Health brand insight: innocent’s recipe for success
Make it easy for people to do themselves some good. And to make it taste nice too. Thus begins the story of health brand innocent.
The story begins with three guys who quit their day jobs in 1998 to make smoothies. Who today, zealously lead an innocent brand continuing to deliver interest, excitement and more relevancy to people’s lives by getting natural, healthy food and drink to as many people as possible.
Innocent Specialness
Look beyond the cover of the innocent story and you see what makes them so special:
It begins with their name. innocent is an evocative name reflecting the fact that their drinks are always completely pure, fresh and unadulterated. It’s simple, full of honest and healthy suggestiveness, easy to remember and makes for the start of a great brand story.
Standing for something. Simple, strong, meaningful. And the basis for every single decision the company makes, and doesn’t make. Starting with a purpose of “make food good.” A long term vision of becoming “the earth’s favorite little food company.
One core principle around which they base all their decisions “create a business we can be proud of”, supported by five simple values: “be natural, entrepreneurial, responsible, commercial, generous.”
Relevant brand story. Distinctive, real, light-hearted and highly meaningful. Brilliantly, meticulously and seamlessly delivered across all aspects of the business (both inside and outside).
Exceptional, coherent customer experience. From cow vans, to playful packages, to fruitstock music festival to the big knit to raise money to Help the Aged, among other things, innocent delivers a distinctive, powerful and true customer experience.
Passionate Leadership. innocent leaders embrace the brand, in fact “are the brand”, and work zealously to deliver what it promises through their own behavior.
Cult-Like Brand Culture. The people at innocent go to great lengths to protect the DNA of their brand. Unique rites and rituals reflect this. As do employee hiring practices and rewards, separated (in a uniquely innocent way), into two pots: the important stuff and the nice stuff.
Staffing. With marketing people who are really into their products. innocent isn’t a job for these people, it’s a lifestyle.
Importantly, the glue that holds consumers, company, brand and products together is that innocent reflects a healthier, happier, fun lifestyle. It’s a point-of-view that continually opens up opportunities for the company to play more of an important role in customers lives. And ultimately, for both innocent and customers to grow stronger together.