BrandOpus

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior brand manager for a dairy company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BrandOpus?

We needed help with our packaging strategy. With the world’s changing landscape, we wanted to ensure our brand positioning was as sharp and distinct as possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve helped us with packaging, competitor research, and utilizing consumer insights to create a stronger brand presence on-shelf. BrandOpus has also worked on other behind-the-scenes branding elements.

They organized a workshop to strengthen our brand documents and positioning. During the workshop, we provided a brief overview of our brand, which they evaluated. From there, they essentially built our brand back up from scratch. They looked at our brand positioning, culture, pedigree, competitors, target audience, and motivations, which they used to build a more refined brand purpose. They also created a brand toolkit for how it should look across multiple touchpoints.

We’ve used the workshop and new brand positioning as a springboard for our overall visual identity and packaging design. BrandOpus has also helped us collaborate with our creative agency on a new campaign. 

What is the team composition?

The core client services team is three people, and the strategic team is three people, including a lead and two designers. Another 12 people are working in the background.

How did you come to work with BrandOpus?

Our company has had a longstanding relationship with BrandOpus since before I joined.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $65,000 in the partnership with BrandOpus. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with BrandOpus when I joined the company in November 2020, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched anything yet, but BrandOpus has completed about 90% of the final packaging solution. They’ve been a good strategic partner who has executed solid brand positioning and on-shelf design work. 

How did BrandOpus perform from a project management standpoint?

The BrandOpus team is very attentive, responsive, and honest. The team has delivered work on time and shared progress updates via weekly status reports, in-person meetings, and MS Teams calls. There have been instances when we’ve disagreed, but BrandOpus has worked with us to find the best solution. They’re experts in their field and have become an extension of my brand team; I trust that they'll deliver when I give them a brief. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a great agency, and I’m impressed with their ability to deliver relevant work. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together because it’s a step in the right direction. They balance strategic capabilities with the creative skills needed to bring a project to life. 

Additionally, they’ve worked closely with us to create the right tone and visuals. Not only are they great thinkers, but they’re also good at presenting their work. The team has laid out information to make it easy for us to present to internal stakeholders and retailers, so I don’t need to do much work to excite people. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve by making their costs more transparent. They produce high-quality work, but they’re not cheap. As a small company, we have a restrictive budget, so we assumed the initial scope would cover all costs, but we’ve had to pay more than we originally thought. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be too restrictive with the brief, and clarify costs with BrandOpus ahead of time. Also, let them be part of your process and give them a chance to contribute their ideas from the beginning. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for Insights and Propositions at McCain Foods, a frozen foods business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BrandOpus?

BrandOpus is our strategic packaging design agency. For this specific project, I requested that BrandOpus develop new names and descriptions for a new range of products. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start of the partnership, we had a briefing session where BrandOpus asked exploratory questions and looked into our brand’s personality. Their approach to branding was more than just helping us create new names — they put together a strategic framework for the naming process. Their team analyzed the product names across the spectrum, exploring names that were different tonally. 

BrandOpus provided several naming options — their names ranged from simple to more creative and fun. Their other creative axis was whether or not the name was functional and simple or emotional and benefit-led. The names they presented showed us exactly how we needed to think strategically when naming our new products. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with three teammates: the account manager, the account director, and the creative director. 

How did you come to work with BrandOpus?

They are the strategic packaging design agency for McCain globally. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This specific project, which began in August 2020, has just ended, but our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project as a success because of the quality of the names and ideas BrandOpus delivered. They met the brief.

How did BrandOpus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was very good; they were efficient in meeting deadlines. Typically, we had calls with BrandOpus on Microsoft Team or communicated through email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strategic thought leadership and creativity were the most impressive thing about them. BrandOpus didn’t just deliver amazing ideas — they put a lot of strategic consideration into how they presented each option to us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not on this occasion. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s all about the brief – making sure it’s clear and engaging the team on what is required. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a global marketing director at a frozen food products company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with BrandOpus?

We wanted to change our visual identity for our global campaigns to give our brand’s image more consistency worldwide.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BrandOpus has been providing branding services for us. They started by analyzing our brand and all our activities, including social media, packaging, and advertising. Then, they devised a plan to help us unify our image and get consistency throughout our brand usage. Consequently, they had sessions with our different departments and marketing team to create a brand guidelines book.

Currently, we’re in the process of releasing the brand book, and they will help us execute it.

What was the team composition? 

We’ve worked with 4–5 members of their team, including a creative director, an account director, a managing partner, and a couple of account managers.

How did you come to work with BrandOpus?

