Seattle Kombucha Company
OVERVIEW:
Seattle Kombucha Company (SKC) is a local craft kombucha brewery focused on creating the best tasting kombucha on the market. In order to increase sales and brand awareness, CEO Wayne Greenfield wanted a packaging overhaul. The new packaging was to align itself with the brand’s emphasis on flavor, fun, and the culture of their local Seattle roots. Bottles were sold at Pike Place, farmers markets, in stores, and online through direct ordering. Along with the redesign, a push on social media marketing was needed to generate new content that would reinforce the company’s personality and the product’s place in the market.
SCOPE:
Packaging Design
Hand Drawn Illustrations
Social Media Content
Hand Drawn Signs
THE PROCESS:
The package redesign started with heavy market research. I looked into large kombucha brands, smaller local beverage brands, and food companies that occupied similar demographics and spaces. After comparing what each brand focused on, similarities in branding and packaging across multiple competitor companies, and finding Seattle Kombucha Company’s own niche to emphasize, I began drawing up design options. The original bottles packaged in glass bottlenecks were often mistaken for beer and were viewed as fairly masculine. It was difficult to quickly decipher any information regarding the beverage, let alone identify the unique flavors of each bottle. As emphasizing the vibrant flavors were a key part of the SKC brand, that was a huge element brought to the forefront in the new packaging. Resealable glass bottles allowed the color of the different kombucha flavors to shine through while each flavor got a distinctly colored label. On each label, hand drawn ingredients of each flavor were displayed for quick visual understanding and enticement. Each flavor became a vibrant part of the full collection, every bottle distinct and instantly recognizable. Lots of color testing was done to find the perfect color match between the labels and the kombucha itself. We did market testing during prototyping by rolling in the new package at the SKC stand at Pike Place for live research and feedback. Once the new packaging was finalized and put into production, I began focusing on creating social media content. The goal was to showcase the new packaging while creating SKC association with mouthwatering flavors, local organic ingredients, the active outdoorsy Seattle lifestyle, and suggesting food pairings with each flavor. Social media collaborations were also conducted with Pike Place Market and healthy lifestyle influencers to increase brand awareness.
Hand drawn signage at farmers market booths
Photographs and content taken for social media marketing
