Turkey producer Butterball is updating its packaging portfolio with a new design geared to connect with modern consumers.
Six years after its previous redesign in 2018, the brand focused on creating a bold and modern look, adjusting to meet the preferences of today’s consumers, and staying consistent across its product line.
“Our research revealed that packaging drives a purchase more than other forms of marketing,” says Rebecca Welch, director of retail and international brand management at Butterball. “We know over 70% of buying decisions are made in the store, and up to one third of those product decisions are based on packaging and first impressions. We also know 66% of consumers say they have tried a new product because of packaging. Our design establishes a cohesive master brand look that stands out on the shelves. When shoppers see our products, they’ll immediately know it’s Butterball.”
Reaching out to consumers with design adjustments
The Butterball Insights team led the research process for the new design, integrating the customer experience by working with Cincinnati-based design firm COHO Creative to develop the design, and research consultancy PRS IN VIVO to gather consumer feedback.
Using both qualitative and quantitative data, the company tested readability, color, visual appeal, illustrations and product photography, and asked about perceptions and purchase intent.
The resulting new package design features a bold blue colorway, contrasting with the yellow Butterball logo. It includes product photography bordered by hand-drawn illustrations with phrases like “You Got This!” mixed in.
“Our most pleasant surprise was that research participants suggested the unique, artistic look appeals to younger consumers and families with children, a segment of the market we’re very interested in attracting,” Welch says.
Butterball adjusted its logo design in 2023, with a goal of adding brand consistency between digital and physical spaces. It switched to a flat design and removed the “eyebrows” that were previously featured in two corners of the logo.
The brand also slightly tweaked its colorway for the new packaging but found through consumer testing it couldn't make major changes if it wanted to remain recognizable to consumers.
“The new design really emphasizes an ownable blue packaging color that is distinctive to the Butterball brand,” says Welch.
Tapping into modern preferences and including smart features
Butterball’s research showed that today’s consumers want more product visibility, easy-to-read labels, and an enhanced brand experience.
“We achieved those demands by providing 10% more visibility of our ground turkey, revamping our labels and claims, and adding a QR code to boost in-aisle engagement. Consumers can scan to see recipes, nutritional information, storage instructions, and additional product varieties,” says Welch.
A first for Butterball, the QR codes allow the new packaging to stay up to date with the brand’s current marketing. The codes are dynamic, so the brand can “change the user journey instantly to create a different brand experience based on seasonality, active marketing campaigns, and more,” Welch says.
The brand hopes the new QR codes will help to gauge whether such technology can be a useful tool, testing how often people scan it to learn more about the product they are purchasing. The codes will not collect consumer information or track inventory.
One claim Butterball was able to add through this redesign was its American Humane Certified emblem.
The emblem communicates to consumers that Butterball’s farms, contract growers, and transportation partners are audited by a third party on over 100 scientific metrics annually to ensure animal care and well-being.
“We’re proud to promote that Butterball was the first and is currently the only turkey company to voluntarily participate in the American Humane certification program, which exceeds government requirements,” Welch says.
Rolling out the new packaging
The newly redesigned packaging portfolio began its rollout in August, starting with Butterball’s frozen turkey burger.
The frozen turkey burger rollout will be followed by more packaged goods like turkey bacon and fully cooked breakfast sausage, and later by fresh, raw products like ground turkey.
Seasonal products like fresh and frozen whole turkeys will debut in the new packaging starting in fall/winter 2025.
