Herbal SIPS
Launching a new brand in the health and wellbeing sector
As we work with brands rooted in health, well-being and vitality, a new client, Herbal Ltd, approached us with an exciting proposition. They had secured investment to develop a new range of herbal health drinks backed by the renowned herbalist, Andrew Chevalier. We were asked to help them create the brand, develop the packaging, build a communication strategy, and pinpoint the best routes to market.
Interpret + Define
77% of US adults and 64% of UK adults take a daily health supplement. With such a wide audience, we wanted to use data to segment potential customers and work out who was most likely to buy this new herbal brand. Our research revealed that more than half of our audience is female and more than a third buy for their partner. 55% are also very active, exercising three or more times a week. Predominantly ABC1, our audience has disposable income and is more likely to commit to subscriptions for ease and convenience. These insights helped us to develop pen portraits of likely buyers and the best ways to reach them. We also conducted an in-depth analysis of both the UK and the US health and wellness markets to reflect their nuances in our communications. A competitor audit further helped us to pinpoint the brand’s differentiating factors.
Imagine + Create
Our vision is to deliver a healthcare brand that shakes up the industry, promotes positive health and becomes the first name on everyone’s lips. Described as ‘non-alcoholic tinctures’, the eleven herbal blends use different concentrations of herbs to either enhance performance, boost natural function, relieve unwanted symptoms or improve general wellbeing. The range is manufactured using a rare, hot filling process, which removes the need for preservatives, and is also vegan, low calorie, low sugar, wheat, nut, gluten, soy and dairy-free. To ensure we were hitting the right notes with our target audience, we planned to put all potential product names into testing.
Once a name has been decided, we could work on brand development. We felt strongly that herbalist, Andrew Chevalier, should be a big part of the brand story and his knowledge and experience reflected in the look and feel. Finally, we agreed that a subscription model would be the best sales channel and that we would build a content-rich ecommerce site where customers could find out more about herbal medicine and Andrew’s credentials, as well as shopping for products.
Rise + Shine
We set about generating different original names that summed up the product, from science to nature and everything in between. These names were put into testing before arriving at the chosen one. S.I.P.S. is an acronym of Seeded in Plant Science, which helps to convey what the product does and how it can be taken. Crucially, it was also short and punchy, to fit on our small, glass bottles.
Next, came the branding. We wanted our USP, Andrew Chevalier, to be at the heart of all communication. He is an asset no other herbal brand can own. We developed an identity to reflect his life as an experienced herbalist and healer. A message from Andrew appears on the cardboard packaging and a stamp carrying his seal of approval on each glass bottle along with a batch number: “A lifetime’s experience and understanding infused in a bottle”. All eleven herbal infusions were photographed in lifestyle scenarios and will be used both on the ecommerce site and on Amazon.
Finally, we developed the user journey for the website and wrote all the content ready for launch. It includes comprehensive notes on every herb used in the non-alcoholic tinctures, written by Andrew himself. We also commissioned hand-drawn illustrations to give the website an organic feel. You can visit the Herbal S.I.P.S. site at www.herbalsips.com - which was supported with a range of marketing materials.