Bonfesto

Brief

First products under the brand name Bonfesto produced by the Turovsky Dairy Plant appeared on the Belarusian and Russian markets in 2013. These are cheeses made according to Italian technology, for everyday and situational consumption. The brand is presented in the “medium”, “medium plus” price segments – so categories of cheeses, which were previously only represented in the premium segment and produced in other countries, became available to a wide audience of consumers. Fabula Branding’s striking visual and verbal identity helped the pioneering Bonfesto brand to successfully enter the market and earn the loyalty of its target audience.

The last 5-7 years have seen big changes in FMCG, including the Italian and curd cheese categories. More well-known international brands have entered the market and consumers have become more demanding. In addition, the brand portfolio has expanded, with a range of curd cheeses, which did not fit into the ‘traditional Italy’ concept. We needed to emphasize the emotional character of Bonfesto, make it more versatile, make it easier to navigate on the shelf, and at the same time retain its uniqueness.

Decision

Our team conducted a brand audit and analyzed the market, competitors, consumers and the company’s internal processes. The findings allowed us to develop an updated positioning together with the client’s team.

The previous positioning was based on the idea of giving a holiday and creating new emotions – the product was really quite new to the target audience. Bonfesto cheeses are now well known to the audience; they should be moved into the category of daily use products.

First of all, the brand values were rethought – family, being able to receive and give positive emotions. The mission was formed – Bonfesto inspires to create daily feasts “without a reason”, to constantly evolve and make new culinary discoveries, bringing joy to life. The brand suggests to live each day brightly and eventfully, break free from the usual routine, helps to see the opportunities that each new day gives us.

Rethinking the packaging design had to be approached with particular care. Over the years, the brand has developed a large audience of loyal customers who easily recognize Bonfesto by its design, so continuity was essential. Fabula Branding’s designers retained the craft background and color of the logo. The enlarged shape and the trendy grotesque font enhanced the role of the logo in the design and thereby improved brand identity. The packaging also features cheerful Italian characters that convey character and emphasize the emotional appeal of the brand.

Having studied the principles of consumer interactions with the packaging, the agency revised the design of individual aspects and elements. The front of the package features a handy table with the USPs, while the reverse side features detailed recipes that make even the most inexperienced buyer feel like a culinary expert. The foodzone has also been changed to include photos of cheeses and the dishes that can be made with them. More original and tried-and-true Italian recipes can be found on the Bonfesto website.

Bonfesto’s design has become more adaptive: it makes it easier to bring new items to the shelves in other categories. The brand looks coherent, recognizable and forms a brand block on the shelf.

Dmitry Kashkan, Art Director and Managing Partner at Fabula Branding:

“Rebranding is always a global and challenging task both for our team and the client’s team. That’s why we effectively worked together all the way through. More than 15 people worked on the project on our side: management team, brand analysts and strategists, designers and illustrator, photographer and copywriter.

Renewed identity is a strategic decision, where every detail is important, justified and verified. Consumers will easily recognise Bonfesto because we have retained the brand block of the logo, increased the emphasis on naturalness, emphasised the craftsmanship and introduced a vibrant palette.

In doing so, we updated the concept of the foodzone, by placing a bright and appetising photo style there. It was important to show the real product and the dishes made with it — this is the essence of the daily positive emotions that the brand gives people with every purchase and every open package. Illustrative approach added to the naturalness and emotionality, because this is exactly how Bonfesto products are remembered and loved by the consumers. The new characters are cute and expressive in an Italian way.

The structured design of the die in the center of the pack helped to communicate the composition of the cheeses in a clear and transparent way. It was particularly important for us to emphasize this because the client has worked hard to standardize the quality of the raw materials, improving the quality of the product.

This rebranding highlighted the transition not only of the brand, but also of the client. Turovsky Dairy started with a loud statement about itself – with its novelty and freshness. Now the company has become more experienced, mature, and has taken its position in the markets of Russia, Belarus, and in the hearts of people. Rebranding that helps reflect confidence, stability and ambition is the logical outcome of a lot of work.

I believe that the client’s trust in the new packaging will grow. I am sure that our renewed and reinvented Bonfesto brand will be used and enjoyed on a daily basis”.

Yulia Zhurok, Brand Manager:

“Rebranding is a responsible step in brand development, especially when you are a brand leader. It’s important to retain a loyal audience and attract new ones, without losing your uniqueness.

We approached this moment confident in the right action, having secured support from our consumers and tested the packaging design concept in focus groups in advance. Now with 95% of Bonfesto already on shop shelves in its new packaging, this is confirmed by positive feedback from consumers and retail partners.

However, changing the packaging design is only one of the components in the brand development.

Inspired by the new image of Bonfesto, we are actively working on the development and launch of new products to give consumers even more vivid emotions and encourage new culinary discoveries”.