Potter’s Herbals

Designed by Butcher & Gundersen, United Kingdom.

Not many brands have been around for 200 years and if they have, in many cases ‘old father time’ will certainly have played a part in weakening the brand to one without a clear sense of identity, consistent branding and declining sales, as was the case with Potter’s Herbals. Two centuries after Henry Potter (its founder) opened his doors for business as a herbalist and purveyor of leeches, the challenge facing Potter’s Herbals was to remind people of why the products are still as relevant today, in 2012.

Focus groups established that people knew the brand and it had lots of heritage, but consumers were not sure what is was about now, so the brand needed to evolve and strengthen its identity to realise its full potential. Our range of designs explored different positionings, but when they were put in front of consumers, the response was spectacularly positive and there was a standout winner.

The result is a completely new look for Potter’s, which has already won several industry awards. The new branding device is particularly strong, establishing a long and proud history through a classic font, “Est 1812” and an Edwardian-style bust of the founder. Inclusion of an apostrophe in the name helps clarify the significance of Henry Potter. By incorporating ‘Herbals’, it reaffirms Potter’s natural credentials that were lacking from the previous design, and defines its area of expertise. In addition to the brand device, a bold colour palette supports the impression of a classic brand and the subtle watermark silhouette supports natural/herbal credentials.

“We are delighted to win the awards and to see just how successful the brand’s repositioning has been to date. We realised that it was critical to push the overarching Potter’s Herbals brand, with its unique heritage and identity. This would form the back bone for the credentials and emotional attachment of the previously fragmented range of variants to offer the trade and consumers a strong, attention grabbing proposition.” Suzanne Barker, Senior Brand Manager of Potter’s Herbals at Ceuta Healthcare.

Results to date have been outstanding, the brand redesign and relaunch has significantly contributed to reversing Potter’s Herbals fortunes, from double digit decline to double digit growth in 12 months. And this is just the beginning as they continue to get new listings…