We chose them for this project because we’ve been working with them for about ten years, so they know our brand and business, and they seemed like the best choice.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we’ve spent $200,000–$1 million with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in March 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their brand development, strategy, and execution are detailed at every step, including photography, illustration, what kind of elements we have to include, and the visual guidelines. In addition, we notice a clear impact in our brand’s homologation, which is what we want.

How did BrandOpus perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always on top of everything and always ensure to be aware of every project’s steps to deliver on time. They also have an interesting approach to executing the ideas on the market, which makes them stand out from other companies. They don’t just deliver their work; they’re interested in how it can work once they implement it.

We have weekly meetings with them and use emails and phone calls regarding communication and tools. They’re great at replying promptly and ensuring every deliverable is on schedule. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their best attributes are their strategies and skills to develop a solid visual identity. Overall, they’re a great agency that makes a difference and one of the best design companies I‘ve worked with in terms of strategic thinking and branding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be great if they could clarify the scope of the work and its costs from the beginning. We added features over time that changed our initial cost estimates. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re not a typical day-to-day agency; they can take over big projects and help you make your brand stand out and take it to the next level, so ensure you have very clear goals and are certain of the scope of the work. In addition, plan correctly in terms of timing, execution, and costs from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of brand for the Ramblers, a British charity. For 85 years, the Ramblers has worked as a membership organisation to protect and expand the places people love to walk and to promote walking for pleasure. Our charitable mission is to create a country where everyone has the freedom to enjoy the outdoors on foot and to benefit from the experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus, and what were your goals?

In 2019 the organisation recognised that the brand had lost clarity and direction and so invested in a brand development process rooted in consumer insight. We had developed a brand framework and hired BrandOpus to bring it to life by developing an updated brand identity and brand idea.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected 4 agencies who we felt had appropriate experience. We chose BrandOpus as we felt they had a portfolio of powerful brand case studies, strong chemistry with our team and their quote was in line with the budget.  In comparison to their closest competitor in the tender we felt they had more experience with repositioning established brands (vs developing new brands) and therefore they felt most appropriate for the Ramblers.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

BrandOpus were initially briefed to create a brand idea, a visual identity and toolkit. We subsequently added a second brief to created a brand video

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Account manager & director, planner, creative director, 2-3 designers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

BrandOpus created a brand toolkit that has allowed our agencies, staff and volunteers to update a plethora of brand materials and websites. The design has been strongly embraced by a wide breadth of stakeholders involved in our organisation.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had regular meetings as required during the scope of the project and clear email updates in between. BrandOpus kept tightly to their promised timeline and consulted closely when needed changes.

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

I was impressed by their ability to quickly synthesize the breadth and complexities of the charity's remit and create a compelling brand idea that works across everything we do.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Category Marketing Manager at an Australian fruit and vegetable manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus?

Visual identity and packaging design.

What were your goals for this project?

To secure ongoing retailer ranging for the core and a new 25% less sugar offering as well as preparing the brand for divestment.

SOLUTION

How did you select BrandOpus?

I had successfully worked with Brand Opus UK on various strategic projects and therefore was confident that I would have similar success with their Australian team.

After discussing the scope of the project to Brand Opus Australia team, it was evident through their re-brief where they articulated their understanding of the brief (challenges), category and rich history of the brand, that provided me with additional confidence that they were the right agency to work on this exciting project.

They have the ability to strategically tackle complex projects and are collaborative throughout the process.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We worked with BrandOpus to help reposition the IXL jam brand, drawing on its rich heritage and elevating it above the generic product and benefit messages that dominate the category. We developed and clearly articulated the brand’s positioning to enable it to command a price premium on it’s the closest rival and bought lost meaning back to the brand through the visual identity and pack design.

What was the team composition?

From SPC we had the IXL Senior Brand Manager and myself, from BrandOpus we worked with the Senior Client Manager, the Design Director and the Managing Director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The rebranding was well received internally, as well as externally, especially with our customers when presenting the new range positioning, look and feel. Where there was a clear link to the heritage and story of the brand with a more modern feel. We experienced incremental sales (20%) when launching the new product range (less sugar) that incorporated the new brand identity.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were working to a tight timeline, where NPD, research and range reviews needed to be considered along with supplier lead-times to execute in a timely manner.

Brand Opus always provides a detailed timeline that provided us with the visibility of milestones and roles and responsibilities within the project. They responded well to all feedback received and provide recommendations to overcome challenges.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their collaborative nature and ability to present the story/rationale behind all design concepts. This assist in influencing internal and external stakeholders. They are further willing to be involved in discussions with suppliers and the wider business to ensure the design intention can be met.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Portfolio manager for non-alcoholic beverages at a beverage company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus?

