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(2134, 1, '2015-09-15 15:41:24', '2015-09-15 15:41:24', '<strong>Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen take center stage of simplified and enhanced brand program.</strong>\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/BJ_fine_look_00013_RGB_Edit_150911_HiRes_sm.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9352 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/BJ_fine_look_00013_RGB_Edit_150911_HiRes_sm-1024x701.jpg\" alt=\"BJ_fine_look_00013_RGB_Edit_150911_HiRes_sm\" width=\"1024\" height=\"701\" /></a>\r\n\r\nHundreds of new Berkley Jensen and Wellsley Farms packages are hitting the shelves at BJ\'s Wholesale Club thanks to an own brands consolidation and redesign project in partnership with CBX, the brand agency and retail design consultancy.\r\n\r\nThe brand consolidation project streamlined the BJ\'s brand portfolio to create greater clarity, awareness, and focus, explained Kris Modugno, assistant vice president of own brands for BJ\'s Wholesale Club. \"Instead of managing ten separate own brands across multiple categories, as we did before, we have now rolled our food items into Wellsley Farms and our non-food items into Berkley Jensen –both have the strongest brand equity and loyalty among our Members. The result is a rationalized platform of own brands, which better positions BJ\'s Wholesale Club for future growth.\"\r\n\r\n\"BJ\'s Wholesale Club is at the forefront in terms of commitment to the quality of its own brands products, and they needed to design the brands strategically to more effectively communicate this reality,\" said Todd Maute, a partner and private label branding specialist at CBX. \"For both Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen, the new design systems created are consistent enough to provide impactful identities on shelf and flexible enough to speak to individual product features and benefits, as well as to specific consumer targets.\"\r\n\r\nTo enforce consistency, CBX used the pack as a vehicle for sharing stories about both the high-quality sourcing and certification of all Wellsley Farms products, and the best-in-class manufacturing methods and beneficial features of products in the Berkley Jensen line. That might mean emphasizing the German-engineered, triple-ply construction of stainless-steel cookware, or highlighting the responsibly-sourced, premium-quality seafood.\r\n\r\n\"This new approach will help educate our Members on how these own brands products meet their needs of value, freshness, selection and quality,\" said David Atkins, vice president of own brands for BJ\'s Wholesale Club.\r\n\r\nAs an organization, BJ\'s Wholesale Club showed extraordinary commitment to its own brands throughout this project, Maute noted. \"From senior management down to marketing and procurement, just about every department at BJ\'s was involved,\" he said. \"The support we received was thoughtful and broad-based. Clearly, BJ\'s is dedicated to maximizing the success of these brands.\"\r\n\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"http://mypbrand.com/2015/09/17/bjs-rethinks-private-brands/\" target=\"_blank\">My Private Brand\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.massmarketretailers.com/front-page/newsbreaks/bjs-wholesale-club-revamps-store-brand-offerings\" target=\"_blank\">Mass Market Retailers\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.packagingstrategies.com/articles/88311-cbx-revamps-own-brands-identities-at-bjs-wholesale-club\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging Strategies</a>', 'CBX Revamps Own Brands Identities at BJ\'S Wholesale Club', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-revamps-own-brands-identities-at-bjs-wholesale-club', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-revamps-own-brands-identities-at-bjs-wholesale-club', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2135, 1, '2015-09-15 20:00:58', '2015-09-15 20:00:58', '<strong>MOL Group has begun rolling out a scalable convenience store prototype created in close collaboration between its internal retail group and CBX. </strong>\r\nThe first 28 locations under the Fresh Corner brand opened over the course of the past three months in six countries (Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic). The initial stores range in size from 500 to 2000 square feet.\r\n\r\nCBX was tasked with creating a new retailing concept and prototype that would reflect and respect the diversity of the company’s distinct national markets. In addition, with its expansion driven by acquisitions, MOL’s network currently incorporates a number of different nameplates and footprints. Consequently, part of CBX’s assignment was to develop guidelines and criteria to help the company determine which store size and product assortment would be right for particular markets and locations.\r\n\r\nJoseph Bona, CBX president of branded environments and a veteran c-store designer, noted that product offerings in MOL’s retail facilities were heavily focused on automotive supplies and accessories. To aid the company in developing a true convenience retail assortment, CBX analyzed MOL’s sales data to determine the optimal core offering.\r\n\r\nReflecting on the overall scope of the project, Lars Höglund, SVP MOL Group Retail, commented: “MOL defined a very ambitious retail strategy for the upcoming years. To be successful with our mission, we had to reconsider all aspects of our retail fundamentals step-by-step, and CBX was a great partner and mentor on this journey.”\r\n\r\n“As a result of our intense, joint efforts,” Höglund summed up, “we now provide a relevant customer offer at all of the pilot sites, which includes an enhanced hot beverage and food-to-go program, a new convenience store concept with daily essentials, as well as a renewed car wash offer and other services. Ultimately, we intend to roll out these elements to all locations.”\r\n\r\nMOL operates a fuel retail network of more than 1,900 sites in 11 countries across central and southeastern Europe.\r\n\r\nEditors Note:\r\n\r\nCBX feature in the forthcoming PetrolWorld Magazine with a special feature article entitled “New Era Retail”. <a href=\"www.Petrolworld.net\" target=\"_blank\">www.Petrolworld.net</a>\r\n\r\nThe full story of the new Fresh Corner c-store created by CBX for MOL will appear in the forthcoming Cstore Executive Magazine online. <a href=\"www.Cstoreworld.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.Cstoreworld.com</a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.petrolworld.com/europe/item/23507-hungary-fresh-start-for-mol-convenience-retail\" target=\"_blank\">Petrol World</a>.', 'Hungary: Fresh Start For MOL Convenience Retail', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'hungary-fresh-start-for-mol-convenience-retail', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/hungary-fresh-start-for-mol-convenience-retail', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2136, 1, '2015-09-17 16:22:43', '2015-09-17 16:22:43', '<strong>Argentinean Company\'s Award-Winning Concept Focuses on Creating a Genuine Cafe Experience</strong>\r\nAXION energy Argentina, headquartered in Buenos Aires, is rolling out a new and distinctive convenience store design created by CBX, the brand agency and retail design consultancy based here. The design just took first place honors in the convenience store category in VMSD magazine\'s annual Retail Renovation Competition, published in September.\r\n\r\nCBX\'s creation of AXION\'s Spot! Café concept marked a departure from the usual c-store development process. Recognizing the strong European cultural and social influence in Argentina, CBX decided to make an authentic café experience the main focus of the shop, with the convenience retail component secondary.\r\n\r\n\"During our research, we discovered that one aspect of the European influence in Argentina is the common practice of socializing over a cup of coffee or espresso a number of times a day,\" explained Joseph Bona, CBX president of branded environments. \"We also found that many of the country\'s convenience stores have seating areas and people often go to them to have their cup of espresso and then go on their way, without buying any food.\"\r\n\r\nAs a result, the CBX approach changed the focus of the shop. \"We felt there was an opportunity for the client to differentiate itself by making the shop not a typical c-store selling food and coffee, but instead creating a modern, state-of-the-art café that also offers an assortment of convenience products. So, the project really became all about creating a genuine café experience.\"\r\n\r\nAXION energy is a subsidiary of Bridas Corp., which acquired the assets of Esso Petrolra Argentina, the fuel distribution and retail subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corp., in 2012. The company operates 700 fuel centers in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. In the wake of the acquisition, along with its new identity, the company created a striking, ultra-contemporary forecourt design that CBX used as part of its inspiration in designing the shop.\r\n\r\nCBX created a retail brand identity for the shop with a high-impact sense of place. Both the exterior and interior designs for Spot! Café leverage the bright, cheerful color palette of the AXION forecourt, while the floor-to-ceiling glass storefront showcases what awaits the customer inside.\r\n\r\n\"We took a number of cues from the AXION brand design,\" Bona, a veteran c-store designer, elaborated. \"In addition to the colors, we took one leg of the \"X\" logo symbol of Axion and converted it into an architectural detail that highlights the store entrance.\"\r\n\r\nIn order to establish the primacy of the café experience, the layout separates the store and café as distinct sectors. Communal tables and outdoor patio seating help reinforce a sense of community and compliment the traditional café seating, which also includes club chairs. Digital menu boards, meanwhile, not only allow easy time-of-day menu changes but also underline the high-tech modern design throughout.\r\n\r\nThe flagship prototype facility debuted in October 2014 on Avenida Del Libertador y Salguero in Buenos Aires and the company had opened 15 additional locations in Argentina by mid-August. According to the company, sales at the flagship store were up 12% in the first nine months of operation, while gross profit grew an impressive 23%.\r\n\r\n\"We had to have a specific solution for the modern convenience store shopper, and we wanted to build the best breakfast experience in town,\" says Claudio Freue, Marketing Director, AXION energy. \"The selection of products was chosen carefully, placing special emphasis on providing our shoppers with healthy options.\"\r\n\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"http://www.petrolplaza.com/news/industry/MiZlbiYxOTA3NCYmMSYzMCYx\" target=\"_blank\">PetrolPlaza</a>', 'Axion Energy Rolls Out C-Store Prototype Design Created by CBX', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'axion-energy-rolls-out-c-store-prototype-design-created-by-cbx', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:34', '2018-09-27 17:56:34', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/axion-energy-rolls-out-c-store-prototype-design-created-by-cbx', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2137, 1, '2015-09-23 15:09:49', '2015-09-23 15:09:49', 'I recall a business meeting where my team hosted 20 colleagues from Japan. At the end of the meeting, each and every one of our guests twisted the cap back onto his soda bottle and placed it in his bag. I had noticed cultural differences via greetings and meeting behaviors throughout the day. This action, however, transcended customs and geographies and I realized in that moment that appreciation for beauty and art is a universal human trait. These people “liked” this showstopper packaging design and decided to keep it. These particular bottles were the streamlined metal <a href=\"http://www.coca-colacompany.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Coke and Diet Coke bottles</a>, and would undoubtedly be put on display when they returned home.\r\nHistorically, consumers held onto packaging only if it served a functional purpose. Cigar boxes, coffee tins and <a href=\"http://www.quakeroats.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Quaker Oats</a> canisters were repurposed as storage or toys. They ended up sticking around for days, months or years as subtle reminders of the brand. Growing up, I can remember having <a href=\"http://www.folgerscoffee.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Folgers</a> cans in our basement filled with nuts and bolts. The Container Store wasn’t ubiquitous in the 80s, so my dad improvised. As a result, I will never forget those Folgers cans.\r\n\r\nFunctionality will keep an old package around. Creating something that consumers find beautiful enough to hold onto is another. There are two major benefits to showstopper packaging.\r\n\r\nThe first is impressions. Traditional advertising is on the decline, social media is on the rise and brands around the world are challenged to connect with consumers in unique and personal ways. Showstopper packaging delivers strong, personal impressions over and over again. When you pick up a pack, that’s an impression. When you eat or drink the product, that’s an impression. And when you display the pack, you get a new impression every time somebody so much as glances at it. That’s as good as advertising. I’d like to go so far as to say “free advertising,” but it’s not free. It costs money to design and produce showstopper packaging. These impressions, while small in scale, are so valuable because they reach the unreachable to manufacturers: homes and offices.\r\n\r\nThe second major benefit is creating incremental sales. With showstopper packaging, consumers may choose to buy an item just to keep, use or display and still buy a separate package to consume. Any kind of olive oil sold at Williams Sonoma is an example of this. These packages work hard to show off the beauty of the product, and as a result double as decoration. If a consumer wants to display it and consume it, he or she will need to buy two. This is a huge win for brands, and one that the post office has been pulling off for years by encouraging people to collect stamps. Showstopper packaging also reaches a subset of people who wouldn’t ordinarily buy a particular product. If a pack is notable, they may be inclined to purchase it as a gift or put it on display, resulting in even more incremental sales.\r\n\r\nThere are many benefits to packaging that consumers want to keep and all are linked to sales.\r\n\r\nFor new food and beverage brands, great packaging is needed to stand out on the shelf. So much has been done before with form, substrate and graphics. To enter the crowded vodka market, <a href=\"http://crystalheadvodka.com/en/age_check\" target=\"_blank\">Crystal Head Vodka</a> designed a glass skull. These bottles were undoubtedly designed to grab attention and give consumers something interesting to display at home. New brands can also use showstopper packaging to create the perception that their brand and product has value.\r\n\r\nFor existing brands, showstopper packaging can be used to make news and cause people to pause for a second look. Many brands take advantage of licensing partnerships, throwback designs, designer series or sports team themed seasonal packaging. A strategy like this will certainly get people to take notice, but doesn’t necessarily convey a sense of increased value that showstopper packaging does. <a href=\"http://www.millerhighlife.com/av?url=http://www.millerhighlife.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Miller High Life</a> recently commissioned a designer series, but there were very few variations and multi-pack cases did not carry the variety. Thirty of the same doesn’t say “special.”\r\n\r\nThe way to create a showstopper package for food and beverage is to create something that people want to hold in their hand and put on display. They need badge value. They need to be cool — like the metal coke bottles that my Japanese colleagues carried home with them. And even more so, like the original coke bottles: showstoppers.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/food-and-beverage/2015/09/23/showstopper-packaging-the-power-of-a-bottle/\" target=\"_blank\">Smartblogs</a>.\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.coca-colacompany.com/press-center/image-library/aluminum-bottles\" target=\"_blank\">Coca-Cola</a>.', 'Showstopper Packaging: the Power of a Bottle', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'showstopper-packaging-the-power-of-a-bottle', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:48', '2018-09-27 17:58:48', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/showstopper-packaging-the-power-of-a-bottle', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2138, 1, '2015-09-22 17:25:43', '2015-09-22 17:25:43', '<strong>Reassure consumers with a package design that conveys trustworthiness, craftsmanship, joie de vivre and simple goodness.</strong>\r\nWhatever food, beverage, over-the-counter (OTC) remedy or health and beauty care (HBC) product is in that box, bottle, can, pouch or jar, it’s going into or onto a consumer’s body. So that consumer needs to know that everything’s going to be OK with that product.\r\n\r\nIndustry experts agree, therefore: It’s important to be authentic, upfront and direct with your package design. Evoke purity and innocence. Convey vibrancy and joy. Build trust in your own brand.\r\n\r\nCompanies are embracing a more welcoming, friendly appearance on packaging to connect with consumers on a more personal level, says Deborah Ginsburg, founder and CEO of Oakton, Va.-based Strategia Design. Handmade artisanal looks with stripped-down styles, shapes, patterns and easy-to-read fonts bolster this image, Ginsburg declares.\r\n\r\nThe market-driving, influential millennial generation of young adults is drawn in by authenticity and innocence. They want products that are good to them and good to their earth.\r\n\r\n“Everyone wants to believe in something,” observes Jennifer Gaeto, creative director of Equator Design, Chicago.\r\n\r\nEco-friendliness is considered the norm to members of this generation, who seek genuine value from the things they purchase, Gaeto adds. Design that is more moody, less idealized, simple and straightforward tells a story consumers want to hear — that a product is less processed, purer and more natural.\r\n\r\nAbstract patterns, bold graphic elements, two or three colors, and monochromatic colorations are on-trend, especially for food and beverages, Gaeto declares.\r\n\r\nSimplicity and honesty are fresh, adds Maria Dubuc, director of Boston-based Marketing By Design.\r\n\r\n“This is a growing trend based on consumer reaction to overbearing and overworked brands that employ packaging filled with predictable yet disingenuous claims,” she says.\r\n\r\nClean and honest branding with minimalist graphics works better, Dubuc adds.\r\nTraceability, social responsibility and value experience are the three micro trends across the food, beverage, OTC and HBC categories that are impacting the private label industry, according to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president of Toronto-based Shikatani Lacroix.\r\n\r\nLacroix groups these trends under the “macro health umbrella,” and says they relate mainly to baby boomers and millennials.\r\n\r\n“Boomers are entering their retirement and want to live longer and healthier. The emerging millennials’ buying power increases, and their interest [in] social responsibility, environmental issues and their own health will only get stronger with time,” Lacroix observes.\r\n\r\n<strong>Emerging trends</strong>\r\n“Delight and joy” have become prominent visual themes, says Chris Ertel, managing director of Kaleidoscope in Chicago.\r\n\r\n“We see floods of bright colors, reflecting a tone and energy associated with the brand. Taste and health credentials are confirmed through natural patterning, realistic photography, less-composed food styling and typography with personality,” Ertel says.\r\n\r\nVisually authentic style showcases the craft, quality and skill in both the product and packaging design, says Jim Lucas, principal and founder of The Evanston Consulting Group, Evanston, Ill. Some of these elements, he adds, include handwritten, raw, freeform or sketchy typography; vintage-inspired references or typography; simple hand-rendered illustrations; and natural color palettes.\r\n\r\nAnother emerging trend driven by millennials is what might be termed “in-the-moment,” Lucas adds. With high expectations and low patience, these consumers want the information they need to make a choice at the point of decision. Lucas cites Google research showing that 82 percent of smartphone users turn to their phones to influence a purchase decision while in the store.\r\n\r\nShoppers are looking for more information about the brands and the products they purchase, which is why trends such as clean labeling and transparent packaging have become popular, Lucas observes.\r\n\r\n<strong>Advancing own brands</strong>\r\nDesign strategy should be a thoughtful component to any private brand program and should have a clearly defined brand role, says Todd Maute, partner at New York-based CBX. A brand-led versus product-led approach is a step in the right direction, he adds.\r\n\r\nIn planning for the future, Maute advises: “Be yourself. Have a brand purpose and execute it in a way that is right for you and your consumers. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Design can be a powerful tool to tell a unique and differentiated story.”\r\n\r\nDesign is an under-leveraged tool, one with the power to cause a reaction, Maute declares.\r\n\r\n“Use design strategically, creatively and as a tool to express your brand and beliefs,” he advises.\r\n\r\nGaeto recommends that retailers differentiate their private brands by standing for something.\r\n\r\n“Create something people can believe in,” she says.\r\n\r\nAnd thinking of private label as a private brand instead changes just one word, yet transforms a retailer’s entire mindset, Gaeto says.\r\n\r\n“Once you go down that path, you think like a national brand will think. Know what you stand for and what your products stand for, and you will have a more compelling product,” she stresses.\r\n\r\nGinsberg advocates for long-term planning to create “visionary” brands that will inspire loyalty.\r\n\r\n“There was a time, about 15 years ago, when retailers were building their programs, and the long-term visions played a stronger role in product development, packaging quality and pricing strategy. Today, many retailers are trying to get products out faster, cheaper and easier, and they are losing a sense of detail and care that is very noticeable to their customers,” she notes.\r\n\r\nThere is a big opportunity for own brands to profit by understanding how their products add value to consumers’ lives.\r\n\r\n“Develop a system and design language to activate this promise, and then leverage a unified architecture across the categories,” Ertel says. “A confident and flexible branded system that delivers the right category cues, while reinforcing a larger retailer proposition, allows retail brands to offer consumers differentiation more nuanced than price alone.”\r\nRetailers need to constantly assess the definition of value across their consumer segments, too, and explore ways to deliver this through products and packaging, says Lacroix.\r\n\r\n“Our role as brand strategists and designers is to help our clients bridge the current and the future by creating a design roadmap that ensures we bring their customers along for the journey,” he explains.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.storebrands.info/store-brand-insights/special-features/pining-purity\" target=\"_blank\">Store Brands</a>.\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://fromseattletosuva.com/\" target=\"_blank\">fromseattletosuva.com</a>.', 'Pining for Purity', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'pining-for-purity', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:46', '2018-09-27 17:58:46', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/pining-for-purity', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2139, 1, '2015-10-01 16:28:36', '2015-10-01 16:28:36', '<strong>New Innocor Seamlessly Unifies Companies Focused on Manufacture and Sales of Innovative Foam Products, Including Mattresses, Pillows, Furniture and More</strong>\r\nCBX has created a new brand focused on the manufacture and sale of a wide variety of products primarily related to sleep and comfort. The new Innocor brand platform, which is based on the unifying theme of \"Where Innovation and Comfort Meet,\" ties together three companies acquired by global private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, Inc.\r\n\r\nIn the new identity system created by CBX, the overarching parent brand is Innocor, Inc.; the consumer-facing retail products business is called Innocor Comfort; and Innocor Foam Technologies refers to the B2B business. These brands encompass three companies acquired by Sun Capital: Flexible Foam Products, Inc., Sleep Innovations and Advanced Urethane Technologies.\r\n\r\n\"The client hired CBX to bring to life a new brand that could conceptually and aesthetically unify all three of these well-regarded companies,\" explained Gregg Lipman, CEO and Managing Partner at CBX. \"The project involved developing the new Innocor name, designing brand marks, as well as branding a showroom for Innocor products in the Flatiron district of Manhattan.\"\r\n\r\nCBX conducted an in-depth analysis of brands in the foam industry as part of the project. To unify the entities acquired by Sun Capital, the branding agency focused on four primary attributes shared by all three companies: comfort, innovation, trust and quality, Lipman explained.\r\n\r\n\"These attributes are reflected in the new Innocor brand mark,\" he said. \"The letterforms combine comforting, rounded shapes with sharper lines in a way that suggests a fine balance between innovation and comfort. Likewise, the sweeping graphic breaks softly and gently, but with a layered, forward momentum that, again, suggests this balance of comfort and innovation,\" noted Rick Barrack, Founding Partner and Chief Creative Partner.\r\n\r\nThe CBX team used color to highlight different brand attributes for each of the Innocor companies. \"For the parent entity, we used red to bring out the more confident aspect,\" Barrack said. \"For the customer-facing retail brand, we highlighted the cool colors that are common to the category. On the OEM technology side, we used teal -- a nice balance of warm and cool -- to signal innovation.\"\r\n\r\nMemory foam pillows, mattresses, mattress toppers, residential and commercial floor mats, furniture and other products branded with the Innocor Comfort name are already appearing on shelves at many of the larger sleep products retailers, Lipman noted.\r\n\r\nFinally, CBX designed how the Innocor brand would come to life in the showroom in Manhattan\'s Flatiron district. The team created a three-dimensional version of the brand mark in chrome, brushed aluminum and translucent acrylic, as well as a prominent graphic mural across a 30-foot glass wall inside the showroom.\r\n\r\n\"We changed what might otherwise have been a purely functional office into a gallery space that was inspiring and that could showcase Innocor\'s innovative product offerings,\" Barrack said. \"It was exciting to bring this brand to life in 3D.\"\r\n\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"http://citybizlist.com/article/303901/cbx-creates-major-new-foam-brand-for-private-equity-client\" target=\"_blank\">City Biz List</a>', 'CBX Creates Major New Foam Brand for Private Equity Client', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-creates-major-new-foam-brand-for-private-equity-client', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-creates-major-new-foam-brand-for-private-equity-client', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2140, 1, '2015-10-06 22:56:14', '2015-10-06 22:56:14', '<strong>See how the office layout and decor energized the workforce</strong>\r\nAn office redesign can be the ultimate embodiment of how a new brand can motivate and energize a company’s employees, as demonstrated by the collaboration between brand agency CBX and Del Monte to create a new name and visual identity for its pet products business.\r\n\r\nThe company’s pet portfolio included several iconic brands, including Milk-Bone, Meow Mix, Natural Balance, Kibbles ‘n Bits, 9Lives, and Nature’s Recipe. Using its proprietary naming methodology, CBX first created a new name: Big Heart Pet Brands. It then developed a new visual identity centered on a “heartpaw” logo that combines a paw print with a heart to convey the emotional bond between pets and their “parents.\"\r\n\r\nPart of the assignment involved redesigning the client’s San Francisco headquarters to incorporate the new identity. The challenge was to implement the plan over a three-day weekend, so that when employees arrived for work the following Tuesday, they would learn for the first time they were working for a new brand.\r\n\r\n“Because we had so little time, we kept things very simple and went very big with it,” explained Joseph Bona, president of branded environments for CBX. “We wanted to make a big gesture that would achieve the greatest impact.”\r\n\r\nUpon returning to work, employees were summoned to the company’s second-floor conference space, where they were greeted along the floor’s corridors with larger-than-life photos of pets, along with the new logo and the brand message: “We nurture the bond between pets and the people who love them—making every day special.”\r\n\r\nThe impact on employees was immediate and dramatic, leading to a “casting call” that allowed staffers to have their pets professionally photographed for possible use in the company’s facilities. Employees’ dogs were photographed at a nearby dog park. To accommodate those with cats, a photographer went on location to photograph the pets in their home environments.\r\n\r\nEnthusiasm for the new brand identity and environment pervaded the company—which was subsequently acquired by the J.M. Smucker Company in February 2015 for approximately $5.8 billion. Eventually, field offices and even production plants received the same kind of graphic treatment.\r\n\r\n“Our goal was to create a brand, and to capture the spirit of pet parenting,” said Bona. “And we did it in a way that really brought the brand to life and created a wonderful environment that feels very natural.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.interiorsandsources.com/interior-design-news/interior-design-news-detail/articleid/19477/title/redesign-motivates-employees-at-pets-product-business.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Interiors &amp; Sources Magazine</a>', 'Redesign Motivates Employees at Pets Product Business', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'redesign-motivates-employees-at-pets-product-business', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/redesign-motivates-employees-at-pets-product-business', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2141, 1, '2015-10-07 14:03:57', '2015-10-07 14:03:57', '<strong>Minneapolis craft meat brand got its start at the local farmers market but is now headed for grocery aisles across the country.</strong>\r\nMan Cave Craft Meats is moving from its tent at the Minneapolis Farmers Market to grocery stores across the country—with packaging and branding help from CBX.\r\n\r\n\"The founders of Man Cave Meats, Nick and Josh Beste, were university students when they launched their business by crafting standout flavor combinations with an obsessive focus on quality,\" said CBX Managing Partner Nancy Brown. \"As Man Cave Meats geared up to reach thousands of new customers, our job was to help the company build its brand identity and create attention-grabbing product packaging.\"\r\n\r\nIn less than a year, the brand grew from zero to more than 500 stores, with even more aggressive rollout plans for the future. \"Man Cave Meats achieved this type of growth by bringing a truly new product experience to consumers,\" said Brown, who is based in CBX\'s Minneapolis office. \"From 50/50 Bacon burgers, to sriracha chicken sausages, to buffalo-style bratwursts with bleu cheese, Man Cave Meats offers creative combinations that are unique and appeal to consumers seeking new flavor experiences.\"\r\n\r\nBefitting this creativity, Man Cave Meats\' new packaging is atypical as well. The designs feature black backgrounds, attention-grabbing typography treatments and iconic imagery in an aesthetic approach reminiscent of the world of craft beer. \"This brand is all about distinctive flavor,\" Brown said. \"We wanted to reinforce this by creating a distinctive package design system that disrupts the shelf and ultimately drives sales.\"\r\n\r\nWhile the packaging celebrates quality and conveys the Beste brothers\' love of their craft, it was not designed to appeal to everybody, Brown noted. \"People who love craft meat are a kind of tribe, and they respond to an authentic, bold and true brand personality,\" she explained. \"They don\'t do \'generic\'.\"\r\n\r\nImages of muscular males with beards and tattoos might not be appropriate for mainstream brands on the meat aisle, but such images—as well as taglines like \"Long live the butcher!\"—are right in line with the Man Cave Meats brand, said Nick Beste, CEO.\r\n\r\n\"Our core customer is an unpretentious foodie—a down-to-earth meat-eater who wants food that satisfies and stimulates,\" Beste noted. \"He believes that meat should be damn good, which is why we make our products the same way today as the day we started—in small batches, with premium cuts of meat and in creative flavor combinations.\"', 'CBX Helps Man Cave Meats Gear Up for Geographic Expansion', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-helps-man-cave-meats-gear-up-for-geographic-expansion', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-helps-man-cave-meats-gear-up-for-geographic-expansion', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2142, 1, '2015-05-22 13:51:34', '2015-05-22 13:51:34', '<strong>As consumers demand greater transparency from CPG brands, brand owners are blazing new trails with refreshingly honest and real on-pack messaging—even for ‘delicate’ products.</strong>\r\nHave you noticed that brands have been “getting real” lately? I’m talking about refreshingly honest, no-BS messaging in ad campaigns and on packaging that tells it exactly like it is. This trend is not surprising. In today’s challenging market, honesty is a surefire way to establish reliability and connect with consumers. In fact, according to an October 2014 study on authentic brandsby global public relations firm Cohn &amp; Wolfe, the number-one quality or behavior that people demand of big brands is that they communicate honestly about their products and services. With information about a brand in real time readily available, consumers are now investigative reporters, and companies can’t risk having the public discover that something about their brand is dishonest.\r\n\r\nWe’re seeing this trend transcend categories. Under Armour’s “I Will What I Want” campaign, in which Misty Copeland proves that not all prima ballerinas are stick figures, and Sir Richard’s condoms’ ads, with copy lines like, “Let’s Change Positions, Not Diapers,” are blazing new trails with their honesty and humor. Forget about “beating around the bush,” to quote Hello Flo, a brand that mails out care packages for women’s and girls’ feminine protection needs. This is straight talk, pure and simple.\r\n\r\nThe movement toward transparency means that consumers are attaching themselves to companies that operate with honesty and integrity, rather than aligning with brands that try to pull the wool over their eyes. And while this kind of transparency first gained traction in advertising, it is now carrying over to packaging design. Companies are using this frank style of language and graphics to stand out on shelf.\r\n\r\nThree recent examples of brands that are “getting real” through frankness and intelligence on their packaging are Coca-Cola Life, which touts its use of “real ingredients,” Dollar Shave Club, which uses “real talk,” and The First Years, which showcases “real people.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Real ingredients</strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9413 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/coke_carton.jpg\" alt=\"coke_carton\" width=\"668\" height=\"703\" />\r\nWhen the biggest beverage company in the world starts getting honest, you’re damn straight people are going to sit up and take notice. And that’s what happened when Coca-Coca Life launched in South America in 2013 and made its U.S. debut in the fall of 2014. Coca-Cola Life, which is Coke’s “natural” answer to the outcry against processed ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup and Aspartame, was created to combat the era of the soda backlash. Coke had to do something to save falling sales and maintain category relevancy.\r\n\r\nCoca-Cola Life’s packaging is the epitome of transparency, with a green color that is a dramatic departure from its iconic red and immediately conveys that it is something new and different for the brand—something natural (or should we say, more natural). An approachable script font is used for the word “Life,” and an icon that closely resembles a leaf draws your eye to the fact that this soda is “Sweetened with Cane Sugar and Stevia.”\r\n\r\nCoca-Cola Life also claims to be a “reduced calorie soda” that has “35% less calories than Coca-Cola*” (albeit with an asterisk next to that line). Whether or not the product actually is better for you than other sodas has yet to be seen, but in this case, the departure from the brand equities communicates a desire to move away from consumer expectations of the brand and offer them something more real.\r\n\r\n<strong>Real talk</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/dollar_shave.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9422 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/dollar_shave.jpg\" alt=\"dollar_shave\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" /></a>\r\nWhile Coca-Cola Life is an example of an established brand trying to regain market share through honesty, a newer (circa 2011) brand, Dollar Shave Club, is using a no-BS messaging strategy to build its online subscription business and procure customers. The tag line sums up the brand’s mission best: “Shave Time. Shave Money.”\r\n\r\nUsing clever, tongue-in-cheek language, the brand gets right to the point: Dollar Shave Club is a simple and easy way to avoid the cost and hassles of traditional shaving brands. Who wants to engage with the drugstore attendant every time they need a new razor? The brand’s message is conveyed everywhere you look. In fact, the words “simple” and “easy” are splashed across all of the brand’s touch points. Even back-panel copy on packaging is used to “get real.” One moisturizer says it is “the ultimate fix for the disruptive exercise of shaving,” while the blade packaging features an on-brand, though fictitious quote, “I like shaving with a dull razor” and then credits it to “No one ever.”\r\n\r\nAnd when it comes to real talk, who can deny the honesty of Dollar Shave Club’s One Wipe Charlies—certainly the only product on the market dubbed “buttwipes made for men.” If the statement, “the civilized way to wipe” isn’t transparent enough for you, well then, I don’t know what is.\r\n\r\n<strong>Real people</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/First-Years_SS_1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9261 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/First-Years_SS_1-1024x648.jpg\" alt=\"First Years_SS_1\" width=\"1024\" height=\"648\" /></a>\r\nSince we’re on the topic of wipes, The First Years—a brand of infant and toddler products such as potty training seats, dishware, and health and grooming items that has been trusted by mothers since the 1950s—recently rebranded itself with younger moms in mind. Anyone who has kids can tell you that new motherhood does not consist of a picture-perfect baby being fed rice cereal while politely cooing at an immaculate table. More often it’s a pretty dirty job. And no consumer group wants to hear the plain truth about that more than Millennials.\r\n\r\nMillennials are looking for a real conversation about parenting, warts and all, with on-point information so that they can make informed choices. This isn’t the end of an era for them like previous generations felt; it’s a new beginning. The First Years gets them excited about this new phase by cutting through the baby poop and telling it like it is, as shown through the “real photography” used on the packaging.\r\n\r\nGone is the Boomer fantasy of old—with angelic babies and perfect parents blissing out in la-la land; The First Years uses casual, often funny, selfie-style photography that a parent might post on Instagram or Facebook showing all the imperfections of new parenthood. By being supportive, friendly, and above all, honest, The First Years forges a relationship with consumers that will continue as their children grow.\r\n\r\n<strong>Transparency begets loyalty</strong>\r\nThese brands are telling it like it is for one reason: Because transparency begets loyalty, plain and simple. Of course, if you are claiming to be real, you better make sure that you’re really being real.\r\n\r\nIn recent years, a few brands have learned that the hard way and watched the public turn on them as a result of their dishonesty. In 2011, a public interest group sued Coca-Cola for marketing its VitaminWater brand as a healthy beverage. But the brand’s response to that action was even more surprising: It defended itself by saying that “no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking VitaminWater was a healthy beverage.” Which led consumers to ask, “How could Coca-Cola put the word ‘vitamin’ in a product name and not think that people would assume it had some health benefits?” That the brand belittled its consumers, rather than simply apologizing, was insulting and was reason enough for consumers to question the brand.\r\n\r\nJohnson &amp; Johnson—whose legendary credo states that its “first duty is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services”—lost the trust of those individuals when it pulled 22 products, totaling 300 million bottles, off its shelves beginning in 2009. But the worst part was that Johnson &amp; Johnson didn’t even offer its consumers so much as an explanation as to why they did this. Were the products tampered with? Were there quality control problems at their factories? Zilch. Not a peep. And then one day the product returned to shelves—after J&amp;J had lost $900 million in sales. Did consumers return to shelves as well? Only time will tell.\r\n\r\nTwenty, or even 10, years ago, consumers may not have held a Johnson &amp; Johnson or a VitaminWater accountable for trying to dupe them. But today, there’s no getting around the fact that transparency is the only real way to win the trust of the people giving you their dollars. Whether you’re speaking to health-conscious soda drinkers, fashion-conscious men, or Millennial moms, there’s no question that getting real is a win-win situation for today’s brands.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.packworld.com/packaging-gets-real\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging World</a>.', 'Packaging Gets Real', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'packaging-gets-real', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/packaging-gets-real', 0, 'thinking', '', 0);
