A brand refresh is never an easy undertaking, especially when you haven’t had one in more than two decades. There is a certain nostalgic attachment to the legacy brand that is not easy to give up. I know this firsthand, because I was part of the team working on ECRM’s brand refresh several years ago, part of which included switching to the sleek new logo that you now see everywhere.

Same goes for packaging design. When you’ve had the same design for years, and the product is doing well, trying something new can be a bit daunting (just ask Cracker Barrell). But what if by not refreshing your brand you are leaving money on the table, ignoring some key demographics that may not be engaged with your legacy designs?

That’s the situation that RangeMe Premium subscriber Fresh Scents was in, and when I met up with Key Account Manager Andrew Allen at ECRM’s Candles & Home Fragrance and Seasonal General Merchandise Sessions and saw his new packaging design, I needed to learn more about what led to it and what kind of feedback they’ve received so far (see the full video interview below).

Why It was time for a fresh, new look

Like many established companies, Fresh Scents was strong with its existing customer base but the brand struggled to resonate with newer generations. “We needed to appeal to a younger consumer,” says Allen. “We felt very confident in our ability to attract women 40 and older, but those 40 and younger were really a different story for us. Not to mention the fact that we hadn’t given a full facelift to this brand in two decades. So it was definitely time.”

Rather than attempting to handle the rebrand internally, Fresh Scents partnered with branding and design agency SmashBrand to guide the process. They felt that an outside perspective could help uncover insights the brand might not be aware of. 

“We didn’t try to do it ourselves,” says Allen. “We wanted to be involved, but really we needed the expertise of an outside agency. They’re the ones who harvested the data and there were these little things that they did in the survey questions to not get an accidentally biased answer.”

Digging into the consumer research

Consumer research was at the core of the process. Fresh Scents and SmashBrand conducted six different consumer tests to evaluate the impact that different word choices and packaging design elements would have on purchase intent.

“In order to know where you’re going, you also need to know where you are right now,” says Allen. “That was step one. But we actually did six different tests over the course of the rebrand, finally narrowing it down to the last couple of minor tweaks in design to A/B test which one would outperform and resonate with consumers the most.”

One of the most powerful insights to emerge was the identification of a key target demographic: women 18 to 35 that they referred to as the “fragrance fanatic,” who was buying up to six different types of scented products for her home. “If she’s willing to try six different products, why wouldn’t she try sachets?” says Allen. “The problem was that our packaging wasn’t appealing to her.”

The research revealed five primary purchase drivers for home fragrance products: fragrance strength, scent type, long-lasting fragrance, high-quality fragrance, and good value. However, out of those five elements, Fresh Scents was only addressing two adequately in its existing packaging design.

The packaging design refresh

The new packaging was designed to clearly communicate all five areas of purchase intent. One simple but powerful change was highlighting longevity, for example. “Nobody has a problem with the experience once they buy it, but people don’t know how long it lasts when they’re first encountering it,” says Allen. “That wasn’t anywhere on our previous packaging, so now we’ve called out the duration in the top left corner to let consumers know that they can expect it to last up to six months.”

Another important update was improving clarity around the product itself. “Before we would really only highlight the artwork – which is beautiful – on the front of the pack without any other callouts,” says Allen. “We’ve actually changed it to use the brand to frame up the artwork and tell the consumer what it smells like and actually name it. People called these all different things before: scent packets, pouches, they had all these different names for it. Now on the front of every single pack it says it’s a scented sachet. So we’re giving consumers the words to describe what we make.”

The results of the rebrand and new packaging design

The impact of Fresh Scents’ rebrand has already been significant. “The final test we did was a purchase intent test, and we actually rose 14 points in purchase intent on new versus old,” says Allen. “And for what has already gotten into stores, we’ve received really strong feedback with the consumers responding well.”

Equally important was buyer feedback at the Session. “There was some hesitancy and just some anxiety around what those meetings would look like,” says Allen. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we actually had some buyers say, ‘Hey, I didn’t want to say this to your face before, but I’m so glad that you’ve done this now.’”

For Allen, the rebrand was about more than just a new look; it was about revitalizing the entire category. “We feel like we’ve breathed new life into a product category that really deserves a modern brand that speaks to the current consumer,” he says..

Key lessons for emerging brands

In hindsight, the lesson is very clear: When consumers understand exactly what your product is, how it works, and what benefits they can expect, they’re far more likely to give it a try. Fresh Scents’ journey offers several takeaways for CPG companies considering a rebrand:

• Don’t wait too long. If your packaging no longer resonates, start exploring updates.
• Bring in outside expertise to complement your internal perspective.
• Use consumer research to uncover real insights and validate decisions.
• Focus packaging on the key purchase drivers that matter most to your audience.
• Communicate benefits clearly and consistently.

For brands competing in today’s crowded marketplace, those lessons can make the difference between blending in and breaking through.