We needed a brand narrative, visual identity and packaging design for a new product in the seltzer category.

What were your goals for this project?

We set out to launch a new probiotic seltzer in the SoCal market, which is a competitive marketplace with lots of new innovation on the shelf. To be successful in this market, we needed to launch with a very strong brand identity and break through packaging from the start.

SOLUTION

How did you select BrandOpus?

Previous team members recommended BrandOpus for this project. Following proposals from them and others, we decided that they would offer the strategic and creative rigor, flexibility and budget that we needed.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

In the earlier part of the project, we met face to face to review initial creative concepts for the new brand – each with unique names, logos and packaging designs that created different narratives around the brand, rooted in the target consumer and SoCal origins.

We instinctively were super excited about one direction and after some collaborative ideation on the name to ensure it was trademarkable, the team extended the design across all the flavors in the range and created a dynamic design system off-pack as well. We’ve since partnered with them to create our website, Amazon page, and develop a point of sale collateral.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a senior global team - the Business Director in Chicago and their Account Manager for day to day support, as well as their Executive Creative Director and Production Artist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The brand was selected as Brand Innovation of the year by a top news publication in the US (publishing next month) and we have had great feedback from our customers on the packaging design and branding.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great- they are communicative and efficient. For a large agency, they can operate like a scrappy group including getting new projects done with tight deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have the ability to deliver high-end creative design in short timelines.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Marketing Manager a leading manufacturer of Frozen Desserts for Australia and New Zealand .

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus?

Visual identity and packaging design

What were your goals for this project?

To launch a new range of permissible and diet-friendly desserts targeting consumers who need, or choose, to follow a specific diet, e.g gluten free, vegan, dairy free, low calorie etc. therefore recruiting a new consumer for Sara Lee whilst also modernising brand perceptions.

SOLUTION

How did you select BrandOpus?

We have a strategic and creative partnership with BrandOpus

Describe the project in detail.

I worked with BrandOpus to launch JOY, a range of permissible frozen sweet treats. Creating a visual identity and pack design system that’s vibrant, fresh and modern to cue positivity and lightness in a category dominated by generic & traditional codes of comfort and indulgence.

What was the team composition?

From BrandOpus, I worked with the Senior Client Manager, Design Director and Managing Director

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

High trial rates and interest from consumers both in store and online (socials have gone a little crazy for especially the vegan product and we've just launched another vegan sku as a result of the interest. Sales are continuing to grow and interest likewise, 12 months on.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

extremely effective, the team is easy to work with, very calm and efficient, with clear communication and great creativity and insight at each stage.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Always, their strategic thought and calmness through each stage to guide the process, nothing is ever too hard for them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Senior Brand Manager at McCormick Foods Australia, the largest producer of herbs and spices in the world. McCormick Australia manufactures an extensive range of products marketed under the McCormick, Keen's, Gourmet Garden, Grill Mates, Aeroplane Jelly, Frank's, French's and Stubb's brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus?

Packaging design

What were your goals for this project?

To secure ranging for the NPD range as well as drive growth with a younger demographic.

SOLUTION

How did you select BrandOpus?

We selected BrandOpus as we knew they had worked closely with the brand in the UK on the successful launch of the Street Food range and were excited to be able to work with them on a local project.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We worked with BrandOpus to adapt the successful, global, Street Food range to the Australian market. Ensuring it remained consistent with the global brand but relevant for the local market.

What was the team composition?

I worked alongside our Head of Marketing, from BrandOpus we worked with the Senior Client Manager, Design Director and Managing Director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We successfully launched the range of 4 SKUs into Woolworths and more recently New Zealand. The artwork design was something new to this market for our brand with the future in mind and has helped broaden our customer base to include a younger audience and smaller household demographic.

BrandOpus successfully implemented the Australian logo on the design in a complimentary way, which we will incorporate in other products in our portfolio in 2021.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The communication between BrandOpus and McCormick was clear and effective, even with the challenge of being located in different states. With a clear brief and a thorough timeline provided by BrandOpus we were able to ensure key milestones were met for a successful handover and launch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The attention to detail that BrandOpus demonstrated and their willingness to accommodate our graphic designer within the roll out of artwork. The Account Manager ensured all bases were covered throughout the project, making sure the project ran as efficiently as possible.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing to improve from this project

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a startup company working on developing the worlds first self-sterilising baby bottle. At the moment I oversee the majority of requirements for the company, including the social media, messaging and branding

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus?

