The following Fine Feathers Kombucha rebranding was a Graphic, Web, and Multimedia (GMW) class assignment at New England Institute of Technology in East Greenwich, RI USA.
Fine Feathers Kombucha Company, located at 2296 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, CA, is a local company which uses a signature small-batch fermentation process, using high-quality teas to yield flavorful, fragrant, and complex probiotic teas.
Fine Feathers Kombucha Company’s website depicts eight handcrafted artisanal kombucha products targeted towards hipster millennials. There is also a slant towards bohemianism.
Bohemianism: the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties. It involves musical, artistic, literary or spiritual pursuits.
Wikipedia
Purpose for Rebranding
The specific intended objectives/affordances for my rebranding is to leave the consumer with a clear understanding of what they are drinking (tea), and all of its nutritional benefits. The new logo tells only a part of the brand story and its value proposition. The feather, effervescent bubbles, and distinctive typography reflects the “viably healthy and effervescent tea.”
Case Study: Rebranding Process
- Fine Feathers Kombucha Company is a woman-led kombucha brewing company located in Long Beach, California. The target audience is #mindfuldrinking millennials of all gender bases, who appreciate the bohemian and healthy lifestyle.
- The specific intended objectives/affordances for my rebranding is to leave the consumer with a clear understanding of what they are drinking (tea), and all of its nutritional benefits. The process involves redesigning the advertisement media buy artwork and public relations rollout messaging.
- The rebranding includes a social media plan with graphic and actual posted language.
- The rebranding includes customer relationship management (CRM) on Facebook primarily to encourage consumer to post photos of the Fine Feathers bottles, with custom hashtags for example.
- The new value proposition: “Viably healthy, mindfully engaged, and holistically sustainable, effervescent tea.”
- Mission Statement: Fine Feathers mission introduces people to new dimensions of kombucha experience. Our kombucha products are both pleasant and beneficial with probiotics and enzymes that are present in the brews.
- Affordances: The specific intended objectives/affordances for my rebranding is to leave the consumer with a clear understanding of what they are drinking (tea), and all of its nutritional benefits.
- SWOT Analysis
- Strengths: Fine Feathers Kombucha Company markets its local products to young hipster millennials who seek a new dimension of kombucha experience. Fine Feathers offers a signature style of kombucha products that are both very pleasant and beneficial (through probiotics, enzymes, etc. that are present in the brews). Fine Feathers is a Certified Green Business through The City Of Long Beach for its sustainability efforts and business practices. Fine Feathers is also proud members of Kombucha Brewers International, a non-profit organization that represents and unites commercial kombucha-makers from all over the world.
- Weaknesses: Fine Feathers Kombucha Company only has eight flavors of Kombucha and a poor branded presence. Fine Feathers Kombucha Company is not carried in any major retail stores or in coffee shops like Starbucks. The lack of a mobile application with rewards, discounts, and giveaways is certainly a weakness.
- Opportunities: Fine Feathers Kombucha Company has an opportunity to offer more flavors and be carried in retail chains like WalMart, Whole Foods, etc. Fine Feathers Kombucha Company should also seek to have coffee houses like Starbucks and DD carry its expanded products.
- Threats: Fine Feathers Kombucha Company’s poor branding and weak marketing could affect profits and create opportunities to better branded Kombucha makers.
Process
Through thorough research, careful analysis, and numerous sketches of logos, ads, and messaging, the rebranding process was born. Developing DiversificationPlans which includes a line extension of hard (>6% alc) and soft (<.04% alc) alcohol; a brand extension of kombucha infused toothpaste/mouthwash and multivitamin liqui-caps; and a co-branding products featuring kombucha Red Bull® NRG+ mix and a Starbucks® latte kombucha/espresso shot mixer, enabled creative approaches to market the brand beyond its current limits.
Solution
- The solutions were simple at first—kill the mascot logo and replace it with a more relevant image to reflect the value of the brand.
- Conduct a SWOT analysis to understand the brand and its competition.
- Isolating and describing the SWOT Conclusion and including White Space: “Fine Feathers Kombucha Company is a poorly branded company with limited Kombucha flavors. Fine Feathers stakeholders and persona are young millenials and bohemians who enjoy variety, artistry, sophistication, spirituality, and intelligence. White space could include creating a mobile app to provide rewards, discounts and giveaways of Kombucha products.”
- Development of a New Value Proposition (including a reference to #MindfulDrinking): “Viably healthy, mindfully engaged, and holistically sustainable, effervescent tea.”
- Perfecting the Mission Statement: “Fine Feathers mission introduces people to new dimensions of kombucha experience. Our kombucha products are both pleasant and beneficial with probiotics and enzymes that are present in the brews.”
- The new logo tells only a part of the brand story and its value proposition. The feather, effervescent bubbles, and distinctive typography reflects the “viably healthy and effervescent tea.”