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(2143, 1, '2015-07-29 14:05:38', '2015-07-29 14:05:38', '7Up, U by Kotex and Barbasol use promotional packaging this summer to help make consumers feel like they are getting something special and unique—because they are.\r\nPeople are willing to go to great lengths to attract our attention—just look at presidential candidate Donald Trump and his latest shock-worthy remarks. Brands, like people, often do the same to regain market share, increase sales and/or grow their consumer base. They come out with new product innovations. They redesign their packaging. They create new formulas—gluten-free/sugar-free/fat-free—you name it. And they employ one of the best ways for a brand to get consumers’ attention: They launch a promotional packaging campaign.\r\n\r\nPromotional packaging often features unique graphics, compelling messaging and a call-to-action that creates intrigue, promotes trial and provokes purchase. In this age where it seems like everything is readily available (and via two-day shipping nonetheless), consumers need to feel like they are getting something unique to make a purchase.\r\n\r\nBrands like Coca-Cola and M&amp;M’s understand this, and have responded accordingly with inspiring campaigns. Coke has been personalizing its cans with people’s names to delight and encourage selfie-centric consumers to buy its products. M&amp;M’s not only finds innovative ways to surprise its consumers with new products, it also presents its fun-loving candy characters in a variety of seasonal outfits and situations worthy of collecting.\r\n\r\nBecause I’m always on the lookout for provocative new promotional packaging, I recently hit the supermarket to see what novel campaigns had cropped up for summer 2015. I noticed that this year’s summer promotions use three distinctive tactics to speak to consumers:\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Embrace a trend</strong>\r\n<strong>2. Develop strategic partnerships</strong>\r\n<strong>3. Get seasonal</strong>\r\n\r\nLet’s look at each tactic.\r\n\r\n<strong>1. On trend, on the dance floor</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MSP-15-06-24-15.25.05.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9420 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MSP-15-06-24-15.25.05-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"MSP 15-06-24 15.25.05\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n</strong>It’s nothing new for a brand to want to stay on trend, but it is always impressive when they are able to target an unmet demographic at the same time. That’s what 7Up is doing with its new EDM-inspired cans.\r\n\r\nRecognizing that there was a void for products that targeted Hispanic Millennials, which comprised 38% of the market, 7Up went after this segment of positive, experience-seeking young people. At the same time, 7Up also recognized that no beverage brand was capitalizing on the huge Electronic Dance Music (EDM) trend that is so popular with Millennials, and decided to take action.\r\n\r\nThe 7Up team created new promotional packaging (shown above) that is vibrant, colorful and cool—the kind of packaging that Millennials want to be seen holding in their hands. A partnership with EDM stars Martin Garrix and Tiesto led to the creation of cans that convey the energy of an all-night EDM party. These designs reflect different consumers’ distinctive style and capture the essence of this music trend.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Partnering for success</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MSP-15-07-01-13.06.31.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9417 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MSP-15-07-01-13.06.31-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"MSP 15-07-01 13.06.31\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\nIn recent years, retailers have gotten savvy about how to use promotional packaging exclusive to their stores as a way to keep consumers loyal and to keep brands happy. That’s what happened when Target teamed up with U by Kotex on its Style n’ Store boxes.\r\n\r\nThis summer, after recognizing that young women value great design, U by Kotex —which revolutionized the category with its black boxes, bright colors and no BS-tone of voice—launched Style n’ Store boxes to target young women craving style and balance. The boxes are so great looking that people simply don’t want to throw them out when they are done with them.\r\n\r\nSold exclusively at Target, Style n’ Store features bright, poppy designs in a box that serves a dual-purpose. Once emptied, it is used as storage for makeup, cotton balls, bobby pins and other knick-knacks that women need to store. It’s a great product for girls headed off to overnight camp, teen tours and college, who may be needing trendy storage units. And it is consistent with the great design that Target consumers expect to find at the store.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Always in season</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Barbasol-JW-Original-and-Aloe-300-dpi.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9419 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Barbasol-JW-Original-and-Aloe-300-dpi.jpg\" alt=\"Barbasol JW Original and Aloe 300 dpi\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" /></a>\r\nPromotional packaging and seasonal tie-ins pretty much go hand-in-hand, but the real challenge is to find a fresh, eye-catching way to inspire consumers to purchase a product.\r\n\r\nMovie partnerships are the classic summer promotion and, every June, a slew of new promotional packaging comes out to coincide with the launch of the summer blockbusters. Yes, we expect Chiquita bananas to promote “Minions,” but what does a Barbasol can have to do with dinosaurs? Well, a lot, it turns out, as the hundreds of millions of people who have seen the “Jurassic Park” movies over the years know.\r\n\r\nIn the first film in that series, a Barbasol can was used to nefariously smuggle dinosaur embryos off the island. That attempt failed, however, and the can was lost in the jungle, only to be brought back 22 years later. Barbasol’s Limited Edition “Jurassic World” cans feature various illustrated dinosaurs sitting against Barbasol’s iconic striped can.\r\n\r\nBy thinking out of the box and offering an unexpected twist on the movie tie-in, Barbasol offered a fresh take on promotional packaging and created a must-have collectors’ item for both fans of the movie and fans of good design.\r\n\r\nBy using unique approaches to promotional packaging, each of these brands has inspired consumers to keep them top of mind. It’s no surprise that the 7Up, U by Kotex and Barbasol promotions have created interest and buzz amongst consumers.\r\n\r\nPromotional packaging continues to be an important part of the marketing mix, and my prediction is that it will continue to be so in years to come. Even though I’m not so good with the changing of the seasons, I can’t wait to see what fall brings in terms of promotional packaging—and to see how “The Donald” will shoot his mouth off next.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/3-tactics-provocative-packaging-promotions/page/0/2\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging Digest</a>.', '3 Tactics for Provocative Packaging Promotions', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '3-tactics-for-provocative-packaging-promotions', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:32', '2018-09-27 17:56:32', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/3-tactics-for-provocative-packaging-promotions', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2144, 1, '2015-10-16 18:26:26', '2015-10-16 18:26:26', 'U.S. food brand Man Cave Craft Meats is moving from its tent at the Minneapolis Farmers Market to grocery stores across the country – with packaging and branding help from CBX.\r\n“The founders of Man Cave Meats, Nick and Josh Beste, were university students when they launched their business by crafting standout flavour combinations with an obsessive focus on quality,” said CBX Managing Partner Nancy Brown. “As Man Cave Meats geared up to reach thousands of new customers, our job was to help the company build its brand identity and create attention-grabbing product packaging.”\r\n\r\nIn less than a year, the brand grew from zero to more than 500 stores, with even more aggressive rollout plans for the future. “Man Cave Meats achieved this type of growth by bringing a truly new product experience to consumers,” said Brown, who is based in CBX’s Minneapolis office. “From 50/50 Bacon burgers, to sriracha chicken sausages, to buffalo-style bratwursts with bleu cheese, Man Cave Meats offers creative combinations that are unique and appeal to consumers seeking new flavor experiences.”\r\n\r\nThe designers say Man Cave Meats’ new packaging is atypical as well. The designs adopt a ‘craft-like’ aesthetic, featuring black backgrounds, bold typography treatments and deliberately masculine imagery.\r\n\r\n“Images of muscular males with beards and tattoos might not be appropriate for mainstream brands on the meat aisle, but such images – as well as taglines like ‘Long live the butcher!’ – are right in line with the Man Cave Meats brand,” said Man Cave Meats CEO, Nick Beste.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.logo-designer.co/cbx-designs-logo-and-packaging-for-man-cave-meats/\" target=\"_blank\">Logo Designer</a>.', 'CBX Designs Logo and Packaging for Man Cave Meats', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-designs-logo-and-packaging-for-man-cave-meats', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-designs-logo-and-packaging-for-man-cave-meats', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2145, 1, '2015-10-13 18:38:32', '2015-10-13 18:38:32', 'In creating product packaging for upstart brands, one approach is to look at the ultimate goal—rising to become a top brand in the category nationally or even internationally—and to then copy the look of brands that have already reached this summit. The problem with this approach, though, is its inherent lack of authenticity. Copying others is what you do when you have low self-esteem, right?\r\nThis “knockoff play” sometimes works, of course, but it can certainly be problematic in today’s marketplace, where the need for authenticity is playing an ever-larger role and will continue to do so as Millennials and Generation Z’s take the reins. Simply put, today’s consumers are looking for authentic stories. This is precisely why so many of them are strolling through farmer’s markets every week, befriending neighborhood chefs and food truck operators, and just generally doing all they can to live by the mantra “think globally, buy locally.”\r\n\r\nIn fact, the rapid success of so many local operators is translating into growing demand for an alternate strategy to the knockoff play—namely, helping brands maintain their authenticity and potential for category disruption even as they scale up to become players on the national stage.\r\n\r\nOne example of this phenomenon is Man Cave Craft Meats. Over the past couple of years, this plucky startup moved from its tent at the Minneapolis Farmers Market to a rapid and aggressive rollout, now underway, to more than 500 grocery stores across the country.\r\n\r\nThe founders of Man Cave Meats, Nick and Josh Beste, were university students when they launched the business. These young entrepreneurs started out by selling grilling products and other male-oriented stuff at product parties held in Minneapolis homes. However, when customers began raving about the standout flavors of the meats they were serving at these events, the Beste brothers smartly decided to switch gears. Man Cave Meats was born.\r\n\r\nAs the popularity of Man Cave Meats’ food truck and farmers market tent skyrocketed, the brothers also made the smart strategic move of bringing in a national agency for expert help with their brand identity and product packaging. Unlike the typical products on grocery store shelves, after all, Man Cave Meats’ flavors were true standouts. They included 50/50 bacon burgers, sriracha chicken sausages, buffalo-style bratwursts with bleu cheese and more.\r\n\r\nUntil recently, the de-facto approach might have been for the agency to try to persuade the Beste brothers to make Man Cave Meats another Hillshire Farms or Johnsonville Brats. But given the strength of local narratives in today’s marketplace, that would have been a mistake. Would the likes of craft beer icons Founders Brewery Co. or Summit Brewing Co. have tried to imitate the packaging of Coors or Budweiser? No way. Thus it made perfect sense for this local company to take a bold, independent approach to packaging as well.\r\n\r\nMan Cave Meats’ packs feature black backgrounds, attention-grabbing typography treatments and gritty photographs of manly characters with beards, tattoos—and no apologies. This is in keeping with the original inspiration of the brand and conveys the Beste brothers’ love of their craft. However, it also happens to contribute to a packaging design system that is distinctive enough to be disruptive at shelf.\r\n\r\nAnd disruptive is the operative word: These packs were definitely not designed to appeal to everybody. A grandma who has always bought Hillshire Farms or Johnsonville meats might indeed do a double-take at Man Cave Meats’ “Long live the butcher!” slogan, or the brand’s photographs, commissioned by the agency, of a muscular, bearded, tattooed butcher staring confidently into the camera.\r\n\r\nFoodies and down-to-earth meat eaters, however, immediately understand and respond to this packaging. So, too, do curious customers who are more adventurous and eager to branch out. Maybe they are already familiar with, say, small-batch bourbon, but haven’t yet tried craft meats. Man Cave Meats gives them the opportunity to discover something new.\r\n\r\nAs agencies increasingly work with local brands that have big dreams, then, here are four principles to keep in mind:\r\n\r\n1. Be not afraid.\r\n\r\nIt can be a joy to work with local brands that are not consumed with handwringing over how to be all things to all people. If the agency responds to this with conservative naysaying—“No, you can’t do that because you’ll put people off”—authenticity will be lost in the process. So, too, could the business opportunity represented by the offbeat brand’s disruptive potential. If the brand’s founders have achieved success locally by expressing a sardonic sense of humor, using edgy models, or being high-brow and uncompromising, your job is to make this scalable, not to play “Church Lady” and shut it down.\r\n\r\n2. Emphasize quality—but tell the truth.\r\n\r\nIn today’s marketplace, consumers who seek out authentic and local brands are typically obsessed with quality as well. Today’s consumers are highly educated. They regard generalized terms like “eco-friendly” or “top quality” as dubious, to say the least. Consumers know that meaningless terms such as these are the first resort of inauthentic brands (imprecise language can get you in trouble with regulators as well, but that’s another story…).\r\n\r\nBe specific. Tell people exactly how the brand differentiates itself from a quality standpoint, and make sure the story is true. The trick, though, is to avoid clutter in the process. Provide only as much information as the consumer needs to feel informed.\r\n\r\n3. Emphasize the local angle—but be subtle.\r\n\r\nHave you ever been to an airport or tourist trap gift shop where the “local angle” was laid on so thick you wanted to head for the exit? Emphasizing a brand’s local roots requires some subtlety. A visual or textural reference here or there to the city and state of origin is fine, but avoid laying it on thick via hackneyed and obvious references to geography. “Welcome to Florida!” is not what you’re trying to say with the brand.\r\n\r\n4. Be happy with smaller market share.\r\n\r\nSounds like sacrilege doesn’t it? And it is—for some of the mass-market players. In the case of local-inspired brands, however, being disruptive and nipping at the heels of the big dogs can be a perfectly sound strategy. Apologies to people with those big foam fingers, but you don’t always have to be No.1.\r\n\r\nAcquired by Unilever in December 2014, Minneapolis-based Talenti Gelato is a case in point. This local brand made its mark by going after the likes of Ben &amp; Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs in a savvy and disruptive fashion. Taking on Breyer’s wasn’t the goal. With its plastic jars and screw-on tops, Talenti was too different to have any hopes of occupying the No.1 spot. But this and other differentiators contributed to the brand’s growth within the category. If a local brand has disruptive potential, in other words, make sure the packaging leverages this rather than neuters it.\r\n\r\nWe live in a world of paradox. One of the funny things about local brands is that their authentic stories make them popular, not only with consumers, but with the brand-acquisition departments at multinational corporations as well. General Mills snapped up Annie’s. Hershey’s bought Krave jerky. And of course, most of the seemingly independent brands at Whole Foods—Tom’s of Maine, Odwalla, you name it—are owned by huge corporations. For me, this speaks to the power of local brands and the authentic stories behind them. If these brands weren’t appealing to consumers, after all, the biggie corporations would leave them be.\r\n\r\nStrong local brands have lots to be proud of. Knocking off others is the last thing they want to do. Our job as storytellers is to help them communicate as clearly and effectively as possible. If they ultimately make millions of dollars in the process and become household names well beyond the borders of their hometowns, who are we to complain?\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/4-tips-applying-local-inspiration-scalable-brands-big-dreams\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging Digest</a>.', '4 Tips for Applying Local Inspiration to Scalable Brands with Big Dreams', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '4-tips-for-applying-local-inspiration-to-scalable-brands-with-big-dreams', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:32', '2018-09-27 17:56:32', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/4-tips-for-applying-local-inspiration-to-scalable-brands-with-big-dreams', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2146, 1, '2015-10-16 14:36:53', '2015-10-16 14:36:53', 'The New York chapter of the Retail Design Institute (RDI) recently hosted its annual “Iron Design” Student Challenge at Steelcase in Columbus Circle, New York. Five teams of students from top New York design schools raced against the clock to create a winning holiday pop-up shop design. Ultimately, the Best Design Award went to “Team Orange,” comprised of students from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and LIM College for incorporating DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA)’s mission into a creative pop-up store concept and window display.\r\n“Our Iron Design Student Challenge represents a perfect blend of what the Retail Design Institute is all about—education, mentoring, career development and networking,” said Peter Tolin-Baker, president of Retail Design Institute and principal at PTB Design. “All of the teams were winners, but it was ‘Team Orange’s’ schematic that best incorporated both a pop-up retail concept, as well as an informative and compelling design narrative. Partnering with DIFFA for this year’s event adds the additional value of supporting a fellow non-profit organization and an important cause.”\r\n\r\nThe students had two hours to design a holiday pop-up shop featuring products donated by industry suppliers. Each team consisted of three to four students from FIT, LIM College and Parsons School of Design.\r\n\r\nThe teams were mentored and coached by professionals from design firms and retail brands, including: Leslie Ann Chiu, associate principal at Callison; Eduardo Figueroa-Ruiz, designer at CBX; Aya Matsumoto, senior designer at TPG Architecture; Norm Roberts, vice president/creative director of FRCH; Kate Russell, senior associate at Gensler; Adam Carmichael, director of store design at Saks Fifth Avenue; Stephanie Dobrosky, manager of international store design of Nine West Group; Megan Gundrum, director of store planning at Hudson’s Bay/Lord &amp; Taylor; Stephen Policano, vice president architectural and interior design at Kenneth Cole; and Niki Varadi, senior director of global store design at Kate Spade.\r\n\r\nThe student’s designs were judged on their overall concept for a shop and integration of messaging around HIV/AIDS. In addition to Baker, judges were Michael Sainato, vice president of creative at Design Within Reach; Johanna Osburn, executive director of DIFFA; Brian Guze, 2014 Iron Design winner and director of store design/visual at Tourneau; and Ana Pelucarte, co-founder of Pop Up Mob.\r\n\r\nTeam Orange’s winning design will be displayed in the Siegel &amp; Stockman Showroom located at 126 W. 25 St. in New York. There will be a private Opening Night Reception on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; and the holiday pop-up shop will be open to the public from Dec. 2-6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. All shop sales will benefit Gift For Life and DIFFA, an organization that provides grants to HIV/AIDS organizations across the country.\r\n\r\nFor additional information, visit <a href=\"retaildesigninstitute.org\" target=\"_blank\">retaildesigninstitute.org</a>, <a href=\"diffa.org\" target=\"_blank\">diffa.org</a> or <a href=\"giftforlife.org\" target=\"_blank\">giftforlife.org</a>.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/displayanddesignideas/industry-news/RDI-Announces-Winning-Student-Design-at-Annual-Iron-Design-Challenge-14164.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>.\r\nAlso seen in <a href=\"http://www.giftshopmag.com/press_release/2015/10/retail-design-institute-of-n-y-announces-winning-student-design-at-annual-iron-design-challenge/\" target=\"_blank\">Giftshop Magazine</a>.\r\n\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"https://www.retaildesigninstitute.org/chapter/7/events/569\" target=\"_blank\">RDI</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'RDI Announces Winning Student Design at Annual Iron Design Challenge', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'rdi-announces-winning-student-design-at-annual-iron-design-challenge', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/rdi-announces-winning-student-design-at-annual-iron-design-challenge', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2147, 1, '2015-11-02 22:51:20', '2015-11-02 22:51:20', 'The terminology we use in daily life can have a subliminal effect on the way we look at things, from advertising to packaging. Why? Because terminology shapes our thinking, and our thinking shapes our actions. As a case in point, contemplate the usual connotations around the word “private.” Typically, it’s a term that connotes something special and elevated: If you work for a top private equity firm, you’re a big shot. If your kids go to a private school, and your family belongs to a private country club, those are good things, too, right?\r\nAnd yet when it comes to use of the term “private label,” it is hard not to notice an undercurrent of discomfort in certain quarters. This is understandable: Consciously or unconsciously, many people still link private label with cheap knockoffs. In all likelihood, this is why so many retail executives bend over backward to use an alternate term like “own brands.”\r\n\r\nThis ambivalence around terminology might actually be a wise, almost instinctive, understanding that older approaches to private label are now thoroughly outmoded. The oldest approach literally was brand-less: In the 1970s, a generic bag of potato chips on U.S. grocery shelves offered little more than the words “One Pound, Potato Chips.” There was no imagery, no color. You could easily imagine this type of packaging on store shelves in Khrushchev-era Russia.\r\n\r\nBut what came next — knockoff-style packaging in which you tried to pull off an empty imitation of an established national brand — should also stir some discomfort. Sadly, many packaging design agencies continue to reflexively employ this intermediate step in the development of private label brands. It’s a bid to stake out the value proposition, nothing more.\r\n\r\nWhile the alternate term “own brand” is certainly a bit awkward — it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue — in the best-case scenarios it reflects a shift in understanding. The retailer is saying, “Hey, let’s own this thing. Let’s invest in this brand, redefine the category norm and increase perceived value.” Instead of knocking off Lay’s Potato Chips, for instance, Safeway created Spud Naked Kettle-Cooked Classic Potato Chips. The look and feel of the package was Safeway’s own. A brand came to life.\r\n\r\nUltimately, of course, it’s fine to use whatever terminology you like. The key, as I see it, is to pay attention to how language affects the way you think about and approach package design and branding.\r\n\r\nThe good private equity firms of the world, for example, are likely to talk about the private label brands they acquire as assets worth investing in. When retailers can be persuaded to think of private label brands in the same way, they are much more likely to make solid, brand-building moves. The story of New York City pharmacy chain Duane Reade helps illustrate the potential upside of an investment-oriented approach. Private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners sank millions of dollars into Duane Reade after acquiring the chain and eventually launched a major redesign of the customer experience inside the retailer’s New York City stores. The effort entailed new store designs with wider aisles and more appealing décor and signage; shopper-friendly changes to the pharmacy; the introduction of store-within-store beauty; the launch of a host of high-quality private label brands such as DR Delish, Prevail and the DR brand; and the creation of growler, frozen yogurt and sushi counters. The packaging here was all about redefining the retailer and being a leader, not a follower. The lesson? It’s necessary to invest in order to get a return on investment.\r\n\r\nIn this example, private label brands were seen as an asset to build, rather than something to marginally improve and offer as a national brand alternative. And as further evidence of the power of those brands, Walgreen Co. (which acquired Duane Reade in 2010) CEO Gregory Wasson said, “Duane Reade’s recent initiatives in urban retailing, customer loyalty and private brand products support and accelerate Walgreens’ strategy to enhance the customer experience in our network of more than 7,100 stores across the country.” With more stories like this, pejorative connotations around the private label term will fade into a distant memory.\r\n\r\nAnd in fact, there are many reasons to be both proud of private label’s evolution and optimistic about its future. For starters, the United States is currently in the middle of a major consumer shift toward Millennials, who see no shame whatsoever in snapping up private label brands. Millennials represent a huge and increasingly important target market. Their openness is like a blank canvass. Retailers have every reason to take advantage of this trend — now!\r\n\r\nChanging shopping patterns also bode well for private label brands. Historically, private label sales would improve when times were bad and fall when times were good. But in recent years, the trend has been for private label not to merely ride the economic wave but stay level even as the economy rebounds (Arguably, there was a missed growth opportunity here, but that’s another story …). Millions of people are now in the habit of buying private label products. Let’s give them more of what they’re looking for and want.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, our increasingly foodie-oriented culture happens to play right into private label’s strengths — so long as retailers seize the opportunity. Food is hot, and retailers should capitalize on general human interest when they can. With its cornucopia of private label brands, Trader Joe’s has smartly capitalized on the shift toward all things foodie. Now Whole Foods is doing the same with its smaller-format, private label-focused Whole Foods 365 stores, which will offer high-quality products while banking on the 365’s brand’s well-known value proposition. Capture this captive audience!\r\n\r\nLastly, private brands represent a medium of mass communication, with a targeted reach that can be as impressive, if not more so, than any TV program, blog or billboard. Media is all about consumer impressions. Along the same lines, every private label purchase carries with it distinct consumer impressions: When the consumer sees the product on the shelf, when the shopper buys the product and, finally, when the person actually consumes or uses the item.\r\n\r\nIf you sell 50 million units of a particular private label product in a given year, this will translate into a whopping 150 million consumer impressions. That’s more powerful than a Super Bowl ad. These impressions can powerfully shape customer loyalty and build the brand in ways that many retailers have yet to fully explore. Treat private label like a marketing tool — it will provide great returns.\r\n\r\nBy shedding the old connotations and embracing brand-led private label strategies, retailers can tell more compelling stories to a wide range of people. In this approach, every part of the process — the packaging, merchandising, product type (organic, natural, premium, etc.) — is seen as an opportunity to create a favorable impression with target consumers. Chains such as Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Kroger understand these dynamics. They have been using private label to connect with core consumers and new consumers alike and, with the benefit of higher profit margin in a variety of categories, to also build stronger loyalty to their stores. So powerful are these impressions that private label stalwart Trader Joe’s doesn’t even bother with traditional media. Its customer newsletter, The Fearless Flyer, isn’t the company’s primary ad vehicle. That role is played by the private label brands in its stores.\r\n\r\nIf you ask me, all of this speaks in favor of the true value of private label as a worthwhile marketing tool. Indeed, research shows that higher private label brand penetration also equates to higher store loyalty.\r\n\r\nLet’s be proud of the term, treat it better, and continually refine our strategic thinking around it.\r\n\r\nOriginally posted in <a href=\"http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/85184-when-did-private-become-a-dirty-word\" target=\"_blank\">Brand Packaging</a>.\r\nPhoto courtesy of Brand Packaging.', 'When Did \'Private\' Become a Dirty Word?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'when-did-private-become-a-dirty-word', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:51', '2018-09-27 17:58:51', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/when-did-private-become-a-dirty-word', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2148, 1, '2015-10-01 14:39:30', '2015-10-01 14:39:30', '<strong>When it comes to premium own-brand packaging, retailers should leverage current trends to create a unique consumer experience.</strong>\r\nWhether they feature high-end ingredients, a one-of-a-kind recipe or an exotic country of origin, premium foods and beverages are perceived as being a step above common grocery fare. But if the specialness of the packaging falls short of the specialness of the product, the premium message won’t get through to consumers.\r\n\r\nOne way retailers could communicate the specialness of premium own-brand products via packaging is by tying into some current premium packaging trends.\r\n\r\n“We see premium as more of a mindset than anything: Consumers reconcile the cost implications with a perceived value for that spend,” says Chris Ertel, managing director for Kaleidoscope, a brand consultancy with offices in Chicago and New York. “Because of this, we see several high-level trends that influence consumer choice for premium: ceremony, story and authenticity.”\r\n\r\nWithin the ceremony trend, Ertel points to trends in structural design that are driven by “the rise of ‘unboxing’ and packaging as badge value.” For instance, the Boxed Water brand was able to create a high badge value by communicating its “entire proposition” via its structure and brand name.\r\n\r\n“Consumers will pay a premium for packaging that provides secondary functionality, is beautiful to look at and [delivers] a layered experience from purchase to open to consumption and beyond,” he stresses.\r\nAs for storytelling, retailers could talk about origin, ingredients, the brand itself or other compelling details. Design cues for storytelling, Ertel says, include hand-crafted details, slight imperfections, real people and more.\r\n\r\n“Man Cave [Craft] Meats is an example of a brand disrupting a commodity category through the story behind the product more so than the story of the product,” he says. “A retailer that can create a conversation, either through process, product or purpose, will be able to separate the taste/functional benefits of the surrounding competitive set.”\r\n\r\nPaul Stallard, strategy director for UK-based Storm Brand Design, agrees that storytelling is a major trend for premium product packaging. Consumers who gravitate toward premium brands want to know what the product is, where it’s from and how it’s made.\r\n\r\n“When we recently developed a new brand for the five-times distilled premium vodka Brittains, we were inspired by the history of the stately home it originated from and the former owner’s penchant for flamingos,” he notes. “This led to a brand story combining authoritative heritage with Alice in Wonderland style eccentricity to deliver the brand message of ‘an extraordinary spirit’ — and a pack dominated by a beautifully crafted flamingo.”\r\n\r\nAnd storytelling that romances a premium private brand product’s uniqueness could help retailers clearly separate that product from its national-brand-equivalent cousins, suggests Todd Maute, partner with New York-based branding agency CBX.\r\n\r\n“When consumers explore trading up, they want to feel like they are getting a much better product and will also have an indulgent experience with the product and brand,” he adds.\r\n\r\nAuthentic product stories could help retailers connect with millennials, too, says Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president of Shikatani Lacroix Design Inc., Toronto. Today’s millennials are seeking brands that not only mesh with their lifestyles and social needs, but also give them a platform for story-sharing within their social communities.\r\n\r\n“They are looking for brands that are truly authentic and transparent, with product stories, features and ingredients that are both good for them and the environment,” he says.\r\n\r\nLike Lacroix suggests, authenticity is linked closely to storytelling.\r\n\r\n“The story has to be rooted in what is true about the product or brand,” Ertel points out.\r\nRetailers have many opportunities here — from communicating a product’s locally grown status to detailing the simplicity of the process used to create a certain item, he adds.\r\n\r\nSpeaking of simplicity, Stallard says retailers could let the product “speak for itself” via understated packaging that evokes “artisan simplicity” and a real commitment to product quality.\r\nPublix Super Markets uses the back of the package to engage in storytelling related to its Publix Green-Wise crackers.\r\n\r\n<strong>The experience counts</strong>\r\nAnd all of these trends could be considered to be part of one overarching trend: delivering an experience to the consumers.\r\n\r\n“Increasingly, premium branding is about delivering an experience that goes beyond the product itself,” Stallard explains. “The emergence of flagship stores delivering an involving, immersive experience around the product is testimony to this,” he adds, pointing to the Magnum (ice cream) Pleasure Store in London as an example.\r\nRetailers could win on the premium side by ensuring that premium own-brand packaging delivers an experience that extends beyond the store, he says.\r\n\r\nMaute points to Ahold USA’s Simply Enjoy and Walgreens’ Good &amp; Delish as brand names that are all about consumers’ experience with the product. Simply Enjoy communicates that experience through bright colors; large, clear product descriptors; and simple, clean imagery. Good &amp; Delish, meanwhile, “romances the experience,” conveying the product origin or experience through clever imagery.\r\n\r\n<strong>Handle with care</strong>\r\nJust as important as being on-trend when it comes to premium packaging design is avoiding some common missteps. One potential blunder is falling back on overused “premium” colors such as black and gold and premium descriptors such as “signature,” “premium,” “select” and similar terms, Maute suggests.\r\n\r\n“I don’t think retailers have invested enough in breaking away from the ‘traditional’ premium brand image,” he asserts. “President’s Choice from Loblaws pioneered the tier — leveraged black and beautiful imagery to separate the brand from No Name; this is still widely used today,” he says. “With the multitude of new and unique product offers available, it is truly an opportunity to step away from the obvious premium cues and do something different to communicate the product’s point of difference.”\r\n\r\nStallard notes that UK retailer Tesco recently relaunched its Tesco finest range, moving from a simple black and silver design across all categories to category-relevant styles and identities. He calls the change “a distinct shift from universality to eclecticism.”\r\n\r\nHe says retailers have an opportunity to do something similar, but in their own way.\r\n“This requires thinking about the brand holistically and considering everything from the structure to the story and the experience of interacting with the brand — being distinctive and even disruptive to better meet consumer needs in the category,” Stallard says.\r\n\r\nAnother potential misstep is not capitalizing on the “foodie” trend in brand and packaging development here, Maute says. Instead of taking a product-led approach to brand development, retailers should consider appealing to consumers’ emotional side.\r\n\r\n“Study food culture and try to understand why consumers love unique foods so much,” he advises. “This [is] about the experience consumers will have with a unique and differentiated product experience versus stating ‘extra chocolate chips.’ Create a brand that consumers can emotionally connect with, one that relates to their desires.”\r\n\r\nRetailers should avoid the “more is more trap ” too in both product and packaging development Ertel says This baby boomer mindset doesn’t work to drive purchase like it did in the past. Instead, retailers should consider the job of the packaging structure and design.\r\n\r\n“If it is to delight or engage, then that is the brief,” he says. “Premium products, by nature, tend not to be staple items people need, but rather feelgood purchases people want.”\r\n\r\nAnd retailers that cloud their on-pack message with pragmatic benefits and reassurance about the product are “speaking the wrong language” to consumers who are looking for an emotionally driven reason to pay for a premium product, Stallard says. Instead of explaining to consumers why the product is worth more money, he advises retailers to “think about what drives irrational engagement.” They should identify relevant visual cues such as “delight,” “energy” and “respite” associated with the consumer “want state” and transfer those visual clues onto the packaging itself.\r\n\r\nBut perhaps the greatest mistake is ignoring the high-margin own-brand premium space altogether — something Lacroix suggests some retailers continue to do “as they rush to the bottom of the customer value pyramid.” Or they price such offerings below national brands.\r\n\r\n“Retailers need to seek premium brands that are rooted in unique value-added stories that talk to the emotional lifestyle needs of their customers who are willing to pay more if given an authentic reason why,” he says. “Jump in — the water is warm, and your customers want to discover new offerings that give them bragging rights,” he advises retailers.\r\n\r\nMaute adds that retailers can’t be afraid to step out of their comfort zone to create something truly unique.\r\n“Go for consumers’ heartstrings versus their ingredient intellect,” he stresses. “Think about it — the whole point of a premium program is to tell consumers you have great food and unique products. … If you do the same thing that everyone else does, it will go unnoticed. Be different.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.storebrands.info/research-and-data/category-intelligence/packaging/get-ready-wow-them\" target=\"_blank\">Store Brands</a>', 'Get Ready to Wow Them', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'get-ready-to-wow-them', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/get-ready-to-wow-them', 0, 'thinking', '', 0);
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(2149, 1, '2015-11-29 19:26:33', '2015-11-29 19:26:33', '<strong>To create holiday packaging that will enchant consumers, you need to move beyond seasonal clichés and embrace quality design that brings a bit of the unexpected.</strong>\r\nWith the holidays upon us, celebrations beginning, and an influx of plastic Santas on rooftops, I can’t help but pine for more sophisticated creative this season. It goes without saying that much of the holiday packaging we see is, let’s face it, pretty tacky. It’s as if someone said, “Just slap a reindeer, Santa, or snowflake on the package and call it a day. Oh, and make sure it’s gaudy!” I believe that brands that use cheap tactics are underestimating the public’s ability—and desire—to embrace quality design. Let’s look at some great examples that haven’t used tacky gimmicks to convey “holiday.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Tissue boxes conjure classic holiday settings</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/kleenex-christmas-designs_497x295.png\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9507 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/kleenex-christmas-designs_497x295.png\" alt=\"kleenex-christmas-designs_497x295\" width=\"497\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\nThere’s corny Christmas humor—ugly sweater contest anyone?—and then there’s keen Christmas wit. Kleenex opted for the latter when it launched its <a href=\"http://www.kimberly-clark.com.au/en/news/2013/newsbox/kleenex-launches-festive-new-designs?utm_medium=Print&amp;utm_source=pwgoto\" target=\"_blank\">limited-edition tissue box holiday collection in 2013</a>. Festive enough to leave out on the mantel alongside your stockings for those emotional holiday moments, the holiday tissue boxes were made to resemble quintessential settings like a gingerbread house and garland-draped fireplace. Best of all, the structure of the box was made to look like a roof, with the Kleenex logo at the top. These were tissues you wanted to show off around the house, rather than hide under the Christmas tree.\r\n\r\n<strong>Socks in a jar reflect handcrafted heritage</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/levis_project048_tp31.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9508 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/levis_project048_tp31.jpg\" alt=\"levis_project048_tp31\" width=\"695\" height=\"382\" /></a>\r\n\'Tis the season for cozy socks, as Levi’s knows better than anyone. To its credit, the brand figured out a way to make this classy holiday product more than just a stocking stuffer when it introduced Mr. Strauss’ Rediscovered Long Socks just in time for the 2014 holiday season. The socks are modeled after those worn by the founder of the brand, and claim to be “woven on a traditional 48 needle machine just as it would have been in 1853.” Packaged in a glass jar, with a handmade-style label printed on weathered, antique-style paper, there’s a homegrown feel to the packaging that supports Levi’s handcrafted heritage. As far as the connection to holiday, well, these cozy socks tell the whole story—imagine wearing those red, woolen socks while sitting in front of the fireplace sipping a hot toddy. What’s more holiday than that?\r\n\r\n<strong>Festive champagne bottle graphics get the party started</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/le-set-sq-crop.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9509 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/le-set-sq-crop.jpg\" alt=\"le-set-sq-crop\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\nSpeaking of color, winery Chandon made big news in the libations world in 2014 when it introduced its white-and-gold Limited Edition Party Bottle. No red and green pairings here; Chandon had the confidence to wrap its bottle in all white—reminiscent of a white Christmas—and use a festive gold script that implies celebration and makes the brand really pop (pun intended). Various playful copy lines convey the festivity of the season. The nicely designed, themed bottles make a great holiday gift, and a bottle worth bringing to any party.\r\n\r\n<strong>Clever copy alludes to season’s treats</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/butlers-pantry.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9510 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/butlers-pantry.jpeg\" alt=\"butlers pantry\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" /></a></strong>\r\nFor its line of holiday food products, Irish brand Butler’s Pantry veered away from conventional holiday clichés, and piqued their consumers’ curiosity. A neutral background pattern, made up of mini-snowflakes that hint at the season without overtly referencing it, sets the stage for the festive quotes. Copy such as “You’ve Got Beautiful Mince Pies” and “Delicious Piece of Hand Made Heaven Inside” cleverly alludes to the deliciousness that awaits.\r\n\r\n<strong>Beer gets gift-wrapped, including a bow</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12_5_11_stella1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9506 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12_5_11_stella1.jpg\" alt=\"12_5_11_stella1\" width=\"700\" height=\"350\" /></a></strong>\r\nIt’s no surprise that Stella Artois—a brand that was actually named for the Christmas star—really embraces the holiday season. Each year, Stella Artois turns out packaging that, while not quite revolutionary, is as understated as it is clever. A few years ago, <a href=\"http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/12/6/stella-artois-limited-edition-holiday-packaging.html?utm_medium=Print&amp;utm_source=pwgoto\" target=\"_blank\">a festive box was introduced</a> leveraging Stella’s most significant brand assets, the star and the crimson color, staged in a repetitive pattern made to look like gift-wrap. The design covered cases of beer and was tied up with a bow. The perfect gift for any beer drinker on your holiday list—no wrapping required.\r\n\r\n<strong>Coffee-pack characters celebrate holiday moments</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12_04_12_-holidaySB_5.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9511 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/12_04_12_-holidaySB_5.jpg\" alt=\"12_04_12_ holidaySB_5\" width=\"700\" height=\"553\" /></a></strong>\r\nIn 2012, Starbucks’ spirited holiday packaging portrayed an unexpected approach to the holiday season. Instead of the usual chubby Santa and happy snowmen, Starbucks opted to illustrate holiday moments with such characters as a Christmas caroler and an ice dancer, which were applied to each of its holiday blends and coffee to-go cups. It made every cup of coffee bring a smile to my face that season.\r\n\r\n<strong>Faceted glass vodka bottle helps holidays shine brighter</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/RTEmagicC_B_AB007_06.jpg.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9512 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/RTEmagicC_B_AB007_06.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"RTEmagicC_B_AB007_06.jpg\" width=\"271\" height=\"600\" /></a></strong>\r\nLeave it to Absolut to create the best holiday bottle ever! Reminiscent of a sparkling diamond, the limited edition 2010 Absolut Glimmer bottle made for a shimmering Christmas gift and bar accessory you’d be proud to display at your holiday party. As opposed to other recent holiday bottles such as Absolut Bling Bling, Absolut Disco, and Absolut Rock Edition, Absolut Glimmer marks the first time that the bottle structure was altered, rather than just the graphics. The perfect excuse to shine a little brighter for the holiday.\r\n\r\nAs all of the examples here prove, beautiful design is indeed always in season. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:\r\n\r\n- Build on your heritage.\r\n- Look for the unexpected.\r\n- Pique your consumer’s curiosity.\r\n- Deliver an engaging experience.\r\n- Emphasize the craft.\r\n\r\nSo this year I urge you to go beyond the expected clichés of plastic Santas, Rudolphs, and Frostys. Instead, embrace holiday cheer with concepts that engage, entice and remind everyone to be joyful. After all, that’s what this time of year is all about.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.packworld.com/package-design/promotional-package/toss-tacky-and-other-strategies-inspiring-holiday-packaging\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging World</a>.\r\nPhotos courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.kimberly-clark.com.au/en/news/2013/newsbox/kleenex-launches-festive-new-designs/\" target=\"_blank\">Kimberly-Clark</a>, <a href=\"http://www.mailmovement.com/levis-puts-on-sale-mr-strausss-socks/\" target=\"_blank\">Mail Movement</a>, <a href=\"http://chandonusa.tumblr.com/payton-turner-flat-vernacular\" target=\"_blank\">Chandon</a>, <a href=\"http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2014/12/5/the-butlers-pantry\" target=\"_blank\">The Dieline</a> 1, <a href=\"http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/12/6/stella-artois-limited-edition-holiday-packaging.html?utm_medium=Print&amp;utm_source=pwgoto\" target=\"_blank\">The Dieline</a> 2, <a href=\"http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2012/12/10/starbucks-holiday-2012.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Dieline</a> 3, and <a href=\"http://www.ricard.fr/en/brands/_absolut-glimmer-dazzling-purity\" target=\"_blank\">Societ Ricard</a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;', 'Toss the Tacky, and Other Strategies For Inspiring Holiday Packaging', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'toss-the-tacky-and-other-strategies-for-inspiring-holiday-packaging', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:50', '2018-09-27 17:58:50', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/toss-the-tacky-and-other-strategies-for-inspiring-holiday-packaging', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2150, 1, '2015-12-02 21:57:56', '2015-12-02 21:57:56', '<strong>Experts prescribe remedies for ailing beauty sales in languishing chains.</strong>\r\nFor many shoppers, the average mass-market beauty department is one big yawn. Retailers have elevated the assortment, but clunky, overstocked displays make finding many products difficult. Shoppers know just what to expect when they walk into their local chain store, and that’s the problem, said retail experts polled by WWD. The sameness across retail nameplates is prompting consumers to look elsewhere for beauty. For the first time in years, department and specialty store beauty sales are growing faster than mass.\r\n\r\nAccording to data from IRI for the 52-week period ended Sept. 6, in multiunit stores, most beauty category sales expanded an average of 4.5 percent over the year prior. While that shows some improvement over 2 percent inclines in the first half of 2015, it is below the 7 percent increase in prestige recently reported by The NPD Group.\r\n\r\nThat’s a tough reality given beauty products produce the second largest portion of sales in drugstores behind pharmacy, and the category ranks within the top five departments at discount stores. Consumers are looking for change.\r\n\r\nFor years, chain stores have presented beauty in much the same way, with cosmetics brands lining one wall, and skin- and hair-care and bath products filling rows and rows of shelving. They are only occasionally interrupted by photos or graphics.\r\n\r\n“Build me my magic box,” that’s what consumers are clamoring for, according to in-depth consumer research just completed by WSL Strategic Retail. “We’ve spent the last 10 years worrying about logistics or the implication of digital. But the reality is, 90 percent of sales are still in a store. People think about digital as a black box, they think about stores as a place to exercise and mingle with people,” said Wendy Liebmann, the founder and chief executive officer of WSL. “We’ve left the box to itself and shoppers are calling for change.”\r\n\r\nThat’s the clarion call. But a mind shift could be a challenge. “It’s tough for mass [merchants] to change up the way products are merchandised,” said Ben Bennett, cofounder and chief creative officer at Hatchbeauty. “Success is measured by dollar per square foot with products packed in rows in the aisles.”\r\n\r\nBennett, along with several other creative thinkers, suggested retailers station beauty at the center of the store, and have products build out from there.\r\n\r\nThe aisles and aisles of products, most of which are hidden behind bulky outer cartons, make beauty shopping more of a chore, said Jeanine Recckio, beauty futurologist of Mirror Mirror Imagination Group. “We expect the consumer to do all the work. We’re making shopping too hard and not fun to do….Retailers are so stuck on the numbers that they’ve forgotten the experience.”\r\n\r\nAt the root of the problem is the enormous volume of inventory housed within the beauty department. “The model is built for visual impact,” said Joe Magnacca, a former drugstore executive who most recently was ceo of RadioShack Corp. “It’s excessive from an inventory point of view, with 80 percent of the sales coming from 20 percent of the stockkeeping units,” said Magnacca, who is credited with sweeping improvements during his time at Duane Reade and Walgreens.\r\n\r\nJoe Bona, president of branded environments at CBX, a branding agency, agreed beauty needs an overhaul. “Mass-market retail has always been about ‘stack it high and keep the prices low,’ but beauty is bigger than that,” he said. “People go out of their way to shop at, say, Nordstrom or Sephora because these are sumptuous environments with elevated levels of service. These are places where women can relax and take care of themselves.” Bona envisions an oasislike approach where retailers jettison prosaic beauty aisles for more theatrical space. “You want women to cross the threshold, smell pleasant fragrances, hear soothing music, see softer lighting, and just relax. You want them to go ‘Wow. This is like a spa.’”\r\n\r\nVictoria Buchanan, a visual trends researcher at The Future Laboratory, said there is simply too much stuff for shoppers to peruse. In her view, rethinking the beauty department hinges on the idea of curation.\r\n\r\nDylan Lauren, founder and ceo of Dylan’s Candy Bar, also called for an edited approach, and a more inviting environment. Recalling the idea behind Dylan’s Candy Bar, she said, “I wanted my customers to experience candy differently. Our mission was to awaken the inner child.” Mass merchants could do the same with beauty with a leaner assortment, enticing packaging, better lighting and digital images, she said.\r\n\r\nEnticing the Millennial consumer is a must for the mass business to turn around. Not only are Millennials quickly becoming the biggest demographic group, they have a halo effect on other age segments, especially Baby Boomers who bristle when pegged as old and stodgy. “Millennials are drawn to experiences that involve their peers and friend endorsement. They want instant feedback on what they purchase and approval by their social followings. Playing to those elements is key for discount beauty retailers to draw in this audience,” said Amy Levin, founder of College Fashionista, a Web site popular with Millennials. She said current product displays cheapen the experience. Her advice: merchandise by occasion, such as brunch or a night out. Monetary rewards for those who spread the good word on a retailer can also sweeten sales.\r\n\r\nAnother hurdle to sales is that shoppers generally cannot try a product first. Betsy Olum, cofounder of Beauty Innovation Group, suggested offering samples of key launches, noting that most shoppers want to see, smell and touch a product before buying. “One of the most important things about beauty is being able to explore and play with the products,” said Olum, whose experience includes posts at Sephora and HSN.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"https://pmcwwd.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/wwd1202web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">WWD</a>.', 'Dreaming Up An Ideal Store', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'dreaming-up-an-ideal-store', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:41', '2018-09-27 17:58:41', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/dreaming-up-an-ideal-store', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2151, 1, '2015-12-08 20:21:06', '2015-12-08 20:21:06', '<strong>Why Victoria’s Secret is still thriving in America’s malls</strong>\r\nTo wring all that I could out of said store experience, I arranged to walk through the brand\'s Fifth Avenue flagship store with Anthony Deen, the creative director of branded environments for CBX, an agency that\'s worked with everyone from Duane Reade to Saks Off Fifth to M&amp;M\'s. On the walk over to the store, he admits he has always been skeptical of how Victoria\'s Secret panders to the male gaze while selling to a customer base of millions of women.\r\n\r\n\"Obviously, there\'s an aspect of the Angels that is just totally geared toward this male audience,\" he tells me. \"And I always saw that as somewhat cynical. But in going into the stores, you realize that there\'s actually something more to it, which is this proximity to beauty, and wanting women to associate beauty with this product, so that they feel beautiful when they purchase it and wear it.