Bloomingdale, IL—Shoppers that purchase NOW Foods supplements will soon find a redesigned look on store shelves. NOW’s product marketing manager Jim Ritcheske recently made the news known in a newsletter to retailers, though the firm has been working on this project for about three years.

The decision to redesign their signature look came after retailer and consumer market research that uncovered information about shoppers’ perceptions of the brand. While those that bought the brand liked the look of the bottles, those unfamiliar with NOW Foods felt the appearance was a deterrent. These shoppers felt the label was generic, unattractive, even cheap-looking, possibly suggesting a poor-quality product.

The redesign process had some fits and starts, going back to 2012 when a proposed updated label was actually preferred less than the current design in market studies—leading NOW back to the drawing board. “The ‘start and stop’ process was somewhat challenging, but once we were able to really focus on the process things moved quickly,” Ritcheske says.

The company knew it wanted to keep certain core elements of its brand identity, like its signature orange color, purple lettering and white bottles. But, it wanted to improve its shelf presence with a fresh look. In March 2013, NOW Foods was chosen by Packaging Design Magazine for its annual Makeover Challenge, and was given four concepts from four designers to choose from. After in-house graphic designers made some significant modifications, NOW feels it has a winner.

“We expect the new look to have a stronger shelf presence, conveying Friendly, Healthy, Natural and Honest,” states Ritcheske. “This should appeal to shoppers who have not previously purchased NOW supplements, and the retention of orange as a prominent label color will help keep current NOW shoppers engaged. Overall, the new look is less ‘glaring’ and offers a softer, more inviting visual appearance.”

The new look is expected to officially launch in the first quarter of 2015.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, March 2015