On Target: New ‘Simply Balanced’ Brand
While wandering around Target this weekend, I stumbled across a shiny, new brand, ‘Simply Balanced.’ Intrigued by the clean packaging, I wondered out loud, “What is this? I haven’t seen this brand before.” A Target employee was working in the same aisle and gave me a quick history lesson- the cleaner, fresh brand was replacing Archer Farms Simply Balanced line. (Confession: In all of my Target shopping, I never noticed an Archer Farms sub-brand product line, so I immediately felt the introduction of a stand-alone brand, separate from Archer Farms, was a good idea.)
When I came into work this morning, I did some digging on the new line. It looks like the brand was officially launched last month “…in response to the growing popularity of organic foods.”
The products include wholesome ingredients, and more than 40 percent of the assortment is organic. There are no products with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, synthetic colors, artificial preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners. And, the majority of Simply Balanced items are made without genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
From a brand perspective, this reflects a broader push by supermarkets and big-box retailers to improve the image of their store brands. Consumers have become increasingly accepting of store brands not merely as good values, but as just plain good. And they’re willing to pay more, at least compared with the old no-name brands of the past.
So, why did this brand catch my eye? At the simplest glance, the packaging has gotten a complete overhaul.
From old…
…to new…
And of course, one look at the ingredients made me quite happy to see Target committing to healthier food options.
To ensure understanding, Target has gone a step further and created frequently asked questions about the Simply Balanced brand. The positioning statement is clear and concise: The heart of the Simply Balanced brand is that it’s great-tasting, wholesome food with simple and recognizable ingredients.
And, Target’s site has a section dedicated to Simply Balanced. There are recipes using Simply Balanced products, as well as money-saving coupons.
We’ve written about private label brands several times on this blog, and I think this is a bit of a peek into the future. The bland, lower quality, boring store brands are history, and new, swankier, smarter brands are becoming a reality.
Sources
“Simply Balanced: Target’s wellness grocery brand,” Corporate.Target.com, http://goo.gl/15VNL
“Target To Launch Organic ‘Simply Balanced’ Brand,” HuffingtonPost.com, AP, http://goo.gl/FXBUf
“The Rise of the Swanky No-Name Brand,” Business.Time.com, Brad Tuttle, http://goo.gl/KLT9R
“Simply Balanced: Frequently Asked Questions,” Target.com, http://goo.gl/HGQR9
“Introducing Simply Balanced,” Target.com, http://goo.gl/0NjMf