Bringing NATIBRE to Life: A Successful Entry of a Panamanian Supplement Brand into the U.S. Market

We collaborated with a Panamanian producer of natural supplements to develop and introduce a new brand, NATIBRE, to the U.S. market. The brand has been designed to appeal to English speakers and bilinguals, offering a unique blend of Central American heritage and the taste of healthy natural supplements.

Objective

The client aimed to expand into the U.S. market with a new brand for their healthy, natural supplements that would resonate with U.S. consumers and maintain the company's Central American roots. The challenge was to distinguish NATIBRE in the crowded U.S. supplement market and to circumvent the common stigma of supplements as "clinical" or "medicinal."

Approach

We embarked on our comprehensive Brand Illumination process that involved surveys, stakeholder interviews, store visits, and a thorough analysis of competing and aspirational brands. Our investigation of other brands' identity design, messaging, color and psychology opened up a space for us in the market.

Solution

Our differentiating point was the conception of an effective supplement that could be perceived as natural and delectable. This aligned with the emotional benefit of fulfillment and invigorated the audience's aspirations for an adventurous lifestyle. We identified the core brand values as optimism, authenticity and adventure. Our brand essence, "Live Free," and the tagline, "Enjoy life's adventures," perfectly encapsulated these values. The product name, "Natibre," combined the concepts of "Natural" and "Libre" (freedom).

Building on this, we developed an identity system that included the logo, color palette, typography and design patterns suitable for packaged goods, online platforms and social media. We regularly referred to our research and conducted comparative analysis with the competition to ensure our brand resonated with our identified core values.

Our messaging targeted three specific audience segments: 

  • Younger customers using supplements reactively, 
  • Median-age customers with less education using supplements to offset poor diet
  • