Brand Positioning

To stand out from the pack in a hugely competitive marketplace the proposed brand positioning aimed at lifestyle and performance products, using Nike and ‘athleisure’ as touchstones, rather than competitor supplement brands.

Supplements are an incredibly price-sensitive and competitive category. Knowing the specific audience and brand place within sport nutrition helps focus the efforts and spend.

Supplements are most often positioned as health or wellness products. This perception is, I feel, baked-in to the category and so supported by other brands not worth repeating. Instead positioning the brand in a clean, minimal way with messaging more closely aligned with lifestyle and performance gives this brand a good head start.

Problem

Supplements have been the gold mine many have rushed towards. Standing out in a category with so many competitors is complicated and takes more than a rapidly dwindling war chest to succeed.

Taking a lead from the pharmaceutical industry many supplements companies are highly aggressive marketing businesses. Many producing multiple brands indirectly competing for market share.

Proposal

For this project I looked to athleisure and cultural cross-category brand leaders such as Nike. Athleisure is probably worn by athletes, however the main consumer of the category is anyone wanting casual and all-day wear, the idea that the fashion may also improve performance is a benefit even if the proposition is never tested.

Supplements are an incredibly price-sensitive and competitive category. Knowing the specific audience and brand place within sport nutrition helps focus the messaging.

Product line extensions widen the consumer net and aim to mitigate risk.

A brand does not exist in and of itself, except when it does. It needs to live in the products and services it attempts to improve the value of.
For this concept I stretched the proposal to include three supplements that fit perfectly in the targeted sub-categories: Protein, Pre-workout and Meal Replacement.
For this brand protein is considered the prime product so this would use the core brand. The vertical products created underneath would use a variation to the brand, having their own personality that clearly supports the core brand.

Pewter Blue
C30 M10 Y0 K30
#7da1b3

Marengo
C26 M8 Y0 K62
#475860

Blizzard Blue
C67 M16 Y0 K7
#4ec7ed

Medium Sea Green
C52 M0 Y29 K25
#5bbe86

A Design System allows scalability

The evolution of UI / UX with digital products has led to the term Digital Systems replacing what was traditionally called a Brand Guide or Brand System.

The monster that is digital performance marketing along with content engines are more and more managed by Subject Matter Experts who lack a prerequisite visual design background.

Atom Design Methodology for brand, What? 

Below is a simple overview of the brand Design System as well as some product extensions. The approach for a new brand in the early proposal stages is similar to UI’s ‘Atom Design Methodology‘ where the brand is created with small elements that build outward. Starting with an iconography style, the font and colour scheme. With this foundation it becomes easier to expand and deliver the wider assets and strategy.

Sometimes it doesn’t happen.

In the end this proposal didn’t go ahead. The business founder felt a strong relationship to the health and wellness category and saw opportunities by positioning it there. Cest la vie.