\"\r\n\r\nAs soon as we step into the store, he starts to point out the store\'s signature touches, like the framed pictures of Angels hanging from the walls, which feed into this idea of beauty proximity. \"This is like a rich person\'s private dressing room,\" he says, pointing out the faux dresser drawers doubling as wall decor. Tables and chaise lounges feature bras laid out on their cushions instead of on hangers on a rack; a range of sizes and styles are tucked into actual drawers under the tables so shoppers can help themselves to what they want. \"In the back of your head, you know that\'s what\'s going on, but you don\'t necessarily put it together to say, ‘Oh yeah, this is my closet.\'\"\r\n\r\n\"You realize that there\'s actually something more to it, which is this proximity to beauty, and wanting women to associate beauty with this product.\"\r\n\r\nThe store\'s sexier rooms, outfitted with black wallpaper and low lighting, are usually the first ones you walk into, while the milder ones featuring more everyday bras are set towards the back of the store. \"It says, ‘This is for women,\'\" Deen explains as we venture into a girly pink room. \"And it says, ‘Guys, you\'re not allowed back here.\'\"\r\n\r\nSalespeople greet us at the front of the store and hover in every room but don\'t approach us, which Deen counts as a plus. \"They\'re not overly solicitous,\" he says. \"People like to shop. If you get in their way, you inhibit them from actually exploring.\"\r\n\r\nCustomer service is indeed a big part of how Victoria\'s Secret differentiates itself from competitors, and Wexner laid out plans to invest more heavily in sales staff at the company\'s annual investor update meeting, saying that he wanted to pay \"fewer, better people\" up to $20 an hour in the stores.\r\n\r\n\"I\'m imagining in a couple of years virtually every sales associate is looking forward to a career in retailing,\" he explained. \"And 10 or 20 percent of them will be store managers somewhere in the world in a year. They can literally go from $40,000 to more than $100,000 a year in compensation and we can really teach and train and retain them.\" However, the brand only just got rid of on-call scheduling, where employees were forced to stay available for possible work shifts without pay or guarantee that they\'d be actually needed earlier this year.\r\n\r\nI visited stores in New York City; Pittsburgh; Amherst, Massachusetts; and Buffalo, New York over the past month to test out one of the brand\'s lauded features, the in-store bra fitting, and had no trouble finding sales staff eager to help at each store. The actual fitting wasn\'t always a seamless process, though — sometimes it took 10 minutes, sometimes it took 30 — and I left each store with a pink card proclaiming different results every time. In New York\'s Herald Square, I was confidently measured at a 32B, while in Amherst, I was surely a 34B. In Pittsburgh, I was a 34A, but in Buffalo, the bra specialist declared me a 36A.\r\n\r\nThis wasn\'t entirely surprising, as bra sizing is a Herculean task that apparently no one can get right — everyone from industry specialists to Kate Middleton\'s bra fitter has proclaimed that millions and millions of women are walking around in broad daylight, wearing the wrong bra size. When I went back to present my findings to the bra specialist at my hometown store, after getting four different results at four different stores, she was hardly shocked.\r\n\r\n\"I think each specialist does it differently,\" she explains. \"They have a different opinion. We all have the same method of measuring, but the way the bra looks — every specialist is a little bit different.\"\r\n\r\nIn the Fifth Avenue store, Deen and I start making our way through the beauty products. \"There aren\'t a lot of mirrors, which is kind of counter to any beauty environment,\" he says. \"It\'s a lot of skincare, so again it\'s about this idea of pampering, indulging in you and making you feel really comfortable and feminine.\"\r\n\r\nUp on the walls, more framed photos of overwhelmingly white, blonde Angels stare down at us, with the occasional close-up shot of Angel butt and Angel boob mixed in. \"There\'s an extent to which you can do this stuff, and then there\'s a point where you\'re pushing too far,\" Deen says. \"Ultimately, it can\'t be aspirational. People aren\'t just going to look like that. If I went into any store and saw nothing but male body builders, at a certain point I\'d be like, ‘This is not my store.\' There\'s definitely a point at which this beauty becomes oppressive.\"\r\n\r\nI mention that it doesn\'t seem to be slowing the brand down at all, and Deen points back to the fact that there is no real competition out there in this mass market space. As we head for the door, we again pass by the front displays of sequined holiday lingerie and busts with wings sprouting out of their backs. \"They really doubled down on this Angel metaphor,\" Deen says. \"They\'re reaching out to women and they\'re saying that they\'re angels. How that translates into the physical environment is a little bit tougher. The wings... that\'s a little over the top. Although, we\'ll see, in two years, maybe people will be walking around with their wings on outside.\"\r\n\r\nSee the full article on <a href=\"http://www.racked.com/2015/12/8/9870132/victorias-secret-brand-fashion-show\" target=\"_blank\">Racked.com\r\n</a>Photo courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.racked.com/2015/12/8/9870132/victorias-secret-brand-fashion-show\" target=\"_blank\">Racked.com</a>', 'Touched by an Angel', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'touched-by-an-angel', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:13', '2018-09-27 17:42:13', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/touched-by-an-angel', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2152, 1, '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '<strong>New Green Valley® organic vegetables are a visual feast for Millennial moms, bringing their mission of \"Healthy Food for All\" to shelves near you</strong>\nAs created by brand agency CBX, the new Green Valley® brand from Salem, Oregon based-Green Valley Foods, LLC brings eye-popping innovation to a category long marked by a sea of sameness on the shelf.\n\n\"We threw out the rules for the organic aisle with Green Valley,\" said Gregg S. Lipman, CEO and Managing Partner of CBX. \"Our beans will come in visually distinct, shelf-stable pouches, as well as in cans. Each package blends tasty photography with hand-written typography and vibrant illustrations. The result is a fresh, farm-to-table brand that intrigues and excites.\"\n\nIn creating the new brand, which launched in October, CBX designed packages for Green Valley\'s full line of organic beans, as well as their canned vegetable and pumpkin offering. Prior to designing the packs, the team surveyed the category and was struck by the visual similarity of many of the leading brands of organic beans, Lipman said. Research, focused on Millennial moms from both coasts, underscored the need for a breakthrough in the category, he added.\n\n\"We saw that there was an opportunity here for something innovative and differentiated,\" Lipman explained. \"The \'classic\' organic cues were no longer on the menu. We were on a mission to create a vibrant, playful, honest offering that would spark optimism and creativity, catering to today\'s busy but conscious consumers.\"\n\nThe CBX team and Green Valley opted for an entirely new approach to the packaging by introducing a shelf-stable pouch for the bean varieties. \"Right away, that signals to the consumer that something is different about this brand,\" Lipman said.\n\nAnother goal of the brand was to inspire and engage Millennial consumers to enjoy the experience of cooking for themselves and for their kids, using Green Valley\'s organic ingredients. \"We introduced loose recipe suggestions on the back of the pack to inspire that creative cooking instinct,\" Lipman said.\n\nIn addition, the CBX team brought the strong brand identity and package design to life digitally by launching the brand across key social media platforms. At welcometogreenvalley.com, users are invited into the thriving, healthy world of Green Valley. The website and social media channels continue to build upon the \"Healthy Food for All\" platform with chef-created Green Valley product recipes, budget-friendly $10 family meals and information about organic food and farming practices.\n\n\"Already, social media results are indicating huge interest with more than 40,000 likes on Facebook,\" he reported. \"Distribution is set to grow rapidly over the coming months.\"\n\nGreen Valley believes in giving back, and has partnered with The Food Trust, a non-profit organization that shares a similar mission, to truly bring healthy food to everyone. The partnership will likely include donations and sponsorship of events across the country, Lipman said.\n\n\"Increasingly, simply being organic is no longer enough,\" he concluded. \"Consumers are looking for organic brands that mesh with their lifestyle, as well as their values. Green Valley fits the bill perfectly with a commitment to creative, organic and just plain healthier food for all.\"', 'CBX Creates Standout Organic Brand', '', 'draft', 'open', 'open', '', '', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/?post_type=thinking&#038;p=2152', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2153, 1, '2016-01-07 15:44:10', '2016-01-07 15:44:10', '<strong>New Green Valley® organic vegetables are a visual feast for Millennial moms, bringing their mission of \"Healthy Food for All\" to shelves near you</strong>\r\nAs created by brand agency CBX, the new Green Valley® brand from Salem, Oregon based-Green Valley Foods, LLC brings eye-popping innovation to a category long marked by a sea of sameness on the shelf.\r\n\r\n\"We threw out the rules for the organic aisle with Green Valley,\" said Gregg S. Lipman, CEO and Managing Partner of CBX. \"Our beans will come in visually distinct, shelf-stable pouches, as well as in cans. Each package blends tasty photography with hand-written typography and vibrant illustrations. The result is a fresh, farm-to-table brand that intrigues and excites.\"\r\n\r\nIn creating the new brand, which launched in October, CBX designed packages for Green Valley\'s full line of organic beans, as well as their canned vegetable and pumpkin offering. Prior to designing the packs, the team surveyed the category and was struck by the visual similarity of many of the leading brands of organic beans, Lipman said. Research, focused on Millennial moms from both coasts, underscored the need for a breakthrough in the category, he added.\r\n\r\n\"We saw that there was an opportunity here for something innovative and differentiated,\" Lipman explained. \"The \'classic\' organic cues were no longer on the menu. We were on a mission to create a vibrant, playful, honest offering that would spark optimism and creativity, catering to today\'s busy but conscious consumers.\"\r\n\r\nThe CBX team and Green Valley opted for an entirely new approach to the packaging by introducing a shelf-stable pouch for the bean varieties. \"Right away, that signals to the consumer that something is different about this brand,\" Lipman said.\r\n\r\nAnother goal of the brand was to inspire and engage Millennial consumers to enjoy the experience of cooking for themselves and for their kids, using Green Valley\'s organic ingredients. \"We introduced loose recipe suggestions on the back of the pack to inspire that creative cooking instinct,\" Lipman said.\r\n\r\nIn addition, the CBX team brought the strong brand identity and package design to life digitally by launching the brand across key social media platforms. At welcometogreenvalley.com, users are invited into the thriving, healthy world of Green Valley. The website and social media channels continue to build upon the \"Healthy Food for All\" platform with chef-created Green Valley product recipes, budget-friendly $10 family meals and information about organic food and farming practices.\r\n\r\n\"Already, social media results are indicating huge interest with more than 40,000 likes on Facebook,\" he reported. \"Distribution is set to grow rapidly over the coming months.\"\r\n\r\nGreen Valley believes in giving back, and has partnered with The Food Trust, a non-profit organization that shares a similar mission, to truly bring healthy food to everyone. The partnership will likely include donations and sponsorship of events across the country, Lipman said.\r\n\r\n\"Increasingly, simply being organic is no longer enough,\" he concluded. \"Consumers are looking for organic brands that mesh with their lifestyle, as well as their values. Green Valley fits the bill perfectly with a commitment to creative, organic and just plain healthier food for all.\"\r\n\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2016/1/7/green-valley-foods?utm_source=feedblitz&amp;utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&amp;utm_campaign=thedieline\" target=\"_blank\">The Dieline\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/85238-cbx-creates-standout-visually-distinct-organic-brand\" target=\"_blank\">Brand Packaging\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.preparedfoods.com/articles/117531-cbx-creates-standout-organic-brand\" target=\"_blank\">Prepared Foods</a>', 'CBX Creates Standout Organic Brand', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-creates-standout-organic-brand', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-creates-standout-organic-brand', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2154, 1, '2016-01-13 23:33:18', '2016-01-13 23:33:18', 'As created by New York brand agency CBX, the new Green Valley brand from Salem OR brings innovation to the old-school organics category. Seeking a fresh concept in organic packaging, CBX turned to shelf-stable pouches. “We threw out the rules for the organic aisle with Green Valley,” said Gregg S. Lipman, CEO and Managing Partner of CBX. “Our beans will come in visually distinct, shelf-stable pouches, as well as in cans. Each package blends tasty photography with hand-written typography and vibrant illustrations. The result is a fresh, farm-to-table brand that intrigues and excites.”\r\nThe project included packages for Green Valley’s full line of organic beans, as well as their canned vegetable and pumpkin offering. Prior to designing the packs, the team surveyed the category and was struck by the visual similarity of many of the leading brands of organic beans, Lipman said. Each Green Valley package blends photography with hand-written typography and vibrant illustrations. The look that is meant to inspire and engage millennial consumers — especially millennial moms — to enjoy the experience of cooking for themselves and their kids. To better reach this demographic, the CBX team integrated the brand identity and design into key social media platforms; the website and social media channels build on a “Healthy Food for All” platform with product recipes, budget-friendly family meals and information about organic food and farming\r\n\r\n“We saw that there was an opportunity here for something innovative and differentiated,” Lipman explained. “The classic organic cues were no longer on the menu. By introducing the pouches, right away, that signals to the consumer that something is different about this brand.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://gdusa.com/packaging/cbx-rejects-classic-organic-cues-for-green-valley-beans\" target=\"_blank\">GDUSA</a>.', 'CBX Rejects Classic Organic Cues For Green Valley Beans', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-rejects-classic-organic-cues-for-green-valley-beans', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-rejects-classic-organic-cues-for-green-valley-beans', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2155, 1, '2016-01-19 17:50:53', '2016-01-19 17:50:53', 'With generic convenience stores seemingly on every corner, the easiest thing for customers to do is head to the location that’s … just convenient. Many C-store chains aim to stand apart from the crowd by ramping up the sophistication of their in-store environments. They are making stores larger, stocking them with healthier, fresher food, and adding modern dining furnishings.\r\nIt’s a nice start, but in contemplating the C-store of the future, designers need to imagine a world in which consumers pay greater attention to the brand attributes, product offerings, and consumer experiences available at competing quick-shopping options. That requires being bold and rethinking the category.\r\n\r\nHow would innovators in other sectors approach the challenge? As the former head of store design for Virgin Megastores, I can’t help but contemplate how Virgin founder Richard Branson might approach a portfolio of fueling station and C-store sites.\r\n\r\n<strong>Ideas from an innovator\r\n</strong>Branson is an innovator to the core. Since the retail gas industry is already mature, Branson’s business-centric inclination would be to jump to the head of the line. Forget about fossil fuels; Branson’s Virgin stations would sell electricity, natural gas, and biodiesel for green vehicles. His goal would be to create focal points for the growing community of drivers who see environmental sustainability as a top priority. His marketing, advertising, and branding for the chain would build loyalty and community around this shared value. In addition to sustainability, Branson’s brand would make its mark by evolving the customer experience. Today, Sheetz has such a substantial food offering that people go there regardless of whether they need gas. Likewise, chains such as 7-Eleven and Wawa can thrive even without gas canopies simply because their C-stores are destinations unto themselves. In seeking to evolve the C-store experience further, Branson would focus on selling food, culture, and lifestyle in a fun and comforting atmosphere unlike anything in the sector today. He would shoot for the kind of engaging experience that makes you drive past competitors’ locations and come to his C-store.\r\n\r\nYou can see this strategy in action at Branson’s other ventures. Even if you fly coach on Virgin Atlantic, you get a free ice cream bar after your meal, followed by the flight attendant offering you a hot towel. A comforting and relaxing experience isn’t reserved for premium customers alone. In keeping with the Virgin brand, Branson’s C-store might offer things like the industry’s cleanest, fully touch-free bathrooms, or massage tables in a quiet corner, enabling stressed-out commuters to stop and relax after a maddening stint on the road.<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Customized convenience\r\n</strong>Virgin Atlantic was the first to offer personalized TVs. This wasn’t technology for technology’s sake: It was to make the experience more personalized and engaging. Smart use of technology would be part of the picture at Branson’s stations as well. You can look around at today’s trends and get an idea for what this might entail. This year, Tesla Motors unveiled a cobra-like robot charging station for the Model S. It connects to the car, charges it, and then retracts—all without the touch of a human hand. Branson’s C-store would also offer a touch-less fueling or recharging experience. As the robotic “pump” attaches to your car, you could use your phone or display at the “pump” to have a smiling attendant bring your food order right to your car. Another aspect of your fill-up might be an automatic diagnostic. A sensor might mind-meld with the general control center of your car and tell you whether anything was askew.\r\n\r\nThat’s convenient, not just for people, but also for a future with driverless cars. Branson’s stations would be designed to allow easy access by driverless taxis and delivery vehicles in need of a fast charge. Meanwhile, dashboard-mounted RFID chips would enable human members of the loyalty program to drive up to the pump, refuel or recharge, and drive off without swiping cards or handing cash to clerks inside. Loaded with each club member’s preferences, the next-generation pumps would scan customers’ RFID chips and then send them customized offers: “Hi, Michelle! It’s nice to see you again. As a token of our appreciation, here’s half off your regular chai tea and low-fat scone.”\r\n\r\nOn Virgin America’s planes, colored lighting creates an atmosphere reminiscent of a small nightclub in a boutique hotel. A Virgin fueling canopy might have OLED-based lighting, using fiberoptics to transmit sunlight from above the canopy or to create a digital light show, pulsing in synch with music. Of course, the canopy and even the store’s roof would be topped with solar panels or living plants, reinforcing the brand’s stance on sustainability and making customers feel even better about their visit.\r\n\r\n<strong>Futuristic and fun</strong>\r\nNot all of Branson’s ventures have been successful, but today’s already-evolving C-stores and gas stations could certainly learn a thing or two from his core principles. They include creating a refreshing guest experience in an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere; making smart use of intuitive technology and customer-friendly automation; and investing in teams of well-trained employees who are people-focused. In the C-store space, you can bet Branson’s brand would be futuristic and fun—with a social conscience to boot.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.retailenvironments-digital.org/retailenvironments/january_february_2016?sub_id=j6vfHd08M3pi&amp;pg=25#pg25\" target=\"_blank\">A.R.E</a>.', 'What Would Richard Branson Do With Convenience?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-would-richard-branson-do-with-convenience', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:51', '2018-09-27 17:58:51', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/what-would-richard-branson-do-with-convenience', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2156, 1, '2016-02-17 15:21:05', '2016-02-17 15:21:05', 'Veteran retail store/restaurant designer and brand strategist James Sundstad has joined brand agency and retail design consultancy CBX as Vice President, Branded Environments.\r\nIn his new position, Sundstad will be responsible for leading the CBX Branded Environments group, reporting to Partner Todd Maute.\r\n\r\nSundstad comes to CBX with over 35 years industry experience collaborating with architects, interior designers, graphics firms, PR agencies, brand strategists, and other creative professionals. Most recently, he was Vice President, Retail Strategy &amp; Design at Studio D/Visual Graphics Systems, Carlstadt, N.J., a full-service manufacturer of next-generation signage. There, he established new strategic relationships with major retail and foodservice clients across the United States and Canada, including Chipotle, Whole Foods, Starbucks Coffee Company, Peet\'s Coffee &amp; Tea, Pizza Factory, FatBurger, Fuddruckers, Jamba Juice, Blue Frog Brewing, SuperValu and United Pacific Oil.\r\n\r\nBefore joining Studio D, James worked on a contract basis supporting the Starbucks new store development team. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President, Creative Services at King Retail Solutions, a retail design and build firm in Oregon. In that capacity, he was responsible for key account development and served as strategic director for such major retail clients as Starbucks, Safeway, PetSmart, GH Bass Shoes, Whole Foods, Rite Aid, Adidas, Kroger, Fred Meyer, Massage Envy, Butter London, Bartell Drug, Thrifty Foods, Sunoco, Walgreens, and Eddie Bauer.\r\n\r\nFrom 2009 to 2011, Sundstad was Managing Director, Director of West Coast operations for branding company FITCH in Seattle, where his clients included Microsoft Hardware &amp; Global Retail, City Target, Nokia, Dell, Buffalo Wild Wings &amp; Starbucks.\r\n\r\nPrior to FITCH, Sundstad spent five years in London as Owner/Creative Director of Werkspace Studios, Ltd., a firm focused on brand strategy, brand positioning and re-branding strategies. Earlier, Sundstad launched Werkhaus Creative Communications in Seattle. During Sundstad\'s 15 years as the branding firm\'s President and Creative Director, his project managers and designers handled assignments for such diverse clients as Nike, Starbucks Coffee Company, Tully\'s Coffee, Microsoft, Chihuly Studio, Nintendo, K2 Sports, U2 (the band) and Wells Fargo.\r\n\r\nAlso seen in\r\n<a href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/potmsearch/reprint/submission/5578542?ana=e_potm_thx&amp;ana=e_notification_potm?s=print?s=print\" target=\"_blank\">Biz Journals\r\n</a><a href=\"http://citybizlist.com/article/334861/james-sundstad-joins-cbx-as-vp-branded-environments\" target=\"_blank\">City Biz\r\n</a><a href=\"http://vmsd.com/content/james-sundstad-joins-cbx-vp-branded-environments\" target=\"_blank\">VMSD\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.petrolplaza.com/news/industry/MiZlbiYxOTczMCYmMSYzMCYx\" target=\"_blank\">PetrolPlaza</a>\r\n<a href=\"https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-39337836.html\" target=\"_blank\">High Beam Research\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/news/people/James-Sundstad-Joins-CBX-26106.shtml?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20Template_053116%20(1)\" target=\"_blank\">Design:Retail</a>', 'James Sundstad Joins CBX as V.P., Branded Environments', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'james-sundstad-joins-cbx-as-v-p-branded-environments', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/james-sundstad-joins-cbx-as-v-p-branded-environments', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2157, 1, '2016-02-17 20:21:05', '2016-02-17 20:21:05', '<strong>Inaugural location opens just north of I-80/35, with 28 additional locations to follow in 2016</strong>\r\nKum &amp; Go will open the doors tomorrow morning, Thursday, February 18, at 6 a.m. to its newly re-built location in Johnston, Iowa, at 5225 NW 86th Street. The store is a brand new, 6,000+-square-foot Marketplace design prototype with a variety of unique offerings for customers, making it unlike any other location. To encourage customers to try out some of those new offerings, the first 99 customers to arrive on Thursday morning will receive a coupon for a 99-cent whole pizza. Additionally, on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., customers can fill up with E-15 for $0.99 per gallon (available only at this store).\r\n\r\nDeveloping this distinctive model took nearly two years, and the result is an entirely new concept. The centerpiece of the store is an expanded and open food preparation area that customers can see from the moment they enter. Other location features include:\r\n\r\n- Elevated food experience with Kum &amp; Go’s “Go Fresh Market”\r\n- Open kitchen layout, clear aisles and easy-to-navigate zones\r\n- Seating inside with patio seating outside (weather permitting)\r\n- Complimentary Wi-Fi and charging stations for customers\r\n- Expansive beer cave and growler station with fresh beer\r\n- Designed for LEED-certified status, using energy efficient and sustainable design\r\n\r\nAdditionally, visible on 86th Street is a new piece of artwork commissioned by Kum &amp; Go specifically for this Johnston location. An 8-foot tall and 7-foot wide ampersand (paying tribute to Kum &amp; Go’s slogan “Where &amp; means more.”) sits on the north side of the store. Designed and produced by the award-winning, Des Moines-based art studio Sticks, the sign pays tribute to the community of Johnston with key words and images that reflect the area’s attractions and slogans on one side. The opposite side showcases the Kum &amp; Go core values and culture.\r\n\r\n“This new footprint represents everything that Kum &amp; Go strives to be for our associates and for our customers,” said Kum &amp; Go president and CEO Kyle Krause. “This is the evolution of our brand promise and business approach. Now customers can truly experience the “more” that we provide.”\r\n\r\nThe store design was conceptualized by CBX, a retail design firm headquartered in New York City, and working prototype developed by BRR, an architecture firm in Kansas City. Local partners included Henning Construction from Johnston, Performance Display and Civil Design Advantage from Grimes, and Seneca Companies from Des Moines. Additional partners included Hussmann, Nagle Signs, and Arning Companies.\r\n\r\nKum &amp; Go operates three stores in the Johnston community – the other two can be located at 5800 Northglenn Drive and 6130 NW 86th. All Johnston locations are open 24 hours, year-round.\r\n\r\nFuture locations of this new layout are planned for 2016 in Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, and Arkansas. The next Iowa location will be located in Waukee in the new Kettlestone development, projected to open in spring 2016.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"https://www.kumandgo.com/2016/02/unveils-marketplace-store-0129/\" target=\"_blank\">Kum &amp; Go</a>.\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"http://www.csnews.com/node/88955\" target=\"_blank\">Convenience Store News</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.cspnet.com/industry-news-analysis/corporate-news/articles/new-kum-go-design-elevates-food-fuel-beer-slideshow?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20News%2002-19-2016%20(1)&amp;utm_content=&amp;spMailingID=50731733&amp;spUserID=MjU0MDQ2MjI3NTES1&amp;spJobID=862321264&amp;spReportId=ODYyMzIxMjY0S0\" target=\"_blank\">CSP\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.cstoredecisions.com/2016/02/18/kum-go-debuts-market-place-prototype-store/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ConvenienceStoreDecisions+%28Convenience+Store+Decisions%29\" target=\"_blank\">C Store Decisions\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.nacsonline.com/Media/Daily/Pages/ND0219163.aspx#.Vs3XkJMrJsg\" target=\"_blank\">NACS</a>', 'Kum & Go Unveils First Marketplace Store Design in Johnston', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'kum-go-unveils-first-marketplace-store-design-in-johnston', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/kum-go-unveils-first-marketplace-store-design-in-johnston', 0, 'thinking', '', 0);
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(2158, 1, '2016-02-02 20:26:46', '2016-02-02 20:26:46', '<strong>Retailers and suppliers that develop true innovation-focused private brand partnerships could reap numerous rewards.</strong>\r\nMuch has been said in recent years about the need for true retailer-supplier partnerships for the store brand market to realize true innovation. Still, such partnerships remain the exception instead of the norm.\r\n\r\nNoting that advantages often are “measured in very small increments” within the store brand industry Steve Fay executive vice president with Berner Food &amp; Beverage, Dakota, Ill, believes that retailers are hesitant to bring suppliers into their internal processes for competitive reasons.\r\n\r\n“I believe there is also the thought that too much involvement with a supplier may break down their ultimate negotiating position for price and support,” he says. “In other words, and probably accurately so, retailers view suppliers as adversaries. So the question is how to bridge two parties that on other levels are adversarial to a point of collaboration.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Other obstacles</strong>\r\n\r\nThat adversarial view isn’t the only stumbling block. The traditional procurement mindset many retailer own-brand decision-makers still have also is an obstacle to collaboration, notes Todd Maute, a partner with New York-based branding agency CBX. And a couple of external factors come into play here as well.\r\n\r\n“The economy is not that great; value is still very important,” he notes. “So when those types of things happen, I think people tend to focus more on price and value than they do on innovation and growth.”\r\n\r\nEven when a retailer begins a push toward innovation, that push doesn’t necessarily involve the supplier until it’s time for production.\r\n\r\n“Often the retailer does the brainstorming at a higher level than the buying team and sends the goal down,” notes Teri Valentine, president and CEO of The Perfect Bite Co. Inc., Glendale, Calif. “We arrive to ‘innovate,’ and all the flavors and specs are decided — we like to be in on the development using our expertise and selling experience.”\r\n\r\nObstacles can be found on the supplier side as well.\r\n\r\n“Most are focused on their core business, which is ‘How do I keep the core engine running 24 hours a day, as efficiently as possible, to keep my costs and margins where they need to be?’ And historically, and I think notoriously, private label manufacturers haven’t really been seen as innovators,” Maute says.\r\n\r\nMany private label suppliers, therefore, possess neither the infrastructure nor the mindset needed for true innovation, he says.\r\n\r\nFor suppliers that do have the right infrastructure and mindset, oftentimes it becomes an issue of scale, Maute adds. Investing in innovation for a relatively small retailer might not make a lot of sense in terms of the return on that investment (especially if the retailer is not sharing in those costs).\r\n\r\nAnd a lack of trust — and true sharing of the risk — can be a challenge, too.\r\n\r\n“I have experienced doing development work for a retailer only to have them bid the program out after we had invested a good deal of money into the development,” Fay points out. “We have developed packaging for programs that did not do well and had to write off large inventories. Suppliers simply have to go in with their eyes wide open knowing the challenges.”\r\n\r\nIt takes time to build that trust, Valentine adds.\r\n\r\n“Once a list of winners [is] developed together, the relationship evolves,” she says.\r\n\r\n<strong>Partnerships reap rewards</strong>\r\n\r\nRetailers and suppliers that focus on overcoming the obstacles, however, will be able to develop successful innovation-focused private brand partnerships. And those partnerships can result in numerous rewards for both parties.\r\n\r\n“Forming a lasting partnership requires both parties to look at the long term and to create win-win situations rather than focus on any individual transaction,” explains Stefani LiDestri, president-elect and chief sales and marketing officer for LiDestri Food &amp; Beverage, Fairport, N.Y.\r\n\r\nShe adds that LiDestri Food &amp; Beverage boasts some partnerships that have been in place for more than 30 years.\r\n\r\n“There are tremendous advantages in harnessing the power of partnerships, including the stability, service and loyalty that come with them,” LiDestri says.\r\n\r\nOne of the ways LiDestri Food &amp; Beverage has managed to build great partnerships with both retailers and national brands is by getting “deeply involved” in those companies’ innovation and research and development processes, LiDestri notes.\r\n\r\n“It’s one thing to take a formula and transform it into a product,” she says. “It’s quite another thing — a very valuable thing — to help execute an idea from the market research and formulation stage.”\r\n\r\nIn 2014, LiDestri Food &amp; Beverage opened its Innovation Center, which LiDestri says has been described as “a playground for research and development.” The center already has served as the launch pad for a number of products that went on to become a success.\r\n\r\n“When we as contract manufacturers are involved from square one … that kind of partnership adds tremendous value,” she maintains, adding that her company recently worked with Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets Inc. — a long-time retail partner — to develop the Jammin’ line of low-sugar fruit spreads under the Wegmans Organic Food You Feel Good About brand.\r\n\r\nTo get to the collaborative level LiDestri discusses, many suppliers and retailers will have to rethink some standard practices.\r\n\r\nPrivate label suppliers, for example, might want to stop shielding costs from potential retailer-partners. In Fay’s view, such a practice is not productive, as “any reasonably intelligent person” generally can figure out the approximate cost of packaging, commodities and other supplier resources.\r\n\r\n“If retailers would enter into an agreement at the onset of a project where they would be willing to allow a profitable cost-plus program to evolve from the project and to split cleanup costs if the program failed, [it] would probably [encourage] a lot more suppliers to jump onboard,” he adds. “I also believe non-disclosure agreements with suppliers would be helpful.”\r\n\r\nValentine agrees.\r\n\r\n“[Get] confidentiality agreements signed, and let everyone work together towards the goals of each retailer,” she says. “As suppliers, we are a ‘free’ research and development arm available to each retailer; we profit when we all profit as business partners.”\r\n\r\nWhen it comes down to it, successful retailer-supplier private brand partnerships really require a different approach to the business model — one that takes the shape of a joint venture or a strategic alliance, Maute says.\r\n\r\n“The value that I think a strategic alliance has between a retailer and a manufacturer [is] they both have very different skill sets,” he says. “The retailer supplies, hopefully, marketing support, distribution, consumer insights and knowledge, while the manufacturer has the manufacturing capabilities, the category expertise and, hopefully, knowledge of the supply chain. So if the two were to strategically align and potentially share in the risk as well as the investment, you can probably get economies of scale and quicker market penetration.”\r\n\r\nTo take the relationship even a step farther, that alliance could involve joint ownership of the intellectual property, says Paul Schwada, managing partner of Chicago-based Locomotive Solutions LLC.\r\n\r\n“Whoever owns the intellectual property really owns the product,” he points out. “If the supplier and the retailer are really looking for a true partnership, and they’re actually willing to share intellectual property, that is the most permanent form of bond that I can think of.”\r\n\r\n“There are tremendous advantages in harnessing the power of partnerships, including the stability, service and loyalty that come with them.”\r\n— Stefani LiDestri, president-elect and chief sales and marketing officer, LiDestri Food &amp; Beverage\r\n\r\n“The value that I think a strategic alliance has between a retailer and a manufacturer [is] they both have very different skill sets.”\r\n— Todd Maute, partner, CBX\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.storebrands.info/store-brand-insights/special-features/it-takes-two-innovate\" target=\"_blank\">Store Brands</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://whatsnext.nuance.com/customer-experience/fostering-customer-experience-innovation/\" target=\"_blank\">Nuance</a>', 'It Takes Two to Innovate', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'it-takes-two-to-innovate', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/it-takes-two-to-innovate', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2159, 1, '2016-03-09 15:47:30', '2016-03-09 15:47:30', '<strong>The retail mall environment needs to learn from the city. Food halls can help.</strong>\r\nThe traditional mall has lost its appeal. There are numerous reasons why, but one of the most poignant is the resurgence of the urban center and specifically the appeal of Main Street.\r\n\r\nMain Street is attractive again, and with it are all the things that the density of the city provides to pull shoppers away from retail-focused venues like malls. Cities offer a density of chaos and accident and a commensurate density of ideas and creativity. This is a phenomenon that even a well-planned mall, limited by its necessary focus on retail and a preset menu of activities, cannot compete with. Or can it? What can malls learn from cities, and specific to driving traffic, what can they learn from the communal spaces of the city to enhance their attractiveness to consumers?\r\n\r\nWithin the traditional retail mall, one arena ripe for reinvention is the food court. Food courts were initially envisioned as a quick recharge while shopping rather than as destinations in and of themselves. For this reason, most mall food courts are populated by bland and undifferentiated quick service restaurants (QSRs), and seating that is more cattle car than fine dining.\r\n\r\nWith the simultaneous arrival of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s theory on “third space,” and more authentic-feeling offers such as Chipotle, Shake Shack and Dig Inn, the traditional QSR has been served notice. Add to this The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English in Manhattan’s landmark Plaza Hotel, which turned the entire food court model on its head by offering a wide variety of well-prepared, interesting and enticing foods in one location. Let’s face facts, consumers have learned that fast food can be good, healthy and interesting—and this is how more and more people want to eat.\r\n\r\nFortunately, some major landlords are already exploring elevated approaches to food: Announced earlier this month, Taubman Centers’ $500-million renovation of Beverly Center in Los Angeles reportedly will include a food hall with as many as 18 different concepts. Taubman even tapped celebrity chef Michael Mina to head the project.\r\n\r\nLearning from farmers’ markets, food trucks, craft breweries and farm-to-table restaurants can be an effective way to create an engaging experience for a retail or mixed-use project. But simply dropping in a cart that looks like a food truck isn’t going to be enough. It is equally important—and often overlooked—to understand how these innovative trends develop, and then to create the kinds of spaces that engage and attract consumers.\r\n\r\nThis is precisely why the new crop of spacious food halls is worth a serious look. Packed with local vendors, bars and cafes, the likes of Berg’n in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood; UrbanSpace in Manhattan’s Midtown District, and Ponce City Market in Atlanta are destination locations driving unprecedented foot traffic. This kind of diverse food hall model may be a perfect fit for developers seeking to adapt and reuse older retail big box spaces, warehouses and even factories. The current food hall has much in common with the city’s traditional open-air market. It’s a modern take on an ancient urban model, one that offers the pride of local cuisine and the excitement of variety.\r\n\r\nSuccessful mixed-use developments build on this model by leveraging the daytime community that works in their commercial space, while also offering something to the local community to also leverage nighttime, weekend and other off-hours pedestrian traffic. On the high-end, the Related Companies has perfected this model at Time Warner Center and soon in the upcoming Hudson Yards. On the adaptive reuse end of the spectrum, Jamestown Properties, after buying a majority stake in the Chelsea Market in Manhattan’s Gansevoort Meatpacking District, is applying these lessons to its new projects at Industry City in Brooklyn and Ponce City in Atlanta.\r\n\r\nWhile retail malls don’t have a built-in commercial tenant population or a local community per se, they can still learn from the engaging, creative spaces in urban environments. The programming of a mall food court is, like that of any successful public space, dependent upon offering a mix and variety of relevant experiences. That could mean locally sourced and artisanal foods, as in Philadelphia’s Reading Market or Cleveland’s Westside Market, or incubating new food offers and being able to rotate food offers in and out on a regular basis, as Brooklyn’s Threes Brewery does each month.\r\n\r\nBeyond moves to reimagine the food court, in scenarios where large anchors move out, the empty space represents a unique opportunity to experiment with new kinds of offers, including food halls, fresh markets and other food-centric activities that will draw consumers.\r\n\r\nCompeting for consumers’ increasingly scarce time and attention is a huge challenge, one that makes the physical shopping experience less and less of compelling. Faced with the pressure to retain these shoppers, it is incumbent upon mall operators and other retail landlords to explore new ways to make their properties more desirable and enticing. Cities represent a resilient model that continues to succeed. Studying urban spaces and using this knowledge to enliven retail environments is an effective way to improve foot traffic and customer retention.\r\n\r\nOriginally published on <a href=\"http://www.globest.com/sites/paulbubny/2016/03/09/from-food-courts-to-food-halls/?slreturn=20160209103211\" target=\"_blank\">Globest.com\r\n</a>Photo courtesy of <a href=\"http://lauraperuchi.com/en/tag/urbanspace-vanderbilt-en\" target=\"_blank\">Laura Peruchi</a>', 'From Food Courts To Food Halls', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'from-food-courts-to-food-halls', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:42', '2018-09-27 17:58:42', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/from-food-courts-to-food-halls', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2160, 1, '2016-03-14 14:19:52', '2016-03-14 14:19:52', '<strong>New Wave of Spacious Food Halls Offers Lessons for Forward-Thinking Developers Seeking to Reinvigorate Older Projects, Writes CBX\'s Anthony Deen in Post for GlobeSt.com</strong>\r\nCommercial real estate developers should pay attention to the trend toward urban food halls packed with local restaurants, bars and cafés, urges Anthony Deen, Creative Director, Branded Environments, for CBX, in a March 9 column on GlobeSt.com.\r\n\r\n\"The likes of Berg\'n in Brooklyn\'s Crown Heights neighborhood; UrbanSpace in Manhattan\'s Midtown District, and Ponce City Market in Atlanta are destination locations driving unprecedented foot traffic,\" writes Deen, whose work as an architect and designer for the brand agency and retail design consultancy encompasses retail, hospitality, airport and commercial projects. \"This kind of diverse food hall model may be a perfect fit for developers seeking to adapt and reuse older retail big box spaces, warehouses and even factories.\"\r\n\r\nIn the column (\"<a title=\"From Food Courts To Food Halls\" href=\"http://www.cbx.com/news/from-food-courts-to-food-halls/\" target=\"_blank\">From Food Courts to Food Halls</a>\"), Deen notes that the traditional mall, in particular, has lost its appeal amid resurgent interest in the authenticity, creativity and vibrancy of Main Street and urban centers. \"What can malls learn from cities, and specific to driving traffic, what can they learn from the communal spaces of the city to enhance their attractiveness to consumers?\" Deen writes.\r\n\r\nHe says that The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English, located in Manhattan\'s landmark Plaza Hotel, represents precisely the type of urban experience that offers potential lessons for developers. \"The Plaza Food Hall turned the entire food court model on its head by offering a wide variety of well-prepared, interesting and enticing foods in one location,\" writes Deen, who is also an adjunct associate professor at Parsons School of Design, School of Art, Media + Technology.\r\n\r\nOf course, some major landlords are already exploring elevated approaches to food that go beyond earlier moves to add quality inline or freestanding restaurants. Taubman Centers, for example, recently announced plans to include a food hall curated by celebrity chef Michael Mina, with as many as 18 different concepts, in its $500 million renovation of Beverly Center in Los Angeles, Deen notes in the column.\r\n\"The current food hall has much in common with the city\'s traditional open-air market,\" Deen writes. \"It\'s a modern take on an ancient urban model, one that offers the pride of local cuisine and the excitement of variety.\"\r\n\r\nThe key to programming any successful public space, Deen adds, is to offer a mix and variety of relevant experiences. \"That could mean locally sourced and artisanal foods, as in Philadelphia\'s Reading Market or Cleveland\'s Westside Market, or incubating new food offers and being able to rotate food offers in and out on a regular basis, as Brooklyn\'s Threes Brewery does each month,\" he writes.\r\n\r\nWhether revamping mall food courts or reimagining vacant anchor spaces, mall developers could draw on lessons learned from food halls, fresh markets and other food-centric urban experiences. \"Cities represent a resilient model that continues to succeed,\" Deen writes in the conclusion to the piece. \"Studying urban spaces and using this knowledge to enliven retail environments is an effective way to improve foot traffic and customer retention.\"\r\n\r\nThe column is available in full on <a href=\"http://www.globest.com/sites/paulbubny/2016/03/09/from-food-courts-to-food-halls/\" target=\"_blank\">GlobeSt.com\r\n</a>Photo courtesy of <a href=\"http://atlanta-food-critic.com/2015/09/review-hf-burger-ponce-city-market-atlanta/\" target=\"_blank\">Atlanta Food Critic</a>\r\n\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"https://www.fb101.com/2016/03/cbx-designer-food-hall-trend-holds-promise-for-commercial-real-estate/\" target=\"_blank\">Food &amp; Beverage Magazine\r\n</a><a href=\"https://www.fsrmagazine.com/real-estate/food-hall-trend-holds-promise-commercial-real-estate\" target=\"_blank\">FSR Magazine</a>', 'CBX Designer: Food Hall Trend Holds Promise for Commercial Real Estate', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-designer-food-hall-trend-holds-promise-for-commercial-real-estate', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-designer-food-hall-trend-holds-promise-for-commercial-real-estate', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2161, 1, '2016-03-12 17:07:18', '2016-03-12 17:07:18', '<strong>Organic vegetables break category norms though the use of a stand-up pouch and fun and colorful graphics that stand out from the gritty, natural palettes traditionally used.</strong>\r\nA new line of organic beans is breaking through the “sea of sameness” in the organic shelf-stable vegetables category through the use of a stand-up pouch decorated with fresh and fun illustrations. The five varieties of beans in pouches were launched by startup company Green Valley Foods, LLC out of Salem, OR, in October 2015 along with four canned bean varieties, one canned pumpkin product, and three canned seasonal vegetables—all with the same lively graphics.\r\n\r\n“Green Valley wanted to create packaging that disrupted the aisle, but also captured a younger, health-conscious audience: the adventurous, better-for-you Millennial Mom,” says Pete Chieffo, Associate Creative Director for CBX, the firm responsible for designing the package graphics. “The canned category relied on a gritty, natural palette of earth tones and farm cues. While these cue the natural organic aspect shoppers are looking for, there wasn’t anything that spoke to our target’s desire to make food fun and creative for her family.”\r\n\r\nThrough research involving both East and West Coast Millennial Moms, Green Valley and CBX learned that organics had changed over the past several years, “with Millennials expecting their organic brands to match their optimistic and adventurous lifestyle, rather than traditional organic category cues,” says Chieffo.