Finding a new man-spaceChanneling one’s inner ‘real man’ to reinvigorate a brand

The Russian condiment sauce category was flush with me-too brands all using similar design styles and language. By digging deep into what it means to be a Russian man, Cocoon Group was able to unlock a positioning for Heinz Russia’s Picador brand of condiment sauces. This led to a real breakthrough in pack design, revitalizing the category for Heinz.

Introduction

Finding Picador’s man-space

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Competitors

Condiment sauces are aimed primarily at men and are used as basic toppings for simple meat dishes. Picador’s portfolio consists of bold tasting favorites. The market leader, Unilever’s Baltimor brand, had a much larger advertising spend and a well-defined positioning. Baltimor built its brand image on the idea of the ideal male lifestyle to which all Russian men aspired.

Heinz recognized that, if Picador was going to be successful, they needed to come up with an alternative, but equally attractive message.

Finding Picador’s man-space

Cocoon Group’s strategic team first asked themselves “What kind of man is Picador?” In the ensuing exploration, in which the entire market was meticulously examined, an insight was developed which represented a clear alternative to Baltimor – a ‘man-space’ which could be truly owned by the Picador brand.

What kind of man is Picador?

The brand claim was developed which supported this definition…”The taste real men prefer”

A brand for real men

Rather than live in the fantasy of Baltimor’s ideal, the Picador man wants to be appreciated for what he does in the real world. The Picador brand represents to him a daily reward for just being the great guy he is.

I like being a man and enjoying a simple life with my friends and family.I spend a lot of time working and doing things for my family: I love to feel appreciated for what I do and I need something in my day that’s just for me.

were the bold, rich flavors that the product promised on the plate and at the end of the fork. The brand identity and pack designs were greatly simplified, striving for sumptuous food shots and rich contrasts.

Bold and Simple

This insight lent itself to a very straightforward, no-nonsense approach to brand identity development. In performing their initial design audit, the design team recognized that the normal visual language of the category was interfering with the message of the brand. Fresh ingredients, descriptive text, and soft colors were not relevant to hungry men! What they wanted to see

The highly visible color-coding, which was used across the entire portfolio in combination with a striking black, really pops the pack off the shelf. This rich color combination was combined with modern pack shapes and high tech

materials. The result is both eye catching and functional. These packs ae sure to catch the eye of even the most uninvolved shopper!

Jumping off the shelf

Today, sales of Picador are up 30+%.And while it is still too early to say how these changes will affect market-share long-term, we feel safe in saying that Picador has re-defined what a manly sauce should look like.