In an industry where the smallest details and decisions occur under a microscope, it is no wonder that change is to be revered and feared. The bold see change as a worthy challenge, harnessing the power of transformation, while others may change only when they have to.
Two paths with markedly different journeys.
The beauty of transformation is that it underscores our continuous evolution, bringing about new opportunities where others might find their paths determined by reaction instead of proactivity.
Pure Flavor® is of the dynamic type, always in search of the industrious route, the one that will reveal new possibilities for itself and its customers. With such passion, Pure Flavor has composed a new map for its brand this year, one that recognizes where it has been and where it is going.
“We are on a rocketship path of growth, and we have a ton more in the pipeline. We want to ensure our brand supports that growth by appealing to the right target consumer with the right messages,” Julia Weber, Director of Marketing, shares with me.
Starting down this path, Pure Flavor had a goal in mind, yes, but one that was less limiting in its scope, driven instead by the process of discovery.
“We approached this with a fairly open mind, willing to hear what the consumer had to say and then working to understand how that should shape our strategy and to what degree we needed to evolve,” Julia describes, telling me how the steps toward execution were very measured, but also flexible. “The entire leadership team here was open to change and also a part of the entire discovery process. That has been incredibly empowering and supportive as we undertook this important journey for the company.”
Led by Jamie Moracci, Chief Executive Officer; Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice President; and Jeff Moracci, President, Pure Flavor has been a service-focused, humble, trusted, innovative, family-operated company that treats growers, employees, and customers as integral partners in its strategy for growth.
While always remaining adaptable, Pure Flavor is deeply committed to foresight, ensuring each step along its journey is primed with intention and meaningful work.
“While we are open to new ways of thinking, executing, and building our brand, we’ve also been very careful not to just change for the sake of change—everything we’ve built that is new has been grounded in and supported by insight and learning,” Julia expresses.
“We are on a rocketship path of growth, and we have a ton more in the pipeline. We want to ensure our brand supports that growth by appealing to the right target consumer with the right messages.”
Julia Weber, Director of Marketing, Pure Flavor®
This detail is something I admire about Pure Flavor. Navigating the challenges of today’s terrain must be studied and internalized on a multitude of levels. Today’s consumer is faced with an onslaught of messages, and so must be interacted with from a sensory aspect, but also an emotional one.
“Our first mission was to find those nuggets of insight through research that would help us form emotional connections with our consumer and also set us apart from the competition,” Julia explains. “Once we had those, it was important to use the resulting strategy as the North Star that guides every aspect of our brand. To achieve that, the strategy had to be clearly and succinctly articulated, so we spent a lot of time making sure we had the foundation really well hammered out before extending it across the different brand touchpoints like messaging, tone, personality, and visual identity.”
At this point in our conversation, I am itching for the reveal, the deeper details, the dynamic refresh that Pure Flavor promises, but Julia reminds me that the debut is strategic too.
“While we’re not ready to share too many details just yet, the team is jumping out of their seats with excitement to unveil it! The minute we saw the visual design territory, we knew it was exactly right,” she says. “I always try to assess design first, based on how it makes me feel. I try to shut off the logical part of my brain and let the emotional part take over. And the emotions we felt when we looked at the new design were exactly the emotions we want our consumers, employees, and partners to feel when they interact with our brand. It’s unique and different in the category, and it directly addresses some of the things we learned about our consumer—their pain points, their pressures, and the things that bring them joy.”
“There’s always a commercial goal with any brand refresh. In produce, we are incredibly fortunate that increasing the sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables also benefits our end consumer with a healthier diet.”
Now the suspense is palpable, so I ask Julia to throw me a bone. How will this brand refresh impact value on the shelf and in the shopping basket, I wonder. Her answer: By entering through the heart.
“There’s always a commercial goal with any brand refresh. In produce, we are incredibly fortunate that increasing the sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables also benefits our end consumer with a healthier diet,” Julia replies. “By creating a stronger emotional connection between the consumer and the Pure Flavor brand, we are not only benefiting our own business and the category as a whole (which is far from saturated), but we’re also positively impacting the lives of people. I can’t think of a more motivating purpose than that!”
And with purpose comes the most amazing opportunities for transformation. After all, a brand refresh for Pure Flavor is not about reinventing who they are, but revealing more of who they have become.
