Whenever we launch a brand, it is as per our prior research, study, surveys and what we like and think will work in the market. Once you launch it in the market, you need to pivot time to time. After launching Strome in early 2024, we were very connived that everyone will love it, after all we had organic certified products with exotic ingredients like birch sap, arctic berries, red algae etc., a minimal design aesthetic and unique 100% home compostable packaging made from mushrooms. We were organic and sustainable for real and affordable in this market with green washing. We did surveys with b2b and b2c clients before launching the brand or putting in the money so to say and had a very good response. We were convinced that the brand will really be successful but things did not turn out the way we planned.

WHY REBRAND IN THE FIRST PLACE?

What triggered the decision to rebrand Strome?

The issue we saw were:

. Everyone loved how the packaging looked and the product ingredients but no one picked it off the shelf, no one was putting in the money.

. Online and offline, it was getting lost. Did not stand out

. I went to the store to observe and analyse and see what was happening. One of my conclusions were that people seemed to think it is premium that they assumed it will be expensive and did not dare to pick it off the shelf even to explore

Any market shifts, consumer feedback, or internal realizations?

We realised that the product looked niche. It was not inviting, being very traditionally minimal, snobby almost so to say – it did not come across as very friendly or approachable for the client. We were in a space where people loved us or hated us, there was no mid-way.

BRAND STORY PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE

Regarding does not only means a new packaging but also a new narrative.

Old brand story pitch: We are a Dutch organic certified skincare brand with exotic ingredients like birch sap, arctic berries, etc. Not only that we are genuinely clean and green midst all the greenwashing in the market, we are also sustainable. Our packaging is made from mushrooms – 100% home compostable.

This was not interesting for people after we launched, it fit not catch attention as much because every brand out there is organic or natural.

New Brand Story Pitch:

We proudly call ourselves a NO NONSENSE skincare brand. Even though there are many organic / natural brands out there, they use fillers/marketing ingredients which are not needed, you know – 1 drop of this and 1 drop of that, it does nothing for you. Our lives are already complicated, why do complicate our skincare as well. So, we decided to kick out everything that is not needed and put in ingredients to the point, that does the job, give you the result, end of story.

If we have some more time, we say the below as well:

All our products are organic certified, made in the Netherlands. Even our packaging is 100% home compostable, made from mushrooms. After unpacking, you can simply tear it to pieces, put it in the soil of your garden or plant pot. It decomposes itself in 3-4 weeks giving more nutrition to your plant to grow

Why is the new brand story better?

In the new pitch:

1st sentence: We proudly call ourselves a NO NONSENSE skincare brand.

We grab attention. Consumers listen to this and are hooked and a lot of times give a reaction to a NO NONSENSE which is not normally used so upfront

2nd Sentence: We answer their subconscious question of so many organic/ natural brands are out there, why even are you different

3rd sentence: We add a relatable humour about life being complicated, lets not complicate our skincare. This is another hook, most people smile or agree with life being complicated. This keeps them hooked

4th Sentence: Our USP – to the point ingredients, does the job and give you the result.

Extended part: We answer 2 main questions usually people have – where are you based and if you have certifications as well as we tell them about our sustainable packaging and also why is it good.

The Thought Process & Strategy

What key elements did you want to change (logo, packaging, messaging, formulation, etc.)?

The messaging needed to be to the point. No one is there at the shelf or online when the client is scrolling to explain the product. The product needs be very upfront, should straightaway communicate its USP in easy words ad graphics.

The logo we kept the same, super minimal but we decided to add colors to make the packaging more approachable, friendly and to stand out online as well as on offline shelves. The challenge with adding colours was that I wanted to do in something that is fresh, looks new and instantly catches attention. Adding color can make a product look cheap and to maintain the minimal aesthetic and being almost premium but add colours and make the packaging look fun was tricky.

We decided to also give an option of wood-free paper monocarlons options for packaging apart from mushrooms because some retailers did not have space for mushroom packaging as they are bigger which also impacted our business.

How did you ensure the new brand identity aligns with Strome’s core values?

I kept the logo as it is which is minimal as well as kept the background minimal whilst adding colored organic shapes to have a fresh quirky yet sophisticated look. I added NO NONSESNE and ORGANIC SKINCARE/HAIRCARE phrases very boldly in a minimal typefont on the packaging so it catches attention and people who what the product is. The new brand still held on closely to the pillars of Strome, just the way we were talking about it was different. The same thing which was boring suddenly because very attractive and interesting for everyone as soon as we added color and changed the way we spoke about the brand.