\r\n\r\nAdds CBX CEO and Managing Partner Gregg S. Lipman, “We saw that there was an opportunity here for something innovative and differentiated. The ‘classic’ organic cues were no longer on the menu. We were on a mission to create a vibrant, playful, honest offering that would spark optimism and creativity, catering to today’s busy but conscious consumers.”\r\n\r\nThe first and greatest differentiator is the use of a 15.5-oz stand-up pouch with a tear notch at the top for some of the beans. Graphics for the pouches and cans include illustrations of a green valley, vibrant veggies, and purple mountains, topped by a yellow sun orb, along with simple typography. “We wanted the fonts to feel hand-drawn with character, right from the farmer’s hand,” Chieffo says. “The depiction of the beans and veggies was a take on ‘farm to table,’ with a modern edge, elevating the product with a top-down shot.” The back of the packages contain recipes.\r\n\r\nAccording to Lipman, social media results indicate a great interest in Green Valley’s organic products, with 40,000 likes on Facebook as of early January 2016.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.packworld.com/package-design/rigid-flexible/bean-pouches-present-new-take-organics\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging World</a>', 'Bean Pouches Present a New Take On Organics', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'bean-pouches-present-a-new-take-on-organics', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/bean-pouches-present-a-new-take-on-organics', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2162, 1, '2016-03-21 16:43:53', '2016-03-21 16:43:53', '<a title=\"James Sundstad Joins CBX as V.P., Branded Environments\" href=\"http://www.cbx.com/news/james-sundstad-joins-cbx-as-v-p-branded-environments/\" target=\"_blank\">James Sundstad, VP Branded Environments</a> is speaking at Globalshop 2016.\r\n<strong>Wednesday, March 23 @ 10:30am</strong>\r\n<strong>Room: Islander G</strong>\r\n\r\nHave you read any retail trend forecasts lately? Let’s face it: many so called “trends” are just the cost of doing business (mobile payments, customization, small-format anybody?). Yes, technology will be a part of retailing this year, just as it was in 2013 or for that matter, 2010. 2016 will most certainly see a continued evolution of what retail is and what it does. For this forecast, James Sundstad will concentrate on physical retail, since he believes that this is where the innovation will—and indeed, must—occur. E-tailers and hybrid-tailers will continue to make transactions easier and safer while adding algorithms that suggest products and services tailored to the individual. Online purchasing will become more intuitive and smarter, connecting you with various electronic devices, apps and, soon, even your refrigerator and closet. Because of this, retail designers will focus on humanizing the in-store experience. The goal is to give consumers a reason to get out of their pajamas and walk into a store. In this session, Sundstad will uncover those not-so-obvious trends that will make a difference in retail of the future.\r\n\r\nLearning Objectives:\r\n\r\n1. Learn what categories are innovating at retail\r\n2. Learn how to keep consumers at the center\r\n3. Understand how Design and Business converge to cause future trends\r\n4. Leave with real-world examples of trends that are taking shape\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://s15.a2zinc.net/clients/emeraldexpo/gs2016/public/SessionDetails.aspx?FromPage=Speakers.aspx&amp;SessionID=36&amp;nav=true&amp;Role=A%27&amp;utm_source=test+031816&amp;utm_campaign=59094937c2-James_Globalshop_20163_21_2016&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_dc899c8d0a-59094937c2-\" target=\"_blank\">See more Globalshop information here.</a>', 'Why Algorithms Can\'t Dance: 5 Retail Trends You Haven\'t Already Heard', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-algorithms-cant-dance-5-retail-trends-you-havent-already-heard', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:52', '2018-09-27 17:58:52', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/why-algorithms-cant-dance-5-retail-trends-you-havent-already-heard', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2163, 1, '2016-03-18 21:59:22', '2016-03-18 21:59:22', '<strong>Well-executed on-pack product imagery could make a positive difference in private brand sales.</strong>\r\nWhen it comes to packaging design, product imagery is often the first thing consumers look at when comparing products. For decades, national brands have been leveraging sophisticated on-pack imagery to entice consumers to purchase. Retailers, though, were much slower to adopt such practices on store brand packaging. However, in recent years, there has been a significant trend among retailers to not only match, but also outdo national brands when it comes to on-pack imagery. Why?\r\n\r\nBecause retailers have come to better understand what the national brands have known for a long time. “Consumers eat with their eyes,” says Charley Orwig, vice president marketing services, Sailpointe Creative, Arlington Heights, Ill.\r\n\r\nBeautiful images stimulate the appetite and consumers’ interest in the product, agrees Jim Kohlhardt, president, Digital Color Inc., Waukesha, Wis. Plus, the use of strong images on product packaging increases the likelihood that a consumer will try the product for the first time.\r\n\r\n“Images are the doorway to our emotions, and the majority of purchase decisions are made emotionally,” says Jean-Pierre Lacroix, president of Toronto-based Shikatani Lacroix Design.\r\n\r\nBut imagery doesn’t just sell the product; it also communicates the brand’s personality, says Liz Reese, creative director, Kaleidoscope, Chicago. Imagery can tell a story and create a meaningful consumer experience that leads to brand loyalty.\r\n\r\nThis is especially important for store brands that cover a wide range of products across multiple categories, unlike national brands that typically reside in only one category, and that lack the marketing/brand building support that national brands have, states Helena Yoon, creative director at the Anthem Worldwide Toronto office.\r\n\r\n“Therefore, the on-pack imagery and overall communication need to work extra hard to be both impactful and memorable,” she says. Unfortunately, store brand product imagery continues to be a shortcoming for a lot of retailers, says Todd Maute, partner at New York-based CBX. These retailers too often allow price to dictate the type of imagery they use. Custom photography with retouching can be very expensive, so many of them choose instead to use product photography provided by their manufacturers.\r\n\r\n“Store brand packaging without ‘mouthwatering appetite appeal’ imagery just leaves too much to chance, especially when the national brand is right next to it on the shelf,” Orwig says.\r\n\r\n<strong>A brief look back</strong>\r\nBut other retailers have come a long way. In the not too distant past, communication between the store brand and the shopper was one-dimensional with highly generic, function-driven packaging. Product imagery was also bland and understated — a purposeful reflection of the product’s lower price point, Yoon says.\r\n\r\n“The intent of the downplayed design was to show consumers that private labels were just as effective but cheaper than national brands,” Yoon notes. “But instead consumers walked away feeling [store brands] were inferior.”\r\n\r\nYears ago, store brand imagery felt basic and straightforward, Kohlhardt agrees. Often, the focus seemed to be on explaining what was inside rather than inspiring the consumer to choose the private brand instead of the national brand.\r\n\r\n<strong>Today’s imagery trends</strong>\r\nFast forward to the present day, and retailers are more likely to be offering consumers sophisticated imagery on their store brand packaging. This is especially true for premium private brands such as those that play in the organic, gluten-free or\r\nspecialty space, Maute says.\r\n\r\n“Retailers and suppliers are starting to realize that better use of imagery on pack helps to communicate the brand story, the product story, the taste appeal and the efficacy or healthiness or premium nature of the product in a much more strategic way,” he continues.\r\n\r\nImagery on store brand packaging today often displays the product as it fits into a balanced lifestyle, says Charlene Codner, CEO and founder of Toronto-based Fish out of Water Design Inc.\r\n\r\n“In 2005, a box of fish fingers might have featured an image of the fish fingers with a side of fries,” she explains. “Today, the packaging would be more likely to feature an image of fish fingers on a bed of greens.”\r\n\r\nSimilarly, with more consumers purchasing organic and natural foods and products, a shift toward “Earthfriendly” packaging design has occurred with the use of more browns, tans and wood tones, says Paul Nowak, director of customer experience – packaging, QuadPackaging, Franklin, Wis.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, consumers are looking for “authentic, approachable and unstyled” imagery, Codner says. Young consumers are not interested in corporate-looking brands. They want to patronize brands that they perceive to be “more real.”\r\n\r\nAlso, imagery that is “clean, simple and natural” is popular among consumers, Orwig says. For instance, in one study, packaging that used imagery to depict the origin of the product — such as fields — was most well-liked by consumers.\r\n\r\n“Consumers are looking for authenticity and a sense of discovery, and packaging is now reflecting these needs,” Lacroix says. “From ingredient propping to background point-of-origin settings, photography is trying to tell consumers an intriguing story about the product while also communicating trust and transparency.”\r\n\r\nThere is even a trend in some categories to use windows to showcase the product instead of photography or illustrations, Reese says. In doing so, the retailer is able to connect with the consumer and allow that individual to make a choice based on the “real thing.” Orwig agrees, noting that structures and designs such as clear windows that reflect unique points of difference or product attributes are more and more prevalent in store brand packaging.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, Yoon notes that some retailers are ditching highly representative product photography altogether in favor of artful illustrations, while others are using humorous or bold, unexpected images on their packaging.\r\n\r\n<strong>When is it time to redesign?</strong>\r\nAccording to Codner, we live in a culture of immediacy, and peoples’ attention spans are not what they once were. Therefore, it’s essential to keep brands fresh to stay relevant, and packaging is an enormous part of a brand’s identity.\r\n\r\n“While packaging design typically goes through a facelift every three to five years on average, there isn’t a golden rule about how frequently a private label should refresh its imagery,” Yoon says.\r\n\r\nSome retailers will even allow their packaging to sit on the shelf for five to seven years before deciding to refresh the whole line, Maute says. However, they might want to reconsider the idea that a whole line needs to be refreshed all at once. In some categories — for example, those that are commodity based — product photography has more longevity. In other categories — for example, those that are highly promoted such as snacks or meals — the dynamics of the packaging tend to change more frequently, so they warrant a packaging refresh more often.\r\n\r\n“I think it’s important for retailers and manufacturers alike to stay on top of product innovation or category trends from a packaging perspective to ensure their product is still maintaining relevance and making a difference in the category,” Maute stresses.\r\n\r\nLacroix agrees.\r\n\r\n“Brand marketers need to vigilantly watch their brand’s relevancy factor among their core customer base,” he says. “Change too slowly and you can lose the consumer to a competing brand. Change too often and you can confuse the consumer.”\r\n\r\nOther factors could induce retailers to redesign their store brand packaging even faster. For instance, government regulations are having a strong influence on how often private brand packaging is redesigned, Reese says. There is currently a 12- to 18 month trend for updating and refreshing packaging to keep up with FDA regulations and new product formulas.\r\n\r\nPlus, consumers have instant access to information while shopping in retailers’ stores. Therefore, packaging claims or information that is days or weeks out of date or off trend will stick out like a sore thumb, Orwig says.\r\n\r\n“As shoppers continue to demand immediate gratification, pressure will continue to update labels,” he notes. Jason Pryor, design manager – packaging, QuadPackaging, agrees.\r\n\r\n“As packaging continues to become integrated with mobile technology, the imagery itself may not change, but rather the digital content the customer is directed to for brand engagement [will],” he says. “Variable data, image recognition and other emerging technologies will spur the tie of media solutions into packaging.”\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, Chris Rockwell, founder and CEO of Columbus, Ohio-based Lextant, cautions retailers not to get too carried away with packaging redesign. “Change for the sake of change can be a disaster,” he says. Instead, he recommends that retailers refresh product packaging only when necessary and when it will truly benefit the retailer’s customers.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://magazine.storebrands.info/i/652941-mar-2016/46\" target=\"_blank\">Store Brands</a>', 'Freshen up product imagery', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'freshen-up-product-imagery', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/freshen-up-product-imagery', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2164, 1, '2016-03-18 17:46:11', '2016-03-18 17:46:11', '<strong>The chain debuts a prototype store that brings to life its brand slogan</strong>\r\nImmediately upon entering Kum &amp; Go LC’s new prototype store in Johnston, Iowa, it is clear to customers that this is not the convenience store they remember from their childhood.\r\n\r\nThe 6,000-square-foot razed-and-rebuilt store — located at 5225 NW 86th St. — is the largest location in the West Des Moines, Iowa-based convenience store operator’s portfolio to date and borders on the look and feel of a contemporary hotel, Mark Hastings, chief operating officer of Kum &amp; Go, told Convenience Store News during its recent visit to the prototype.\r\n\r\nCombining modern design with functionality, the new store concept emphasizes Kum &amp; Go’s foodservice offerings and brings to life the brand’s slogan: “Where &amp; Means More.”\r\n\r\n“The Marketplace design is the next evolution of a store design built to meet our customers’ needs,” explained Chris Jones, senior vice president of marketing. “We wanted to create a store experience that, in line with our brand promise, delivers more than our customers expect.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Starting a Revolution\r\n</strong>Developed over the course of two years, the Marketplace design is a “labor of love,” according to Hastings, and was conceptualized to “create a much more exciting [customer] experience.”\r\n\r\nTo bring this distinctive concept to fruition, Kum &amp; Go partnered with New York City-based branding firm CBX, as well as BRR, an architecture firm based in Kansas City, Kan.\r\n\r\nEnsuring a strategic alignment process from beginning to end was paramount to CBX. The firm immersed itself in the Kum &amp; Go brand to truly understand how to connect the c-store operator’s core values, passion for excellent service and heritage to the development of a new store design and experience that would be a true extension of the brand, Todd Maute, a partner at CBX who worked with Kum &amp; Go on the project, explained to CSNews.\r\n\r\n“Our collective goal was to bring consumer touchpoints together within the store under one brand and enhance consumers’ shopping experience,” Maute said. “Our core desire was to have the store become an extension of the brand [Kum &amp; Go team members] have worked so hard to build, while supporting the core values and services that make it such a great retailer.”\r\n\r\nWhen it came time for execution, this meant elevating the “physicality” of the store. The Marketplace prototype’s fuel canopy and store exterior are a far departure from Kum &amp; Go’s previous stores. “The design signals ‘change’ from the street all the way through the store,” Maute commented. “From a distance, you can tell this is something new.”<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Foodservice Connection\r\n</strong>The Johnston store officially opened for business on Feb. 18 and got cooking.\r\n\r\nWith an emphasis on Kum &amp; Go’s foodservice offerings and its “Go Fresh Market” fresh food program, customers are immediately greeted in the Marketplace store design by a fresh pizza and made-to-order sandwich station directly ahead of them.\r\n\r\n“We had food [positioned] to the side for years and people weren’t making the connection. Now, it’s as soon as they walk in the door,” Hastings noted.\r\n\r\nTo draw even more attention, an oversized red ampersand is mounted over the station, where pizza and sandwich makers are clad in their new uniforms: chefs’ jackets and caps. The station backdrop is white subway title, which also can be found outside at the fueling stations.\r\n\r\nOther unique foodservice-related features of this store are: upscale bakery offerings, including fresh bread baked on the premises and Kum &amp; Go’s signature product, ampersand doughnuts; 42-inch menu boards displaying real pictures of Kum &amp; Go’s food, not generic images; a cold dispensed beverage station boasting 30-plus options and featuring flavor shot dispensers so customers can amp up their drinks; a crushed ice dispenser that uses filtration technology Starbucks helped Kum &amp; Go create; a toppings bar of condiments; and a special toppings bar for coffee and other hot beverages, designed with millennials in mind.\r\n\r\nThroughout the sales area, lowered gondola fixtures create greater visibility to engage customers and make it easier for them to shop. At the same time, snack quads in diagonally positioned aisles give customers the opportunity to seek out their favorite snacks or discover something new.\r\n\r\nThe Johnston site is also the chain’s first to feature indoor seating in order to create a social environment — including a five-seat community table similar to Starbucks, according to Hastings. The new prototype also debuts Kum &amp; Go’s first-ever growler station, which sells local, domestic and craft beers during peak business hours. A recently passed Iowa law now permits retailers in the state to sell take-home beer in growlers.\r\n\r\nSome additional unique features of the Marketplace design are:<strong>\r\n</strong>- A quick-service checkout station that doesn’t allow tobacco or lottery sales;\r\n- Patio seating complete with overhead heaters for availability during three seasons;\r\n- Complimentary Wi-Fi and charging stations;\r\n- An expansive beer cave and separate fridge for singles;\r\n- Music playing throughout the store;\r\n- Touchless restrooms;\r\n- E15, E85 and unleaded fuel options;\r\n- LED lighting in-store and at all fueling stations;\r\n- LEED certification (chain has more than 110 LEED-certified stores); and\r\n- Clutter-free counters, which coincidentally mirrored a recent CSNews story on why it’s important to keep your counters clean, according to Hastings.<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Where &amp; Means More\r\n</strong>Beyond just what it sells, the next-generation store is a physical representation of Kum &amp; Go’s core values, which include passion, integrity, teamwork, caring and excellence.\r\n\r\nPlaying off the retailer’s slogan, the ampersand symbol plays an integral role in the prototype store design. Displayed both strategically and whimsically throughout the Marketplace concept, the ampersand emphasizes that at Kum &amp; Go, you always get more.\r\n\r\nIn fact, because the ampersand is integral to the company’s branding, a piece of artwork was specifically commissioned for the Johnston site. An 8-foot-tall by 7-foot-wide, handmade ampersand sits on the north side of the building as a tribute to Kum &amp; Go’s slogan. Designed and produced by Des Moines art studio Sticks, the artwork honors the community of Johnston with keywords and images that reflect the area’s attractions and sayings on one side, while the other side showcases Kum &amp; Go’s core values and culture.\r\n\r\nAs Hastings shared with CSNews, the Johnston location is the “guinea pig” of the Marketplace concept, and company executives are already toying around with ideas they would like to bring to future Marketplace stores. These ideas include: electronic trash compactors to eliminate garbage bag usage and reduce waste; cabinets that will retrofit supplies like boxes for cups and lids to save space and keep storage areas well-maintained and organized; and faucets over the cold dispensed beverage slots to keep drainage areas easily maintained and cleaned, thus saving employees time from having to take the slots to the back room to wash.\r\n\r\nKum &amp; Go’s next location to feature the Marketplace design and enhanced Go Fresh Market foodservice offering will be in Joplin, Miss. This store will likewise have its own unique ampersand artwork, paying homage to the catastrophic tornado that struck the city in 2011.\r\n\r\nBefore the end of this year, the retailer plans to open a total of 28 locations featuring the Marketplace design in Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri and Arkansas. Kum &amp; Go currently operates 430 convenience stores in 11 states.<strong>\r\n\r\n</strong>Originally published in <a href=\"http://www.csnews.com/%25cat%25putting-%E2%80%98%E2%80%99-kum-go\" target=\"_blank\">CSN</a>', 'Putting the ‘&’ in Kum & Go', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'putting-the-in-kum-go', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/putting-the-in-kum-go', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2165, 1, '2016-04-14 15:50:07', '2016-04-14 15:50:07', '<strong>Brand Agency Reframes Avalon Organics® Brand Positioning and Meaning, and Creates New Packaging for Its Certified-Organic Skincare, Hair Care and Bath and Body Products</strong>\r\nBrand agency and retail design consultancy CBX has rebranded Avalon Organics®, one of the first brands to offer a full line of certified-organic products, giving the brand a fresh perspective for a new era.\r\n\r\nAvalon Organics® brand got its start back when organic personal care products were primarily purchased by well-educated, high-income females in their 30s or 40s with children, noted Gregg Lipman, Managing Partner at CBX. \"Avalon Organics® earned a reputation for offering the highest-possible quality personal care products,\" he said. \"As the consumer has evolved, Millennial and Gen X women crave an emotional connection \'beyond organic.\' It was time to clarify Avalon Organics® brand story for today.\"\r\n\r\nToward that end, CBX experts in branding, design strategy and verbal strategy relied on extensive consumer conversations as they reframed the brand with the Personal Care team at Hain Celestial. In addition to creating new packaging, design and nomenclature systems for Avalon\'s five product lines, the team built a brand book; clarified Avalon Organics® brand personality and behaviors; defined the brand\'s visual and verbal principles with expansive voice guidelines for use in social media and other communications, and conducted internal training to support writing around the new master brand.\r\n\r\nMultiple research sessions conducted by CBX revealed the extent to which Avalon Organics® consumers had shifted to what the CBX team came to classify as \"Modern Holistics\" -- including contemporary Gen X or Millennial consumers who crave an emotional connection, in addition to caring about the safety and quality of the beauty products they use. \"It is always critically important to consider where a brand is in relation to culture,\" he said.\r\n\r\n\"CBX\'s research process engaged women in conversations about the role of beauty in their lives and focused on beauty-themed stories to discern the specific language that most resonated with them,\" Lipman explained. \"The idea of \'consciousness\' is important to the Avalon Organics® brand, but we wanted to uncover the nuances of this,\" he said. \"What is consciousness in this context? Is it organic and apothecary-esque, or is it something that can look just plain natural? Is it about how people treat themselves, or is it more about the environment? We explored it all.\"\r\n\r\nWhat emerged was consumers\' appreciation for beauty that is beyond skin deep, Lipman related. \"It was really important to them that it was deep, stable and all-encompassing,\" he said.\r\n\r\nThe new packaging CBX designed for Avalon Organics® shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and other products -- including those belonging to its Intense Defense and Wrinkle Therapy lines -- are now hitting store shelves nationwide. \"We did a wholesale change from the Avalon Organics® brand\'s previous look, although we did preserve important equities such as the green bottle color,\" said Rick Barrack, Chief Creative Officer and Founding Partner. \"When we tested the new look, we absolutely exceeded expectations. Consumers indicated they would purchase the products more frequently as a result of these changes.\"\r\n\r\n\"On the new packs, the botanicals are hero to emphasize brand expertise in formulating the right, organic ingredients,\" he noted. \"We revolutionized the design -- from the bottle, to the logo, to the graphics, to the typography. The focus was on purifying the design to communicate to consumers that the product is better for you because it\'s Avalon Organics®.\"\r\n\r\nFunctionally, the design helps consumers better understand the product\'s botanical origins, what it does and its specific benefits, Barrack added.\r\n\r\n\"We wanted to make a big deal out of transparency and owning the brand colors for more impact at shelf,\" Barrack said. \"It\'s a crowded category, so brand-blocking was important. The transparent label and clear logo makes a big statement that Avalon Organics® brand is not standing in the way of nature, but is providing the expertise to make beauty products that work.\"\r\n\r\nAlso seen in:\r\n<a href=\"http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/85332-cbx-reframes-brand-positioning-for-avalon-organics-line-of-products\" target=\"_blank\">Brand Packaging\r\n</a><a href=\"http://www.happi.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2016-04-08/new-look-logo-for-avalon-organics/\" target=\"_blank\">Happi</a>', 'CBX Works With Hain Celestial on Avalon Organics® Brand Positioning', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-works-with-hain-celestial-on-avalon-organics-brand-positioning', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:04', '2018-09-27 17:58:04', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-works-with-hain-celestial-on-avalon-organics-brand-positioning', 0, 'thinking', '', 0);
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(2166, 1, '2016-04-20 17:20:14', '2016-04-20 17:20:14', '<strong>Retailers that approach the private brand naming process thoughtfully will be better able to build consumer trust and loyalty.</strong>\r\nA badly chosen brand name can kill a product or product line. 7-Up soda, for example, likely would not have survived had it retained its original mouthful of a name: Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda. And the fast failures of Colgate Kitchen entrees and Bic underwear prove that a brand name that works successfully in one segment doesn’t necessarily extend well to another.\r\n\r\nBut sometimes the reasons for brand name failure are not so obvious. Retail private brand teams, therefore, need to understand how to fine-tune the brand-naming process so they can build brands that truly connect with their shoppers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Study your shoppers</strong>\r\nAs store brands evolve, brand name is becoming more important to overall program success.\r\n\r\n“We now need to communicate about brand and value,” explains Rachel Bernard, vice president, verbal strategy for New York-based CBX. “Consumers aren’t looking to buy private label products anymore; they’re buying into private label as a brand and as a concept.”\r\n\r\nAnd the brand-naming process begins with consumer insights. Retailers need to gain an understanding of how consumers (particularly their own shoppers) view both their banner brand and their private brands, Bernard says.\r\n\r\n“They should also understand how their customers shop across key categories,” she adds. “Are they focused on price in paper products yet care more about benefits in hair care products, for example?”\r\n\r\nRetailers also should gain insights into which categories are most important to their most valuable shoppers. Some categories might warrant a “new name that tells a distinct story,” Bernard notes.\r\n\r\nInsights gleaned from consumers will help direct retailers not only in brand naming, but also in determining how many unique brand names they need, Bernard says.\r\n\r\nRoger Beahm, co-executive director of the Center for Retail Innovation at Wake Forest University School of Business, Winston-Salem, N.C., agrees, but adds to the list of shopper insights needed.\r\n\r\n“You need to think about them not just demographically, but also in terms of psychographic considerations — what’s important to them, what they value, what their lifestyles are like, what they connect with,” he stresses. “Behavioral characteristics, too — how often they buy, what places they shop, how much they buy on different shopping occasions.”\r\n\r\nOf course, retailers also need to think about the product or product line itself. They should ask themselves, Beahm says, about the product’s “story” — how the product is going to be different and relevant to their target shopper audience.\r\n\r\n<strong>Create and test</strong>\r\nThe next step is the creation of a set of potential brand names. Such names must consider both the target audience and the product benefits, Beahm notes.\r\n\r\n“One might argue that the benefit [the product is] going to deliver is even more important than the target audience itself in terms of being reflected in the brand name,” he says. “Your brand name should be suggestive in some ways of the benefits to your target customer if you can make it suggestive.”\r\n\r\nIt’s not always possible to create such a name, reinforce the brand and its uniqueness, increasing appeal to the target audience.\r\n\r\nBernard also points to the importance of “creating a cohesive narrative and experience” across the portfolio and across the store in the brand naming process.\r\n\r\nAlso consideration-worthy in the naming process are the six criteria marketing professionals typically rely on to evaluate a brand, Beahm says. The brand should be 1) meaningful, 2) memorable, 3) likeable, 4), transferrable in terms of line or category extensions, 5) adaptable and 6) able to be protected from a legal standpoint.\r\n\r\n“So once you’ve got your list of, say, a half dozen name options, you’ll want to weigh them against those criteria,” he says. “How well do they meet the criteria? Where do they fall short?”\r\n\r\nBeahm stresses that a brand name seldom meets all six criteria, but the more it can meet, the better.\r\n\r\nNext on the agenda should be testing among consumers — something Bernard calls important, but infrequently accomplished well.\r\n“Normally, consumers are asked ‘What do you think of this name?’, and their responses are reduced to ‘I like it’ or ‘I do not like it,’” she explains. “Brands should make sure to communicate the brand attributes, vision for the future and encouraged behaviors in addition to the name when testing. That way, consumers will be able to evaluate the name more strategically than basing their assessments on personal anecdotes and feelings.”\r\n\r\nFor his part, Beahm has found focus groups to be valuable to the testing process. Such groups could evaluate potential brand names against the six criteria, as well as evaluate other brand aspects such as packaging, packaging colors and more. But he also advises retailers to perform such testing within the retail environment, where the product is on a shelf or a hanger, and also allow employees to weigh in.\r\n\r\n“It’s hard to get a name agreed to by everyone,” he says. “But names are those kinds of things that you put up, and the good ones stick and the bad ones fall to the ground.”\r\n\r\nFinally, once a retailer identifies a brand name that scores positively with a large percentage of its target audience, it needs to champion that name inside its organization, Beahm stresses. That championing is part of building consumers’ brand knowledge and awareness, which ultimately will be key to the brand’s success. Knowledge of the brand encompasses what the brand/product is, what it does and what it stands for.\r\n\r\n“It’s not going to matter what criteria you use if you stop with the name,” he adds. “If you don’t build knowledge, you’re not going to create equity and, ultimately, loyalty.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Banner name or not?</strong>\r\nTraditionally, many retailers have used the retail banner name as their store brand name — or part of their store brand names. But recent years have seen a number of retailers moving away from this brand naming convention.\r\n\r\n“Both strategies can be very effective,” says Rachel Bernard, vice president, verbal strategy for New York-based CBX. “In fact, many retailers choose to deploy both strategies. Deciding which is best for a particular situation starts with the ‘masterbrand’ — consider loyalty and equity.”\r\n\r\nAlthough he’s not completely against the retail banner name being used as the store brand, Roger Beahm, co-executive director of the Center for Retail Innovation at Wake Forest University School of Business, Winston-Salem, N.C., does note that traditionally, brands are associated with a specific category or related categories.\r\n\r\n“So it’s oftentimes better, for a number of reasons, to use different brand names on different products when they are in unrelated categories,” he says. “And allow each brand to stand on its own, to build its equity, to develop its own loyal following and to earn that trust with the customer. If you do that, you are going to be able to protect yourself better competitively against premium brand promotions and advertising.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.storebrands.info/store-brand-insights/special-features/name-brand\" target=\"_blank\">Store Brands Magazine</a>', 'Name That Brand', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'name-that-brand', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/name-that-brand', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2167, 1, '2016-04-22 15:01:11', '2016-04-22 15:01:11', 'For practical purposes, we all consider convenience stores to belong to one retail sector and drug stores to another. In a very real sense, however, the modern chain drug store is a c-store.Convenience is the raison d’être for the extraordinarily well-positioned real estate of the drug store sector as a whole. The strategy, of course, is to create one-stop-shopping destinations for neighborhood customers who already need to visit the store to pick up prescriptions. In this model, the role of the pharmacy is roughly analogous to that of the gas pump at c-stores — it is the primary traffic driver.\r\n\r\nBut in case you haven’t noticed, traditional c-stores are coming into their own with strategies that substantially augment this approach. The idea is not just to ramp up productivity by offering more reasons to walk into the store; it is to elevate the experience in order to cement brand loyalty and drive repeat visits.\r\n\r\nWhen you walk into a chain drug store today, is there anything novel or exciting about the experience? How does the overall atmosphere make you feel? “Experiential” is the biggest buzzword by far in all sectors of retail today. Yet, the experience in our drug stores has remained remarkably cookie-cutter (with a few exceptions). Often, a customer simply walks into a wall of end-cap fixtures.\r\n\r\nC-stores, by contrast, have shown a greater willingness to experiment with their formats. When Wawa moved into Florida, the Pennsylvania-based chain scored a big hit with its use of “fresh” decorating cues such as natural materials, floor-to-ceiling glass windows to provide inside-out retailing, warm colors, outdoor seating areas, and highly visible kitchen and sandwich-making areas. For many in the Sunshine State, this elevated offering, with its fresh-baked bread and signature coffee presentation, was truly novel.\r\n\r\nOther examples of this approach (and there are many) include Argentina’s Axion Spot! Café, which is a c-store designed around an authentic café experience, or Eastern Europe’s MOL Fresh Corner stores, which offer fresh food and branded coffee. Back home, some West Coast c-stores even sell gourmet tacos from outdoor food carts. The point here is not just to give people something new to eat — it is to add theater.\r\n\r\nNational chain drug stores can, and should, raise their game as well. That means finding viable ways to enliven today’s cookie-cutter experiences. Of course, it would be impossible for a chain with 1,200 stores to offer a thoroughly unique experience at each location. However, bringing some degree of localization to individual stores — especially those in distinct locales with high traffic — is doable.\r\n\r\nThis is about more than swapping out seasonal merchandising. Bringing in sand toy and beach chair displays over the summer is not localization, and since everyone does it, this is hardly an effective tactic. Localization requires a willingness to decentralize and collaborate with store managers to stock select merchandise that speaks directly to the needs and priorities of local shoppers.\r\n\r\nKnowing the neighborhood firsthand is a critical part of the localization process, because numbers alone can be misleading. Years ago, when Virgin Entertainment was planning a megastore for Union Square in Manhattan, the merchandise was originally programmed around classical music. Online research and stats for the neighborhood indicated a wealthier, older demographic. And yet half-a-dozen colleges and universities surrounded the Union Square store.\r\n\r\nWhy had the software failed to record these young people? They were not “permanent residents” and, thus, not included in demographic research. After realizing this oversight, Virgin reprogrammed the store around rock and world music.\r\n\r\nNew York City pharmacy chain Duane Reade is one player that has sought to bring local angles to its stores through a rebranding initiative. In Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood — where you’ll find no shortage of craft beer hot spots such as Threes Brewing, The Brooklyn Brewery, Beer Boutique and Mugs Ale House — it was a logical choice for Duane Reade to add a craft beer growler bar to its reinvented store. In Downtown Manhattan, though, Duane Reade’s research showed that customers were particularly in need of high-quality fast food, available on the go. Here a sushi bar made the most sense.\r\n\r\nWalk into certain Seattle-area Bartell Drugs locations, and you’ll find end-of-aisle displays featuring what might seem to be an unusual item: Spam, the kitschy meat product by Hormel, most loved by Hawaiians. Given its relative proximity to Hawaii, Seattle has a relatively large population of native Hawaiian islanders. So Bartell moved to meet this demand in a way that highlighted its grasp of local culture.\r\n\r\nAlong the same lines, Bartell made sure to prominently display products by Seattle-based Theo’s Chocolate as a way to help localize its stores. These higher-end products were given an elevated and centered presentation, with more mainstream candies still accessible on the racks below.\r\n\r\nIn the old days, Bartell was a soda shop that was popular up and down the West Coast. To localize a South Lake Union store popular with Seattle urbanites, Bartell took advantage of the store’s classic long bar and bar stools by partnering with a local ice creamery and gelato store. Now customers can stroll in, order a root beer float or a sarsaparilla, and have the kind of experience that you just can’t find at every chain drug store.\r\n\r\nImprovements in the customer experience need not always be rooted in local history and character. Duane Reade, for example, supplemented greeting cards from its core American Greetings brand with an attractive branded display by that company’s higher-end Papyrus unit, supplier of better-quality cards, gifts and stationery. Small touches such as this add up quickly. Suddenly, your store has more cachet.\r\n\r\nThe fundamentals of retail design also matter — especially given that the rest of retail is so obsessed with ramping up the customer experience.\r\n\r\nAt better American c-stores, the “stack it high” merchandizing model is gone, replaced with shorter gondolas that give the place a lighter, airier feel. In addition to making the coolers more visible, this helps female customers feel safer and more comfortable. And yet in the drug store business we still find 7-foot-tall gondolas that tower over shoppers and block critical sight lines. How can we ramp up beauty sales if female customers consciously or unconsciously feel unsafe to linger on the beauty aisle?\r\n\r\nFinally, U.S. drug stores could find new sources of inspiration by studying how the customer experience is evolving in international markets. In Brazil, for example, one chain is already working with designers to better integrate into the flow of its stores the experience of visiting a medical technician for an immunization.\r\n\r\nToday, as major drug chains continue to add walk-in clinics to their stores, they could do more to integrate this growing focus on consultative health, wellness and medical services into the customer journey. Specifically, there is potential here to create consultation spaces (served by relevant merchandise displays) that communicate on-brand messages to consumers.\r\n\r\nA clinic need not feel overly clinical. Open designs with reassuring colors, wellness-oriented visuals and other flourishes can create a pleasing experience. This is especially important if a wait is likely to be part of the journey.\r\n\r\nOf course, facilitating customer interaction with pharmacists and wellness ambassadors should be central to these efforts — and a number of U.S. chains have already made strides in this area.\r\n\r\nAt older stores, high counters between pharmacists and patients created an unwelcome barrier. Duane Reade, for one, embraced lower counters in order to restore a sense of personal connection.\r\n\r\nWith about 30,000 chain drug stores in the United States alone, the top chains already create retail experiences for millions of people. There is tremendous opportunity at every touch point to convey brand messages, cement customer loyalty and increase foot traffic and sales in location-appropriate merchandise. Duane Reade’s Growler Bar would never have worked if it was not the right strategy from the start. And yet all too often the experience of shopping at a drug store feels functional and flat.\r\n\r\nIf drug stores were islands unto themselves, they could afford to stay the same. Don’t allow your competitors to eat your lunch. It’s time to differentiate.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.chaindrugreview.com/how-chain-drug-stores-can-stand-out-from-the-crowd/\" target=\"_blank\">Chain Drug Review</a>', 'How Chain Drug Stores Can Stand Out From the Crowd', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'how-chain-drug-stores-can-stand-out-from-the-crowd', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/how-chain-drug-stores-can-stand-out-from-the-crowd', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2168, 1, '2016-04-27 17:39:42', '2016-04-27 17:39:42', 'Saks Fifth Avenue is pleased to reveal details regarding the relocation of its store within The Galleria in Houston, TX. The new, 200,000 square foot, two-level Saks Fifth Avenue store is expected to open on April 28.\r\n“This store demonstrates our commitment to the important Houston market. It’s so exciting to be able to bring the new, luxurious and modern Saks to Houston. We are thrilled to be able to better serve our customers – both current and new – in a store that exemplifies our commitment to offering our customers the latest fashions and the most personalized service,” commented Marc Metrick, President of Saks Fifth Avenue.\r\n\r\nDesigned in partnership with CBX, the new location boasts 20,000 square feet more than the existing store, providing space to showcase the second largest beauty and fragrance department in the Saks Fifth Avenue portfolio, including an all-new 10022-SHOE department. Many additional designers will be showcased throughout the store and an enhanced Fifth Avenue Club, with eight private shopping suites, will also be featured.\r\n\r\nThe store will also offer the Personal Service Experience, bringing the best of Saks Fifth Avenue to customers via a custom Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which will travel directly to a client’s home, office, or hotel room. 51Fifteen Restaurant &amp; Lounge, a local favorite recognized for its distinctive cuisine, will join Saks Fifth Avenue in opening in the new location, serving both lunch and dinner. In addition to private dining, an active bar will wrap the staircase in the center of the first floor.\r\n\r\nOriginally published on <a href=\"http://www3.hbc.com/press-release-container/saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston/\" target=\"_blank\">HBC.com</a>', 'Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils Plans for New Store in Houston', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2169, 1, '2016-04-28 15:32:29', '2016-04-28 15:32:29', 'Have you ever wished you could punctuate a group text between agency creatives with a tiny Lucky the Leprechaun or Ronald McDonald emoji, but there’s none to be found? Yeah, me too.\r\nWhile it’s not likely that we’ll be seeing brand icons included on our emoji roster anytime soon (we only just got tacos, after all), there are some mascots ad executives mutually agree deserve their own tiny icons. More than just being clever or cute, translating these 10 past and present favorites into their own emojis offers up a wealth of creative ways to use them in the agency world.\r\n\r\n<strong>1. Kool-Aid Man</strong>\r\n\r\n“Oh, yeah!” Rebecca Lysen, Creative Director at Phear Creative, says that the Kool-Aid Man’s tagline and image makes the perfect emoji for all those moments when you want to break into the conversation because you’ve got stuff to talk about.\r\n\r\nHe would also be the welcome mat of emojis, if you will. Ashley Purdum, Phear Creative’s Director of PR, would opt to use him when someone new is added on a group text to show the team’s excitement.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Lefty</strong>\r\n\r\nDustin Longstreth, SVP and Strategy Group Director at CBX points out that Hamburger Helper’s Lefty has proved that he can rap after dropping a solid mix. Now it’s time for him to lend his infamous helping hand for moments where you need to “get it done.”\r\n\r\n<strong>3. The Siren</strong>\r\n\r\nAt Steel Branding, Director of Media Strategy Lara Baskin casts her vote for the infamous Starbucks mermaid to get her own emoji. Even if she’s not *technically* a brand mascot, she still deserves one because, coffee.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Mr. Peanut</strong>\r\n\r\nAbby Allsop, Account Supervisor at Leo Burnett and Planters, says that Mr. Peanut’s 100 years of continued fame has more to do beyond being a beloved salty snack. It easily translates into an emoji with pizazz. “With his quick wit, charm, and style, his emoji would be universal. Having a conversation about attire? Mr. Peanut’s top hat, monocle, and cane will quickly communicate that you have all the class needed. Trying to impress someone with your quick wit? The Mr. Peanut emoji can be the universal sign of ‘Damn, I’m funny!’ And not only does he have these wonderful qualities, but Mr. P can also be the icon for when you’re feeling a little \'nutty.’”\r\n\r\nWell said, Abby. The fact that this particular peanut is voiced by Robert Downey Jr. doesn’t hurt either.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Energizer Bunny</strong>\r\n\r\nOr, as Purdum notes, the brand mascot emoji everyone deserves for meetings that just. Won’t. End.\r\n\r\n<strong>6. Charlie the Tuna</strong>\r\n\r\nSam Panico, Associate Creative Director at Gatesman+Dave, actually works with the StarKist account which naturally lends the need to insert a little “Sorry Charlie” emoji in emails or texts. But who couldn’t use a hipster tuna for a little shorthand declining every now and then?\r\n\r\n<strong>7. Rich Money Pennybags</strong>\r\n\r\nAKA the guy in the top hat from Monopoly. Lily Croll, Strategy Director at the digital agency Wire Stone, brings up the excellent point that no other brand mascot emoji-fied could celebrate payday better than him.\r\n\r\n<strong>8. Chiquita Banana</strong>\r\n\r\nNoelle Mulholland, Account Executive at Phear Creative, says this is the brand mascot answer to the red dress dancing girl emoji. You could use her for moments where sass is required in the commentary or to punctuate that you’re heading on a vacation.\r\n\r\n<strong>9. Pillsbury Doughboy</strong>\r\n\r\nFor all the moments in life that require a silly little “hoo hoo!” giggle, as Eric Trow, VP of Strategic Services at Gatesman+Dave explains it.\r\n\r\n<strong>10. Tony the Tiger</strong>\r\n\r\nYou could see this brand mascot coming from a mile away — always handy to have for when something’s “GRRRRREAAAAAT!”\r\n\r\nWhich icon do you think deserves their own emoji?\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.advertisingweek.com/360/article/-10-ad-icons-who-deserve-their-own-emojis\" target=\"_blank\">Advertising Week</a>', '10 Ad Icons Who Deserve Their Own Emojis', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '10-ad-icons-who-deserve-their-own-emojis', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:10', '2018-09-27 17:42:10', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/10-ad-icons-who-deserve-their-own-emojis', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2170, 1, '2015-11-02 21:48:49', '2015-11-02 21:48:49', '<strong>Brand refresh puts convenience-store retailer front and center for growth</strong>\r\nIt’s Millers time.\r\n\r\nMiller Oil Co., Norfolk, Va., is part-way through a dramatic facelift for its convenience stores, one that will place its own store brand front and center. “If you look at the progressive marketers out there, everyone is trying to stay current and relevant,” president Jeff Miller told CSP Daily News. “Part of it is value, part of it is product selection and part of it is image. We’ve put off the image part for quite a while, and now we’re finally addressing it.”