My Private Brand

Michael’s Embellishing Private Brand One Jewel at a Time

Kimberly Justen — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:03:51 +0000

This guest post comes from frequent contributor Kim Justen – she is a veteran writer and communications consultant who has worked with companies like Sara Lee, Hanes and most recently Lowe’s Home Improvement where she brought their Private Brands to life by creating brand differentiation through packaging voice. Watch for more from Kim.

Letting me loose in Michaels is like letting a chocoholic loose in a Hershey’s factory. I have delusions of grandeur and the artistic skill of a kindergartner. Earlier this week I had to brave the temptations and pick up some supplies for a school project, and for once I didn’t have a grumpy teenager in tow, so I had time to actually walk the store.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I found at the arts and crafts store. While it’s well known that grocery dominates the Private Brand conversation, Michaels Stores, Inc., is one of the many non-grocery retailers successfully developing and marketing innovative Private Brand portfolios and building strong customer relationships in the process.

Michaels has eleven private brands in their portfolio, and each appears to be carefully positioned to effectively compete and potentially win. An area where you’ll find great packaging is in Paper Crafting category. Recollections, Michael’s private brand offering in the category, has a name that ties into the memory-keeping of the Scrapbooking category. Add to that the timeless brown and cream color scheme and you’ve got a brand that is credible, relevant and fits the category perfectly, with innovative products at a great price. Unique elements like the scalloped-edge color band on paper punch packaging ties it all together and gives crafters a reason to chose Michaels.

Michaels has gone the extra mile with the consumer by providing solutions to problems they didn’t know they had. The Bling on a Roll product line is just one example of Michaels meeting crafters’ needs. Any scrapbooker will tell you applying individual embellishments to a page is time consuming and often frustrating. Bling on a Roll provides embellishments on clear tape, allowing you to apply a row of them in seconds.

Other unique items in the category are the traditional and seasonal paper pads, loaded with color-themed papers that play well together. Many of the designs featured are created by an in-house creative team and are exclusive to Michaels, guaranteeing product not seen at the competition.

Michaels is just one of the many unsung heroes in Private Brand, flying below the grocery-focused media radar, but still building a strong portfolio worth a second look. In their 2011 fiscal year, Private Brands made up 44% of Michaels net sales at their over 1,100 stores. These examples, in just this one Private Brand, showcase how Michaels is driving Private Brand product development within the arts and crafts category.

PB CAREERS: Southern Seasons – Corporate Director of New Product Development

Christopher Durham — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:16:18 +0000

Southern Seasons – Corporate Director of New Product Development

Chapel Hill, NC
Southern Season, Inc. is immediately seeking a Corporate Director of New Product Development.

Responsible for corporate planning, oversight, and execution of the product development process for Southern Season, Inc. private label line, proprietary products, identifying new product trends and expanding vendor networks. Position reports directly to the President/CEO.

Essential Functions:

Creating development strategy working with merchandising team to develop product category and plan execution
Establishing and maintaining product development standards
Identifying product category, concept and item level development opportunities
Partnering with creative, marketing and merchandising teams to develop and enhance the branding of all private label and proprietary products
Expanding product development vendor networks
Attending trade shows and conducting competitive research
Partnering with merchandising team to increase product margins, new item flow and product success rate

Education / Experience:

Ideal candidate will have 10+ years of retail and/or direct marketing product selection and development experience, ideally in the specialty food category. A four-year college degree with excellent communications and advanced computer skills required.

Please visit the career opportunity page on our website at www.southernseason.com to complete an online application which will allow you to attach a resume if you so choose.

APPLY TODAY!

Publix Smiles With Frozen Novelties

Christopher Durham — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:12:01 +0000

Florida based grocer Publix continues to build on its banner Private Brand – this new frozen novelties packaging designed by the Publix in house team is designed to grab customers’ attention and convey all the qualities of the treats inside: playfulness, portability, nostalgia, and fun. The color, simplicity and whimsical humor build on the brands longstanding voice and tone.

PB CAREERS: PETCO – Brand Manager

Christopher Durham — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:07:35 +0000

PETCO – Brand Manager, Private Brand
Primary Location: United States-California-SAN DIEGO-9125 Rehco Road – Bldg 4 (0014)
Job: Product Development

Description
Our vision at Petco is Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We’re making things better for pets, people and the planet through our Think Adoption First philosophy, the Petco Foundation and other important initiatives that focus on putting animals first, educating pet parents and reducing our carbon footprint. The journey starts with knowledgeable, passionately engaged associates who are proud to recommend Petco as a place to work, who believe in our Vision and who are committed to delivering a superior customer experience.

