During this stage, they also showed us what they saw in the market from brands that offered similar products or had similar target customers. This led to a discussion around where we wanted the brand to be. 

Afterward, they provided us with a range of different brand designs in terms of logo, typography, icons, and messaging. They also submitted variations of the actual packaging and the graphics on it. We talked through these designs and whittled them down to the one that we liked the most. From there, they optimized the design and turned around the final version to us.

What is the team composition?

We interacted with their owner, along with their head of accounts. Two people worked on the creative parts of the engagement. Our team interacted with all four of them in our calls. 

How did you come to work with S2 Design Group?

I knew S2 Design Group’s work from my tenure in the consumer packaged goods field. They’d worked with huge, well-known brands, where they did projects such as line extensions and product launches. They’d also helped new, smaller brands find their brand look. 

Another reason we chose them was that I worked with their head of accounts in the past when she was working with another company. She was fantastic and was a great manager in terms of being an intermediary between our side and their creative people. She ensured that we were working efficiently and that everyone had one conversation to follow instead of multiple ones.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started and ended in May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Their work was excellent, and they delivered spot on. Everything was positive internally at Shelf Life, and the overall feedback for their work was good across the board. 

How did S2 Design Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We had Zoom conferences, but we mostly did things by email. We didn’t do a lot of work that required any sort of IT support. Most of our collaboration consisted of talking and exchanging texts. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They dug deep into our products and the consumers that we were going after. They also challenged us to think differently. That was impressive because we were stuck in our own heads while working on the product launch. They did additional market research on their own, and that was a big plus for them — it helped us step back and get out of our heads. 

Apart from that, they showed a range of options that we didn’t think about before. This was great because it reflected that our heads were in one space while there were a lot of other options that we could look into. Overall, the research they did and their ability to challenge our thinking was their most impressive qualities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. They nailed the project. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great agency if you’re open to receiving secondary research and analysis from an outside party that’s willing to get really involved. If you know all the answers to your project questions, they’ll still do a great job. However, you’re going to best benefit from them if you’re open to their analysis. They’ll do their homework, and they’re not just going to take what you give and submit what you ask. They’ll go deep and do research. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former VP of Sales of a candy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with S2 Design Group?

We wanted to enhance the entire look of the Wiley Wallaby brand through a graphics change.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

S2 Design Group upgraded the overall look of the entire line. They restaged the packaging, did new graphics, provided new product photography, and then applied all of that to the brand’s website.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Nancy (VP of Client Services) and two other people.

How did you come to work with S2 Design Group?

I reached out to Nancy to work on this project because I’ve worked with her in the past with another company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement for this project lasted from January 2017–April 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The product sales increased 25% the year after the graphics implementation; I think that’s a big increment.

How did S2 Design Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. We used to communicate through conference calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They always delivered first-class graphics in all the projects we worked on. Their track record is strong, and their graphic changes are impactful. When it comes to food and candy, they do a great job increasing the appetite appeal with each product — that’s what stands out for me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have clear objectives on what you’re trying to accomplish. Also, trust S2 Design Group’s team — they know how to leverage graphics to bring things to life. You’re going to be able to get the results you’re looking for if you trust their experience.