How did you select the colors and the organic shapes in the new branding?

STROME means flow of water or water current in German so we wanted to keep the shapes very organic and slowly. Also the more organic the shapes are, the more approachable and friendly they are as compared to strict shapes with sharp edges. The colors were chosen on 2 aspects, one was feel good aspect of course but also the subconscious color psychology. For instance, yellow represents energy and warmth where as blue is for calmness and smoothness or pink signifies softness, nurturing and care.

The Emotional & Personal Journey

What did this journey mean to you as a founder?

Everything. This was my time to sink or shine. All I had was 20 days to cosmoprof and do something exceptionally well with the rebranding that it covers up for and competes with all brands around us in the tradeshow who spent a minimum of 15,000 euros only for decoration. Being a start up, we did not have these kinds of funds ofcourse. This was the most stressful period with sleepless nights yet something I thoroughly enjoyed, something that fed my creative side really well.

Challenges faced—self-doubt, creative roadblocks, financial/logistical hurdles.

So one of the biggest challenge was that I had only one chance to really hit the spot with packaging because me and my cofounder, Jean Pierre put in a lot of money in launching the brand and seeing it not working as expected was stressful. On top of that, we had took part in Cosmoprof (trade show), Bologna, Italy which is a very expensive trade show and we knew that the packaging we had is not going to work. If we did not do well at the trade show, we knew we would really bust. Unable to put in more money in the brand, the only option was to create something so unique and exciting that people come out of interest and it works out for us.

A defining moment when you knew this was the right direction.

When we arrived at the trade show all the brands had huge booths with fancy decorations and when we arrived, it was just a small booth with not even a carpet or a back wall. So, we ran from pillar to post to make it somehow look like a real booth. However, it was really the packaging and display that made a big difference and being the tiniest stand, we were busy all the time. We got endless compliments about our packaging and what was so interesting for us is the exact same product and brand was now suddenly super interesting for everyone. This is when we knew it was really the right direction for us. I was even invited to University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Italy, as a guest lecture to introduce the brand and share my knowledge about packaging and business of beauty.

Consumer & Market Response

Initial feedback from customers, industry experts, or retail partners.

The distributors and retailers were not even convinced with our old brand story and packaging, they were not excited about mushroom packing (which was on of our major USP to Stand out and get attention of the clients), we were told it is about the product at the end of the day, no one will put mushroom on their faces and all brands are now organic.

Have you noticed any changes in engagement, sales, or brand perception?

People find the brand catchy, quirky, still premium, they call it new and fresh. People love how we are very upfront about being a NO NONSENSE brand and say who we are. Suddenly everyone was interested in our brand and products and even new launches we are working on. We got a lot of interest from both B2B and B2C clients.

Lessons Learned & Advice for Other Entrepreneurs

Key takeaways from this process.

Even though you do a survey about your brand/products, always know that there are 2 things:

(1) a person says it is nice because they are being polite

(2) they really thing it is nice BUT THE QUESTION IS — is it nice enough for them to put in the money? Until people are not getting money out of their pocket, it does not matter how nice a brand/product is.

Advice for brands considering a rebrand—what to expect and what to avoid.

Be honest to yourself, you know what it is but just because you are too attached you do not want to accept/ see what needs to be done. So do not get carried away as sooner or later you will have to do what needs be done.

Do not put all money in your new rebranding, what if it fails too. We did a whole pilot of our rebranding at the trade show and seeing the result and response, we were happy to take it next level and go ahead with it. It does not have to be a trade show, brands can do this with their retailers or even a group of clients and see the response before really going all in.

The Future of Strome

What’s next for Strome post-rebrand?

Finetune our formulations even further, continue on our journey of sustainability as we genuinely believe sustainability is not a destination but a journey as there is always some scope to improve in all parts of the business. Apart from that we are looking into new products and even biotechnology for new exciting ingredients.

Any upcoming launches, expansions, or new brand initiatives?

We are expanding the brand to different countries within the EU and outside EU which we are very excited about. Yes, we have some very interesting launches coming soon – also sustainable, stay tuned.