From our retail stores and our network of Distribution Centers to our Corporate offices, you’ll work with others who share your values and commitment. We seek individuals who are passionate about animal welfare, have great people skills and are driven to grow and advance in their careers with us. Our ongoing growth is creating exceptional opportunities for professional development and personal enrichment throughout our organization.

Position Purpose:
To support the development and execution of the Petco Private Brand positioning and portfolio strategy and brand architecture in order to enhance brand awareness, instill trust, and enable organization effectiveness within Petco Private Brand products.

This role is accountable for Branding for all Petco Private Brand products.

Determine and set the strategic and financial objectives for Private Brand as well as identify the “target customer” and how the products will meet or exceed their specific needs.
Set the strategies and manages assigned programs and brands, working with Private Brand Product Development, communications, Merchants, Merchandise Planning & Analytics and other cross-functional teams as needed.
Establish the key product attributes and benefits and ensure products are assigned to the appropriate tier; develop and execute the brand positioning of the private brand products. Review the criteria for each tier with the various teams for complete understanding and buy in to the process.
Write effective creative briefs and define communication hierarchy
Remain knowledgeable about marketing related subjects such as Brand Management, consumer behavior influences and current marketing research methodologies.
Provide the strategic objectives necessary to effectively partner with our Marketing team in the development of our go-to-market strategies on Private Brand products.
Manage communications and specific market demographics to represent appropriate products and brands to ensure that the message is consistent with the Petco brand identity and voice; form trust in the Petco Private Brand and build customer loyalty to Petco through our product lines.
To understand and remain knowledgeable of customer need, behaviors and influence triggers through market research and consumer testing; and formulate effective strategies to ensure the brands receive maximum quality and yield better results than those of our competitors for similar retails; ensure these teachings are incorporated into our packaging and training for associates; partner with our internal Marketing Research department to achieve the most effective results.
Continuously demonstrate strong leadership abilities, effective communication and social skills, strong analytical skills and the ability to multi-task.
Maintain a strong relationship/ partnership with the VP Brand & Creative Services in the development of new packaging designs. Consult and provide input into the creative process and ensure the development and adherence to product and packaging guidelines while staying within the master brand strategy.
Maintain a strong relationship with marketing to ensure our brand message is appropriately and consistently communicated across all marketing channels.

Supervisory Responsibility:
This position does not have direct administrative supervisory responsibility. This position develops the strategic vision for the Private Brand products, establishes the architecture and ensures consistent execution across the brands. The incumbent works with Private Brand Communications team to maintain consistency of the Petco Brand through all private brand programs. And, works with the Product Development team to ensure that the products that they are developing is going to represent Petco in the way that our vision is set out to be.

Work Environment:
The majority of job duties are conducted while seated indoors, with little or no exposure to hazards. Minor travel may be required.

Qualifications
Education and Experience:

Normally requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in Marketing, Merchandising, Product Development, Product Design, Communications or Business with a discipline in Packaging.
Requires a minimum of five years business experience, with direct involvement in packaging design and brand communications.
Requires understanding the product side of the business either with experience directly with product as being in product development or merchandising, or by running cross-functional partnerships by executing on brand positioning.
Requires working knowledge of import/export marketing and accounting relationships.
Requires the ability to communicate via written correspondence with senior management, product development, merchandising, external vendors, etc.
Requires the ability to analyze and evaluate new designs and design modifications from a budgetary or financial standpoint.
Requires experience working in a fast paced, deadline-driven environment as well as the ability to self manage deadlines.
Must be self-motivated and results-oriented with the ability to function effectively as a team member yet work independently.
Requires the ability to effectively communicate conceptual ideas within a highly collaborative design process.
Must be able to keep abreast of current trends in packaging and branding.
Requires strong computer skills with knowledge of: Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point and Adobe Suite: Photoshop and Illustrator.
Requires a high level of creativity. Must be able to graciously receive constructive criticism and apply it to products and work processes.
Must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to obtain a US Passport for international travel.
An equivalent combination of education and related experience can be substituted for a degree.
Experience in a retail environment is preferred.
Experience with graphic or product design is necessary.

APPLY TODAY!

Tasty Design, Tasty Gelato, Safeway Select

Christopher Durham — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:25:57 +0000

Safeway tasked design agency Anthem to create a “current and relevant” design for its new Private Brand Safeway Select line of gelatos. According to the agency:

“We created an elevated, premium design that cues appetite appeal and presents the product in an artfully striking way. The unique sculptural composition for each flavor celebrates the inherent quality of the ingredients and the clean aesthetic delivers delight. From the joyful colors highlighting the flavor names and corresponding lids, to the simple type treatments, the overall package commands an unexpected and exciting presence within the frozen dessert section.”