The food & beverage industry is a complex landscape, composed of a global network of diverse businesses, ranging from small, traditional, family-run businesses to large, capital-intensive processes. The constantly evolving retail environment, reshaped by the adoption of new trends, like online grocery shopping and delivery apps, demands informed and flexible adaptive brands
The challenge in this sector is to realize a unique and compelling concept with which the consumer can identify with and also reinforce the brand as an entity. A shift in the food industry calls for more careful design choices, with an emphasis on personality, developing a finer sensitivity towards authenticity.
- Proximity commerce is in vogue. Distributing quality local raw materials in a region formulates this form of commerce. However, this localization also demands more detailed care, from attractive campaigns to personalized packaging, worthy of transforming the brand into an collectible object.
- Local and family businesses are no longer limited to operate within the confines of their region. With recent developments such as the loss of market share and the increase in pvp prices, more local businesses are operating outside their territory to supplement their turnover, where aided by design, they are able to transmit this proximity thousands of kilometres away.
- Major brands in the food industry are betting on differentiation. Their strategy is adapting to new consumer demands, associating themselves with a carefully curated lifestyle, developing spaces of convergence between food distribution and catering.
- Changes in consumer habits are forcing the sector to be fluid. Differentiation is achieved through innovation, constantly creating new products, packaging and experiences that not only attract attention, but also generate loyalty.
Today’s average consumer is more conscious and discerning than ever before about what they buy. Therefore, design offers an opportunity to aid beyond the obvious and limiting elements of the brand and explore more ephemeral selling points of style and values. This becomes critical when the daily competition on a supermarket shelf dictates the success of a brand.