Client Case Study #53 – 1893 House

Scaling Up from Kitchen Counter to Retail Store

The Situation:

A candy maker wants to expand start-up operations

A former non-profit CFO wanted to transform her passion for making homemade sweets into a viable business. The business was named 1893 House, representing the year her house was built. The owner needed branding in order to effectively package, market, and sell her products in a retail setting.

The Challenge:

Cooking up a new brand from scratch

The logo needed to instantly communicate the mission and spirit of the business by telling the story behind the company name and keeping the homemade, nostalgic nature of the business. The same basic packaging had to accommodate a large number of similar, but unique, products and be visible and clearly labeled for quick recognition by customers.

The Solution:

An effective logo and package design

Dp Design built the brand around the company name by

• Designing a logo that depicts the design of the home, evoking the sweet spirit of hearth and home from a bygone era.
• Featuring a fun, historical fact about the owner’s home on each product line label.
• Designing other marketing materials, such as store signage, to increase brand recognition.
• Selecting clear packaging for the majority of the products, since sight is very important in stimulating the purchase of candy.
• Accommodating special requests for customized packaging (weddings, party favors) by making it easy for the business owner to create custom packaging from supplies already on-hand.

The Results:

A stand-out and versatile package that created immediate success

The packaging design was successful, memorable, and very popular with consumers. It gave the owner the materials she needed to open a booth at the city’s largest farmers’ market. The brand quickly grew to over 25 product offerings, developing a loyal following among customers. Now a successful brick-and-mortar and online store, 1893 House is selling homemade sweets that can be customized for wedding/party favors. In addition, the company has recently developed a line of appetizers that quickly become as popular as the sweets.