We needed help with better defining who our customer would be for our product and company and we felt we needed an overhaul of our brand to better reflect who we were aiming at and how we were messaging our content to them.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to come away with a better understanding of the dynamics of the latest generation of parents, and how the Australian & Chinese parent were related in needs, wants and desires.

With this we would be able to create a solid idea of who our target customers were and how we could build a brand that truly spoke to them, allowing us to cut through the noise of the existing outdated brands on the market.

SOLUTION

How did you select BrandOpus?

Having highlighted brand as a key area we needed to focus on next in our startup, we searched online but also setup interviews with companies attending a local startup event in Melbourne.

We met the Managing DIrector at the event, amongst other companies, and was excited when she completely "got" what we were trying to do with our company. She came out to our office and met with us again, and we just clicked.

We felt like Nikki and her company weren't going to steam roll us into something we didn't want for the brand and were truly listening to what we wanted to achieve.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We had a couple scope meetings, but we also sent her and the team a variety of documentation we had researched so far on our target customers, which we had developed our initial brand and personas off of.

The team spent a fair amount of time getting to know us, going through the documentation and understanding our vision and goals for the company. They then completed and understand and define phase of work where they researched who are target demographic might actually be and better defined how our brand would approach our messaging and content for this target demographic.

This included initial work to understand the key similarities within the Australian and Asian market and were able to find a commonality between these two demographics that we could use for our messaging.

They also put together a slide deck presentation for our investors where the focus was for us to help our investors understand the importance of brand as a part of our IP protection strategy and how it would relate to better engagement and higher returns by doing so.

What was the team composition?

I was lucky enough to work closely with the managing director throughout the whole project. I also worked with their senior client manager and project lead on occasion too.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We still have future work to complete with the company but thanks to their investor presentation we have received a vital round of funding for a portion of work we needed to complete for the company.

We also now have a better understanding of who our customers are and how our company will relate to them and expect that we'll be thatable to better engage with them in future when we launch our updated website and social media in the future.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met every three or so weeks, which suited my schedule best, with their team having time to digest the existing documentation we sent them, and then having time to develop documentation and presentations based on their own research.

We had a presentation meeting once a month, where they presented their findings and we'd go through the presentation to discuss anything we felt needed adjusting or better definition.

Whenever I had a question or further thoughts post these presentation meetings, I would e-mail my thoughts or concerns to the team and they'd be quick to respond either via e-mail or they jumped on a call to quickly address anything we needed to.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed that considering they were a high end branding company, that they were happy to work with a startup company such as mine.

In doing so they never made me feel like I didn't belong there talking with them about what we had done so far and certainly never made me feel like any of the work I had completed so far was in superior or low in quality.

Nikki and her team at BrandOpus came across as though they truly cared about what I was trying to achieve and did everything they could to help me achieve the goals we set out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I certainly don't feel there were any areas where they needed to improve. They're a new branch that has opened up in Melbourne, from their global branch in the UK, but at no point did they feel like they were finding their feet.

They certainly never dropped the ball on any of the work requirements and went above and beyond in most cases.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Marketing Manager at McCain Foods (retail), a multi-national leader in the frozen food industry. I’m responsible for overseeing the frozen meals, pizza and vegetable categories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BrandOpus?

Brand strategy, visual identity and packaging design.

What were your goals for this project?

To reposition and future proof the Healthy Choice brand - the brand had been in decline and over-indexed with an older shopper. Our intent was to attract a new generation of consumers to the brand via a pack refresh and new flavour extensions.

SOLUTION

How did you select BrandOpus?

We have a strategic and creative partnership with BrandOpus.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We worked with BrandOpus to reposition the Healthy Choice brand, away from cutting out and compromising, generic messaging that dominated the category, to positive and empowered choices.

Alongside the repositioning, we rejuvenated the visual identity and pack design to regain the distinctiveness and meaning that had been lost in the changing category.

What was the team composition?

Within McCain I worked alongside the Assistant Brand Manager for Frozen Meals, from BrandOpus I worked with the Senior Client Manager, Design Director, Managing Director and Head of Strategy (based in London).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Too early to see the sales outcome but the design has been well received by retailers and works really well at shelf level.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

BrandOpus work exceptionally well with my team - quick follow up, requests actioned and timelines always met.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team is great to deal with; they love a creative challenge, always respond to feedback and definitely work as our strategic partner versus just being a service provider.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our relationship is evolving and strengthening with every project we work on together. There's a mutual respect so any issues are ironed out quickly.