Rich’s Jon Donaire

Challenge

Jon Donaire’s, a line of frozen cakes from Rich’s, a New York-based multinational food-products corporation established in 1942, operates across 100 countries with a team of 11,000 associates. The product is available in various regions across the globe. In Vietnam, Jon Donaire’s has been a successful B2B cake supplier, serving a variety of clients from big chain restaurants to local coffee shops. A shift in strategy aims to sell directly to consumers through popular convenience store chains like 7-Eleven, Circle K, GS25, marking a transition from B2B to B2C.

This transition poses a challenge as the existing packaging lacks appeal for the general public and the frozen cake category is relatively unfamiliar to Vietnamese consumers. To adapt to this shift, Jon Donaire needs to redefine its product positioning, branding, and packaging. Rich’s sought assistance from xolve to tackle these challenges.

Solution

Understanding consumer pain points highlighted two significant issues. Firstly, intergenerational differences often lead to tensions during family meals. Secondly, there’s an increasing burden on women responsible for family bonding activities. xolve redefined Jon Donaire’s customer segmentation, focusing on realistic advocate moms. These mothers value quality time with family, seek simple and convenient solutions, and don’t strive for an unrealistic ‘superwoman’ image.

The strategy aimed to offer simple, yet familiar foreign cakes that foster natural and enjoyable family gatherings. Jon Donaire’s convenient sales points and efficient, time-saving cake preparation aimed to alleviate the burden on mothers, providing a solution aligned with their needs.

The core idea revolved around “simplicity that connects,” aiming to create memorable moments and emotional connections through a simple cake. Jon Donaire became a catalyst for workplace harmony, family bonding, and self-indulgence. The cake acted as a bridge, enabling mothers to create lasting family memories while offering shared activities and quality time.

The brand’s essence was summed up in the phrase: “Life is a piece of cake if you choose the right one,” emphasizing the brand’s purpose in fostering connections through its delicious, time-saving, and easy-to-prepare frozen cakes, highlighting dessert time as more than just a meal but an opportunity for care and love.

Result

xolve embarked on a comprehensive redesign strategy for Jon Donaire’s packaging, focusing on simplicity, connection, and emotional resonance. The new packaging emphasized minimalistic design elements, allowing the frozen cakes to take center stage, appealing more to modern, younger audiences who value simplicity and authenticity.

Rich’s successfully launched the revamped product line across various sales channels, including online stores targeting direct consumers. The new packaging design received positive responses, resonating well with the intended audience. Its simplified yet impactful visuals showcased Jon Donaire’s commitment to quality and its dedication to connecting people through simple, meaningful moments. This successful transition from B2B to B2C significantly increased product visibility and sales in the Vietnamese market.