Interact Brands

This past week we visited the Are We On Air newsstand and LA Grocery & Café - two relatively new places catching the attention of our LA friends. The newsstand, known more formally as ‘Kiosk-o-Thèque,’ is a retail concept created by Arman Naféei, the self-proclaimed director of ambiance behind some of the greatest hospitality establishments and host of the "Are We On Air" podcast. The newsstand collectively provides a platform for various forms of creative expression, including music, print, art exhibits, and installations, making high culture more accessible and inviting. We also love the push for experimental retail in a newsstand setting. L.A. Grocery & Café (LAGC) recently opened in Melrose Hill, offering a unique shopping experience focused on local and high-quality produce from local farmers' market vendors. The store features an inverted floor plan, with fresh produce, meat, and dairy at the center and a café serving dishes that use unsold produce to reduce waste. The grocery provides a curated selection of items, balancing high-end and more affordable options. Thank you, Matt Newberg, for calling this one out.

Our Director of Sustainability, Valerie Hawks, was featured on the Sustainable Packaging Podcast with Cory Connors to speak on 'How to talk to Gen Z about Sustainability.' Her episode went live today! Listen below 🎧 https://lnkd.in/gKiahvTZ

A good question to ask yourself, when is the right time for your brand legacy or not to embark on a redesign? "Legacy brands need to apply a finer, more modern filter to their brand story or work to find new audiences with an extension — not a total overhaul that endangers equity.” – Marketing Dive Recently, we authored a thought piece on the pet food industry, highlighting the potential for legacy pet food brands to undergo a redesign. While these brands may lack modern aesthetics and messaging, they compensate with trusted scientific research. A rebrand offers them the opportunity to appeal to consumers whose identities are deeply connected to their pet-centric lifestyles, thus bridging the expanding market divide. For more insights, read the full article linked in our comments. The branding landscape is continually evolving and being disrupted by both new and established players. This applies to all industries - we recently completed a subtle yet impactful redesign for legacy brand Hot Pocket's. The redesign was made to target a new audience without alienating their existing consumer. #redesign #rebrand #cpg #packagedesign

AI Challenge: TEAM 5 // Sly™ This team brought Sly to life through interactive out-of-home advertising and branded collaborations using AI. Sly Swag — Gamers often use laptops for portability, space efficiency, and versatility. Beanies are a part of gamer culture as well. Aside from fashion, they provide extra cushion and comfort when over-ear headphones are worn. Gamer Convention Booth — Sly’s gaming convention pop-up offers a sleek design where video game convention attendees can taste Sly and challenge fellow gamers to a video game. OOH Advertisement: Capture the attention of city dwellers in Time Square with this eye-catching Sly sculpture in a unique approach to OOH. Sly x Fortnite Collaboration — Meet gamers where they are by collaborating with Fortnite to create a Sly branded skin. #AI #Design

AI Challenge: Team 4 // Koia 🍌 🍓 🍫 Team 4 created The Koia Smoothie Studio which is a multi-sensory immersion that transports you into the vibrant and flavorful world of Koia’s plant based protein shakes. The team included a brand partnership with HOKA creating running shoes in different color-ways that aligned with the Koia smoothie flavors. To embrace change and challenge our team members, we broke them up into four teams to tackle expanding brand identities for a brand of their choice, using ONLY AI. Each team’s final assets will be posted over the next four weeks. #AI #Branding #Design

🌟 Pack format nuances in CPG 🌟 One of the reasons I love working with Startup CPG to organize events is learning more about the challenges emerging CPG businesses face, and seeing how generous the community is in helping each other find potential solutions. At our meetup at BevNET.com last week, I had great conversations with several business owners about their pack formats. Working in packaging design at Interact Brands, we’re often working with an existing pack format that the client has selected, but sometimes we get to join in on the fun of picking what will work best for the product. Pack format is always a difficult decision with many factors. - What fits on a retail shelf? - Does the format communicate the use case? - Will it be easy to store and use for the consumer? - What cost can I afford to maintain my margins? - Do I have the scale needed to meet run minimums?  - Do I need a different format for retail vs food service? The owners I talked with are doing the right thing by prioritizing consumer needs when making these decisions. By chatting regularly with their consumers they avoid costly missteps and ensure their products meet real-world demands. Shout out to: 🍹 Elaina (Repucci) Holm with Simple Sips Fresh Cocktail Mix that needs packaging that appeals both on store shelves and in the hands of bartenders 🫖 Nancy Daniel with Madhrasi Chai concentrate that requires packaging that suits both home refrigerators and professional barista setups 🐝 Samantha Putošová with Bee Balm Co. benefits from using compostable packaging Can’t wait to see what we chat about at our next meetup! Stay tuned for details. #Packaging #ConsumerInsights #BusinessStrategy #Retail #FoodService #Entrepreneurship #CPG #FoodandBev Chloe Drumwright

AI Challenge: TEAM 3 🤖 Chosen Brand: Nature Friend "Oui Ouid! A discovery of "who" or "what" Nature Friend might be." Team 3's take on expanding their brand identity included a brand collaboration with Nike. To embrace change and challenge our team members, we broke them up into four teams to tackle expanding brand identities for a brand of their choice, using ONLY AI. Each teams final assets will be posted over the next four weeks. #AI #CPG #Branding

AI Challenge: TEAM 2 🤖 To embrace change and challenge our team members, we broke them up into four teams to tackle expanding brand identities for a brand of their choice, using ONLY AI. Each teams final assets will be posted over the next four weeks. Chosen Brand: Honey Smoked Fish Holdings, LLC "A new sustainable line for Honey Smoked Fish Co." #AI #CPG #Branding

To Carbonate or not to Carbonate.. There's been an unsaid feeling of bloat lurking in social settings from all the hard seltzers we've been consuming, and now there's an emerging group of brands allowing for more sessionable carbonation-free experience: Mom Water, Dad Water, NOCA Beverages, FUNNY WATER, etc. Molson Coor launched Happy Thursday, where they call out Bubble Free on the front of pack. VinePair brought some interesting points to the table here: https://lnkd.in/gtk7huB9 Here's to a summer of feeling less bloated!

Our very own Elise Yost is co-hosting a Startup CPG Boston Meetup for Entrepreneurs & Experts at the BevNET.com headquarters in Newton this Thursday, 6/27, from 6-8 p.m. Come mingle with fellow industry experts! Grab your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/ev6NdXaj Product sampling from: - Bee Balm Co. - Toast! Supplements - alldae superfruit soda