

What's in a Name?
Names are a critical part of your marketing mix and can be the first experience consumers have with your brand. It is important to understand your brand, its story, target demographic and even your marketing budget to determine the type of name that drives the most value and profitability. As exemplified in our naming spectrum, a coined name is more ownable, but harder to communicate to consumers which may result in higher marketing spend to explain. Reversely, a generic name

Launching a New Adventure
Named after the Adirondack Mountains in the Northeastern U.S., Adirondack pet food is a family operated and independent pet retail exclusive brand focused on creating tasty, highly digestible and nutrient-rich foods for dogs and cats. Finding its on-pack communication struggling to connect with consumers and increased competition in the market, the brand team looked to holistically refresh its portfolio.
To give purpose to the outdoorsy brand name, while still differenti


Serving Up Sweetness by the Spoonful
Sisters Joan Pacetti and Julia Schmid founded The Cookie Dough Café in 2012, based on a lifelong passion for baking and stealing bites of raw cookie dough. Following a feature on Shark Tank, the sisters were ready to expand the brand nationwide and establish The Cookie Dough Café as the category leader.
Stakeholder interviews unearthed the spirit of The Cookie Dough Café as minimalist, modern and targeted to 20-30-year-old women craving indulgent treats. To strengthen the b


Slicing into the Growing Jerky Category
Founded by a trio of friends, Meat Heads Snack Co. creates boldly flavored foods for snackers who aren’t afraid to indulge. Wanting to introduce its mouth-watering jerky to national consumers, the founders looked to build a master brand that could carry future product innovations and a sub-brand to house its unique pepperoni style pizza jerky line.
Inspired by a category audit, we created a unique and ownable brand name - Meat Heads, a nod to the founders’ love for meaty


Creating a Tropical Oasis at Shelf
For over 30 years, Anastasia Confections has delighted Florida tourists and residents with its iconic premium confections such as the Choc-o-gator and Coconut Patties. Over time, brand growth through product extensions led to varied brandmarks and packaging styles, causing consumer confusion and limited brand recall. Looking to re-establish its brand equity, tap into consumer demand for all things coconut, and expand sales to a broad range of tropical retail destinations, Ana


Hughes Adventures: Scooping up a Sweet New Look for Mayfield Creamery
The Mayfield brand experience began with an immersion trip to Athens, Tennessee "Home of the best ice cream." As I witnessed the goodness of fresh cream churn at the plant and tasted a fresh scoop of strawberry ice cream in the tasting lab, I knew I had come to a special place. We were welcomed into the home of Scottie & Lisa Mayfield. As we poured Mayfield half & half into our coffee mugs, we sifted through old photos, newspaper articles and magazine covers; listening to st


The Right Time for a ReBrand
Brazi Bites rebranding by Hughes Design Group spotlights top brand attributes. Featured in the March 2017 issue of Brand Experience Magazine, Brazi Bites founder Junea Rocha and Hughes Design Group founder Barney Hughes discuss the brand's successes after elevating its branding and package design. Read more... #brazibites #brandexperiencemagazine #brandidentity #branding #packagedesign #packaging


CORE Introduces the Raw Revolution
With a focus on providing innovative, high protein foods and treats, WellPet launched its newest product within the CORE brand - CORE RawRev. This high protein grain-free kibble, infused with 100% raw, freeze-dried meat bites, provides maximum protein, natural enzymes and full flavor for your dog to thrive. The luxe brown packaging takes inspiration from the clean, modern aesthetic of european design, offering prominent branding and concise communication of the product benefi


Love in Bloom
Love Grown blossoms with rebrand by Hughes Design Group. Featured in the January/February 2017 issue of Brand Experience Magazine, Love Grown founder Maddy Hasulak, strategist Tim Shanahan and Hughes Design Group founder Barney Hughes discuss the brand's challenges and strategic solutions for its relaunch. Read more... #lovegrown #cereal #packaging #packagedesign #branding #brandidentity #brandexperiencemagazine