\r\n\r\nThe journey started on the forecourt. Some of Miller’s major-oil branding contracts were expiring, and the retailer saw it as an opportunity to expand its private brand. The 50-site chain competes with the likes of Wawa, RaceTrac, Royal Farms and 7-Eleven, and so building up the Millers brand is key. Miller points to a site on the campus of Old Dominion University, which sells Shell-branded fuel, as an example.\r\n\r\n“You could probably walk through campus and ask kids about Millers. Some would know it was there, some not,” he said. “Ask about the Shell and they would say, ‘Oh yeah!’\r\n\r\n“We have been working very hard to build inside sales,” he continued. “And it’s really hard to get traction on that when people don’t know you’re there.”\r\n\r\nMiller Oil hired retail design consultancy CBX to spearhead the refresh, which started with the brand logo. The original, red-and-yellow Millers Neighborhood Market design first debuted around 1998, and was starting to show its age. Customers also found the name a bit of a mouthful, so it was shortened to “Millers.”\r\n\r\nCBX and Miller kept the same script and red as a primary color, although this time used is as the backdrop. “We wanted it to be an evolution, not a change,” Miller explained. The design team also dropped the “swoosh” in the original Millers logo, a surprisingly controversial move because of how much the retailer’s management team liked it.\r\n\r\n“The problem with the swoosh, especially when it came to canopy treatments, is it forced you to have a much smaller logo to get the swoosh to fit in, or you needed to customize it so the swoosh fit in above the canopy,” said Miller. “One day I said, ‘You know what—we need to come to a conclusion here, and we really want to get most exposure we can out of signage these days, get the biggest logo we can get, so we let the swoosh go.”\r\n\r\nThe next move was to update the fuel island with the new logo and graphics. To provide a cohesive look across the chain, the CBX team designed special pump wraps for the two different models of dispensers. Miller is gradually installing new Ovation pumps from Wayne Fueling Systems with the inOvationTV media platform.\r\n\r\nAround this time, one site in Hampton, Va., near the Hampton Coliseum, was going through a raise-and-rebuild. This provided a great opening for a refresh inside of the store, where the new focus is refreshment. As soon as a customer enters, they see the fountain. Miller is testing fountain taps for carbonated beverages. Four taps each offer four soda choices. The fountain also offers chewable and cubed ice. Reach-in coolers with fresh food are positioned on either side of the store entrance, complementing Millers’ cobranded offers—Dunkin Donuts at this particular site, and Subway, Dairy Queen, Arby’s and Huddle House at many of the others.\r\n\r\nThe refreshed sites will also have new EMV-compliant VeriFone Topaz point of sales Commander site controllers.\r\n\r\nAcross the rest of its 26 sites, Miller is refreshing the forecourt first, and then inside the store. Four thus far have the new forecourt look, with 16 to go.\r\n\r\nTen locations remain under branding contracts, and Miller said they have their place, especially on the interstate, where the major flag helps draw in customers from out of the area. But locally, the retailer sees greater leverage and potential in the Millers store and fuel brand.\r\n\r\n“We needed to make a change and get more competitive,” said Miller. “Now on the Miller sites, it really allows us to get into the game.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.cspdailynews.com/industry-news-analysis/marketing-strategies/articles/millers-lets-swoosh-go\" target=\"_blank\">CSP</a>', 'Millers Lets the \'Swoosh\' Go', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'millers-lets-the-swoosh-go', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/millers-lets-the-swoosh-go', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2171, 1, '2016-05-04 14:26:58', '2016-05-04 14:26:58', 'LIA has announced the first stand-alone jury recognizing the importance of verbal branding. The 2016 LIA Verbal Identity Jury will focus on the assets of a brand that relate to naming, phrasing, and communications. It is being introduced as a medium for this year\'s awards, after serving as a category under the Design medium in 2015.\r\nThe inaugural jury president will be Chris West, managing director of the London-based brand consultancy, Verbal Identity Ltd.\r\n\r\nSays West: \"I am honoured to be the president of the Verbal Identity Jury at the 2016 LIA Awards, with a Jury that consists of some of the world\'s most respected creators and users of powerful brand language today. Like Steve Martin said: \'Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way.\'\"\r\n\r\nWest launched the verbal brand strategy consultancy Verbal Identity in 2013, accumulating a number of high-profile clients from the luxury goods, technology, cosmetics, brewing and automotive industries, including the House of Alexander McQueen, Fred Perry, SABMiller, Hunter and Staples. He started his career in the 90s as a highly-awarded copywriter working at Saatchi, BBH, Leagas Delaney, RKCR and Mother, and claims authorship of two \'Billion Dollar lines\' (\"You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation,\" and Pringles\' \"Once you pop, you can\'t stop,\").\r\n\r\n2016 Verbal Identity Jury:\r\nRachel Bernard, VP, Director of Verbal Strategy, CBX, New York\r\nSean Doyle, Owner, Panic, London\r\nAmanda Liu, VP &amp; Creative Director, Labbrand Brand Innovations, Shanghai\r\nSteve Martin, Director, Eat Creative, Tokyo\r\nBen Zimmer, Language Columnist, Wall Street Journal, Jersey City\r\n\r\nCategories in this medium include:\r\nCampaign Tagline/Endline - The creation of a single line/phrase, that is consistently applied across all or most of the brand\'s/product\'s communications, and which is designed to sum up the communications so as to become a shorthand for the brand\'s positioning.\r\nNaming - The creation of a new brand or product name that suggests the soul and positioning of a new product or brand in an evocative and memorable way.\r\nTone of Voice - The development of a character-rich and relevant voice for a product or brand in its written and/or spoken communications.\r\nUse of Copywriting\r\n\r\nAll companies and/or individuals involved in the creative process are eligible to enter.\r\nFor more information on submissions and eligibility: Eligibility.\r\n\r\nWork submitted must be broadcast, published or released in a commercial environment with client approval between 1st July 2015 and 31st July 2016.\r\n\r\nOriginally posted by <a href=\"http://www.campaignbriefasia.com/2016/05/lia-reveals-new-verbal-identit.html?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+campaignbriefasia+%28Campaign+Brief+Asia%29\" target=\"_blank\">Campaign Brief Asia</a>', 'LIA Reveals New Verbal Identity Category', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lia-reveals-new-verbal-identity-category', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/lia-reveals-new-verbal-identity-category', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2172, 1, '2016-05-04 14:01:31', '2016-05-04 14:01:31', 'CBX rebranded Avalon Organics, a line of organic beauty products. The agency reframed the brand with the Personal Care team at Hain Celestial. In addition to creating new packaging, design and nomenclature systems for Avalon\'s five product lines, the team built a brand book; clarified Avalon Organics brand personality; and conducted internal training to support writing around the new master brand. New packaging designed for Avalon Organics\' shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and other products – including those belonging to its Intense Defense and Wrinkle Therapy lines – are now available nationwide. \"We did a wholesale change from the Avalon Organics brand\'s previous look, although we did preserve important equities such as the green bottle color,\" said Rick Barrack, chief creative officer and founding partner. \"We wanted to make a big deal out of transparency and owning the brand colors for more impact at shelf. It\'s a crowded category, so brand-blocking was important.\"\r\nOriginally posted by <a href=\"http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/275119/biz-dev-cbx-rebrands-avalon-organics.html\" target=\"_blank\">MediaPost</a>', 'BIZ DEV: CBX Rebrands Avalon Organics', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'biz-dev-cbx-rebrands-avalon-organics', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:34', '2018-09-27 17:56:34', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/biz-dev-cbx-rebrands-avalon-organics', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2173, 1, '2016-04-29 14:09:45', '2016-04-29 14:09:45', 'On Thursday, Saks Fifth Avenue opened the doors to its new Houston store, located in The Galleria entertainment complex.\r\nThere to cut the ribbon on the new department store were Saks president Marc Metrick, chief merchant Tracy Margolies, EVP of stores Larry Bruce and Houston VP and GM Bobby Dees.\r\n\r\nIn the lead-up to the opening, the retailer held special events with the city’s movers and shakers to mark the occasion. On Tuesday, it teamed up with Town &amp; Country to host a private dinner attended by designer Erdem Moralioglu, opera singer Ana María Martínez and Houston socialites Lynn Wyatt and Isabel David. And on Wednesday, Saks invited more than 1,000 guests to a cocktail party and preview of the new Galleria store.\r\n\r\nSaks’ 200,000-sq.-ft. location in The Galleria was designed by CBX Agency in New York and represents a significant expansion from its previous Houston store, which closed earlier this month.\r\n\r\nNew additions to the brand roster include Proenza Schouler and Dries van Noten. The new store also will feature a Christian Louboutin boutique and a reimagined 10022-SHOE department.\r\n\r\nDees told FN sister publication WWD earlier this year that despite the economic slowdown in Texas, Saks is upbeat about the region.“You can’t foresee the economy, but we know over time the local economy will get better,” he said. “We are optimistic about Houston, and we are focused on being the best retailer we can be.”\r\n\r\nOriginally posted by <a href=\"http://footwearnews.com/2016/business/retail/saks-fifth-avenue-houston-galleria-store-opening-216751/\" target=\"_blank\">Footwear News</a>', 'Saks Celebrates Opening of Houston Store', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-celebrates-opening-of-houston-store', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-celebrates-opening-of-houston-store', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2174, 1, '2016-05-05 14:28:06', '2016-05-05 14:28:06', 'After months of planning and prepping, Saks Fifth Avenue closed up shop at 5115 Westheimer Road for new and improved digs — swapping 5115 for 5175. And despite being a mere three-tenths of a mile from the original location, Saks’ transformed space transports customers to a palatial emporium of luxury that Houston’s never seen. The store was designed by Saks Fifth Avenue Store Design and Planning Team in collaboration with CBX.  Feast your eyes on the new Saks Fifth Avenue.\r\nOriginally posted by <a href=\"http://www.papercitymag.com/style/houston-new-luxury-palace-inside-new-saks-fifth-avenue-galleria-store/#54301\" target=\"_blank\">PaperCity</a>', 'Houston’s New Luxury Palace: Inside The New Galleria-Changing Store', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'houstons-new-luxury-palace-inside-the-new-galleria-changing-store', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/houstons-new-luxury-palace-inside-the-new-galleria-changing-store', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2175, 1, '2016-02-10 14:28:22', '2016-02-10 14:28:22', 'New brands, exclusive boutiques and sleek, sophisticated design are on deck at Saks Fifth Avenue’s new Galleria store, debuting this spring.\r\nOpening in the Galleria in 1997, the current Saks Fifth Avenue Houston is a monument to mall culture—the monolithic limestone façade facing Westheimer is basically a temple dedicated to luxury shopping. But almost as soon as Saks was installed in the mall, consumer tastes changed. Malls have been challenged for shopping supremacy by open-concept shopping centers like River Oaks District. High-end shoppers began to demand a experience that included luxury finishings and details in keeping with the price tags of the goods on display. Younger customers preferred boutiques over megastores.\r\n\r\nTo respond to a changing retail environment, Saks Fifth Avenue has unveiled detailed plans of its new Galleria department store, gathering media for a comprehensive presentation on Tuesday evening. The big news is that the new store will open on April 28, with the current space closing at the end of the day on April 20 to facilitate the move.\r\n\r\n“This is the biggest move of its type that Saks has ever done,” said Bobby Dees, vice president and general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue Houston. “It’s going to be a very special store.”\r\n\r\nThe present Saks Fifth Avenue Houston is one of the most successful stores in the company—it typically ranks third in sales volume, after the New York and Beverly Hills stores, though it’s fallen to fourth during the current construction. The new store is set to surpass even those numbers at 20,000 square feet larger, with the biggest footprint and volume of any Saks outside of Manhattan.\r\n\r\nDesigned by Saks’ in-house team along with CBX, the renderings present a store infused with rich, non-retail finishes, including a spiral staircase to the second floor and a clean color palette in shades of white, from whitewashed woods to marble.\r\n\r\nBut the biggest change is not the fixtures, it’s the layout, which radically rethinks what a department store should look like. Instead of big, open spaces, Saks is rolling out individual boutiques inside the store for its most prestigious brand partners, making it almost like a mall inside a mall, but with cohesive service and only-in-department-store perks. Among the 22 dedicated shops in women’s designer apparel, to be located on the second floor, are Dries Van Noten, Alaïa, Alexander McQueen, Proenza Schouler, Chloé, Altazarra, Fendi, Etro and Lanvin.\r\n\r\nOn the first floor—there will only be two levels, Dees notes, because research has shown shoppers don’t tend to venture up past the second floor—the entrance will be flanked by the luxury sector’s two big moneymakers: women’s shoes and handbags. The former will include a Christian Louboutin boutique, the first of its kind outside the New York store, and Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dior will be among the handbag boutiques.\r\n\r\nWithin the cosmetics and fragrance department will be the “crown jewel” of the store, with all counters expanded into, again, boutique-like spaces. The biggest of these will be the Chanel beauty boutique, though the most prestigious might be the forthcoming Gucci beauty boutique, the first time the coveted beauty line will be available in Texas, and one of only five points of distribution for the brand in the United States.\r\n\r\nThe men’s department will also be on the first floor, divided from the cosmetics department by Bar 12, described as a casual gathering space. It was designed by Nina Magon of Contour Interior Design, as was the new 51Fifteen restaurant on the second floor.\r\n\r\n“There’s a lot of white, grey, black and brass, ” said Magon. “We wanted it to be modern but everlasting.” The renderings show a clean and sophisticated space, festooned in marble with an eye-catching field of three-dimensional white tulips hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant will have two private dining spaces and its own entrance from the two-story garage beneath Saks for functions outside of store hours.\r\n\r\nThe new Saks Fifth Avenue Houston will be inaugurated by a series of preview events, including a Houston Grand Opera VIP dinner on April 26 and a kickoff for M.D. Anderson’s 75 anniversary on April 27 in advance of the ribbon-cutting on April 28. All three events will feature British designer Erdem Moralioglu of Erdem—a favorite of Kate Middleton—in his first visit to Houston.\r\n\r\nLet’s just say, as spring awakenings go, this one is pretty big.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2016/2/10/saks-fifth-avenue-rethinking-department-store\" target=\"_blank\">Houstonia Magazine</a>', 'Saks Fifth Avenue Is Radically Rethinking the Department Store', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-is-radically-rethinking-the-department-store', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-is-radically-rethinking-the-department-store', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2176, 1, '2016-04-26 15:22:16', '2016-04-26 15:22:16', 'The team at Houston\'s Saks Fifth Avenue is in the final stages of preparing for the store\'s anticipated April 28 opening date.\r\nDisplays are laid out, and apparel from high-end designers like Alexander McQueen, Carolina Herrera, Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford are on the hangers. The Houston Business Journal got a sneak peek of the new, expanded building. Take a tour in the video.\r\n\r\nSee the full video on <a href=\"http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2016/04/sneak-peek-inside-houstons-new-saks-fifth-avenue.html\">Houston Business Journal</a>', 'Sneak Peek: Inside Houston\'s New Saks Fifth Avenue (Video)', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sneak-peek-inside-houstons-new-saks-fifth-avenue-video', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:48', '2018-09-27 17:58:48', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/sneak-peek-inside-houstons-new-saks-fifth-avenue-video', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2177, 1, '2016-05-05 17:13:40', '2016-05-05 17:13:40', '<strong>Firm cited in from Graphic Design USA’s American Package Design Awards 2016 and Vertex Awards competitions. </strong>\r\nCBX, the brand agency and retail design consultancy, was honored for its work on behalf of a variety of clients in Graphic Design USA’s 2016 American Package Design Awards and The Vertex Awards, a global competition devoted exclusively to the art of private brand package design.\r\n\r\nThe American Package Design Awards, a national design competition conducted by the editors of Graphic Design USA, recognized CBX for its work on behalf of Proctor &amp; Gamble’s The Art of Shaving Lexington Razor in the Beauty and Personal Care category, and for the redesign of TOMY’s The First Years line of infant and child products in the Babies &amp; Children category.\r\n\r\nIn the Vertex program, CBX was recognized in the Redesigned Brand Category with Silver and Bronze awards, respectively, for its work on BJ’s Wholesale Club’s Berkley Jensen line of laundry detergents and fabric softeners, and BJ’s Wellsley Farms grocery items. The Vertex Awards were created by Christopher Durham, the founder of My Private Brand and the vice president of retail brands at Theory House, and Phil Russo, the publisher of Global Retail Brands. Entries are judged by a panel of industry experts from around the world, with awards based on creativity, marketability, and innovation.\r\n\r\n<strong>See the work:</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Taos_IL_5397_B.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9770 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Taos_IL_5397_B-1024x721.jpg\" alt=\"Taos_IL_5397_B\" width=\"1024\" height=\"721\" /></a><strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/First_Years_IL_5339_B.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9262 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/First_Years_IL_5339_B-1024x648.jpg\" alt=\"First_Years_IL_5339_B\" width=\"1024\" height=\"648\" /></a></strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BJ_Laundry_00070v1_RGB_Edit_HiRes.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9771 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BJ_Laundry_00070v1_RGB_Edit_HiRes-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"BJ_Laundry_00070v1_RGB_Edit_HiRes\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/4_WF_dried_fruit_HR.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9772 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/4_WF_dried_fruit_HR-1024x704.jpg\" alt=\"4_WF_dried_fruit_HR\" width=\"1024\" height=\"704\" /></a>', 'CBX Wins Multiple Honors In Top Package Design Competitions', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-wins-multiple-honors-in-top-package-design-competitions', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:04', '2018-09-27 17:58:04', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-wins-multiple-honors-in-top-package-design-competitions', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2178, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '', 'daytime-view', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'daytime-view', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '', 1771, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/daytime-view.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2179, 1, '2016-05-09 18:17:06', '2016-05-09 18:17:06', 'A new line of organic beans is breaking through the \"sea of sameness\" in the organic shelf-stable vegetables category through the use of a stand-up pouch decorated with fresh and fun illustrations. The five varieties of beans in pouches were launched by startup company Green Valley Foods, LLC out of Salem, OR, in October 2015 along with four canned bean varieties, one canned pumpkin product, and three canned seasonal vegetables - all with the same lively graphics.\r\n\"Green Valley wanted to create packaging that disrupted the aisle, but also captured a younger, health-conscious audience: the adventurous, better-for-you Millennial Mom,\" says Pete Chieffo, Associate Creative Director for CBX, the firm responsible for designing the package graphics. \"The canned category relied on a gritty, natural palette of earth tones and farm cues. While these cue the natural organic aspect shoppers are looking for, there wasn\'t anything that spoke to our target\'s desire to make food fun and creative for her family.\"\r\n\r\nThrough research involving both East and West Coast Millennial Moms, Green Valley and CBX learned that organics had changed over the past several years, \"with Millennials expecting their organic brands to match their optimistic and adventurous lifestyle, rather than traditional organic category cues,\" says Chieffo.\r\n\r\nAdds CBX CEO and Managing Partner Gregg S. Lipman, \"We saw that there was an opportunity here for something innovative and differentiated. The \'classic\' organic cures were no longer on the menu. We were on a mission to create a vibrant, playful, honest offering that would spark optimism and creativity, catering to today\'s busy but conscious consumers.\"\r\n\r\nThe first and greatest differentiator is the use of a 15.5-oz stand-up pouch with a tear notch at the top for five varieties of beans. Graphics for the pouches and cans include illustrations of a green valley, vibrant veggies, and purple mountains, topped by a yellow sun orb, along with simple typography. \"We wanted the fonts to feel hand-drawn with character, right from the farmer\'s hand,\" Chieffo says. \"The depiction of the beans and veggies was a take on \'farm to table,\' with a modern edge, elevating the product with a top-down shot.\" The back of the packages contain recipes.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.packworld.com/sites/default/files/digital_edition/AprilPW2016/PW0416_combined_opt/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging World</a>', 'Bean Pouches Present a New Take on Organics', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'bean-pouches-present-a-new-take-on-organics-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:34', '2018-09-27 17:56:34', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/bean-pouches-present-a-new-take-on-organics-2', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2180, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '', 'Duane-Reade_UpMarket_D_Hires-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'duane-reade_upmarket_d_hires-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '2018-09-27 16:54:12', '', 1772, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/Duane-Reade_UpMarket_D_Hires-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0);
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(2181, 1, '2016-05-11 15:09:28', '2016-05-11 15:09:28', 'Convenience store chain Kum &amp; Go has embraced a stylish new design with the launch of the Kum &amp; Go Marketplace in Johnston, Iowa. The 6,000-sq.-ft. store is the prototype of a new brand concept designed by New York-based retail design consultancy CBX.\r\nAn open-kitchen concept is the centerpiece of the new store, putting food prep on display for customers. White subway tiles, marble-like countertops, and stainless trim also make a striking impression. The new store also promotes the brand’s refreshing look with an 8-foot-tall ampersand gracing the façade. The new logo, designed by Des Moines-based studio Sticks, projects Kum &amp; Go well beyond the curb.\r\n\r\n“This new footprint represents everything that Kum &amp; Go strives to be for our associates and for our customers,” says Kyle Krause, president and CEO. “This is the evolution of our brand promise and business approach. Now customers can truly experience the ‘more’ that we provide.”\r\n\r\nHeadquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, Kum &amp; Go operates 430 stores in 11 states. The brand plans to launch its new design throughout 2016 in 28 additional locations.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/news/retail/Kum-Go-Debuts-New-Store-Concept-in-Iowa-26006.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>', 'Kum & Go Debuts New Store Concept in Iowa', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'kum-go-debuts-new-store-concept-in-iowa', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/kum-go-debuts-new-store-concept-in-iowa', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2182, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:13', '2018-09-27 16:54:13', '', 'Aloha_pressrelease_2012-2', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'aloha_pressrelease_2012-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:13', '2018-09-27 16:54:13', '', 1774, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/Aloha_pressrelease_2012-2.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2183, 8, '2016-05-16 14:14:15', '2016-05-16 14:14:15', 'When Italian design house <a href=\"https://www.moschino.com/us?gclid=CKe9w76f18wCFVdahgodxLYO6g&amp;tp=111641\" target=\"_blank\">Moschino</a> swiped the look of a <a href=\"https://www.moschino.com/us/fragrance_cod62000819hg.html?gclid=CKe9w76f18wCFVdahgodxLYO6g&amp;tp=111641\" target=\"_blank\">Windex bottle for its Fresh Couture</a> luxury perfume earlier this year, the oxymoronic twist felt familiar to educated elites who can spend $82 for 3.4 ounces of eau de toilette.\r\nAfter all, the unexpected elevation—everything from <a href=\"https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/98.291?gclid=CKe9w76f18wCFVdahgodxLYO6g&amp;tp=111641\" target=\"_blank\">Duchamp’s 1917 “Fountain,”</a> to <a href=\"https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-1962?gclid=CKe9w76f18wCFVdahgodxLYO6g&amp;tp=111641\" target=\"_blank\">Warhol’s 1962 “Campbell’s Soup Cans,”</a> to <a href=\"http://www.magneticstate.com/blogdept/damien-hirst-physical-impossibility-death-shark/?gclid=CKe9w76f18wCFVdahgodxLYO6g&amp;tp=111641\" target=\"_blank\">Damien Hirst’s dead tiger shark in formaldehyde</a>—is now such a part of the art world that it is ... well, expected.\r\n\r\nReversals such as these are now part of high fashion, too. Moschino’s Jeremy Scott, in particular, is known for appropriating the language of the masses. Past Moschino collections have included fashions that looked like Hershey’s chocolate bars, bottles of Budweiser, McDonald’s “Happy Meals” or even the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants. In addition to the Windex-like spray bottle, Moschino’s 2016 spring-summer collection riffs on rubber gloves, car wash brushes and feather dusters—all of which are everyday items that hinge on manual labor.\r\n\r\nIt’s all just artsy, tongue-in-cheek fun, right?\r\n\r\nIn an America that has given rise to the xenophobic rants of @RealDonaldTrump and open discussion of “class wars,” maybe not.\r\n\r\nWhen I saw Fresh Couture’s Windex-inspired trade dress, my first thought was of Americans who actually use the product to clean their own windows and mirrors. How would they feel about über-expensive perfume designed to look like multipurpose spray? I imagined a situation in which the tables were turned and mainstream consumer brands appropriated the trade dress of those brands most-favored by the elite. Louis Vuitton-inspired dog food, anyone? Iced tea influenced by the elegance of Chanel? And yes, nothing really says sophisticated like Tiffany-esque toilet tissue.\r\n\r\nBloggers and fashion reporters love Moschino’s campaigns and tend to use language like “bold, brash and ingenious” or “pitch perfect” to describe them. These campaigns, too, are on-brand for Moschino, which sees itself as a rebel among rebels. However, high-end brands happen to serve dual functions. Yes, they make existing elites feel secure in who they are, but they also encourage the rest of country to aspire toward something “better.” Given this troubling dynamic, worthy as it is of the Gilded Age, shouldn’t the 1 percent at least refrain from mocking the likes of Budweiser, Windex and Hershey’s? However harmless and innocent you believe your intentions to be, you cannot lampoon these mainline brands without simultaneously looking down upon those who use them.\r\n\r\nIn contemplating Moschino’s latest stunt, I couldn’t help but think of the wig-and-powder aristocrats in “The History of the World Part 1,” Mel Brooks’ 1981 farce. “The people are revolting,” intones the Count De Money (Harvey Korman), who grows increasingly exasperated at the frequent mispronunciation of his last name. It’s supposed to sound like Monet, the count explains. You know, the artist.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CBX_mockingmainstreambrands_april2016_01.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9785 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CBX_mockingmainstreambrands_april2016_01.jpeg\" alt=\"CBX_mockingmainstreambrands_april2016_01\" width=\"792\" height=\"612\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CBX_mockingmainstreambrands_april2016_03.jpeg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9787 size-full\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CBX_mockingmainstreambrands_april2016_03.jpeg\" alt=\"CBX_mockingmainstreambrands_april2016_03\" width=\"792\" height=\"612\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https://twitter.com/gregg_lipman\" target=\"_blank\">@gregg_lipman</a>\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://huff.to/1WAzyMY\" target=\"_blank\">Huffington Post</a>', '‘The People Are Revolting’: The 1 Percent Should Think Twice About Mocking Mainstream Brands', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-people-are-revolting-the-1-percent-should-think-twice-about-mocking-mainstream-brands', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:10', '2018-09-27 17:42:10', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/the-people-are-revolting-the-1-percent-should-think-twice-about-mocking-mainstream-brands', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2184, 1, '2016-05-05 21:21:29', '2016-05-05 21:21:29', '<strong>The industry continues to change at an increasing pace. Here\'s what the start of the next 20 years brings.</strong>\r\nIn two decades, brands have found many new ways to express their identity and connect with customers through packaging. We look at what is coming next.\r\n\r\nTwenty years ago, when BRANDPACKAGING put out its first issue, the packaging world looked very different. The way companies operated then wasn’t wrong; the CPG industry simply has an entirely changed set of marketing, branding and packaging ideals and undertakings today. Understanding the past is important, as is living in the present, but especially critical for brands now is watching the horizon for what will happen next in four key areas.\r\n\r\n<strong>BRANDING\r\n</strong>For decades, brands have used packaging to differentiate themselves from the competition, and to great success. Now, companies are requesting agencies take branding a step further: to their physical space.\r\n\r\n“When you are buying and selling products to consumers, branding is important everywhere,” says Anthony Deen, creative director, Environments at CBX. “When you walk into someone’s house, you form an impression. Everything from the artwork on the walls to the rug on the floor to the light fixtures on the ceiling all help you understand what the owners are trying to say about themselves. It’s no different with retail environments. That’s why it’s critical for retailers to establish a distinct voice and personality for their brand that connects to consumers on a higher, more experiential level. Retailers must now, more than ever, work very hard to engage consumers by defining the consumer experience and making it meaningful.\r\n\r\n“Branding spaces is about extending the brand into the physical environment — expressing a brand in a palpable way,” Deen continues. “For us at CBX, it includes designing everything from the packaging to the shelf talker on the gondola or a specialty endcap fixture. It includes the tradeshow booth where the discussion takes place between a manufacturer and retailers, the pop-up shop that introduces the product to consumers and the store itself.”\r\n\r\nNJOY\r\nBefore NJOY, the electronic cigarette/vaping category was still primarily entrenched in the visual world of tobacco, marketed as a cessation or tobacco alternative rather than a unique experience unto itself. CBX was challenged to reinvigorate and relaunch the brand as a unique, full-flavor experience in a rapidly growing category.\r\n\r\nThe agency conducted in-depth ethnographies and category audits that uncovered the target audience — the male millennial and the older transitional smoker. While the team didn’t want to alienate the female consumer, the brand needed to speak to the millennial who revels in hedonistic pleasure and lives life in the moment.\r\n\r\nCBX came up with a brand identity that was vibrant, engaging and disruptive in store. The agency relaunched NJOY’s original six SKU line, as well as two new lines, ultimately delivering 150 SKUs in total. The agency supported the launch and developed consumer-facing POS displays in 7-Eleven, Walgreens and other convenience store locations.\r\n\r\nFrom there, CBX created full-scale environments at trade shows, mobile vaping bars and the first free-standing NJOY retail location. The NJOY Vaping Bar it created can be found at The LINQ, a Caesars Entertainment property in Las Vegas.\r\n\r\nThe reaction was quick and intense: Less than three months after the relaunch of its vaping products, NJOY reached No.1 in retail sales, capturing 23.7 percent of this growing category, and accounted for 85 percent of the segment growth. By September 2014, NJOY grew to a 4.4 share and its market share continued to rise, with the aim of a 10 point share to be earned by the end of 2015. The new recharge line knocked LOGIC off the No.1 spot, and NJOY became the leading mass brand in the emerging flavor/vaping segment.\r\n\r\nRead the full article in <a href=\"http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/85344-the-changing-landscape-of-branding-and-packaging\" target=\"_blank\">Brand Packaging</a>', 'The Changing Landscape of Branding and Packaging', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-changing-landscape-of-branding-and-packaging', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:49', '2018-09-27 17:58:49', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/the-changing-landscape-of-branding-and-packaging', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2185, 1, '2016-05-23 14:16:16', '2016-05-23 14:16:16', 'Saks Fifth Avenue\'s Houston location is bigger than the first store established in the city, and gives greater focus on beauty and fragrance products.\r\nThe store\'s relocation in The Galleria in Houston was designed in partnership with CBX and boasts more than 20,000 square feet more than the previous store. It also features a 10022-SHOE department, according to a company press release. Additional designers are showcased throughout the store and an enhanced Fifth Avenue Club, with eight private shopping suites, is also featured.\r\n\r\n\"This store demonstrates our commitment to the important Houston market. It\'s so exciting to be able to bring the new, luxurious and modern Saks to Houston. We are thrilled to be able to better serve our customers — both current and new — in a store that exemplifies our commitment to offering our customers the latest fashions and the most personalized service,\" said MarcMetrick, president of Saks Fifth Avenue.\r\n\r\nThe store offers its Saks At Your Service to customers via a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that will travel directly to a client\'s home, office or hotel room. Also, 51Fifteen Cuisine &amp; Cocktails serves lunch and dinner. A bar, Bar 12, wraps the staircase in the center of the first floor, the release said.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/saks-fifth-avenue-opens-revamped-houston-store/\" target=\"_blank\">Retail Customer Experience</a>', 'Saks Fifth Avenue opens revamped Houston store', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-opens-revamped-houston-store', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-opens-revamped-houston-store', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2186, 1, '2016-05-23 21:52:37', '2016-05-23 21:52:37', '<strong>To compete with niche brands offering better-for-you products, mainstream CPGs are rethinking their products and packaging to convey greater authenticity and quality.</strong>\r\nConsumers today are more health-conscious than ever. They want less processed and more natural and organic versions of foods they love. They want to know where their food comes from and whether the ingredients used to make their products are healthy and natural. As a result, many consumer product companies are concerned about their mainstream brands losing market share to smaller competitors focused on conveying quality and transparency. The possibility of losing traction with authenticity-focused Millennials is surely a big part of the equation.\r\n\r\nThis trend is affecting classic American brands that have remained untouched for decades. Traditional manufacturers are scrambling to meet these needs in meaningful ways and offer options that keep these brands relevant with consumers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Staying current via acquisitions\r\n</strong>One way is to buy successful brands that effectively compete in or have helped to create a category and simply add them to the portfolio. Companies are not always transparent about these ownership changes. In fact, some of them go out of their way to make sure consumers continue to view acquired brands as small and independent.\r\n\r\nEven today, many consumers are unaware that Hormel owns Applegate Farms, say, or that General Mills acquired the popular organic brand Annie’s Homegrown. When Whole Foods shoppers who are skittish about the health effects of fluoride use fluoride-free toothpaste by Tom’s of Maine, they are actually using a Colgate-Palmolive product.\r\n\r\nThis trend, which has been going on for years, doesn’t look to be slowing down. Recent examples include Unilever’s 2014 purchase of Talenti Gelato &amp; Sorbetto and Hershey Co.’s 2015 acquisition of Krave beef jerky.\r\n\r\n<strong>Making changes to core products\r\n</strong>Strategic acquisitions can certainly add to manufacturers’ bottom lines, but they do not guarantee that their primary moneymakers—the classic American brands we all grew up with—will survive, much less grow. This is why many brands are now trying to make their core products more relevant for health-conscious consumers.\r\n\r\nFor most of ConAgra’s non-organic Hunt’s-brand tomato products, the company uses a green-and-white bar indicating either “All-Natural” or “No Preservatives” at the top of the jar. However, some of its organic products get a different treatment entirely, with a wooden cutting board, rather than a solid block of red, acting as the background.\r\n\r\nConAgra is also spending money behind the brand, leveraging ad campaigns to tell consumers about the wholesome aspects of Hunt’s products. In the company’s “Tomato Town” TV spot and other ads, the emphasis here is not so much on ingredients as the differentiator; rather, it is about the wholesomeness of the process involved in making Hunt’s products. “At Hunt’s, we believe it’s good to be different,” one ad declares. “We peel our diced, whole, and stewed tomatoes with FlashSteam® instead of chemicals, which means no chemical by-products go back into the earth. It might not be the easiest way, but we believe that it’s the right way.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Creating line extensions\r\n</strong>Another strategy to gain share from these consumers is to create line extensions for major brands that legitimately play in this space. Packaging needs to work hard to communicate these benefits and offerings.\r\n\r\nFor its new organic mayo, Unilever chose to preserve Hellmann’s blue ribbon equity at the top of jar. The ribbon is, however, greatly reduced in size and prominence in comparison to the pack for the original brand. This understated approach is appropriate: Many longstanding brands have been synonymous with loud, multicolor packaging, going back to the mid-20th century. Organic products, though, tend to be gentler; they never shout.\r\n\r\nAnd so on the package for its organic mayo, Hellmann’s replaced the bright-yellow label with a more transparent one. The transparency here conveys the notion that the mayonnaise itself is the real focus. In addition, Unilever employed a simpler typographical treatment on the jar, with the word “organic” appearing in a cursive font along with the USDA Organic logo and the line, “Made with organic cage-free eggs.” You might even notice the signature of founder Richard C. Hellmann right on the jar—an authenticity-reinforcing visual cue.\r\n\r\nThis past February, Unilever also introduced its own vegan-friendly, eggless spread called Hellmann’s Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread. The product is “Free from Cholesterol, Eggs, Artificial Colors and Flavors,” the label declares, along with the words “Non-GMO Sourced Ingredients.” Here, the treatment is more “crafty,” with a butcher paper-like label and brown, rather than green, typographical treatments.\r\n\r\nFor its Heinz Organic Ketchup, Kraft Heinz made relatively minimal changes to the architecture, but added a large “Organic” callout to the front of the package within a white, cursive font. The green-tinted back of the label includes the USDA Organic logo along with the words, “Vine-ripened, 100% USDA certified organic tomatoes and natural seasonings.” Some bottle designs also have a smaller green label at the top of the spout.\r\n\r\n<strong>Modifying existing formulations</strong>\r\nAnother strategy is to modify existing product formulations to fit within this new paradigm so as to maintain long-term viability. While packaging can be a part of this process, it doesn’t always have to be.\r\n\r\nIn December, Kraft Heinz’ newly reformulated Kraft Mac &amp; Cheese hit the shelves with hardly a change to the box. The only difference: a graphic in the bottom right-hand corner of the front panel that looks like a page torn out of a notebook bearing a checklist of the changes, including “NO Artificial Preservatives,” “NO Artificial Flavors,” and “NO Artificial Dyes.”\r\n\r\nYet the new formula was a big deal. It replaced artificial preservatives and dyes with more natural ingredients such as paprika, annatto, and turmeric. “We’ve sold well over 50 million boxes with essentially no one noticing,” one Kraft executive told The New York Times. The company was reportedly nervous about consumers perceiving a new—and inferior—taste along the lines of the “New Coke” debacle. But after Kraft Heinz had sold those tens of millions of boxes of Mac &amp; Cheese, the company launched an ad campaign to inform consumers about the changes (“#didntnotice” was central to the social media push).\r\n\r\n<strong>Walking a fine line</strong>\r\nAre there any downsides or risks associated with these strategies? On the question of authenticity, mainstream brands do need to walk a fine line. Consumers know that these are mass-produced products owned by some of the largest corporations on the planet. In addition, many consumers have always thought about these products as being full of sugar and/or artificial additives and colors. One possible misstep would be to engage in the equivalent of “greenwashing” these improved products—i.e., overselling their health benefits or even misleading consumers about them.\r\n\r\nThe challenge is to cater to these evolving consumer wants and needs without overreacting and putting all your eggs (even organic and free-range ones) in one basket, as there are still a large proportion of consumers who are quite happy with the products they’ve been enjoying for years and wouldn’t want to give them up, either because they wouldn’t trust that the new version would taste as good or they don’t want to pay more. Did I mention the organic ketchup costs twice as much as the regular version?\r\n\r\nMarketers will want to provide meaningful options and do so in ways that are credible and sustainable and serve the needs of these merging and diverging audiences, because while Millennials and Gen Z are growing in influence and importance, they do not represent everyone (at least not yet).\r\n\r\nAnd so for consumer product companies, the task here is simply to inform consumers about the real changes they are making in response to shifting expectations—things like abandoning GMO ingredients or going organic. By keeping it informational and avoiding making either overblown claims or too-drastic changes to iconic product packaging, these companies only stand to benefit. These changes, after all, promise to make classic, top-selling products more acceptable to new generations of consumers. Handled well, these changes can boost the odds that some of our most well known and loved brands will stay relevant and continue to have a place in consumers’ pantries for years to come.\r\n\r\n<strong>Strategies for branding better-for-you line extensions</strong>\r\n\r\n- Determine the appropriate association between master brand and new offerings so as to not mitigate credibility.\r\n- Use effective graphic cues for the line extensions to immediately convey the new credentials while providing a modest brand linkage for reassurance.\r\n- Carefully announce the change—perhaps after the fact—to establish an improved process and ingredient profile without creating doubts or concerns about taste.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.packworld.com/package-design/graphic/classic-brands-are-going-organic-will-consumers-go-change\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging World</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.packworld.com/package-design/graphic/classic-brands-are-going-organic-will-consumers-go-change\" target=\"_blank\">Packaging World</a>', 'Classic Brands Are Going Organic: Will Consumers Go For The Change?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'classic-brands-are-going-organic-will-consumers-go-for-the-change', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:36', '2018-09-27 17:56:36', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/classic-brands-are-going-organic-will-consumers-go-for-the-change', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2187, 1, '2016-05-20 16:17:57', '2016-05-20 16:17:57', '<strong>Saks Fifth Avenue is pleased to reveal details regarding the relocation of its store within The Galleria in Houston, TX. The new, 200,000 square foot, two-level Saks Fifth Avenue store is expected to open on April 28.</strong>\r\n“This store demonstrates our commitment to the important Houston market. It’s so exciting to be able to bring the new, luxurious and modern Saks to Houston. We are thrilled to be able to better serve our customers – both current and new – in a store that exemplifies our commitment to offering our customers the latest fashions and the most personalized service,” commented Marc Metrick, President of Saks Fifth Avenue.\r\n\r\nDesigned in partnership with CBX, the new location boasts 20,000 square feet more than the existing store, providing space to showcase the second largest beauty and fragrance department in the Saks Fifth Avenue portfolio, including an all-new 10022-SHOE department. Many additional designers will be showcased throughout the store and an enhanced Fifth Avenue Club, with eight private shopping suites, will also be featured.\r\n\r\nThe store will also offer Saks At Your Service bringing the best of Saks Fifth Avenue to customers via a custom Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which will travel directly to a client’s home, office, or hotel room.\r\n\r\n51Fifteen Restaurant &amp; Lounge, a local favorite recognized for its distinctive cuisine, will join Saks Fifth Avenue in opening in the new location, serving both lunch and dinner. In addition to private dining, an active bar, Bar 12, will wrap the staircase in the center of the first floor.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://beautyfashionfragrance.com/saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-new-store-houston/\" target=\"_blank\">Beauty Fashion Fragrance</a>', 'Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils Plans For New Store In Houston', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston-2', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2188, 1, '2016-05-25 18:33:57', '2016-05-25 18:33:57', '<strong>1. Channel Blurring</strong>From AXION’s coffee-centric Spot! Café in Argentina to the fast casual-inspired Kum &amp; Go Marketplace in Iowa, c-stores no longer are bound by old formats and product offers. Is something working in another channel? Adapt it and weave it in. Consumers no longer expect hard-and-fast divisions between c-stores, QSRs, coffee shops and drugstores.\r\n\r\n<strong>2. Outside-In</strong>\r\nIn the fuel-based c-store context, what if consumers could use something like Apple Pay to order food on a touchscreen while filling up and have it delivered to their car? Zarco USA, for one, is already giving this a try. Expect more technology-assisted design changes, outside and in.\r\n\r\n<strong>3. Sit and Stay a While</strong>\r\nAt many Sheetz stores in the Carolinas, people lounge on couches and sip coffee. Retailers may need larger stores and parking lots to accommodate this kind of offer, because excessive crowding is a visual cue suggesting slow checkout lines. However, even c-stores with less-ambitious seating areas can up the ante with better furniture and more considered environments.