DIY branding for eco organics

To assist with the marketing challenges and opportunities presented by its new Organic Living eco brand, BandQ chose creative design and communications company ego creative.

By consuming the Earth's resources at an alarming rate, people of the developed world enjoy a life of comfort, convenience and plenty.

However, the threat of global warming has brought about an awareness that unregulated mass consumerism may bring about global catastrophe on an unprecedented scale.

Consequently consumers, governments and organisations are demanding environmental responsibility from commerce.

This demand looks set to rise rapidly in the 21st century and presents new challenges for companies and the marketing professionals that promote them.

Modern marketing must now focus not just on the traditional issues of affordability, quality and desirability but also on a new range of complex considerations aimed at reducing carbon emissions and other negative effects on ecosystems and people.

A key concept that encompasses all these factors is sustainability.

A product or service which is detrimental to the Earth, its people, plants or animals over the short or long term cannot be considered sustainable.

As the largest DIY and garden retailer in the UK and the third largest in the world, BandQ is at the forefront of this environmental marketing phenomenon.

In 1990 it adopted a social responsibility policy addressing the impact of their business on the environment and society.

Furthermore, it sought to add value to its brand by highlighting the positive steps it had made towards sustainability.

BandQ has developed a range of eco-products and this year will introduce Organic Living plants to the garden department.

Organic Living plants are grown on nurseries certified by the Soil Association, the UK's leading organisation for setting organic standards.

A certified nursery does not use chemical fertilisers, insecticides, herbicides or fungicides and has not done so for at least two years.

To assist with the marketing challenges and opportunities presented by this eco-indicator brand, BandQ chose creative design and communications company ego creative.

Ego prides itself not just on its imagination and inspiration, but also on consistent, disciplined working methods which produce solid results even on tight schedules.

"For the Organic Living range our aim was to replace traditional, non-biodegradable trays and pots made of polystyrene or plastic with environmental alternatives," said Steve Guy, Horticultural Brand Manager at BandQ.

The solution was a simple biodegradable cardboard, which can be used for trays of plants as well as single plant pots.

The new packaging can be recycled or, if the customer prefers, it will compost in six months.

Ego had worked previously for BandQ in developing ideas for an eco-labelling scheme.

It designed various identities representing the relevant environmental achievement of each product department, while linking them together as a single eco-friendly family.

The ideas must have impressed the DIY giant, as the marketing company was delighted to be asked back to work on the organic plant branding.

Ego was asked to create designs for the Organic Living packaging which captured the 'feel' of an organic product.

In meetings described by Guy as "productive and enthusiastic," the ego team listened carefully to their client's requirements before discussing the options and finally narrowing in on the right solution.

For the gardener's information, a large proportion of the packaging was set aside for vivid colour photography of full-grown plants.

A mottled beige background to text gives a textured look similar to that of recycled paper, and the stylised leaf used as part of the Organic Living indicator design conveys nature and the simple, natural way the young plants have been grown.

Finally, the use of a soft green colour and gentle curves reinforce the organic credentials of the plant grown as nature intended.

"Ego have done a great job with the Organic Living branding and, once the deadline had been set for getting the packaging into the shops, they responded quickly to get the designs ready for production, visiting us in person when necessary," concluded Guy.

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