Food & Beverage

Montellier Launches New SLD Designed Website

Montellier, a premium sparkling water brand sourced from an underground spring in Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Quebec, launched a new website in April, designed by SLD. Featuring intuitive navigation and eye-catching imagery, the new website promotes Montellier’s story, products, recipes, and buying information. “Having previously worked with Montellier on their packaging, we were excited to continue our partnership […]

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What Brands Can Learn From China’s Handling of COVID-19

Brand Strategy, convid retail, Customer Experience / Sebastian Maynard

As Europe and North America hunkers down amidst the peak of COVID-19’s assault on our part of the world, in Asia people are emerging from their extended quarantine to a new world. SLD’s Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Teddy Ma, who lives in Shanghai, shared his experiences with us about how consumers are responding in China. What was the quarantine experience like in

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Why Design Deserves a Seat at the Table

Brand Strategy, Corporate Identity / Sebastian Maynard

For the majority of indie start-up brands, design seems like something of a luxury. Indie operators end up doing a lot of the work on their own, relying on an ad hoc internet education to patch together something that feels like an image. Once they grow and have a bit of money, then investing in

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SEGD Branded Environments 2020

Sebastian Maynard

Held in partnership with Digital Signage Expo 2020, SEGD Branded Environments is set to take place in Las Vegas for the fourth year in a row. An event focused on “the design of brand-centric customer experiences,” SEGD Branded Environments promises a great lineup of speakers, tour offerings, and opportunities to network. As part of the

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Worksheet: Techniques to Plan for Future Trends and Scenarios

Leave a Comment / Blink Tips / Sebastian Maynard

If brands could correctly predict the future, product and service development would be a lot easier. Strategies could be planned well before disruptors emerge, and there would be advanced warnings for customer attitude shifts and upcoming trends. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that anyone will be 100 percent correct in future predictions. Luckily, there are

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Packaging for Miss Vickie's gourmet chips

SLD Recognized at 2020 PAC Global Leadership Awards

Sebastian Maynard

PAC Packaging Consortium has announced the winners of their annual Global Leadership Awards, and SLD is honored to have been awarded Best in Class: New Brand, Food & Beverage. The award is in recognition of the packaging designed for Miss Vickie’s Signatures, a new collection of gourmet potato chips that was launched in the summer

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What The Intention-Action Gap Means for Brands

Brand Strategy, Communications / Sebastian Maynard

We’ve all been there: excited and passionate to do something and then…we don’t do it. Often this can be seen with forgotten New Year’s Resolutions, unopened books, and abandoned gym memberships. This phenomenon, defined by behavioral psychologists as the “intention-action gap,” has been a challenge for marketers, who know all-too-well that enthusiastic consumers in surveys and

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The Evolving Definition of “Local”

Brand Engagement, Brand Strategy / Sebastian Maynard

In our 2030 predictions blog we included two of many likely scenarios. One of these we called the “Fortress Society,” which would see the increased rise of isolationist movements, a move away from global trade and a growing division between an Asian versus North America centric economy. This scenario was driven by the rise of buying locally,

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Check Off Every Step of Your Brand Transformation

Leave a Comment / Brand Strategy / Sebastian Maynard

If you’ve ever managed a brand transformation, you know that it can often be a juggling act. With potentially hundreds of balls In the air at once, it’s hard to shake the nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something. We’ve put together this handy checklist to help calm your concerns. Fill out the form below to

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Using Strategic Foresight to Look Ahead to 2030

Brand Strategy / Sebastian Maynard

We are nearing the end of 2019 with the milestone year 2020 arriving in just couple of days. The ushering in of a new year brings an abundance of predictions of what to expect and solutions to consider. These predictions will most likely include the continued growth of Fintech, the ongoing omni-channel shift, the further

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Packaging Trends to Keep an Eye On

Food and Beverage / Sebastian Maynard

With the surge in consumer demand for things that are better, faster and more convenient, the past decade has had a wealth of challenges and opportunities for CPG brands. As we put this eventful decade behind us, it’s time for businesses to prepare for a strong sprint into 2020. Here are some top packaging trends

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Three Keys to a Strategic Foresight Initiative

Brand Strategy, Business development / Sebastian Maynard

By now, most organizations have completed their annual planning process, and the board is giving its final blessing. As companies prepare their plans, there is much concern about what next year will bring, from a possible recession and increased trade wars to the rise of environmental and socially driven issues. To add to the planning

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Does Your Brand Have A Lasting Legacy?

Brand Strategy / Sebastian Maynard

The companies that truly succeed are those that get off the “follow the leader tread mill” and focus on what truly is relevant to their customers. It’s not about omni-channel or what you think you know. It’s about the insights your customers are not telling you. Those deep emotional needs that current companies are not

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Personalization Pitfalls Retail Brands Need to Avoid

Brand Engagement, Customer Experience / Sebastian Maynard

Personalization is a retail trend that everyone is trying to figure out – and with good reason. Positive experiences with personalization can boost the number of items purchased, amount of money spent and net promoter scores, according to a BCG-Google Customer Survey. However, there are some pitfalls brands need to be aware of when developing a strategy to offer more personalized experiences. Pitfall #1:

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Packaging Strategies That Will Get People Talking

Design Innovation, Packaging Design / Sebastian Maynard

Packaging is a complex and evolving topic. It’s one third of CPG and one fourth of the 4 P’s of Marketing, therefore a crucial consumer-facing element in any strategy. So it comes as no surprise that a great technique to generate buzz and potentially gain viral status is leveraging the best and most accessible canvas:

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SLD Designs Packaging for Miss Vickie’s Signatures Line

Sustainable Packaging That You Can Plant, Eat and Re-Use

Packaging Design / Sebastian Maynard

In a previous article, we discussed some retail trends related to packaging, including e-commerce optimization and plastic-free packaging. The commitment to reduce the use of plastic in packaging has now become simply a matter of “when,” not “if.” CPG giants, including The Coca-Cola Company, MARS, PepsiCo, and Unilever have pledged to use 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable

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Worksheet: How Brands Can Learn From Their Competitors