LONGUEUIL, QC – After an extensive strategic reflection that took more than a year and cost millions of dollars, Agropur Cooperative is repositioning its Natrel milk brand with a focus on cutting-edge packaging and a multiplatform strategy. Quebec and Ontario consumers are now discovering a new premium brand image that is, more than ever, innovative, diverse and inspired by nature, expressing the qualities we can taste in everything Natrel does.
"Natrel's new image conveys a solid business vision based on innovation and the latest trends in product design," said Caroline Losson, Vice President of Marketing at Agropur's Division Natrel. "We are very satisfied with the result: distinctive packaging that is tougher than ever and highly functional for the consumer. Today, the Natrel brand fully reflects the quality of its products that are enjoying a strongly positive consumer response."
Innovative packaging
Along with Natrel's new brand image, a new packaging system that will serve as an industry model for milk conservation and taste preservation is also being introduced:
- The sturdy new packaging has an ultrathin plastic lining that keeps it hermetically sealed and protects the edges, keeping the milk tasting fresh longer.
- Milk sold in bags is packaged in a new, more air-tight plastic film that preserves the milk's quality and full flavour.
Brand image projects naturalness
The new brand image clearly reflects Natrel's roots in the word "natural": strikingly original graphic design and lifelike photos with a black background that suggests a Holstein cow's markings. The packaging makes the type of milk easier to identify, the fat content more visible and the Natrel brand more recognizable.
The colour coding for fat content is unchanged: consumers will still find the familiar light blue for skim, purple for 1%, darker blue for 2% and red for 3.25% milk. Natrel is also keeping orange for lactose-free milk, green for organic, turquoise for calcium and burgundy for omega-3 milk.
"We believe that this comprehensive rebranding, backed by sustained point-of-sale promotional support, will help differentiate Natrel from the competition and build on its strong leadership position in the Canadian dairy industry," said Losson.
natrel.ca: intuitive, rich, packed with ideas
The introduction of Natrel's new image provides an opportunity to reinvent the brand's relationship with consumers by creating a multifunctional technological platform featuring rich, targeted content to help publicize the brand's unique, engaging, modern and authentic character. The natrel.ca site, the centrepiece of Division Natrel's online strategy, is intuitive and easy to navigate. Visitors can easily grab content and share it on social media. The site, which offers tips, recipes, contests, photos and videos, sets a new standard for brand content and digital innovation in the Canadian dairy industry.
The major advertising campaign surrounding Natrel's rebranding will also be launched in the Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia in a few weeks. The new brand image is the result of the reflection and creative work of the Natrel marketing team, in collaboration with Cohésion, lg2, lg2 boutique, CloudRaker and DentsuBos.
About Agropur
Founded in 1938, Agropur is an important player in the North American dairy industry. With sales of more than $3.8 billion, the Cooperative is a source of pride for its 3,348 dairy producer owners and 6,300 employees. Agropur processes more than 3.3 billion litres of milk per year in its 31 plants across North America and boasts an impressive line of products that includes such prestigious brands as Natrel, Québon, OKA, iögo and Olympic (joint venture – Ultima Foods), Farmers, Agropur Signature, Central Dairies, Agropur Grand Cheddar, Sealtest and Island Farms.
Source: Agropur
