Through a clear understanding of the Pet Supplies Plus (PSP) customer, branding agency Willoughby Design created targeted private label brands that meet specific pet owner needs and stand out against national brands across the retailer's more than 675 stores in 41 states.
Willoughby, a leader in branding for the last 46 years, developed Hartwick Fields to cater to pet owners looking for a gourmet, entree-style meal. The packaging features a charcuterie board with ingredients that appeal to both humans and pets, which sets it apart from other grocery brands.
Against this backdrop, OptimPlus was created for pet owners who are looking for a more scientifically-driven food option that targets specific health and nutritional needs for their pets.
Creating a successful private-label brand goes beyond assembling eye-catching design elements. It demands strategic thinking and intentionality long before the first sketches or prototypes take shape.
Willoughby embraces this philosophy, recognizing that a brand's success lies in its ability to resonate on a deeper level with its audience. Their work with Pet Supplies Plus reflects a design and branding approach that zeroes in on the essential factors for crafting impactful private-label "labels," including:
- Understanding how the brand presents itself to the consumer and whether its brand promise is clear.
- Knowing who the target audience is, and what the brand could provide to them.
- Being able to successfully integrate with the competitive environment, and communicating the same quality or benefits of leading brands in the same category.
- Being able to stand out to intrigue new customers.
- Having a name that fits the category, and conveys the same general feeling as the name brands.
- Ensuring that the brand experience stands out, creates emotional connections, and is memorable.
Willoughby prides itself on building consistent and immersive brand experiences through brand strategy, visual and verbal brand identity design, packaging, environmental experience, surface design, and digital applications.
Through the lens of private label brands, the agency worked with PSP to support its promise of providing better products for its customers.
This strategic approach established PSP's position in the competitive premium pet food market by offering premium, uniquely-branded product lines at a more affordable price point. They also didn’t directly compete with each other as each brand was created with a unique audience in mind.
Design Elements That Drive Connection
The agency built the OptimPlus premium brand by combining emotionally-driven visual storytelling and a strong scientifically-based narrative, to bring the brand story to life while forging a deep connection with pet parents.
For this packaging design, Willoughby opted for darker, more formal color palettes paired with animal photography and illustrations that coincide with the high-quality, functional pet food segment.
Combined with an icon library, the design effectively communicates the product’s purposeful ingredients and science-based nutritional value.
“Pet Supplies Plus developed a complete line of science-based dog and cat food that is nutrition and benefit-focused under the OptimPlus brand. The visual and verbal language makes it easy to differentiate according to need and stands out on the shelf to people who want the best for their pets.
The OptimPlus brand now includes more than 40 dog and cat food products,” said Megan Stephens, co-CEO and owner of Willoughby Design.
Keeping It Simple but Powerful
Created for more of a "foodie" pet parent, the design for Hartwick Fields, PSP’s private-label dry and canned dog food offering, helps customers (or “neighbors”) easily identify the product and the ingredients that are in each flavor offering.
The design features an easy-to-navigate color and icon system, combined with farm-to-table inspired imagery and human-grade food photos.
“The choices are endless in the pet food category with aisles of options at every store. Knowing that some pet parents want to offer their pets delicious gourmet meals that are packed with high-quality ingredients, we dug deep into the category to better understand this audience and how the brand needed to behave to inspire this natural and grocery consumer to give it a try.
These insights informed the strategy, name, identity, and packaging system for a brand that promises quality taste and nutritional value, ultimately strengthening the bond between you and your best friend,” Stephens added.
This approach aligns with the product’s core purpose: to provide a gourmet-inspired option focusing on purposeful ingredients in the natural grocery section of the specialty store.
Standing out in an overcrowded market — especially in the private-label brands sector — has become increasingly crucial. Data from McKinsey supports this, indicating that private-label goods can have roughly twice the gross profit margin of major brands.
According to an article from Licensing International, private-label brands are gaining traction. In a study by Circana About 60% of consumers surveyed believe private labels are as good as national brands in terms of innovation, quality, and trust.
And 25% of those surveyed cited that some private-label brands were better than national brands.
Through strategic branding, meeting the demands of pet owners, and building lasting connections, Willoughby incorporates elements that enable brands to set themselves apart and thrive.