\r\n\r\n<strong>4. Inside-Out</strong>\r\nWhen you cover the windows from floor to ceiling with promotional posters, the store actually repels customers. Contemporary c-store designs offer unobstructed views through oversized windows. The idea is to look appealing both from the roadway and the threshold. Taking this “inside-out” approach to the next level is a developing trend.\r\n\r\n<strong>5. Food Is King</strong>\r\nTo engage the modern consumer, c-stores are ramping up the authenticity of their food and beverage offers. At Fresh Corner’s MOL stores in Eastern Europe, customers find spacious food counters with made-to-order sandwiches and other fresh fare. Many c-stores are bringing in food carts stocked with the kind of specialty cuisine typically found in urban food trucks.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/galleries/retail-trends/5-Retail-Trends-in-C-Store-Design-26145.shtml#\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>', '5 Retail Trends in C-Store Design', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-retail-trends-in-c-store-design', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:32', '2018-09-27 17:56:32', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/5-retail-trends-in-c-store-design', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2189, 1, '2016-06-01 15:29:49', '2016-06-01 15:29:49', '<strong>Don’t let tight quarters deter your sales</strong>\r\nCharm meets functionality at Nomad’s Pizza in Hopewell, New Jersey. This 600-square-foot historic carriage house has been transformed into a cozy European-style eatery. And despite its size, it’s packing a punch for owner Tom Grim’s bottom line.\r\n\r\nAverage wait times for a table on a busy night: Two hours. And people do wait.\r\n\r\n“We have three places, and this one is the most profitable,” Grim says. “The others are bigger with kitchens. We’re able to focus, and we don’t have the whole kitchen staff to worry about. We make pizza and salads and are very efficient.”\r\n\r\nJames Sundstad understands why Grim has found success in a small space. Several years ago he was part of the team tasked with developing Starbucks’ new “express” stores, recreating the Starbucks experience in 400 to 500 square feet. His team worked on a “mock” store at Starbucks headquarters to find a formula for operating in a limited space. Sundstad is now vice president of branded environments at CBX, a retail design consultancy.\r\n\r\n“It comes down to honing your operation to make it functional and have a good customer experience,” Sundstad says.\r\n\r\nHere are ways to maximize your space for your customers’ happiness and your profitability:\r\n\r\n<strong>Study and understand how your customers move\r\n</strong>Think about the “journey” into your small space from their standpoint, Sundstad says. Choose a table, sit at it and then watch customers to see how they’re “flowing.” Is there a path for wait staff to deliver food without crashing into customers?\r\n\r\n“If you handle velocity in a way that benefits the customer, and wait lines are not long, you can increase sales,” he says.\r\n\r\n<strong>Vary seating to play with the sense of scale</strong>\r\nUsually with a smaller space, people think they can only fit “so many tables,” Sundstad says. Get creative with a mix of table heights and sizes –– a large community table, lower seating, bar seating, a counter by the window or even an “armchair nook” with two plush chairs facing each other in a corner. It makes the more space engaging, and the more variation, the better. “One level of low seating consumes space,” he says.\r\n\r\nJim Jacobs, owner of Pisanello’s Pizza in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, knocked down a wall in his shopping center to expand the restaurant in 2014. He nearly doubled the space from 50 seats to about 90.\r\n\r\nBut before that, seating was at a premium. The place had become incredibly popular after he added a buffet lunch service. To accommodate the lunch crowd, Jacobs built a bench along the length of one wall and placed tables in front of it. “They can be shoved together for whatever size you want –– two or 20 people,” he says.\r\n\r\nA combination of tables and booths, with Jacobs’ personal woodworking touch, created a warm and eclectic space. “I made 80 percent of the table tops out of a local red oak board that I bought at a saw mill. Plus, I took some old maple top butcher block tables that we used for prep tables in the back, and I sanded those down and varnished them, and we use those for table tops now,” he says.\r\n\r\n<strong>Create ambiance in tight quarters with light and sound\r\n</strong>Jeff Pond is former owner of A4 Pizza, a 1,200-square-foot restaurant in Somerville, Massachusetts. He had to shutter A4 due to an August 2015 fire.\r\n\r\nBut one thing he learned about interior design from the A4 experience is that soft lighting provided depth to the dining experience.\r\n\r\n“Our kitchen was in the same room. We had a wood fired oven that centered the room, and it was the only prep and cooking area. You came in, and it was wide open, and you saw everything that was happening. The ambience was warm by nature,” he says.\r\n\r\nPond has bounced back and is constructing two new restaurants, scheduled to open in September and October. But he misses his cozy space at A4.\r\n\r\n“The upside to the small space is that the energy is fantastic,” he says. “You get just 10 to 12 people in the room, the energy changes. If you put them in a 200-seat restaurant, it’s different.”\r\n\r\nNoise definitely plays into ambience, Sundstad agrees. Keep in mind that hard surfaces add to the acoustics of a small space. If you want diners to linger, incorporate textiles and soft background music.\r\n\r\n“The core question to all of these elements is, how long do you want customers to stay? Or do you want them to get their stuff and get out? What are you encouraging them to do? If you do a high volume business, it’s less about sit-down service,” he says.\r\n\r\n<strong>Stick with simple and savory\r\n</strong>While working on the express stores at Starbucks, Sundstad and his team pared down product offerings so that baristas could efficiently serve the most popular drinks in a tiny space. “We’d get the 20 different syrups and choose the top six that people use and decided what we could offer. For example, we knew we couldn’t do blended drinks but other things,” he says.\r\n\r\nSimilarly, apply the “keep it simple” rule to your pizzeria.\r\n\r\n“The only thing we cook is the pizza,” Grim says. “We have no kitchen or hood or fryer, or any of that stuff. We have a salad station. Anything that needs to be cooked, we cook in the oven. There’s no stove. Just the pizza.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Fun waiting in a small space</strong>\r\nAt tiny Nomad’s on a busy night, owner Tom Grim ensures the time passes as quickly as possible. “We have a beautiful garden area, and people hang out and drink wine. They bring their own wine (in New Jersey, any restaurant can do that), and people love it,” he says.\r\n\r\nGrim also uses an app service called Nowait, a text message waitlist system. “People leave their number, walk around, and Nowait texts them when their table’s ready,” he says.\r\n\r\nIn a pinch, chalkboards also work for waits at small restaurants, says Jeff Pond, former owner of A4.\r\n\r\n“We took a pillar in the front area, made a chalkboard and had a running wait list. We didn’t take reservations and only sat 36 people. You could see how far along you were on the list,” he says.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/front-of-the-house/small-spaces-big-profits/\" target=\"_blank\">Pizza Today</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of <a href=\"http://www.pizzatoday.com/departments/front-of-the-house/small-spaces-big-profits/\" target=\"_blank\">Pizza Today</a>', 'Small Spaces, Big Profits', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'small-spaces-big-profits', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:48', '2018-09-27 17:58:48', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/small-spaces-big-profits', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2190, 1, '2016-06-06 19:49:51', '2016-06-06 19:49:51', 'On April 28, 2016, Saks Fifth Avenue formally unveiled its new flagship store in the Houston Galleria. The 200,000-square-foot store was designed and planned in partnership with CBX, the New York-based brand agency and retail design consultancy. Saks relocated to the prominent two-level anchor building from a smaller space at the mall, adding approximately 20,000 square feet to its footprint at The Galleria. This was the largest Saks project to date for CBX, which has designed departments for a number of other Saks locations.\r\n<strong>CBX’s role</strong>\r\nCBX’s assignment encompassed the exterior design of the building; master planning of the entire interior space; and design of all front-facing merchandise departments, back-of-house and stock areas, and customer amenities, such as the Fifth Avenue Club personal shopping area. CBX created new design elements that complemented Saks’ current interior design concept for several key departments, including jewelry, women’s lingerie, and the second-largest beauty and fragrance department in the entire Saks’ portfolio. In addition, the firm created “white box” designs for dedicated vendor shops occupying more than 27,000 square feet.\r\n\r\n“Saks Fifth Avenue is known for delivering an unparalleled personalized shopping experience and its new Houston Galleria store is no exception,” said Todd Maute, Partner at CBX. “The design strategy was to create unique moments that express the modernity, tactility, sensuality and femininity of the Saks brand. We used space planning, architectural design and materials to create a memorable shopping experience.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Key design features</strong>\r\nThe design of the exterior façade emulates a modern lattice aesthetic, and the customer valet entrance is graced with a covered walkway. At night, the exterior architecture is dramatically highlighted by soft, glowing LED lighting. Taking its inspiration from high-end fashion, CBX employed sculptural elements, colors, special lighting fixtures and materials to create a cohesive design. “Seamless transitions between the different departments maintain a consistent brand story while celebrating the merchandise within each space,” said Maute.\r\n\r\nCBX designed the store’s escalator as a major focal point in the customer’s journey, highlighted by a white ceramic gold-leaf sculpture by Pascale Girardin that spans two stories. “The sculpture depicts a just-sprayed mist, such as a fragrance, which rises from the escalator void to the second floor, where it dissipates,” explained James Sundstad, VP Branded Environments at CBX.\r\n\r\nThe stairway to the second level is no less visually striking. Inspired by the female form and its movements while dancing, the design of the stairway expresses the swaying movement of a dress during dance. Elsewhere, The Apothecary, a new department designed by CBX, serves as a backdrop to the expanded fragrance and beauty department. “The Apothecary is meant to be a curated space for creative merchandising of skincare products and gifting,” explained Sundstad. “It features custom-made shelving with a unique, bracketed detail that allows for flexible merchandising and visualizing the product.”\r\n\r\nThe women’s lingerie department, meanwhile, projects a sultry, seductive feel created by soft, low ambient lighting and elliptical ceiling treatments. A sweeping glass curved wall divides the main sales floor from the fitting rooms to create an intimate and private shopping experience within. Finally, the enhanced Fifth Avenue Club, situated adjacent to the Women’s collection department, features eight private suites for customers to try on the latest collections with the assistance of their personal shoppers.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://retaildesignblog.net/2016/06/06/saks-fifth-avenue-flagship-store-by-cbx-houston-texas/\" target=\"_blank\">Retail Design Blog\r\n</a>Photos courtesy of Max Bolzonella\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/01.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9866 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/01-724x1024.jpg\" alt=\"01\" width=\"724\" height=\"1024\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/02.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9867 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/02-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"02\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/03.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9868 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/03-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"03\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9869 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04-1024x638.jpg\" alt=\"04\" width=\"1024\" height=\"638\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/05.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9870 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/05-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"05\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9871 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"06\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/07.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9872 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/07-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"07\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/08.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9873 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/08-1024x734.jpg\" alt=\"08\" width=\"1024\" height=\"734\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/09.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9874 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/09-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"09\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/10.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9875 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/10-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"10\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9876 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11-673x1024.jpg\" alt=\"11\" width=\"673\" height=\"1024\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/12.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9877 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/12-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"12\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/14.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9878 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/14-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"14\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/15.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9879 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/15-1024x689.jpg\" alt=\"15\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/16.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9880 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/16-1024x686.jpg\" alt=\"16\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/17.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9881 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/17-1024x647.jpg\" alt=\"17\" width=\"1024\" height=\"647\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160426_114233.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9882 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160426_114233-1024x589.jpg\" alt=\"20160426_114233\" width=\"1024\" height=\"589\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160426_115824.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-9883 size-large\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160426_115824-802x1024.jpg\" alt=\"20160426_115824\" width=\"802\" height=\"1024\" /></a>', 'Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship Store by CBX, Houston – Texas', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-flagship-store-by-cbx-houston-texas', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-flagship-store-by-cbx-houston-texas', 0, 'thinking', '', 0);
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(2191, 1, '2016-06-09 16:08:25', '2016-06-09 16:08:25', '<strong>At Pacific Northwest Retail Design Institute, Brand Agency\'s James Sundstad Encourages Retailers to Keep Tech Tools in Perspective and \"Dance\" With Their Customers -- Face-to-Face, Here and Now</strong>\r\nRetailers can fail to connect with their customers on a human level if they focus myopically on in-store and other tech tools, cautioned James Sundstad, VP of Branded Environments for brand agency CBX, at the Retail Design Institute\'s Pacific Northwest conference in Seattle.\r\n\r\n\"Smartphone addicts pay more attention to incoming texts than they do to the living, breathing human beings standing in front of them,\" Sundstad said. \"Many retailers focus overmuch on tech tactics such as video walls or geo-fencing, or on big-picture analytics about customers and markets. But the foundation of your brand strategy should be to forge meaningful, lasting relationships with actual people in the here and now -- especially when your competition includes the likes of Amazon.\"\r\n\r\nSundstad, a 35-year veteran of the retail design business, gave the talk (\"Why Algorithms Can\'t Dance: 5 Trends that are Humanizing Retail™\") on May 24 at Cincinnati-based RDI\'s Pacific Northwest regional event. The audience included leading retail design professionals as well as executives from major retailers such as Nordstrom, Ethan Allen and Amazon.\r\n\r\nWhether in life or retail, a singular focus on technology can lead to alienation and disconnection, Sundstad asserted during the presentation. \"Brand-building strategies need to hinge on the principles of building solid, long-lasting human relationships,\" he said. \"After you forge that connection on a human level, then, yes, you can use technology to enhance it. The key is to remember that technology is never a substitute.\"\r\n\r\nSundstad outlined five principles for humanizing retail and building customer connections.\r\n\r\nThe first -- \"Do \'You\'\" -- hinges on the need for authenticity, he explained. \"In a relationship, whether you\'re a romantic or the outdoorsy type or a homebody, just own who you are. Your partner will always see and appreciate the real you.\" Sundstad asked the audience to imagine a Twinkies package touting ingredients such as cane sugar, organic flour and farm-to-table, hand-churned butter made from grass-fed cows. \"People would never believe it,\" he said. \"Better for Twinkies to embrace its \'badness,\' its unhealthiness. If I want a Twinkie, I want it for all its caloric, indulgent, unhealthy glory. As a brand, in other words, it\'s OK to be who you really are.\"\r\n\r\nThe second principle -- \"Get Tribal\" -- focuses on the central role of community in human relationships. \"It\'s all about this idea of finding connection with people who are like-minded,\" Sundstad said. \"We need to create retail environments where people are motivated to come together around products and causes they believe in.\" The retail design veteran pointed to popular fitness studio SoulCycle. \"People joke about belonging to the \'SoulCycle tribe,\'\" he said. \"Creating a tribe is all about finding what motivates your customers and then giving them an environment in which to experience it with others. This encourages true connection.\"\r\n\r\nJust as honesty is one of the keys to friendships or romantic relationships, the third principle -- \"Get Naked\" -- focuses on the need to build trust with customers. \"Customers today want to know everything about your brand,\" Sundstad told the audience. \"The more open and honest you are with them, the better off you\'ll be in the long run.\" He cited the online clothing company Everlane, which provides customers with a detailed accounting of its markups, sourcing, costs and more as part of a drive toward what it calls \"radical transparency.\"\r\n\r\nRelationships can sometimes grow stale with time. The fourth principle -- \"Keep it Interesting\" -- highlights the need for continual reengagement. \"It\'s about keeping the spice of the relationship going and not falling into a predictable pattern,\" said Sundstad, who has worked with retailers such as Whole Foods, Starbucks, Jamba Juice and Walgreens, to name a few. \"What are you doing to create a different experience each time people come into your store? Once they enter your store, how are you making it fun and interesting? Are you encouraging connection?\"\r\n\r\nLastly, retailers can better connect with people if they \"Shut Up and Dance,\" Sundstad said. Dancing with a partner is never a one-sided affair, and yet many retailers simply present themselves to their customers, without asking or expecting anything in return. \"Good dancers closely engage with their partners, read their responses and then react in real time,\" he explained. \"Likewise, you want to create a customer engagement -- a dance -- that is mutual, empowering and encouraging.\" He cited Pret A Manger, where employees playfully give away free food to customers who engage with them by dancing, telling jokes or otherwise pleasing them. \"It\'s a delightful approach. Pret\'s employees are literally dancing with their customers,\" Sundstad related.\r\n\r\n\"The speed of life is always moving faster and faster, but it is time to slow down and connect -- human-to-human, brand-to-customer,\" he concluded. \"Algorithms can\'t dance, but you can.\"', 'CBX Expert: Technology Can Alienate Retailers From Their Customers', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-expert-technology-can-alienate-retailers-from-their-customers', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-expert-technology-can-alienate-retailers-from-their-customers', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2192, 1, '2016-06-10 15:34:50', '2016-06-10 15:34:50', 'Saks Fifth Avenue has relocated its store in Houston’s The Galleria, opening a larger space that offers the ultimate luxury department store experience.\r\nDesigned in partnership with CBX, the new Saks occupies approximately 200,000 sq. ft. on two shopping levels. In addition to an expanded merchandise selection, it houses the second largest beauty and fragrance department in the Saks portfolio, an enhanced Fifth Avenue Club with eight private shopping suites, and an outpost of a favorite local cocktail bar and restaurant. It also offers the company’s Saks at Your Service home-based personal shopping, styling and tailoring services.\r\n\r\nThe design inspiration is derived from mid-century, modern architectural principles, and features unexpected pops of colors and materials. Due to its massive size (more than twice the size of the average Saks), the store embodies unique architectural details and elements of surprise, including a dynamic sculptural staircase that appears as a ribbon dancing its way down from the second floor. An eclectic mix of found and custom furniture, fixtures, decorative lighting and accessories are found throughout the space, along with innovative, and sometimes non-conventional, hand-crafted and hand-applied materials and finishes.\r\n\r\nStore highlights include the lingerie department, which a new design concept that includes hand-folded and painted wall covering as well as a curved glass wall functioning as the mannequin display. The beauty and fragrance department has nine beauty shops and five fragrance shops, roofed with Pascale Girardin hanging porcelain sculptures, and covered with custom mosaic flooring from Sicis and Cesarstone countertops.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/07.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9872\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/07-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"07\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/08.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9873\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/08-1024x734.jpg\" alt=\"08\" width=\"1024\" height=\"734\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/09.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9874\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/09-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"09\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/12.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9877\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/12-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"12\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/13.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9865\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/13-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"13\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/15.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9879\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/15-1024x689.jpg\" alt=\"15\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/17.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9881\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/17-1024x647.jpg\" alt=\"17\" width=\"1024\" height=\"647\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/02.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9867\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/02-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"02\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" /></a> <a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9869\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04-1024x638.jpg\" alt=\"04\" width=\"1024\" height=\"638\" /></a>\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a title=\"Chain Store Age\" href=\"http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/saks-fifth-avenue-galleria-houston\" target=\"_blank\">Chain Store Age</a>\r\nPhotos courtesy of Max Bolzonella', 'Saks Fifth Avenue, The Galleria, Houston', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-the-galleria-houston', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-the-galleria-houston', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2193, 1, '2016-06-10 20:43:40', '2016-06-10 20:43:40', 'Saks Fifth Avenue recently unveiled its new flagship store in the Houston Galleria. The 200,000-sq.-ft. store was designed and planned in partnership with CBX, the New York-based brand agency and retail design consultancy.\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9869\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/04-1024x638.jpg\" alt=\"04\" width=\"1024\" height=\"638\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCBX created new design elements that complemented Saks’ current interior design concept for several key departments, including jewelry, women’s lingerie, and the second-largest beauty and fragrance department in the entire Saks’ portfolio.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/05.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9870\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/05-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"05\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSaks relocated to the prominent two-level anchor building from a smaller space at the mall, adding approximately 20,000 square feet to its footprint at The Galleria. This was the largest Saks project to date for CBX.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/07.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9872\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/07-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"07\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCBX designed the store’s escalator as a major focal point in the customer’s journey, highlighted by a white ceramic gold-leaf sculpture by Pascale Girardin that spans two stories.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/08.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9873\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/08-1024x734.jpg\" alt=\"08\" width=\"1024\" height=\"734\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe women’s lingerie department projects a sultry, seductive feel created by soft, low ambient lighting and elliptical ceiling treatments. A sweeping glass curved wall divides the main sales floor from the fitting rooms to create an intimate and private shopping experience within.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/15.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9879\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/15-1024x689.jpg\" alt=\"15\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCBX employed sculptural elements, like this chandelier in the Women\'s Collection.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/17.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9881\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/17-1024x647.jpg\" alt=\"17\" width=\"1024\" height=\"647\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe enhanced Fifth Avenue Club, situated adjacent to the Women’s collection department, features eight private suites for customers to try on the latest collections with the assistance of their personal shoppers.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160426_114233.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9882\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160426_114233-1024x589.jpg\" alt=\"20160426_114233\" width=\"1024\" height=\"589\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe Apothecary, a new department designed by CBX, serves as a backdrop to the expanded fragrance and beauty department. It features custom-made shelving with a unique, bracketed detail that allows for flexible merchandising and visualizing the product.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a title=\"design:retail\" href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/galleries/large-format-mass-merchant/Saks-Fifth-Avenue-Houston-26291.shtml?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Newsletter%20Template_061416%20(1)#5\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>\r\nPhotos courtesy of Max Bolzonella', 'Saks Fifth Avenue, Houston', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-houston', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-houston', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2194, 1, '2016-06-01 21:28:33', '2016-06-01 21:28:33', '<em>Sometimes the only way to meet internal and external demands is through fundamentally changing the business.</em>\r\nOn June 10, 2015, natural and organic grocer Whole Foods Market introduced the official name for the newest member of its family. The name, 365 by Whole Foods Market, \"celebrates our belief that fresh healthy foods can be readily available to more people in an affordable way every day…365 days a year,\" Jeff Turnas, president of the new unit, wrote that day on Whole Story, the retailer\'s blog. \"It also tips our hat to our popular 365 Everyday Value brand, which our shoppers seek out for quality, transparency and great value—the same attributes to come with our smaller store format.\"\r\n\r\n<strong>CARE BEFORE TRANSFORMATION\r\n</strong>\r\nChange of some kind, of course, is always necessary in a retail environment. But retailers must take care before instituting truly transformative changes, experts stress.\r\n\r\n\"Change can be good, but radical change in a brand can be problematic,\" cautions consultant Steven Platt. Case in point: J.C. Penney\'s push to move away from sales and into an everyday low price format alienated the company\'s core customers, Platt notes.\r\n\r\nThat\'s why thoughtful planning before any restructuring is so important, Bishop says.\r\n\r\n\"Start the process before you have a problem—that way, there is no panic, no pressure,\" Bishop says. \"The industry is changing so fast that you have to be monitoring changes regularly and examining what they mean to you.\"\r\n\r\nThat monitoring should reveal where vulnerabilities in relation to your customers exist, and where your customers want to go that they\'re not able to go. \"Step in so you will be the answer,\" Bishop advises.\r\n\r\n\"My advice would be to ensure that any major changes be firmly grounded in a clear understanding of consumer needs, and a sober assessment of competitive dynamics and internal competencies,\" echoes Dustin Longstreth, senior vice president and strategy group director at CBX, a New York City-based full-service branding firm. \"This will focus resources towards the areas where you truly have a right to win.\"\r\n\r\nBeing specific about how a restructuring initiative will help you will do better is a second important step, Bishop says: \"You have to nail a clear strategy before you start doing things, or you will end up redoing them.\"\r\n\r\nFinally, accepting the sometimes hard reality that investing in new assets while divesting of old ones has to be part of any restructuring plan.\r\n\r\n\"Get rid of assets that don\'t have profitability,\" Bishop says. \"For example, you might want to keep a marginally performing, 35,000-sq.-ft. store. But given the distraction [it causes], and the challenge of allocating scarce resources, you might have to get rid of it. Part of the restructuring process is letting go.\"\r\n\r\nDaniels sums up the steps retailers who are exploring restructuring should take even more simply:\r\n\r\n\"Understand how consumers are shifting; embrace technology; and focus on taking the cost out of the business,\" he says. \"Price and service are big issues, and will continue to be.\"\r\n\r\nRead the full article on <a title=\"Retail Leader\" href=\"http://www.retailleader.com/article-the_road_to_restructuring-7291-part1.html\" target=\"_blank\">Retail Leader</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of Whole Foods', 'The Road To Restructuring', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-road-to-restructuring', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:49', '2018-09-27 17:58:49', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/the-road-to-restructuring', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2195, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:20', '2018-09-27 16:54:20', '', 'bionic-glove', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'bionic-glove', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:20', '2018-09-27 16:54:20', '', 1775, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/bionic-glove.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2196, 1, '2016-05-12 16:27:54', '2016-05-12 16:27:54', '<strong>Competitive pricing is no longer the only value own brands add to retailers. They can build reputation, loyalty and sales, but their design and management requires a considered approach and careful research into audience and category behaviors.</strong>\r\nHaving an own brand offers well-documented benefits. It can be a boon to business financially and reputationally. However, how companies in different places around the world build, manage and implement these brands varies widely. Considerations must take into account packaging design, category, audience, fit with the corporate brand and perception. Successfully achieving an effective own brand requires a deft hand and a keen understanding of audience.\r\n\r\n...\r\n\r\nDesign and packaging are key considerations when developing an own brand, particularly when consolidating brands. CBX, a New York-based brand agency, developed six labels – from over 60 existing brands – for Walgreens that were suited to their categories. Similarly, its work for chemist Duane Reade focuses on audience and category while using creative packaging techniques, doubling private label sales. Even more starkly, it cut American warehouse retailer BJ’s Wholesale’s own brands down to two, one for food brands and one for non-food brands.\r\n\r\nRead the full article in <a title=\"Transform Magazine\" href=\"http://www.transformmagazine.net/articles/2016/scanning-the-shelves/\" target=\"_blank\">Transform magazine</a>', 'Own Brands, From Value Driven to Valuable', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'own-brands-from-value-driven-to-valuable', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/own-brands-from-value-driven-to-valuable', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2197, 1, '2016-06-06 16:48:58', '2016-06-06 16:48:58', 'Two restaged brands have generated high hopes in the skin care and hair care categories.\r\nThe Cetaphil skin care brand has been revamped by Galderma Laboratories L.P., while Hain Celestial’s Avalon Organics skin care and hair care products have been repositioned by brand agency CBX. Cetaphil has undergone a full graphics and packaging upgrade to provide a more simplified shopping experience at shelf and improved portfolio differentiation, as well as clarity of product benefits.\r\n\r\n…\r\n\r\nAvalon Organics, one of the first brands to offer a full line of certified organic products, has been given a fresh perspective for a new era by CBX. The brand got its start when organic personal care products were mainly purchased by well-educated, high-income women in their 30s or 40s with kids, noted CBX managing partner Gregg Lipman. “Avalon Organics earned a reputation for offering the highest-possible quality personal care products” he said. “As the consumer has evolved, Millenial and Gen X women crave an emotional connection ‘beyond organic.’ It was time to clarify Avalon Organics brand story for today.”\r\n\r\nTo that end, CBX experts in branding, design strategy, and verbal strategy relied on extensive consumer conversations to reframe the brand with the personal care team at Hain Celestial. In addition to creating the new packaging, design, and nomenclature systems for Avalon’s five product lines, the team built a brand book, defined visual and verbal principles with expansive voice guidelines for use in social media and other communications, and conducted personal training to support writing around the new master brand.\r\n\r\nMultiple research sessions by CBX revealed the extent to which Avalon consumers had shifted to what the CBX came to classify as “Modern Hollistics”—including contemporary Gen X or Millennial consumers who crave an emotional connection, in addition to caring about the safety and quality of the beauty products they use.\r\n\r\n“It is always critically important to consider where a brand is in relation to culture,” Lipman said. “CBX’s research process engaged women in conversations about the role of beauty in their lives and focused on beauty-themed stories to discern the specific language that most resonated with them.”\r\n\r\nThe new products are available at Whole Foods Market, Target, Walmart, drug stores, grocery stores, and natural food stores, as well as at <a title=\"Avalon\" href=\"http://www.avalonorganics.com/en/\" target=\"_blank\">avalonorganics.com</a>\r\n\r\nWhat emerged was an appreciation for beauty that is beyond skin deep, Lipman related. It was really important to consumers “that it was deep, stable, and all-encompassing,” he said.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by Chain Drug Review', 'Makeovers Reinvigorate Two Brands', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'makeovers-reinvigorate-two-brands', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '2018-09-27 17:42:12', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/makeovers-reinvigorate-two-brands', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2198, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '', '1012_CSA_OnlineOnTheStreet', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1012_csa_onlineonthestreet', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '', 1776, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1012_CSA_OnlineOnTheStreet.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2199, 1, '2016-05-17 17:12:11', '2016-05-17 17:12:11', '<strong>Saks Fifth Avenue is pleased to reveal details regarding the relocation of its store within The Galleria in Houston, TX. The new, 200,000 square foot, two-level Saks Fifth Avenue store is expected to open on April 28.</strong>\r\n“This store demonstrates our commitment to the important Houston market. It’s so exciting to be able to bring the new, luxurious and modern Saks to Houston. We are thrilled to be able to better serve our customers – both current and new – in a store that exemplifies our commitment to offering our customers the latest fashions and the most personalized service,” commented Marc Metrick, President of Saks Fifth Avenue.\r\n\r\nDesigned in partnership with CBX, the new location boasts 20,000 square feet more than the existing store, providing space to showcase the second largest beauty and fragrance department in the Saks Fifth Avenue portfolio, including an all-new 10022-SHOE department. Many additional designers will be showcased throughout the store and an enhanced Fifth Avenue Club, with eight private shopping suites, will also be featured.\r\n\r\nThe store will also offer Saks At Your Service bringing the best of Saks Fifth Avenue to customers via a custom Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which will travel directly to a client’s home, office, or hotel room.\r\n\r\n51Fifteen Restaurant &amp; Lounge, a local favorite recognized for its distinctive cuisine, will join Saks Fifth Avenue in opening in the new location, serving both lunch and dinner. In addition to private dining, an active bar, Bar 12, will wrap the staircase in the center of the first floor.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a title=\"beauty fashion fragrance\" href=\"http://beautyfashionfragrance.com/saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-new-store-houston/\" target=\"_blank\">Beauty Fashion Fragrance</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of Max Bolzonella', 'Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils Plans For New Store In Houston', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston-3', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/saks-fifth-avenue-unveils-plans-for-new-store-in-houston-3', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2200, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '', 'nacs_show-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'nacs_show-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '2018-09-27 16:54:21', '', 1777, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/nacs_show-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2201, 1, '2016-07-01 20:54:12', '2016-07-01 20:54:12', '<strong>Midwestern chain Kum &amp; Go is elevating the c-store experience from the traditional grab-and-go to destination retail with a new Marketplace concept.</strong>\r\nWhen you think convenience store, do you think LEED-certified building, fresh food, warm and inviting interior, and growler bars? Nope. Well Kum &amp; Go is trying to change that mindset with a new store concept—a market prototype dubbed <strong>Kum &amp; Go</strong> Marketplace—that is setting a new standard for the c-store sector.\r\n\r\nEstablished in 1959 in Hampton, Iowa, Kum &amp; Go is a family-owned business and the fifth-largest privately held and company-operated convenience store chain in the United States. It currently employs 5,000 associates across 430 stores and has a presence in 11 states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklaoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming).\r\n\r\n“Kum &amp; Go is an industry pioneer founded on providing exceptional service and delivering more than what customers expect,” says Chris Jones, senior vice president, marketing at Kum &amp; Go. “The Marketplace concept was developed to align with our evolved brand promise and continued focus on fresh food options.”\r\n\r\nNew York-based brand agency and retail design consultancy CBX worked with Kum &amp; Go on the design concept, while Missouri-based BRR Architects helped adapt the concept to the 6,000-sq.-ft. prototype store in Johnston, Iowa.\r\n\r\nThe innovation of the prototype comes with the prioritization of the food offering. An open kitchen serves as the store’s centerpiece, with a major objective of showcasing quality and freshness. This featured area uses materials that communicate a more sophisticated kitchen, such as white subway tile, marble-like countertops and stainless steel.\r\n\r\n“This is an area that is typically not seen,” explains Todd Maute, a partner at CBX. “Kum &amp; Go wanted to elevate the food offering, showing the great quality to the customer.”\r\n\r\nJones adds that the kitchen was a focus for the brand, because that is where the company sees the most potential for growth. “We’ve opened up the kitchen and put the food preparation area front and center, so customers can watch us prepare fresh, delicious food that they can eat right in our store or on the patio outside” he says.\r\n\r\nDisplay units were lowered in order to create consistent sightlines throughout the store to simplify navigation, improve shopability and maintain the focus on the fresh food offerings from every angle. Express Checkouts adjacent to the entry were incorporated for customers who need to complete a fast transaction.\r\n\r\nJust as the kitchen is the heart of the home, Kum &amp; Go wanted to reiterate that family-owned commitment and invite customers in with that same sense of warmth and comfort. Architecture and design details draw on residential cues.\r\n\r\n“The overhanging canopy on the exterior offers the appeal of a low-hanging prairie-style home, a simple, modern approach to the architecture that creates that residential scale and feel,” says Joseph Muscarella, design director at CBX.\r\n\r\nMaterials and finishes, such as the subway tile and marble-like surfaces, reinforce the residential cues. While these selections infuse a clean modern aesthetic, the use of wood adds warmth and texture. The lighting strategy was meant to accentuate the interior design, creating a moody and dramatic feel in contrast to the typically bright and glaringly overlit convenient store. Black details add a classic, sophisticated appeal, while red accents serve as highlights that speak to the Kum &amp; Go brand.\r\n\r\nIn addition to the signature brand color, the brand story is clearly communicated using the iconic ampersand. From the exterior fascia and door hardware to halo light ceiling details and even donuts, the ampersand amplifies the brand experience. For Kum &amp; Go, the ampersand truly represents what the company stands for, “Where &amp; means more.” This detail reinforces the goal of the prototype communicating that Kum &amp; Go offers more than a typical convenience store.\r\n\r\nAnd the space does offer much more—from the open kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating and nicely articulated restrooms to elevated offerings such as complimentary Wi-Fi and charging stations, a walk-in cooler (or “beer cave”) and a growler station with locally brewed beers.\r\n\r\nCreating a connection to the local community was important, as Kum &amp; Go is dedicated to the communities it serves, including sharing 10 percent of its profits with charitable causes. An 8-ft.-tall, 7-ft.-wide ampersand sculpture brings the brand message curbside. A Des Moines-based artist, Sticks, integrated keywords and imagery that reflect area attractions and slogans as a way to pay tribute to the Johnston community on one side of the sculpture, with Kum &amp; Go brand elements and core values on the other. The brand also demonstrates its commitment to the community and the environment through its sustainability standards. Material selections and initiatives like the water retention capture have earned this prototype store LEED recognition.\r\n\r\n“The whole approach is such a dichotomy to the traditional convenience store,” Maute says. “Here, it is not grab what you need and go. Kum &amp; Go invites you to stay and linger.” For Kum &amp; Go, this store concept is a natural extension of their brand promise. Jones explains: “As our customers’ needs change and evolve, we want to keep up with them to provide everything they need and more from our convenience stores.”\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/XH2R7610.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9974\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/XH2R7610-740x1024.jpg\" alt=\"XH2R7610\" width=\"740\" height=\"1024\" />\r\n</a><em>The Kum &amp; Go ampersand sculpture pays tribute to the community on one side and the essence of the store on the other.</em>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9976\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160216_Kum-Go-18753-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"160216_Kum &amp; Go 18753\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" />\r\n<em>Lowered display heights and enhanced signage create continuous sightless that help customers easily navigate the store.</em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160216_Kum-Go-18740.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9977\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160216_Kum-Go-18740-1024x730.jpg\" alt=\"160216_Kum &amp; Go 18740\" width=\"1024\" height=\"730\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/197H7644.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9980\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/197H7644-682x1024.jpg\" alt=\"197H7644\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" />\r\n</a><em>The material applications and lighting strategy create a more modern and sophisticated approach to c-store design.</em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160216_Kum-Go-18796.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9978\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160216_Kum-Go-18796-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"160216_Kum &amp; Go 18796\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" />\r\n</a><em>Dedicated innovation space, such as the growler bar, provides the opportunity to test out new ideas that elevate the customer experience.</em>\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a title=\"design:retail\" href=\"http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/designretail/201607/#/50\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>', 'Kum &...Stay?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'kum-stay', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/kum-stay', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2202, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '', '1112_WSJ_MarketingDecode', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_wsj_marketingdecode', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '', 1778, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_WSJ_MarketingDecode.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2203, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '', '1112_WSJ_MarketingDecode-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_wsj_marketingdecode-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '', 1778, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_WSJ_MarketingDecode-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2204, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '', '1112_How_OfficeSpace2', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_how_officespace2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '2018-09-27 16:54:22', '', 1779, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_How_OfficeSpace2.