*Each Monday, Prophet’s Chief Curator and Provocateur, Andy Stefanovich, or a member of our innovation team* shares a Monday on-ramp with Prophet employees across the globe. We’ll begin sharing them here, and encourage you to join the conversation by answering questions and providing your own comments below. Happy Monday!
As Juliet Capulet opined in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;” Yes, but what of a cauliflower? Hills Fresh Farms, a family owned grower and packaged vegetable wholesaler, is trying to corner the pre-packeged cauliflower market with a unique naming and packaging approach. According to their website, they are a sixth generation owned farm “committed to supporting the South Australian economy” through active participant in the locavore movement. “All Hills Fresh produce is grown at both (local) properties on a seasonal rotation basis. If we can’t grow it, we don’t sell it.” Enter Black Squid Design, the firm awared the packageing re-design. “Our brief was to design a package for pre-packed vacuum cooled cauliflowers. Our client needed to change the habitual purchasing of fresh cut cauliflowers to a fresh wrapped option, and increase overall sales,” according to Black Squid Design’s website. Black Squid’s approach - give cauliflower a personality through packaging. “Our solution was to give the cauliflowers a traditional name that consumers would find familiar and comforting, thus personally connect to.” On each of the four packaging variations is a name - Bob, Doris, Doug, and Shirl - chosen to evoke nostalgic memories of meals at grandma’s house and “trying to get kids to eat their vegetables.” Along with each name is a unique serving suggestion. For example, Doris is described as “a little shy, but once she’s mixed with other vegetables in a stir fry she becomes the life of the dish.” Hills Fresh has applied the package design to “bundled” vegetable offerings as well. They recently introduced “twins,” a bundled head of broccoli package wrapped with a head of cauliflower. Beyond packaging, this is an interesting take on a vegetable value proposition - using product and package (experience) as a way to get consumers to consider a product through a unique engagement. Balsamic and parmesan roasted cauliflower anyone?
