Evolve Brand Design led the strategic positioning of the Trisco Foods Precise product launch. The brand has evolved over 6 years and Evolve Brand Design has been integral in creating all marketing materials. These include the brand and packaging design of bottle labels, boxes and foil lid cups. Other marketing materials include flyers, tradeshow banners and digital graphics. 

 

Trisco Foods: Precise Case Study

Communication of the product concept was the initial challenge. Traditionally the market sector only offered a powdered thickener. A liquid thickener was a shake up for the category. The branding needed to be understood by a range of stakeholders. These ranged from educated medical practitioners to the often uneducated carer who prepares the product for the end user to consume.

Competitors are veteran brands like Flavour Creations and international brands like Resource from Nestle.

The target audience are not the end user, who prepares the product for the consumer. Nutritionists and speech pathologists’ opinion influences the purchasing officers decision. Thickening products are in demand from are variety of sources including aged care facilities, hospitals and disability carers. The target audience are varied in their roles and needs. The brand image needed to engage the medical practitioners and purchasing officers on the front end. Communication of safe product usage was vital for the carer during product preparation.

The Trisco Foods Precise brand design concept captures the key unique selling point (USP). The USP is that this is a liquid in a precision pump bottle. The number of pumps impact the prescribed thickness of the finished beverage. Simply pump and stir the thickener into any beverage. The name ‘Precise’ reflects the nature of the pump, which measures the exact dose. This design of the brand combines a slightly medical appearance with the product nature which has a thick consistency.

The packaging has been designed to balance the medical aspect of the brand with a friendly style. The main range is sold in a single serve and bulk preparation format. This refers to the way the end user prepares the beverage thickness for consuming. Many people preparing the product are non english speakers. So, it was vital to communicate this with words, colour and imagery. The green and orange colour coding make this very clear. Photography of a glass and jug are visual differentiators. The dynamic wave interacts with the brand design. This graphic can also utilized separately as a device on marketing items.

Each of the ready-to-drink product ranges: Thickened Water, Flavoured Water, Cordials and Juices needed to be differentiated. The design aims to inform the consumer of three aspects via a trustworthy and uplifting image. These are the product variant, flavour and thickened level. The level is in accordance with the industry IDDSI Standard. The ready-to-drink range demanded the taste values of each product to be delicious. It was particularly challenging to fit an abundance of compliance information into the small space.

Over the past five years the Precise brand has evolved in three phases. Evolve Brand Design has been fortunate to be engaged by Trisco Foods to be involved each step of the way.

Phase 1 saw the launch of primary range and new product development for ready-to-drink cordials and juices. These were launched in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Phase 2 involved refining and redesign product range. Repositioning of key SKU’s saw introduction of new products lines and new packaging formats – a sachet, box and bulk bottle. This phase also required the implementation of the industry IDDSI Standard which changed internationally in 2018. The IDDSI Standard indicates the various levels of thickness prescribed for people with dysphasia.

Phase 3 is has launched with the new designs are above. After 8 years in the market Precise Liquid Thickner and the Ready To Drink ranges have had an image update. The goal was to freshen up the brand image with a more clinical and medicinal approach. There is greater emphasis on the unique selling point – the precision dosage pump dispenser and the product concept being a ‘liquid’ not powdered thickener. In addition, further changes to the IDDSI Standard that began in Phase 2 were incorporated in time for the world wide deadline. A variety of collateral was produced to help the target audience understand both the implementation of the new IDDSI Standard and the change in the design.

With the market embracing Precise Liquid Thickner concept new products are being developed. Most recently hot beverages – tea, coffee, chocolate and were launched in 2020. This year, a revolutionary product to the category vanilla and chocolate ice-cream has just been released.

Congratulations to the team at Trisco Foods for winning Queensland Exporter of the Year in 2019 at the Queensland Premiers Export Awards.   

The growth of the Precise brand is attributed to the innovative team at Trisco Foods. To hear more about how Mike Tristram leads Trisco Foods have a read of my interview with him.