Naturipe Farms is speaking directly to Millennials and Gen Z with a rebrand that is as fresh as its berries. Starting this month, consumers will begin to see a new logo, packaging, and in-store merchandising in grocery stores across the U.S. and Canada. The rebrand is a result of a comprehensive consumer research study that determined what Millennials and Gen Z — the largest demographic of shoppers — wanted to see from the Naturipe Farms brand.

“We wanted our rebranding to be representative of our long history and current market research,” said CarrieAnn Arias, Naturipe Farms’ vice president of marketing, who led the initiative. “We knew, just like growing our berries, that we needed to take our time and carefully cultivate this rebrand. That started by listening directly to our customers.”

Naturipe Farms’ year-long research study led it to highlight components of the brand that were not always immediately visible before. This includes:

• Communicating the berries’ freshness. When selecting produce, 89 percent of millennials and Gen Z participants surveyed said that “freshness” is their main decision driver. Freshness speaks not only to the quality of the product but also the look and feel of the product too.
• Emphasizing honesty and transparency. Consumers will now know the origin of their berries by the map and state represented on the label.

“For more than 100 years, freshness has always been a top priority for us,” said Dwight Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Naturipe Farms. “Now we’re ensuring our brand stays fresh as well.”

The research findings also revealed the truthfulness in the name. Consumers that participated in this effort expressed that the Naturipe Farms name conveyed that the company’s products are “naturally ripened” or “allowed to ripen in nature.”

“It’s gratifying to hear consumers see and appreciate the honesty in our name,” said Arias. “The elements of this rebrand clearly communicates the lush, fresh, ripened berries that we offer to our customers every day.”

Additionally — and what may not come as a surprise to many — the study confirmed that Millennials and Gen Z are passionate about how brands treat the environment. Naturipe Farms is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and is currently exploring the best sustainability practices and innovations as part of its “Cultivate with Care” initiative. This means research in eco-friendly packaging, water conservation, and natural pest management.

“We believe the work we are doing in 2019 will set the tone for our future, and the brand refresh is just the first element,” said Ferguson. “Consumers will hear more from Naturipe Farms, and we’re excited to show them what our great company is all about.”