Van Houtte takes nuanced approach with new logo
Montreal coffee brand Van Houtte has introduced a new logo and packaging, part of what one senior executives says will be “non-stop investment” in the brand in the lead-up to its 100th anniversary in 2019.
Created in association with BrandBourg Marketing and Design, the new circular logo retains the image of Van Houtte founder Albert-Louis Van Houtte, but features a new black, gold and white colour scheme designed to convey an aura of prestige. Van Houtte’s signature has also been added beneath his name and image.
Ron Szekely, director of marketing for Van Houtte parent Keurig Canada, says that preliminary focus group testing indicated that Albert-Louis Van Houtte, a French immigrant who founded the company as a fine grocery store in 1919, is an integral part of the brand.
“The DNA of the brand is very much rooted in his beliefs, and being one of the first people to really focus on bringing great coffee to his customers,” says Szekely. The logo retains the company’s founding year and the phrase “master roasters,” which now runs around its exterior to create what Szekely describes as a “seal of approval.”
Szekely says the new logo is a reflection of increased consumer appreciation for coffee, which rewards traits like craftsmanship and attention to detail.
“It’s gone from being almost a commodity to a sophisticated category where there is a lot more choice; people are paying more because they’re looking for that coffee shop experience at home,” he says. “There’s much more of an appreciation for flavours and the subtle nuances. We knew
Szekely characterizes Van Houtte as a premium brand, but “very accessible.” “We believe that everybody deserves to drink a great cup of coffee everyday; we’re not trying to be exclusive or pretentious, but we’re very strict and disciplined about attention to detail and craftsmanship.”
The company is also attempting to connect with younger consumers just entering the coffee category, while maintaining its broad appeal, says Szekely. “We definitely want to be able to share our passion for coffee with new consumers, while maintaining our connection with older consumers,” he says
The refresh spans Van Houtte’s numerous consumer touch-points, which include retail—where its on-shelf presence spans approximately 50 blends—as well as its extensive outside network, which includes a reported 60,000 offices, schools and cafés in Canada and the U.S. All of the products that Van Houtte has been shipping to stores for the past two months feature the revamped logo.
New packages for Van Houtte feature a blend of matte and gloss finishes, as well as a coloured band denoting each individual blend (red for house roast, blue for French roast, etc.). Each package also contains tasting notes for individual roasts. “We want to make sure that when a consumer comes to the shelf, they’re enticed by a specific blend colour,” says Szekely.
Van Houtte is “by far” the leading coffee brand in Quebec and a top-5 brand nationally, says Szekely, and is also the most popular brand in Keurig Canada’s single brew (k-cup) system.
“Our mission is to really make Van Houtte a national brand across all formats – traditional coffee and k-cups, and across all touch-points,” says Szekely. “We want it to be true national brand.”
Keurig is supporting the revamp with a major marketing push, with Szekely saying that the company will have the biggest ad spend in the coffee category in coming months. “We’re using the full force of Keurig to rebuild this brand,” he says.
A new campaign is built around the tagline “Taste every nuance” and celebrates the craftsmanship that goes into making Van Houtte coffee.
A complete overhaul of the VanHoutte.com website, including a spruced up recipe section and an inspiration section providing tips and practical advice, is also planned for the months ahead.