For Loonen, the timing at which it entered the marker also played a hand. “Had we launched when I had the idea, it would’ve been pushing an educational boulder up a hill,” Sieg says. “But I think consumer awareness around these issues [of water contamination] has grown dramatically over the past couple of years, in large part because the research has caught up.”
Oduwole has observed a similar awareness shift, noting that consumers are drawn to better-for-you brands amid the “healthification” of the food and drink industry. Yes, consumers are into the health benefits of these products, but performativity plays a role, too. Consumers want to be seen consuming brands that will optimize their wellness, so, Oduwole flags, it ultimately comes down to the branding. “They’re not reinventing the wheel, but they’re reimagining everyday categories [such as food and drink] through better branding and stronger storytelling,” she explains.
Photo: Courtesy of Doctor Stolberg
Photo: Courtesy of Doctor Stolberg
Building desire and heritage
If wellness is what these brands are selling, it is a tightly orchestrated method for doing so that sets them apart. “The product has to work first, but the brand also cannot just feel like a list of claims on a package,” David Protein’s Rahal says. “The product, packaging, imagery, retail, partners, and campaigns should all feel like they come from the same world.”
To this end, many standout food and beverage players are working with branding agencies that have experience in the fashion and beauty space. Colony, which helped design Loonen’s branding, has also worked with Californian womenswear brand Doên, while David works with agency Day Job, which primarily works with CPG brands but has also worked with Nike and skincare brands.
This alignment isn’t random, Rahal says. “Some of the strongest brands in the world are in fashion and beauty. If the goal is to build one of the strongest brands, you study the best brands. Not just the best food brands,” he says.