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2205, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '', '1112_How_OfficeSpace2', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_how_officespace2-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '', 1779, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_How_OfficeSpace2.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2206, 1, '2016-07-01 14:41:11', '2016-07-01 14:41:11', '1. Saks Fifth Avenue, HoustonOpened: April 2016\r\n\r\n2. Ballard Designs, Philadelphia\r\nOpened: November 2015\r\n\r\n3. M&amp;M Meat Shops, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada\r\nOpened: September 2015\r\n\r\n4. LUSH, New York\r\nOpened: April 2016\r\n\r\nCheck out additional images of these stores and more at <a title=\"designretail\" href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/galleries.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">designretailonline.com/projectgallery</a>\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a title=\"design:retail\" href=\"http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/designretail/201607/#/34\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of Max Bolzonella', 'New Store Watch', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'new-store-watch', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/new-store-watch', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2207, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '', 'GoodDelish_web20122', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'gooddelish_web20122', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '', 1780, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/GoodDelish_web20122.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2208, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '', 'GoodDelish_web20122', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', 'gooddelish_web20122-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '2018-09-27 16:54:23', '', 1780, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/GoodDelish_web20122.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2209, 1, '2016-07-14 16:04:00', '2016-07-14 16:04:00', 'Brand agency works with She Should Run to add punch and clarity to its messaging; organization inspires women and girls to get in the race for public leadership to make a bigger impact.\r\nShe Should Run, a nonprofit committed to advancing women and girls in public leadership, is armed with a new messaging strategy thanks to pro-bono help from brand agency CBX.\r\n\r\n“The role of women and girls in politics is receiving more attention than ever thanks to the historic 2016 presidential campaign,” noted CBX Creative Director Lesley Stordahl. “While national attention is on the presidency and top 30 elected positions, there are over 500,000 seats in public leadership. Only 20% of those seats are held by women. She Should Run is there to encourage women to take a seat at the table and amplify their voice in the national debate.”\r\n\r\nExperts from CBX helped Washington, D.C.-based She Should Run add punch and clarity to its messaging by leveraging the proven principles of brand communication. She Should Run frequently collaborates with corporate and other partners to find new ways to motivate girls to explore leadership opportunities. The latest example is the nonprofit’s partnership with Mattel, Inc. on the new President and Vice President Barbie®, launched this week.\r\n\r\nWhile She Should Run’s “Ask a Woman to Run” nomination program has reached more than 100,000 women over the years, the nonprofit has simultaneously broadened and diversified its programs. “This strong growth added complexity to She Should Run’s messaging challenges,” Stordahl said. “Our solution was to employ a unifying framework similar to what you might find on the drawing board for a major CPG brand.”\r\n\r\nCrafting a meaningful messaging strategy started with a deeper understanding of the barriers women face getting into the race for public office. Originally, She Should Run described itself as “A national network committed to advancing women and girls in public leadership.” But by understanding the barriers, CBX was able to help SSR reframe the conversation in a more relevant and compelling way. The new statement is: “A national network committed to inspiring more women and girls to get in the race for public leadership to make a bigger impact.”\r\n\r\nUsing these insights, messaging experts from CBX helped She Should Run sharpen the aim of communications to more precisely hit on the needs and motivations of potential female candidates. The three key messages are: “Wish You Were Here,” “Fit in the Picture” and “Proactive Change.”\r\n\r\n“These three messages form the cornerstones of a clear She Should Run story,” Stordahl explained. “She Should Run shines a light on what’s missing in politics, and they help women envision themselves in the political picture (no matter their circumstances). They inspire proactive change by showing public leadership as a direct path to a better future.”\r\n\r\nWhile She Should Run is certainly part of the political world, the new messaging framework moves away from political, inside-the-Beltway language in favor of the higher-order messages of the brand model, Stordahl noted. Now, She Should Run is integrating the new approach into its Ask A Woman To Run program, “Warm Up” newsletter, social media communications, media interviews, speeches and more, she said.\r\n\r\n“We’re proud to have helped She Should Run establish a clear direction and voice for the future,” Stordahl said. “This messaging won’t just inspire language for existing programs—it will serve as a foundation as the rapidly growing organization collaborates with new partners, pitches potential sponsors and, most importantly, inspires new generations of women and girls to make an impact at all levels of the public leadership.”\r\n\r\nAs noted, the most recent example of that collaboration is the organization’s partnership with Mattel on the President and Vice President Barbie® launch. “While female leadership continues to reach new milestones, only 39 percent of girls say they want to be a leader, according to a survey by the Girl Scout Research Institute,” noted Erin Cutraro, co-founder and CEO of She Should Run. “The Barbie line’s first female presidential and vice presidential ticket is a way of harnessing the power of young girls’ imagination to help them discover their own leadership potential. Ideally, it will lead to more girls in leadership roles in the years to come.”', 'CBX Helps Nonprofit In Quest To Inspire More Females To Enter Politics', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-helps-nonprofit-in-quest-to-inspire-more-females-to-enter-politics-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-helps-nonprofit-in-quest-to-inspire-more-females-to-enter-politics-2', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2210, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', '1112_Huff_RefreshAmerica', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_huff_refreshamerica', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', 1781, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_Huff_RefreshAmerica.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2211, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', '1112_Huff_RefreshAmerica', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_huff_refreshamerica-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', 1781, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_Huff_RefreshAmerica.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2212, 1, '2016-07-20 20:41:56', '2016-07-20 20:41:56', 'CBX crafted a new brand strategy for new, pro-bono client, She Should Run, a nonprofit to advance women and girls in public leadership. She Should Run collaborates with corporate partners to develop ways to motivate girls to explore leadership opportunities. The latest example is the company\'s partnership with Mattel, Inc. on the new President and Vice President Barbie, launched this week. \"While female leadership continues to reach new milestones, only 39 percent of girls say they want to be a leader, according to a survey by the Girl Scout Research Institute,\" said Erin Cutraro, co-founder and CEO of She Should Run. \"The Barbie line\'s first female presidential and vice presidential ticket is a way of harnessing the power of young girls\' imagination to help them discover their own leadership potential. Ideally, it will lead to more girls in leadership roles in the years to come.\"\r\nOriginally published by <a title=\"MediaPost\" href=\"http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/280746/biz-dev-cbx-creates-pro-bono-work-for-she-should.html\" target=\"_blank\">MediaPost</a>', 'CBX Creates Pro-Bono Work For She Should Run', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-creates-pro-bono-work-for-she-should-run-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-creates-pro-bono-work-for-she-should-run-2', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2213, 1, '2016-06-13 15:59:20', '2016-06-13 15:59:20', 'When London International Awards (LIA) became the first global awards to recognize the role of naming last year, they didn’t quite realize what they’d started.\r\nThe impetus back in 2015 was the “What About Naming” campaign launched by New York-based brand agency, CBX, aiming to give the power of language in branding its own recognition.\r\n\r\nBut a phenomenal response to including Verbal Identity as a section in the Design Jury was followed by even more ‘What About….?’ questions from agency chiefs:\r\n\r\nWhat about the power of a great endline? What about the impact of a unique tone of voice? What about effect of brilliant copywriting?\r\n\r\n“Verbal Identity is much more than just a design category,” explains Barbara Levy, Founder and President of LIA. “It has many components, and thus deserves its own jury. LIA thought it was a great idea to create a separate medium with individual categories for the many elements and to invite a panel to judge it.\"\r\n\r\nSo this year, LIA further cements its position as one of the world’s most progressive and forward-thinking competitions by introducing Verbal Identity for the first time in advertising awards history as its own medium with a standalone jury.\r\n\r\nPresiding over this year’s Verbal Identity Jury will be Chris West, Founder of Verbal Identity Ltd. in London. On the decision to appoint Chris, Barbara comments: “Chris, whose company is appropriately named Verbal Identity, actually called us last year after seeing that we’d added Verbal Identity as a category [in Design]. He explained the many facets of Verbal Identity to us, his great passion for words and his enthusiasm for LIA recognizing their importance to the industry laying the groundwork for where we are now with the medium. We invited Chris to be the inaugural Jury President and he gladly accepted.”\r\n\r\n“My ego is now rampant – I think I’ll be a monster!” jokes Chris about the honour of being the first-ever Verbal Identity Jury President. “Luckily, the jury is composed of some of the best writers and namers, all with outstanding experience, from across the world. We understand language like others understand visual identity or numbers.”\r\n\r\nJoining Chris on this year’s maiden Verbal Identity Jury, among other notable names, will be Rachel Bernard, CBX’s Vice President of Verbal Strategy. “She’s the best of the best with her skill set,” says Rick Barrack, Chief Creative Officer of CBX and 2015 LIA Design Juror. “I’m excited to see the winners from this year’s entries and you can rest assured that damn good work will be honored.”\r\n\r\nThe jury will encompass skill-sets from all around the world. Amanda Liu will represent China’s leading naming agency, Labbrand Brand Innovations. The world of business is recognized by the inclusion on the jury of one of the most well-read writers on writing: the Wall Street Journal’s Ben Zimmer, who has a regular column in the WSJ. Steve Martin of Eat Design will be joining the jury from Japan. And one of the UK’s most highly respected ad agency writers, Sean Doyle, completes the group of linguistic experts.\r\n\r\nSays Chris: “The industry is changing. Clients are asking for a strong verbal identity like they used to insist on a clear and consistent visual identity. When 8 out of 10 channels are dominated by language, it’s never been more important. Language means so much to us; words reveal how we categorize the world and that’s crucially important in branding - it’s language which starts to build concepts and brands.”\r\n\r\nThe LIA 2016 Entry System is now accepting entries. The initial Entry Deadline is 10th June. Judging will take place in Las Vegas from 6th October to 14th October. The shortlists will be announced as each judging session concludes, with Winners being announced 8th November. For more information on submissions and eligibility, please visit <a title=\"LIA\" href=\"http://www.liaawards.com/enter/eligibility/\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.liaawards.com/enter/eligibility/</a>\r\n\r\nOriginally published on <a title=\"liaawards.com\" href=\"http://www.liaawards.com/press/press_releases/2016/press_article.cfm?press_id=601&amp;start=1\" target=\"_blank\">LIAawards.com</a>', 'How LIA is Finally Giving Verbal Identity the Recognition it Deserves', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'how-lia-is-finally-giving-verbal-identity-the-recognition-it-deserves', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '2018-09-27 17:58:43', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/how-lia-is-finally-giving-verbal-identity-the-recognition-it-deserves', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2214, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', '1112_PLB_ExcelenceAwards1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_plb_excelenceawards1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', 1782, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_PLB_ExcelenceAwards1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0);
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(2215, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', '1112_PLB_ExcelenceAwards1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_plb_excelenceawards1-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '2018-09-27 16:54:24', '', 1782, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_PLB_ExcelenceAwards1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2216, 1, '2016-07-13 19:36:15', '2016-07-13 19:36:15', '<div class=\"videoWrapper\"><iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPsuQYzWt50\" width=\"860\" height=\"531\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"></iframe></div>Allison Koller, Executive Creative Director at CBX, discusses how cliche the portrayal of women is in advertisements today, and how we can take steps to reshape those marketing campaigns to represent real women in the future.\r\n\r\nAllison has been with CBX since its inception. As Executive Creative Director, she is responsible for providing creative inspiration, vision and strategic guidance for the design team. Her work has been recognized by the creative industry through numerous awards.\r\n\r\nThis talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at <a href=\"http://ted.com/tedx\" target=\"_blank\">http://ted.com/tedx</a>\r\n\r\nOriginally published on <a href=\"http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Get-Real-Branding-beyond-the-cl;search:TEDxSPFHS\" target=\"_blank\">tedxtalks.ted.com</a>', 'Get Real: Branding Beyond The Cliche', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'get-real-branding-beyond-the-cliche-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:42', '2018-09-27 17:58:42', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/get-real-branding-beyond-the-cliche-2', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2217, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '', '1112_MPV_Ology1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_mpv_ology1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '', 1784, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_MPV_Ology1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2218, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '', '1112_MPV_Ology1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_mpv_ology1-2', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '2018-09-27 16:54:25', '', 1784, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_MPV_Ology1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2219, 1, '2018-09-27 17:56:33', '0000-00-00 00:00:00', '<strong>Stark, unattractive value-tier packaging design is losing favor with customers.</strong>\r\nOne-third of consumers consciously seek out private label products to save money, states Chicago-based IRI in its January 2015 report \"Private Label &amp; National Brands: Dialing in on Core Shoppers.\" More than five years after the official end of the Great Recession, consumers continue to search for affordable grocery options, and nearly half (46 percent) of consumers say they are planning to purchase affordable brands more frequently in the coming year. For this reason, many retailers have started to give their opening-price-point private brands greater attention.\r\n\r\nTodd Maute, a partner with New York-based CBX, agrees that there has been a \"recent resurgence\" in value-tier products.\r\n\r\n\"They are being treated more strategically than they have been in the past,\" he says, especially when it comes to their packaging design. Typically, standard value-tier packaging was \"basic\" and \"cheap\" looking because retailers wanted to convey to consumers that the product was inexpensive. However, recent private brand packaging redesigns and opening-price-point brand introductions indicate that retailers are changing the way they present their value tier to consumers.', 'Anything But Basic', '', 'draft', 'open', 'open', '', '', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:33', '2018-09-27 17:56:33', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/?post_type=thinking&#038;p=2219', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2220, 1, '2016-07-26 15:06:47', '2016-07-26 15:06:47', 'Work\'s out and it\'s time for happy hour. Where to go for a stiff drink?\r\nOne surprising destination of choice: Urban Outfitters. The hipster retailer has begun to offer customers much more than clothing at certain locations. Now visitors can shop, or just head for its bar area.\r\n\r\nAiming to stand out in a world overflowing with retail shops and online competitors, some chains want to become destinations for diners and drinkers, not just shoppers.\r\n\r\nThe Urban Outfitters here in Brooklyn, called Space Ninety 8, has two bars — one on the roof and another on the third floor near the men\'s department — as well as an Israeli barbecue restaurant. The store doesn\'t discourage walking around the clothing displays with a drink in hand.\r\n\r\nUrban Outfitters has two other stores with bars — one in Los Angeles and another in Austin.\r\n\r\nIt\'s not alone:\r\n\r\n• Barnes &amp; Noble — which already has in-store cafes — plans to open some stores this fall that will include sit-down restaurants and have alcohol on the menu.\r\n\r\n• A Target store in Chicago has a Starbucks that serves the coffee chain\'s \"evenings\" menu with wine and beer.\r\n\r\n• Accessories retailer Shinola, best known for its high-end wristwatches, is partnering with Washington-based bar owner Derek Brown on a drink concept set to open in its store there next year.\r\n\r\nStandalone retailers are borrowing the time-tested technique of shopping malls and high-end department stores, where quick Chinese food or ritzy cafes have long offered respite to exhausted customers. Now the strategy is being adopted as a survival technique by shops that once might have frowned at letting customers roam displays of blouses and leather handbags while carrying food or a drink.\r\n\r\n\"You have to give people a reason to come to the store other than just duplicating what they can buy online,\" says Shinola Chief Marketing Officer Bridget Russo.\r\n\r\nThose who come in for edible fare may be more apt to linger, and in turn, spend more time with the merchandise, says James Sundstad, vice president of branded environments at strategy, branding and retail design firm CBX. \" \"You\'re giving them a reason to be there that isn’t just about buy something or get out,\" he says.\r\n\r\nThe recent performance of retail shops vs. restaurants offers an idea of why retailers are embracing this strategy. Restaurant sales increased 10% between April 2014 and April 2015, according to data from research firm Nielsen. Retail sales — excluding food and auto sales — have had about 2% to 4% growth in recent years, according to Department of Commerce figures.\r\n\r\nPeople may not be in the market for a new shirt or pair of jeans very often, but \"everyone’s eating out at some point during the week,\" says Anjee Solanki, national director of retail services in the U.S. for real estate firm Colliers International.\r\n\r\nFor the new Barnes &amp; Noble restaurant concept, it\'s expected that food and beverage will make up more of the store\'s sales than those categories do now — at less than 10% — as well as drive traffic through the rest of the store, says Jaime Carey, president of development and restaurant group for the chain.\r\n\r\nAt Urban Outfitters\' amped-up stores, which also host events such as movie nights, the company wanted to create a place that would appeal to its young, adventurous customer base and give them \"experiences you cannot order online,\" says Global Chief Creative Director Sue Otto.\r\n\r\nMany of the young adults on the rooftop bar on a recent evening came solely for the drinks and the atmosphere. Ashley Delamarter, 32, and her friend Brittany Leslie, 27, sipped on glasses of rosé while chatting in a wooden cabana.\r\n\r\n\"I don\'t feel like I have to come here just because I\'m shopping,\" Delamarter said. \"You can just come hang out.\" Delamarter said she only occasionally shops at Urban Outfitters.\r\n\r\nThe business arrangements can vary when it comes to restaurants and bars opening in retail locations. Otto declined to give sales figures for the stores, only saying \"we’re happy with the idea and we’re going forward with it.\"\r\n\r\nTarget spokeswoman Amy Joiner declined to say how the new Starbucks concept is affecting overall sales and traffic in the Chicago store. Employees have noticed groups of friends often meet there after work for a drink, she says, though customers aren\'t allowed to leave the dining area with alcohol.\r\n\r\nStill, a customer with the time to sip on a glass of wine may be more likely to linger, browsing for books or picking up a new candle for the bedroom. Will a tipsy shopper be more likely to buy? Maybe. Either way, the experience forces customers to slow down, Sundstad says.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a title=\"USA Today\" href=\"http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/07/25/retailers-get-in-the-restaurant-business/87124848/\" target=\"_blank\">USA Today</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of Sara Snyder', 'Retailers install bars, hoping to lure shoppers offline', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'retailers-install-bars-hoping-to-lure-shoppers-offline', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/retailers-install-bars-hoping-to-lure-shoppers-offline', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2223, 1, '2016-07-27 17:23:58', '2016-07-27 17:23:58', '<strong>Brand Agency\'s Allison Koller Cites Need to Forge New Visual Codes Rooted in Realism and Respect</strong>\r\nBrands need to soar past the sea of clichéd visual codes if they want to legitimately connect with real women, said Allison Koller, Executive Creative Director at brand agency CBX, in a recent TEDx talk in Scotch Plains.\r\n\r\nAll too often, even top brands seeking to connect with women fail to overcome the tired visual clichés that have marred such efforts for generations, Koller noted. \"How quickly we become a sea of eyes, bellybuttons, breasts, and beautiful booties,\" she said. \"Messages and images with the power to break through that sea are unexpected. They are something that makes you look twice. They shift the cultural conversation.\"\r\n\r\nThe TEDx event in Scotch Plains included several on-stage and video presenters in an effort to spark conversation. It was held under a free license granted by TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), the internationally known conference series run by the nonprofit Sapling Foundation under the slogan \"Ideas Worth Spreading.\"\r\n\r\nDuring the talk, Koller described herself as a swimmer, illustrator, daughter, tennis player and wife who pays keen attention to the content and subtext of brand messages aimed at women. Her visually rich presentation included multiple examples of successful campaigns that legitimately connect with female audiences via creative and respectful messaging. \"Last summer, Carli Lloyd and the U.S. women\'s soccer team broke through and redefined the power and reach of female athletes and what it means to throw or kick like a girl,\" Koller noted, as images from Always\' action-oriented \"Like a girl\" campaign appeared on screen behind her.\r\n\r\nOther collages in her presentation, however, highlighted tired imagery drawn from traditional and social media as well as product packaging used to address women. \"Whether women are buying as new moms, looking to get in shape or just considering some new lip-gloss, it\'s amazing how clichéd the communications often are,\" Koller said.\r\n\r\nThese visual codes hinge on imagery full of clean, sleeping, happy babies; magical skin care products; nutrition bars that encourage women to \"think thin\" and the like, Koller explained. \"It\'s the promise of perfection: blissful mommy-hood, women with flawless skin, and a Zen-ed out approach to fitness,\" she said. \"The magic continues with products that perform miracles to make you gorgeous, or make you forget you even have your period.\"\r\n\r\nTropes include the blonde ingénue: fresh faced, innocent and unassuming; the golden goddess: perfect in a slinky ball gown or while working out; and the modern miracle mom whose home is clean as a sanctuary, with Pinterest-worthy parties and cupcakes, Koller noted.\r\n\r\nFortunately, some brands understand the need to keep it real, Koller said. She cited CBX\'s work with Kotex. \"When Kotex first started working with us, the cultural conversation around femininity had shifted,\" she explained. \"Kotex wanted to transcend the clichéd codes of feminine hygiene: Girls back-flipping on the beach while having their period, levitating tampons twirling in front of a sea of flowers. They recognized a need to create a new conversation with young women.\"\r\n\r\nCBX helped Kotex kill the butterflies and flowers and create packaging designs for its U by Kotex brand that broke through what Koller described as the \"pretty-princess, flowery noise\" of the category. \"We launched with something undeniably code- and cliché-breaking: the black box with a touch of fun in the brightly colored wrappers,\" she said. \"No flowers, no high-tech performance claims.\"\r\n\r\nBut U by Kotex and CBX didn\'t stop there. By including \"Myth or Fact?\" questions on the back of packs, they helped dispel urban myths surrounding women\'s periods. \"Fact: if you swim in the ocean while you have your period, you will not attract sharks,\" Koller said, to laughter in the TEDx audience.\r\n\r\nAs forward-thinking brands seek to connect with women, they should continue to innovate with empowering and realistic visual counterpoints to the prevailing clichés, Koller advised. These new codes are already emerging. \"Perfection is being replaced by imperfect expression, the ingénue by graceful aging, the golden goddess by the warrior,\" she said. \"Magic is taking a back seat to hard work. The modern miracle mom has shifted to home-making, with everyday dads and gender role reversals; instead of exoticism, we have true diversity.\"\r\n\r\nCharting course amid this new environment can be challenging for brands, but ultimately such approaches are far more inspiring for real women, Koller asserted. \"I would ask you to think hard about the brands you support and the ways you represent and brand yourself, your friends, your sisters,\" she said in the conclusion to the talk. \"You have the chance to shape conversations for and about women every day.\"\r\n\r\nTo view Koller\'s full presentation, please visit: <a href=\"http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Get-Real-Branding-beyond-the-cl;search%3ATEDxSPFHS\" target=\"_blank\">http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Get-Real-Branding-beyond-the-cl;search%3ATEDxSPFHS</a>', 'CBX Expert in TEDx Talk: Women\'s Brands Must Soar Past Sea of Cliches', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-expert-in-tedx-talk-womens-brands-must-soar-past-sea-of-cliches', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-expert-in-tedx-talk-womens-brands-must-soar-past-sea-of-cliches', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2226, 1, '2016-07-26 18:56:04', '2016-07-26 18:56:04', '<strong>Urban Outfitters is putting bars in stores.</strong>\r\nHow can brick-and-mortar stores respond to stiff competition from online retailers? The answer, it seems, is to mix customers a stiff drink.\r\n\r\nRetailers around the country are trying to draw in customers by installing bars in their stores, USA Today reported. Urban Outfitters, for instance, has three locations (in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Austin, Tex.) that feature several bars. The chain encourages customers to browse its offerings with a drink in hand. The Brooklyn Urban Outfitters, for instance, includes two bars, one on the roof and another on the third floor in the men’s department, as well as an Israeli barbecue restaurant.\r\n\r\nUrban Outfitters isn’t the only retailer trying to lure in customers for happy hour. A Target store in Chicago with a Starbucks serves the coffee chain’s “evenings” menu with wine and beer. And Barnes &amp; Noble will open a handful of stores in the fall that feature sit-down restaurants with table service, which will serve “shareable food and wine and beer,” according to Jaime Carey, president of development and restaurant group for the chain.\r\n\r\nRetailers are employing a trick used by shopping malls and department stores, where the food court offered a chance for tired, hungry customers to take a break from shopping. “Having more reasons to draw (customers) to the store is really the game,” James Sundstad, vice president of branded environments at strategy, branding and retail design firm CBX, told USA Today.\r\n\r\nIndeed, retail stores sorely need to draw in more customers. Amazon is estimated to sell more apparel than all U.S. retailers with the exception of Wal-Mart, and it’s expected to make up about 20% of the retail market by 2020.\r\n\r\nAs a result, brick-and-mortar retailers, particularly mall anchors, have been feeling the pinch. For instance, Macy’s reported its worst quarterly sales since the recession this year, J.C. Penney cut payroll and froze overtime for its employees in April, and teen-apparel chain Aéropostale filed for bankruptcy in May. Some analysts predict that about a third of American malls will close their doors in the coming years.\r\n\r\nWhile serving cocktails and food is undeniably a smart way to bring customers in the door, it’s unclear if the move is affecting sales. Target declined to comment to USA Today on how the new Starbucks concept is impacting sales and traffic in the Chicago store. Barnes &amp; Noble hopes that the addition of wine and beer in its stores will increase the proportion of food and beverage sales, now at 10%, of the overall sales of the store.\r\n\r\nBarnes &amp; Noble’s development president says he expects food and beverage to make up more of the store’s sales than they do now — at less than 10% — but ultimately drive traffic through the rest of the store, too.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://time.com/money/4423639/urban-outfitters-bars-in-stores/\" target=\"_blank\">Time</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of USA Today', 'More Retailers Are Serving Booze to Boost Business', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'more-retailers-are-serving-booze-to-boost-business', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/more-retailers-are-serving-booze-to-boost-business', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2228, 4, '2016-08-08 15:15:27', '2016-08-08 15:15:27', 'Brands need to soar past the sea of clichéd visual codes if they want to legitimately connect with real women, said Allison Koller, Executive Creative Director at brand agency CBX, in a recent TEDx talk in Scotch Plains NJ. All too often, even top brands seeking to connect with women fail to overcome the tired visual clichés that have marred such efforts for generations, Koller noted. “How quickly we become a sea of eyes, bellybuttons, breasts, and beautiful booties,” she said. “Messages and images with the power to break through that sea are unexpected. They are something that makes you look twice. They shift the cultural conversation.”\r\nDuring the talk, Koller described herself as a swimmer, illustrator, daughter, tennis player and wife who pays keen attention to the content and subtext of brand messages aimed at women. Her visually rich presentation included multiple examples of successful campaigns that legitimately connect with female audiences via creative and respectful messaging. “Last summer, Carli Lloyd and the U.S. women’s soccer team broke through and redefined the power and reach of female athletes and what it means to throw or kick like a girl,” Koller noted, as images from Always’ action-oriented “Like a girl”campaign appeared on screen behind her.\r\n\r\nOther collages in her presentation, however, highlighted tired imagery drawn from traditional and social media as well as product packaging used to address women. “Whether women are buying as new moms, looking to get in shape or just considering some new lip-gloss, it’s amazing how cliched the communications often are,” Koller said. These visual codes hinge on imagery full of clean, sleeping, happy babies; magical skin care products; nutrition bars that encourage women to “think thin” and the like, Koller explained. “It’s the promise of perfection: blissful mommy-hood, women with flawless skin, and a Zen-ed out approach to fitness,” she said. “The magic continues with products that perform miracles to make you gorgeous, or make you forget you even have your period.” Tropes include the blonde ingénue: fresh faced, innocent and unassuming; the golden goddess: perfect in a slinky ball gown or while working out; and the modern miracle mom whose home is clean as a sanctuary, with Pinterest-worthy parties and cupcakes, Koller noted.\r\n\r\nFortunately, some brands understand the need to keep it real, Koller said. She cited CBX’s work with Kotex. “When Kotex first started working with us, the cultural conversation around femininity had shifted,” she explained. “Kotex wanted to transcend the cliched codes of feminine hygiene: Girls back-flipping on the beach while having their period, levitating tampons twirling in front of a sea of flowers. They recognized a need to create a new conversation with young women.” CBX helped Kotex kill the butterflies and flowers and create packaging designs for its U by Kotex brand that broke through what Koller described as the “pretty-princess, flowery noise” of the category. “We launched with something undeniably code- and cliché-breaking: the black box with a touch of fun in the brightly colored wrappers,” she said. “No flowers, no high-tech performance claims.”\r\n\r\nAs forward-thinking brands seek to connect with women, they should continue to innovate with empowering and realistic visual counterpoints to the prevailing clichés, Koller advised. These new codes are already emerging. “Perfection is being replaced by imperfect expression, the ingénue by graceful aging, the golden goddess by the warrior,” she said. “Magic is taking a back seat to hard work. The modern miracle mom has shifted to home-making, with everyday dads and gender role reversals; instead of exoticism, we have true diversity.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://gdusa.com/blog/cbx-expert-at-tedx-womens-brands-must-soar-past-sea-of-cliches\" target=\"_blank\">Graphic Design USA</a>', 'CBX Expert at TEDx: Women’s Brands Must Soar Past Sea of Cliches', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-expert-at-tedx-womens-brands-must-soar-past-sea-of-cliches', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-expert-at-tedx-womens-brands-must-soar-past-sea-of-cliches', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2232, 4, '2016-08-06 17:41:42', '2016-08-06 17:41:42', 'By gobbling prime real estate and mastering the science of site selection, the top national drug store chains have absolutely succeeded in getting as close to the customer as possible.\r\nBut in an era when almost anything you want is available at the touch of a button — not just on your computer at home but on the smartphone in your pocket — is it enough to get close to the customer physically? What about getting close to the customer emotionally?\r\n\r\nGo to any of the top chain drug stores and just watch as people try to shop the O-T-C aisles. Invariably, you’ll see folks standing around bewildered as they try to figure out which cold medicine or foot cream is the right one for them. They look confused, even lonely.\r\n\r\nPersonally, I’ve been to the drug store a thousand times over the years. Only once do I remember a pharmacist coming out from behind the counter to help, an experience that was as highly satisfying as it was rare. And yet this type of friendly, personalized exchange was commonplace in the era when most drug stores were mom-and-pop operations.\r\n\r\nToday, three dominant operators have achieved impressive scope and scale, but homogeneity is a real challenge for the sector. Stand in the parking lot of these chains’ stores and you will find that they look remarkably similar, right down to the red-and-white color schemes common to all three (well, one of them has some blue, too). Walk into the stores themselves and, again, the experience is homogeneous right down to the product offering.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, throughout the rest of retail, brick-and-mortar operators are looking to ramp up the authenticity and richness of the customer experience in creative and innovative ways.\r\n\r\nCertainly, national chain drug stores understand the need to follow suit here, which is why we’re seeing laudable pushes on wellness, some advances in private label and even the integration of a European drug store brand’s successful elements.\r\n\r\nCompared to the rest of retail, though, the drug store experience is still remarkably cookie-cutter. The absence of compelling stories, in particular, is noteworthy when compared to what you find in, say, the arena of better-quality food. At Whole Foods Market Inc., for example, signage at the meat counter tells you all about the South Georgia farmer who takes such good care of his grass-fed cattle and now supplies to Whole Foods stores across the state.\r\n\r\nAt chain pharmacies, though, story tends to be lacking. You might see a mug shot-style picture of the pharmacist on duty along with a line or two of biographical information. We can do better. Did that person decide to become a pharmacist after seeing medicine improve the quality of life of her ailing mom? Is she a Desert Storm veteran of the U.S. Army? A mother of triplets and a triathlete? We’ll never know.\r\n\r\nFrom both the channel and individual store perspectives, drug stores need to be more creative and daring in their pursuit of unique points of differentiation and storytelling. The growth of digital makes this especially important, as does the coming of age of the Millennial generation, which tends to demand more authenticity and connection from its retail experience.\r\n\r\nSo what is the specific opportunity here for drug stores? Health care and wellness are becoming increasingly important to just about everyone — baby boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials alike.\r\n\r\nWhile the big chains have made good strides in offering testing, flu shots and other health-related services, they need to do more to build upon this through both the in-store environment (including personalized customer service) and the product offer. Take the sterility out of these environments. Use your private label lines to tell stories. Leverage design to present your private label products in more compelling ways. Elevate the experience to capture the way new consumers are shopping.\r\n\r\nSound impossible? Think drug stores are, by definition, functional and therefore resistant to this kind of elevation? Today, an elevated approach to prepared food and food in general is the fastest-growing trend throughout the once-humdrum convenience store sector — and not just in North America but all across the planet.\r\n\r\nFor someone born in the 1960s or ’70s, c-stores were dingy places where people went for chips, beer, candy or maybe the proverbial shriveled hot dog. Now, millions of people are starting to see c-stores as places where they can grab quality food and beverages on the go or even sit back and relax on a sofa in a café setting. Confronted with shrinking margins on sodas, cigarettes and gasoline, the industry’s most forward-thinking chains have made a lot of progress in reinventing themselves. They have succeeded in driving traffic and store growth via these elevated offers, improbable though this might once have seemed.\r\n\r\nLikewise, chains such as Trader Joe’s Co., Fresh Market and Wegmans Food Markets Inc. offer richer experiences than might have seemed plausible back in the era when all supermarkets were essentially the same. The product offer is wildly diverse compared to this bygone era, and the experience far more lively. People go to Trader Joe’s or Wegmans at least in part because they enjoy the experience. Yet, today most people go to drug stores because they have to, not because they want to. When you have thousands of stores, you have to systematize everything, and mass efficiency is always easier than customer accommodation.\r\n\r\nNonetheless, customer accommodation is too important to ignore, which is why the rest of retail is so laser-focused on it. Systems can still leave room for localization and variability — in visual presentation, marketing, social media and even private label. You just have to build more creativity into the process.\r\n\r\nFor forward-thinking drug chains, the approach should be, “Let’s find compelling stories — about our communities, products, company and people — and then tell those stories in-store. Let’s stop being so functional and start putting more feeling and uniqueness into the in-store experience.”\r\n\r\nMake no mistake, the three national chains have taken some important steps to make their stores stand out.\r\n\r\nRite Aid Corp. has done a good job transforming its stores by focusing on elevating the wellness experience and developing some interesting private label brands. Walgreens has created cool brands and unveiled great flagship stores in key metro markets. And CVS Pharmacy has begun to launch a health platform and healthier brands to create a more holistic experience.\r\n\r\nBut are these measures enough to overcome the proximity factor? In other words, convince consumers to go out of their way to shop at one chain versus the other?\r\n\r\nThe goal should be to build loyalty based on satisfaction and identification with the brand and experience. There is no reason why national chain drug stores shouldn’t build more compelling brand stories, conveyed throughout the store and supported by products, brands, people and design.\r\n\r\nCould the whole pharmacy area be more of an interaction and consultative environment versus a queue where patients wait for the next available register? Could it be more inviting? Why does it have to be so transactional? Could people exit the store feeling wowed by your in-store beauty expertise or impressed with the food-shopping experience?\r\n\r\nThe national chains have got back-end efficiency covered. Now it’s time to build loyalty via best-in-class customer experience across the board.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.chaindrugreview.com/getting-close-to-the-consumer-emotionally/\" target=\"_blank\">Chain Drug Review</a>', 'Getting close to the consumer — emotionally', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'getting-close-to-the-consumer-emotionally', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:42', '2018-09-27 17:58:42', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/getting-close-to-the-consumer-emotionally', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2234, 1, '2016-08-22 19:29:32', '2016-08-22 19:29:32', 'A recent study by market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that 69% of U.S. adults shop online monthly, trading in the brick-and-mortar retailers for the more convenient e-tailers. And a great percentage of these sales are being done on mobile.\r\nThat’s why it’s important for designers and marketers to leverage the ever-growing mobile market to optimize their brand messaging, strengthen relationships with consumers, and grow sales.\r\n\r\n<strong>Brands in Action</strong>\r\n\r\nAccording to Google Analytics, people are using mobile for three critical moments in the shopping journey: to get ideas and inspiration, to learn more about a product and comparison shop, and finally, to purchase. It’s not enough to just cut and paste a picture of your package and post it online, and not every piece of information about the product needs to be put on the pack.\r\n\r\n“Marketers need to think about designing an experience for the needs of each distinct moment of consumer engagement,” says Dustin Longstreth, branding strategist with CBX. “A mobile presence provides brands the opportunity to go deeper into ideas and inspiration on how the product can be used. It’s also a great platform to provide additional product info, for example ingredient sourcing, craftsmanship stories, consumer reviews, and rankings relative to competitive brands.”\r\n\r\nCraig Besnoy, senior director, digital business at global technology consulting firm Mindtree notes new age consumers use mobile devices to make buying decisions, ask questions and pay bills and to win the attention of these consumers, CPG companies need to deliver consistent brand experiences across mobile channels.\r\n\r\n“Mindtree has partnered with five of the top 10 global CPG enterprises to reshape their IT strategies, which has resulted in mobile site development, mobile app development, analytics, testing, maintenance, regional localization, content updates and master data management,” he says. “By focusing on the technology tools available, designers and marketers can leverage the mobile market to optimize their brand message.”\r\n\r\nHopsy is a San Francisco-based craft beer curation and delivery service that uses NFC OpenSense tags on their signature “growlettes” so when customers tap their phones to the label, they instantly access videos and other content with information about that specific beer, where it’s from, how it was made and more.\r\n\r\nThe Tim Horton brand has a QR code on the sleeves of its coffee so when a consumer scans it with his or her mobile device, it links consumers to news feeds and information. Dr. Shankar says this is ideal for reaching a consumer in the morning.\r\n\r\n“It’s all about thinking differently,” he says. “In the past, CPG brands used to shout to consumers through mass media advertising. Now, they need to engage consumers one-on-one through relevant messaging, packaging, and keep the brand as relevant to their daily life.”\r\n\r\nDiageo recently partnered with Thin Film Electronics to create the Johnnie Walker Blue Label smart bottle, which leverages NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, a solution different from QR codes.\r\n\r\n“Unlike a QR code that needs to be scanned using an app, NFC is already embedded into most smartphones,” Besnoy says. “Simply tapping a mobile device can activate NFC content. Consumer engagement is enhanced since this will allow the brand to send consumers personalized communication that can contain any type of marketing content.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Specs for Mobile\r\n</strong>\r\nMobile has increased consumer engagement in the buying experience by providing on-the-spot information in a way that is enticing, informative and easily accessible. Consumers can make choices without the assistance of sales staff, so packaging must be increasingly informative and educational in ways that are easily read at small sizes.\r\n\r\nDesign considerations include simplicity of imagery, effective typographic hierarchy, bright colors and text that is visible, visual and written for visual scanning instead of reading. Catchy pictures, fonts and colors are all key packaging traits for attracting those using mobile. Also, designers should test the effectiveness of the packaging for viewing in both portrait and landscape modes, in small sizes, and in different lighting environments.\r\n\r\n“When designing for any mobile device in a responsive design strategy, it is essential to consider the constantly changing compositional issues,” Frear says. “Typeface selection and application is critical to readability on digital devices. Logos must be simplified to be communicative and recognizable at small sizes. Color balance and contrast is also of great importance to viewing packaging information on a small screen.”\r\n\r\nDesigners and marketers must always consider these size and format limitations when creating new packaging that will inevitably be viewed on a digital device.\r\n\r\nLongstreth says CPG brands need to think of it more like a creating a series of interactions and experiences designed to serve as the consumers’ personal help desk or shopping assistant.\r\n\r\n“The pack may grab their attention, but the mobile experience is there to prime the pump and, in many cases, close the deal,” he says. “In designing for mobile, think of opportunities to expand the conversations you are having and the experiences you are able to deliver, rather than simply repeating the same message and posting the same design. This starts with establishing a deep understanding of the customer journey.”\r\n\r\nRemember, the intention of mobile marketing is to help and include the consumer in telling a brand’s story, so any communication where the consumer feels like he or she is participating will be welcome and successful.\r\n\r\nRead the full article in <a href=\"http://www.packagedesignmag.com/content/mobile-matters\" target=\"_blank\">Package Design Magazine</a>\r\nPhotos courtesy of Keith Loria', 'Mobile Matters', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'mobile-matters', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/mobile-matters', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2236, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:29', '2018-09-27 16:54:29', '', '1112_MP_Brands_That_Surge-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '1112_mp_brands_that_surge-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:29', '2018-09-27 16:54:29', '', 1789, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/1112_MP_Brands_That_Surge-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2237, 1, '2016-07-17 15:43:27', '2016-07-17 15:43:27', '<strong>Stark, unattractive value-tier packaging design is losing favor with consumers.</strong>\r\nOne-third of consumers consciously seek out private label products to save money, states Chicago-based IRI in its January 2015 report “Private Label &amp; National Brands: Dialing in on Core Shoppers.” More than five years after the official end of the Great Recession, consumers continue to search for affordable grocery options, and nearly half (46 percent) of consumers say they are planning to purchase affordable brands more frequently in the coming year. For this reason, many retailers have started to give their opening-price-point private brands greater attention.\r\n\r\nTodd Maute, a partner with New York-based CBX, agrees that there has been a “recent resurgence” in value-tier products.\r\n\r\n“They are being treated more strategically than they have been in the past,” he says, especially when it comes to their packaging design. Typically, standard value-tier packaging was “basic” and “cheap” looking because retailers wanted to convey to consumers that the product was inexpensive. However, recent private brand packaging redesigns and opening-price-point brand introductions indicate that retailers are changing the way they present their value tier to consumers.\r\n\r\n<strong>Make ‘em proud\r\n</strong>\r\nValue-tier private label shoppers are no longer solely income-constrained individuals, says Stephanie Donelson, account manager, Kaleidoscope, Chicago. More consumers, including millennials, are shopping for quality products at value pricing, which is driving retailers to “think more creatively” about their approach to value-tier packaging design.\r\n\r\n“Gone are the days of dated ugly value packaging,” states Casey DeCarlo, creative director, EightyTwenty, Pittsburgh. “Consumers want value, but they don’t want to sacrifice good design. While a value brand can and should communicate value, it doesn’t have to look embarrassingly cheap in order to achieve that.”\r\n\r\nCurrent value-tier purchasers want to feel proud to have these items in their shopping cart, Donelson says. When others see value-tier products in their homes, these consumers want those people to view them as savvy shoppers.\r\n\r\nDon Childs, chief creative officer for Brandimage North America, Cincinnati, agrees.\r\n\r\n“Shoppers who buy value-tier products want to feel good about what they’re buying,” he says. “They don’t want to be reminded they can’t afford the ‘real stuff.’ And they want to be rewarded for making a smart choice.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Whimsical, not basic\r\n</strong>\r\nPart of the current value-tier design strategy is to offer customers packaging that is simple but not basic, says Eric Olson, creative director, Digital Color Inc., Waukesha, Wis.\r\n\r\n“To me, basic means a standard font on a single-color background. If photography is used, it’s flatly lit and simple looking. It’s more functional,” he says. “Simplicity, however, is using the space in a well-thought-out manner in terms of composition and design and layout. A simple design could incorporate a hand-drawn typeface. But it’s not layers of graphics, images and text.”\r\n\r\nIn April, Walmart ended up discontinuing its Price First brand, less than two years after its introduction. The brand was originally designed to help it compete for shoppers at hard discounters such as ALDI. But its basic packaging design very much harkened back to the “old days” of 1970s private label with its white text on a blue background and virtually no graphics on almost all of its products. It’s possible that consumers didn’t connect with the packaging design and thus didn’t connect with the brand, leading Walmart to discontinue it.\r\n\r\n“Consumers still want a value-tier brand they can feel good about, something they can own, and a charismatic brand personality is a big part of that,” DeCarlo notes.\r\n\r\nIn contrast to Walmart, Food Lion and Kroger both recently introduced new value-tier brands that offer personality: Cha-Ching and p$$t, respectively The Cha-Ching brand uses a bright orange background, a cartoon piggy bank and the phrase: “Take your savings to the bank.” The p$$t brand, meanwhile, features a cartoon owl “whispering” to consumers: “p$$t…big savings…pass it on” — and uses a mixture of photography and hand-drawn imagery on a white background.\r\n\r\n“The value tier has become an opportunity for a retailer’s whimsical side to show,” states Jeff Camp, art director with SailPointe Creative, part of Federated Group, Arlington Heights, Ill. “Some notable examples use humor (Cha-Ching), while some use the play on word[s]… (p$$t). These attention-getting devices don’t distract from the essential communication of quality (usually through an impactful image) and value — but enhance the banner’s engagement with their shoppers.”\r\n\r\nBut retailers must be careful when designing value-tier packaging. If the packaging design becomes too clever or “brand-like,” the retailer risks persuading the consumer to trade down from the national-brand-equivalent (NBE) tier to the value tier, Maute cautions. And the NBE tier typically accounts for the “lion’s share of sales.”\r\n\r\n“The value space can be a difficult space to design in, with the challenge between ‘value’ and ‘solid branding’ trickier to balance,” DeCarlo agrees. “Value-tier packaging design must convey affordability compared to any NBE or premium private brand offerings on shelf alongside it. If you want your consumer to spend more on your NBE or premium tier, they need to see a difference.”\r\n\r\n<strong>Know your customer\r\n</strong>\r\nA retailer that knows what its customer wants from the brand will be better able to connect with that customer once the packaging is rolled out throughout the store.\r\n\r\nOlson recommends that retailers define their customer.\r\n\r\n“Try to understand their buying habits and what is best going to help them in terms of purchasing this brand,” he says.\r\n\r\nChilds agrees and believes retailers should ask themselves: “Why do my customers want to purchase a value-tier product at my store?” There are three possible options: price, value or worth. If it’s because of price, the customer is looking for the lowest possible price, and the packaging design should not be premium. If it’s because of value — a solid-quality product at a solid price — retailers should ensure the packaging prevents consumers from feeling like they’re making any kind of sacrifice. If it’s because of worth — an amazing quality or innovative product at a surprising price — retailers should use product packaging to tell customers that they’re clever for selecting this brand and product.\r\n\r\nCamp takes it one step further, recommending that retailers include actual shopper feedback very early on in the redesign process.\r\n“Don’t make decisions about anything at shelf without knowing your consumer and their preferences, because the value-tier consumer may make very different choices or be driven by different need states than your branded or premium shopper,” he says. “Questions about the personality or equity of the own-brand should absolutely be answered with qualitative or even quantitative feedback from those making choices for the target households.”\r\n\r\nOnce a retailer has gathered enough information about its value-tier customers, Donelson advises that the design strategy should be fresh, reflective of the overall brand and straightforward.\r\n\r\n“The value tier should be simple, from product functionality to on-pack communication,” she continues, “to reinforce its role within your portfolio. That doesn’t mean you to lose all the personality along the way.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://www.storebrands.info/research-and-data/category-intelligence/packaging/anything-basic?utm_source=MV_Store+Brands&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=HTMLLinkID:+6&amp;utm_campaign=Category+Intelligence:+Anything+but+basic\" target=\"_blank\">Store Brands</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of Store Brands', 'Anything But Basic', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'anything-but-basic', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/anything-but-basic', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2240, 1, '2016-09-21 16:08:16', '2016-09-21 16:08:16', 'The food gifting market has proven to be a growing entity within the specialty food realm, approaching $18 billion in sales in the U.S. in 2016.\r\n“On the consumer side, key hallmark holidays have always been a huge driver,” says Renee Israel, co-founder of Doc Popcorn. “At no time is this more apparent than in Q4 when holidays practically invented for food come around.” Some of biggest category sellers include candy, nuts, and fruit, but healthy food alternatives are also gaining ground.\r\n\r\nAccording to Dave Taiclen, president of 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. Gourmet Food Group, giving gourmet food gifts for celebratory occasions has always been a staple in the gifting industry. In fact, Harry &amp; David began the first Fruit-of-the-Month-Club more than 80 years ago featuring its famous Royal Riviera Pears and gourmet fruits.\r\n\r\n“Gourmet food gifts appeal to consumers as they provide their recipient with a delicious experience that may speak to their taste—chocolate lover, grilling chef, and wine connoisseur—or allow the recipient to try a new flavor or food,” Taiclen says. “\r\n\r\nKim Jones, senior director, marketing of Mrs. Fields says food gifting, particularly sweet treat gifting, has had a noticeable increase over the last few holiday seasons at Mrs. Fields.\r\n\r\n“I believe consumers are going back to the basics,” Jones says. “We want to give a gift that was made with love, without actually making it.”\r\n\r\nIndeed, Sue George, owner of Harvard Sweet Boutique in Hudson, Mass., believes people are looking for alternatives to standard delivery gifts.\r\n\r\n“I have seen a huge jump in people gifting our special diet items, such as gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, egg-free and dairy-free,” George says. “Corporate food gifting is also on the rise, especially during the holidays.”\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Packaging</strong>\r\n\r\nThe attributes of visual design and presentation within the food-gifting category are paramount. People give gifts for the purpose of personal expression. Perhaps even more important than the food itself, is the story and experience the brand communicates.\r\n\r\n“Whatever the design, it must commit fully to a story,” says Dustin Longstreth, senior vice president, strategy group director at NY-based branding agency CBX. “That story can be about where it’s from, how it’s made, who made it, or how expensive and scarce it is. But it’s the commitment to communicating a sense of specialness through story that will set it apart from everyday items.”\r\n\r\nAs Taiclen explains, customers have many choices today, and so the decisions are often driven by brand recognition, or the attractiveness of the packaging.\r\n\r\n“Once the consumer is engaged, it’s our responsibility to communicate to the consumer the benefits of the gourmet food gift and tell the story of what makes our products great,” Taiclen says. “We want our visual presentation to be impactful, but still not take away from the components that are inside of it.”\r\n\r\nAccording to Jenny Dorsey, culinary consultant in New York City, being a \"foodie\" has become commonplace and especially for the food-obsessed millennial, gifting something that is food related and experience-worthy is at the top of the list for desirable gifts.\r\n\r\n“People are more and more interested in the why, how, where, and what of their foodstuffs, so food gifting also allows for two parties to exchange information about a food item and bond over that,” Dorsey says. She stresses that minimal design is in right now.\r\n\r\n“It needs to be cohesively designed and on-brand—if the brand is \"healthy\" then it must list ingredients, show sourcing, give information online about why or how it uses its ingredients, show artisanal harvesting process, etc.,” Dorsey says\r\n\r\nGeorge of Harvard Sweet Boutique has seen that solid gift boxes, fun and whimsical designs—polka dots, stripes, chalkboard—sell best and then classic, conservative designs for business gifts work well.\r\n\r\n<strong>Demographics and Future Trends</strong>\r\n\r\nDorsey sees urban professionals, ages 25-45, both male and female, with high discretionary income, currently being the largest food gifters.\r\n\r\n“The food gifts they provide are as much a social status symbol for themselves as they are a gift,” Dorsey says. “They care about perceived image and brand, less about ‘value’ — quantity per dollar —and especially enjoy an experiential product that extends beyond the package.”\r\n\r\nTaicien predicts food gifting to be a strong trend with continued growth in the future. Indeed, according to a study by Packaging Facts, food gifting sales are expected to rise 2.5 percent in 2016.\r\n\r\n“Feedback from retail channels is important to keep consumers engaged in gourmet food gifting,” Taicien says. “Our Gourmet Food Group brands rely on constant feedback from our customers at all touch points to ensure our quality products not only meet their gifting needs but do so in an easy and convenient way for our customers.”\r\n\r\nLongstreth, adds “And as our expectation of quality continues to grow, we’re likely to see more ultra-premium offers, made with extremely rare, expensive fine ingredients to impress that special someone on your list.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"https://www.specialtyfood.com/news/article/continued-strength-food-gifting-market/\" target=\"_blank\">Specialty Food Association</a>\r\nPhoto courtesy of Maura Keller', 'Food Gifting Market Remains Robust', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'food-gifting-market-remains-robust', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '2018-09-27 17:42:11', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/food-gifting-market-remains-robust', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2242, 1, '2016-09-26 19:54:05', '2016-09-26 19:54:05', 'CBX, the brand agency and retail design consultancy, received the top Platinum Award in the food category in the 2016 Pentawards packaging design competition for its work on behalf of Man Cave Craft Meats, which is headquartered in Golden Valley.\r\nCreated in January 2007, the Pentawards honor the best packaging designs from around the world. This year’s competition received a total of 1,843 entries from five continents and 54 countries, with awards presented on September 23rd in Shanghai.\r\n\r\nEntries are grouped into five major markets (beverages, food, body products, luxury goods, and “all other”) and no less than 55 sub-categories, so that each competing design is judged alongside similar creations. The entries are reviewed by an international jury of 12 highly respected designers and packaging design directors from major companies. The jury selects the winners based on the creative quality and the marketing relevance of the works presented.\r\n\r\nWinners receive bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond awards. Platinum awards are presented to the top entry in the five categories, while the Diamond honor goes to a single “best of show” entry.\r\n\r\nCBX assisted the craft meat brand as it expanded its sales from the local farmers’ market to grocery aisles across the country. “As Man Cave Meats geared up to reach thousands of new customers, our job was to help the company build its brand identity and create attention-grabbing product packaging,” explained CBX Managing Partner Nancy Brown, who is based in the firm’s Minneapolis office.\r\n\r\nThe new packaging created by CBX features black backgrounds, attention-grabbing typography treatments and imagery in an aesthetic approach reminiscent of the world of craft beer. “This brand is all about distinctive flavor,” Brown said. “We wanted to reinforce this by creating a distinctive package design system that disrupts the shelf and ultimately drives sales.”', 'CBX\'s Work For Man Cave Craft Meats Receives Top Award in Food Category in 2016 Pentawards Packaging Competition', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbxs-work-for-man-cave-craft-meats-receives-top-award-in-food-category-in-2016-pentawards-packaging-competition', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbxs-work-for-man-cave-craft-meats-receives-top-award-in-food-category-in-2016-pentawards-packaging-competition', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2249, 1, '2016-09-12 20:15:45', '2016-09-12 20:15:45', 'Chain drug retailers are being challenged to free up additional retail space and to reconfigure their stores to keep pace with competitors’ new brandings and offerings, according to Duane Chudy, president and chief executive officer of TCGRx, a supplier of work-flow solutions and pharmacy automation.\r\nThe market, he notes, is constantly driving pharmacy operators to invent new ways of doing business to stay competitive and profitable, and retailers are turning to innovate store designs and fixtures as key components in those efforts.\r\n\r\n“We have been designing pharmacies and integrating automation for years,” he says, adding that the Wisconsin-based firm helps pharmacies shrink their square footage without sacrificing service.\r\n\r\nJames Sundstad, vice president of branded environments at CBX, an agency that helps build brands through innovative store designs and other initiatives, agrees that the blurring of retail channels and the increased competition within the drug store industry and from other trade channels has inspired new concepts in store designs, layouts, and fixtures.\r\n\r\nDrug stores, without abandoning their pharmacy and health and wellness images, have evolved into convenience stores in the minds of many customers, whereas other customers are turning to convenience stores for many of their over-the-counter medicines.\r\n\r\nMark Gillham, collaborative store leader at Jackman Reinvents, adds that retailers are spotlighting and showcasing products in a more profound way by adopting and utilizing store designs and fixtures. Jackman Reinvents has worked with such retailers as Duane Reade, Walgreens, Rexall Health and Sobeys Inc. on store design initiatives.\r\n\r\n“We help organizations reinvent the customer experience to drive growth and win against competitors,” he explains. “We do this by bringing business and creative strategy together in a collaborative end-to-end process.”\r\n\r\nOne fixture line that TCGRx recently brought to the pharmacy market is HDStock, it’s high-density cabinets that can reduce a pharmacy’s medication storage footprint by up to 50%, in the process opening up space to implement such functions as patient consultative services and vaccination rooms or expanded retail merchandising areas, all without expanding an existing floor plan. With HDStock—available in six features—the unique layouts and work flows of pharmacies are addressed.\r\n\r\nChudy says that the HDStock system has been designed to be expandable and that the fixtures can be customized with colors and finishes to match the look of an existing pharmacy.\r\n\r\nAt CBX, the agency works with retailers to provide customers with unique brand experiences through novel layouts, whether that customer is in the store for a “grab-and-go” item or for more of a complete purchase transaction, says Sundstad.\r\n\r\nHe says that one trend in the design/fixtures arena is that products that were once confined to higher shelves are now placed at lower levels on gondolas to attract the customer and in the process build brand loyalty. He cites the approach that Bartell Drugs has taken to usher in local merchandise—including specialty chocolates, local products and gifts—to some neighborhood stores, where they are displaying the high-end products on attractive end-caps, gondolas, and in-aisle fixtures.\r\n\r\nAt CBX client Duance Reade, success was achieved several years ago when cosmetic counters and fixtures once nearly exclusive to department/specialty stores were introduced to drug stores. By highlighting the cosmetics section as a uniquely branded area of the store, sales increased dramatically. Duane Reade is also among pharmacy retailers that now depend on lower pharmacy counters as vehicles to help forge stronger bonds between pharmacists and patients.\r\n\r\nChanges in store designs and fixtures are also reflected in the increased integration of perishable and nonperishable food in the drug channel. Gillhman says a “big game changer” in this trend is seen at Shoppers Drug Mart as a result of its recent acquisition by Loblaw Cos. New formats at SDM stores have expanded square footage to accommodate fresh/perishable items.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in Chain Drug Review Magazine', 'Latest Fixtures Help Retailers Get More Out of Their Space', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'latest-fixtures-help-retailers-get-more-out-of-their-space', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '2018-09-27 17:58:44', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/latest-fixtures-help-retailers-get-more-out-of-their-space', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2253, 4, '2016-09-27 17:59:13', '2016-09-27 17:59:13', 'CBX, the brand agency and retail design consultancy headquartered here, received the top Platinum Award in the food category in the 2016 Pentawards packaging design competition for its work on behalf of Man Cave Craft Meats.\r\nCreated in January 2007, the Pentawards honor the best packaging designs from around the world. This year’s competition received a total of 1,843 entries from five continents and 54 countries, with awards presented on September 23rd in Shanghai.\r\n\r\nEntries are grouped into five major markets (beverages, food, body products, luxury goods, and “all other”) and no less than 55 sub-categories, so that each competing design is judged alongside similar creations. The entries are reviewed by an international jury of 12 highly respected designers and packaging design directors from major companies. The jury selects the winners based on the creative quality and the marketing relevance of the works presented.\r\n\r\nWinners receive bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond awards. Platinum awards are presented to the top entry in the five categories, while the Diamond honor goes to a single “best of show” entry.\r\n\r\nCBX assisted the Golden Valley, Minn.-based craft meat brand as it expanded its sales from the local farmers’ market to grocery aisles across the country. “As Man Cave Meats geared up to reach thousands of new customers, our job was to help the company build its brand identity and create attention-grabbing product packaging,” explained CBX Managing Partner Nancy Brown.\r\n\r\nThe new packaging created by CBX features black backgrounds, attention-grabbing typography treatments and imagery in an aesthetic approach reminiscent of the world of craft beer. “This brand is all about distinctive flavor,” Brown said. “We wanted to reinforce this by creating a distinctive package design system that disrupts the shelf and ultimately drives sales.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://whattheythink.com/news/82472-cbxs-work-man-cave-craft-meats-receives-top-award/?utm_source=whattheythink&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=rss\" target=\"_blank\">WhatTheyThink</a>', 'CBX’s Work For Man Cave Craft Meats Receives Top Award', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbxs-work-for-man-cave-craft-meats-receives-top-award', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '2018-09-27 17:56:35', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbxs-work-for-man-cave-craft-meats-receives-top-award', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2257, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '', '0204_Philabundance_NYT', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0204_philabundance_nyt', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '', 1801, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0204_Philabundance_NYT.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2258, 1, '2016-09-29 16:30:33', '2016-09-29 16:30:33', 'CBX, the brand agency and retail design consultancy headquartered in New York City, received the top Platinum Award in the food category in the 2016 Pentawards packaging design competition for its work on behalf of Man Cave Craft Meats.\r\nCreated in January 2007, the Pentawards honor the best packaging designs from around the world. This year’s competition received a total of 1,843 entries from five continents and 54 countries, with awards presented on September 23rd in Shanghai. Entries are grouped into five major markets (beverages, food, body products, luxury goods, and “all other”) and no less than 55 sub-categories, so that each competing design is judged alongside similar creations. The entries are reviewed by an international jury of 12 highly respected designers and packaging design directors from major companies.\r\n\r\nThe jury selects the winners based on the creative quality and the marketing relevance of the works presented. Winners receive bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond awards. Platinum awards are presented to the top entry in the five categories, while the Diamond honor goes to a single “best of show” entry.\r\n\r\nCBX assisted the Golden Valley, Minn.-based craft meat brand as it expanded its sales from the local farmers’ market to grocery aisles across the country.\r\n\r\n“As Man Cave Meats geared up to reach thousands of new customers, our job was to help the company build its brand identity and create attention-grabbing product packaging,” explains CBX Managing Partner Nancy Brown.\r\n\r\nThe new packaging created by CBX features black backgrounds, attention-grabbing typography treatments and imagery in an aesthetic approach reminiscent of the world of craft beer.\r\n\r\n“This brand is all about distinctive flavor,” Brown says. “We wanted to reinforce this by creating a distinctive package design system that disrupts the shelf and ultimately drives sales.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://packagedesignmag.com/community-voice/cbx-receives-top-award-at-pentawards-2016\" target=\"_blank\">Package Design Magazine</a>', 'CBX Receives Top Award at Pentawards 2016', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-receives-top-award-at-pentawards-2016', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-receives-top-award-at-pentawards-2016', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2260, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '', '0201_Terpel_MarketWire3-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0201_terpel_marketwire3-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '2018-09-27 16:54:33', '', 1799, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0201_Terpel_MarketWire3-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2261, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '', '0213RetailingToday', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0213retailingtoday', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '', 1803, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0213RetailingToday.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
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(2263, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '', '0214NCAA', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0214ncaa', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '2018-09-27 16:54:34', '', 1804, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0214NCAA.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2264, 1, '2016-10-04 17:13:22', '2016-10-04 17:13:22', 'Nan Richardson has joined CBX as engagement director, branded environments.\r\nRichardson will work to connect with prospects, build relationships, and develop new business opportunities for CBX in the retail, restaurant, hospitality, and commercial real estate industries, reporting to VP, branded environments, James Sundstad. She will be based in Newport Beach, Calif.\r\n\r\nRichardson brings a diverse background to CBX, with more than 20 years of business development and marketing experience, primarily in the architecture, interior design, and commercial real estate industries.\r\n\r\nPrior to joining CBX, she was west coast director, business development, at Core States Group, a fully integrated architecture, interior design, engineering, and general contracting firm specializing in the hospitality, retail, restaurant, and corporate sectors. From her base in Newport Beach, she had direct responsibility for client relations, public relations, marketing, and business development functions.\r\n\r\nRichardson has held senior marketing and business development positions with such other firms as Perkins+Will, IA Interior Architects, and H. Hendy Associates.\r\n\r\nShe is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, and the Boutique &amp; Lifestyle Lodging Association. Her extensive philanthropic efforts include the United Way, Community Service Programs Inc., and the National Kidney Foundation.\r\n\r\nA resident of Newport Beach, Richardson graduated from the American Institute of Interior Design in Lucerne, Switzerland, with a bachelor of arts in interior design.\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://insights.retailenvironments.org/2016/10/04/richardson-named-engagement-director-cbx/\" target=\"_blank\">Shop! Insights Center</a>', 'Richardson named engagement director at CBX', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'richardson-named-engagement-director-at-cbx', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/richardson-named-engagement-director-at-cbx', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2266, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:35', '2018-09-27 16:54:35', '', '0220HelicopterBranding', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0220helicopterbranding', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:35', '2018-09-27 16:54:35', '', 1805, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0220HelicopterBranding.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2267, 1, '2016-10-04 17:22:39', '2016-10-04 17:22:39', 'CBX received the top Platinum Award in the food category in the 2016 Pentawards packaging design competition for its work on behalf of Man Cave Craft Meats. CBX assisted the Golden Valley, Minn.-based craft meat brand as it expanded its sales from the local farmers market to grocery aisles across the country.\r\nCreated in January 2007, the Pentawards honor the best packaging designs from around the world. This year’s competition received 1,843 entries from five continents and 54 countries, with awards presented in Shanghai. Entries are grouped into five major markets: beverages, food, body products, luxury goods, and “all other.”\r\n\r\n“As Man Cave Meats geared up to reach thousands of new customers, our job was to help the company build its brand identity and create attention-grabbing product packaging,” says CBX Managing Partner Nancy Brown.\r\n\r\nThe new packaging created by CBX features black backgrounds, attention-grabbing typography treatments, and imagery in an aesthetic approach reminiscent of the world of craft beer.\r\n\r\n“This brand is all about distinctive flavor,” Brown says. “We wanted to reinforce this by creating a distinctive package-design system that disrupts the shelf and ultimately drives sales.”\r\n\r\nOriginally published by <a href=\"http://insights.retailenvironments.org/2016/10/04/cbx-receives-top-award-pentawards-competition/\" target=\"_blank\">Shop! Insights Center.</a>', 'CBX receives top award in Pentawards competition', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cbx-receives-top-award-in-pentawards-competition', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '2018-09-27 17:58:03', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/cbx-receives-top-award-in-pentawards-competition', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
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(2270, 1, '2016-10-04 17:55:26', '2016-10-04 17:55:26', 'Veteran architecture/design/commercial real estate business development, marketing and public relations professional Nan Richardson has joined brand agency and retail design consultancy CBX as Engagement Director, Branded Environments.\r\nFrom her base in Newport Beach, Richardson will work to connect with prospects, build relationships and develop new business opportunities for CBX in the retail, restaurant, hospitality and commercial real estate industries, reporting to Vice President, Branded Environments James Sundstad.\r\n\r\nRichardson brings a diverse background to the New York-headquartered CBX, with over 20 years of business development and marketing experience, primarily in the architecture, interior design and commercial real estate industries. Prior to joining CBX, she was West Coast Director, Business Development at Core States Group, a fully integrated architecture, interior design, engineering and general contracting firm specializing in the hospitality, retail, restaurant and corporate sector. From her base in Newport Beach, she had direct responsibility for client relations, public relations, marketing, and business development functions.\r\n\r\nPreviously, Richardson held senior marketing and business development positions with such other prominent firms as Perkins+ Will, IA Interior Architects, and H. Hendy Associates.\r\n\r\nShe is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, and the Boutique &amp; Lifestyle Lodging Association. Her extensive philanthropic efforts include the United Way, Community Service Programs, Inc., and the National Kidney Foundation.\r\n\r\nA resident of Newport Beach, Richardson graduated from the American Institute of Interior Design, Lucerne, Switzerland, with a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design.', 'Richardson Joins CBX as Engagement Director, Branded Environments', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'richardson-joins-cbx-as-engagement-director-branded-environments', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '2018-09-27 17:58:47', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/richardson-joins-cbx-as-engagement-director-branded-environments', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2271, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:36', '2018-09-27 16:54:36', '', '0213RetailingToday-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0213retailingtoday-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:36', '2018-09-27 16:54:36', '', 1803, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0213RetailingToday-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
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(2273, 1, '2016-09-26 19:01:54', '2016-09-26 19:01:54', 'The international jury of Pentawards®, the first worldwide competition devoted exclusively to Packaging Design, chaired by Gérard Caron, is announcing its 2016 winners.\r\nThis year, which celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Pentawards, the winners received the following global awards in Shanghai’s design hotel Hyatt on the Bund in front of more than 250 designers and brand owners from all around the world (24 countries represented).\r\n\r\n<strong>PENTAWARDS 2016:</strong>\r\n<strong>5 Platinum Pentawards, the Best in each Category</strong>\r\n\r\nBesides the Diamond Pentaward, the best of the show (Domino’s Pizza) the international jury chaired by Gérard Caron also awarded the 5 \"Best of the Category\" prizes.\r\n\r\n<strong>The BEVERAGES Platinum</strong>\r\n<strong>...went to the superb bottle of Imayotsukasa Sake created by Bullet agency (Japan)</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/imsake.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10264\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/imsake.jpg\" alt=\"imsake\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThis special sake is named after the carp, a famous ornamental fish and a symbol of Japan, which has been bred for decades in the same Niigata prefecture where this Nishikigoi sake is manufactured. Considered a living jewel, the carp has beautiful red patterns on a white body and this scheme has been adopted in the bottle design where the red is printed directly on to the white bottle. Japanese brush-work was used to create the red elements, while the outer box features a window in the shape of a fish. The combining of white, red and gold gives a luxurious impression and makes it an excellent gift, while the packaging helps Nishikigoi stand out from other sake brands in the Japanese and overseas markets.\r\n\r\n<strong>The FOOD Platinum</strong>\r\n<strong>...was won by CBX (USA) for the packaging of meat from Man Cave Meats.</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/pent.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10263\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/pent.jpg\" alt=\"pent\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" />\r\n</a>The founders of Man Cave Craft Meats, Nick and Josh Beste, were university students when they launched their business, by crafting innovative flavor combos with an obsessive focus on quality. Moving from the stall at the Minneapolis Farmers Market out into grocery stores required the creation of a punchy packaging design for Man Cave Craft Meats to proclaim the makers’ innovative flavor combinations and obsessive pursuit of quality. This was a product with a bold and authentic identity, and a strong measure of individuality, reminiscent of the artisanal world of craft beer with its small-batch production and straightforward, masculine irreverence. So for the unpretentious foodie core customer, the new design uses hand-crafted typography on a strong black background, and images of burly, bearded men with tattoos, alongside taglines such as: “Long live the butcher!”\r\n\r\n<strong>The BODY Platinum</strong>\r\n<strong>...is awarded to Mousegraphics (Greece) for a series of packaging for the BIC brand socks.</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bic-sock.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10265\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bic-sock.jpg\" alt=\"bic-sock\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" /></a>\r\n\r\nBIC is a company with a strong brand known worldwide. A fresh packaging idea here brings a number of Bic products together by the use of a smart but simple concept and its variations: if socks dress the feet, shoes complete the process, then socks for sale on the shelf can also be ‘dressed’ in shoes in a playful manner that catches the eye immediately. The packaging for each style features the image of a type of shoe (women’s, men’s, sports, casual) to match the sock. Within the brand’s range this creates a discrete category that is easy to identify (shoes) while also providing a unifying principle.\r\n\r\n<strong>The OTHER MARKETS Platinum</strong>\r\n<strong>...is awarded to The Partners (UK) for a range of packaging designs for Argos \'Simple Value\' household appliances.</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/house.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10266\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/house.jpg\" alt=\"house\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" /></a>\r\nArgos is the UK\'s leading digital retailer - 33,000 products 53,000 lines, 130 million customers, 840 UK stores. Consisting of 140 basic household items, the Argos \'Simple Value\' range offers solid quality at low prices. It was this combination of simplicity with value that led to the name, and the packaging also reflects the fact that these products speak for themselves. But simple need not mean dull, and while the product descriptions communicate the basic values there are unexpected twists that lift the copy into something that engages more personally with customers. Different designs have also been created for all these items, and with several hundred thousand units produced per year the simplicity of the print production makes it easier for international suppliers to contribute to the range..\r\n\r\n<strong>The LUXURY Platinum</strong>\r\n<strong>...goes to Coley Porter Bell (United Kingdom) for the luxurious Chivas Regal bottle, The Icon, and its superb packaging.</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/regal.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10267\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/regal.jpg\" alt=\"regal\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" /></a>\r\n\r\nChivas Regal is considered the world\'s first luxury whisky. It was the first Scotch to be exported to the rest of the world in 1909 and became the iconic whisky of its time, drunk by the global elite. Fast forward just over one hundred years and Coley Porter Bell were tasked with developing the positioning, visual identity and packaging for a new ultra-prestige product that would serve to enhance Chivas Regal\'s luxury credentials. As a permanent expression representing the pinnacle of the range (retailing at US$3,500), their challenge was to get to the very essence of the brand\'s visual DNA. To deconstruct its qualities and re-imagine them in the purest, most sublime form. They needed to look backwards in order to look forwards and in doing so, they struck upon their inspiration - the original 1909 bottle - an icon of its day. The design pays tribute to the brand\'s illustrious past - the green crystal decanter in particular, but also the touches of red throughout the packaging, the reference to the ship on the badge and the presentation case pay homage to the iconic green bottle of 1909 and the brand\'s export story. The agency worked closely with a leading luxury cabinet-maker and the master craftsmen at Dartington Crystal. Each decanter is mouth-blown and hand finished.\r\n\r\nRead the full article in <a href=\"http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/85570-pentawards-announces-2016-packaging-design-winners\" target=\"_blank\">Brand Packaging</a>\r\nPhotos Courtesy of the Pentawards', 'Pentawards Announces 2016 Packaging Design Winners', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'pentawards-announces-2016-packaging-design-winners', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:46', '2018-09-27 17:58:46', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/pentawards-announces-2016-packaging-design-winners', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2274, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '', '0220HelicopterBranding-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0220helicopterbranding-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '', 1805, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0220HelicopterBranding-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2275, 1, '2016-09-26 19:42:50', '2016-09-26 19:42:50', 'Now celebrating its 10th year, the Pentawards has as its mission the global promotion of packaging design. Brigitte Evrard, Pentawards co-founder, has stated that: \"Packaging design is a very demanding and difficult discipline, as it is subject to the laws of a market more and more focused on cost reduction and short-term profitability. Packaging designers must often do a lot with a little. The goal of the Pentawards is to reward designs originating from all markets, from mass-market to luxury.\"\r\nTo facilitate this, the awards are structured in five broad sectors—Food, Beverages, Body, Other Markets and Luxury—that group together 50 categories. The ninth edition of the Pentawards received 1,843 entries from five continents and 54 countries. An international jury composed of 12 professionals from packaging design and marketing, as well as the Pentawards chairman, bestowed the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Pentawards. The Diamond Pentaward winner will receive, in addition to a trophy, a year of the Esko Suite 14 packaging design software, worth €5,000. Taschen will publish the fourth edition of The Package Design Book, this time containing all the winners from 2015 and 2016.\r\n\r\nLondon-based agency Jones Knowles Ritchie took home the Diamond Pentaward, 2016 Best of the Show, for its design of new boxes for Domino\'s Pizza. Below you\'ll find it and our selection of winners. Submissions for the 11th Pentawards will be open from February 20 to April 7, 2017. More information and galleries of winners from this and previous years are available on the Pentawards site.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/dominos.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10270\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/dominos.jpg\" alt=\"dominos\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>DIAMOND PENTAWARD 2016 and ESKO PRIZE - BEST OF THE SHOW | Entrant: Jones Knowles Ritchie | Brand: Domino\'s Pizza</strong>\r\n<strong>Over the years, Domino’s pizza packaging had become overloaded with generic information which had lost impact with consumers, while the brand mark had become relegated to a small endorsement. Redesigning its delivery boxes in the UK would enable it to become the definitive article again, and this meant taking a bold and simple approach to replace the clutter on the boxes and focus instead only on the brand’s distinctive two-color logo. Since 96% of all Domino’s pizzas are sold in pairs, the brand’s pizza combo deal was used as the basis for the new design, with one red box and one blue. The result? An open invitation for sharing and fun, as if to say \"don’t order a pizza, order Domino’s.\"</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sake.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10271\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/sake.jpg\" alt=\"sake\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>PLATINUM PENTAWARD 2016 – BEST OF THE BEVERAGES CATEGORY | Entrant: Bullet | Brand: Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery - Imayotsukasa</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/man-cave.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10272\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/man-cave.jpg\" alt=\"man-cave\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>PLATINUM PENTAWARD 2016 – BEST OF THE FOOD CATEGORY | Entrant: CBX | Brand: Man Cave Meats</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bic.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10273\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/bic.jpg\" alt=\"bic\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>PLATINUM PENTAWARD 2016 – BEST OF THE BODY CATEGORY | Entrant: Mousegraphics | Brand: Bic - Socks</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/houseee.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10274\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/houseee.jpg\" alt=\"houseee\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>PLATINUM PENTAWARD 2016 – BEST OF THE OTHER MARKETS CATEGORY | Entrant: The Partners | Brand: Argos - Simple Value</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/regal-1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10275\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/regal-1.jpg\" alt=\"regal-1\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>PLATINUM PENTAWARD 2016 – BEST OF THE LUXURY CATEGORY | Entrant: Coley Porter Bell | Brand: Chivas Regal - The Icon</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/rooser.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10276\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/rooser.jpg\" alt=\"rooser\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>GOLD PENTAWARD 2016 – FOOD | Entrant: Squad Ink | Brand: The Grounds - Granola</strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/tuna.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10277\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/tuna.jpg\" alt=\"tuna\" width=\"750\" height=\"750\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<strong>GOLD PENTAWARD 2016 - CONCEPT | Entrant: Anthem | Brand: Eternal Oceans</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><a href=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/aloe.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10278\" src=\"http://cbx-site-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/aloe.jpg\" alt=\"aloe\" width=\"992\" height=\"992\" /></a></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>GOLD PENTAWARD 2016 - BODY | Entrant: Enprani | Brand: Holika Holika - Aloe</strong>\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.graphics.com/article/pentawards-2016-packaging-design-award-winners\" target=\"_blank\">Graphics</a>\r\nPhotos courtesy of Graphics', 'The Pentawards 2016 Packaging Design Award Winners', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-pentawards-2016-packaging-design-award-winners', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:49', '2018-09-27 17:58:49', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/the-pentawards-2016-packaging-design-award-winners', 0, 'thinking', '', 0),
(2276, 0, '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '', '0228PackagingNoir1-1', '', 'inherit', 'open', 'closed', '', '0228packagingnoir1-1', '', '', '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '2018-09-27 16:54:38', '', 1806, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/app/uploads/2018/09/0228PackagingNoir1-1.jpg', 0, 'attachment', 'image/jpeg', 0),
(2277, 1, '2016-10-07 16:17:14', '2016-10-07 16:17:14', 'New York-based brand and retail design consultancy CBX has added Nan Richardson to its team as the engagement director of branded environments. Based in Newport Beach, Calif., she will seek out new relationships and development opportunities across numerous industries.\r\nRichardson holds more than 20 years of experience in the field, previously serving as the West Coast director of business development for Core States Group. She has also held senior marketing and business development positions at prominent firms such as Perkins+Will, IA Interior Architects, and H. Hendy Associates. A graduate of the American Institute of Interior Design, Lucerne, Switzerland, Richardson is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Urban Land Institute, and the Boutique &amp; Lifestyle Lodging Association.\r\n\r\nOriginally published in <a href=\"http://www.designretailonline.com/news/people/Nan-Richardson-Joins-CBX-27155.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">design:retail</a>', 'Nan Richardson Joins CBX', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'nan-richardson-joins-cbx', '', '', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '2018-09-27 17:58:45', '', 0, 'http://cbx.cappendev.com/thinking/16/nan-richardson-joins-cbx', 0, 'thinking', '', 0);
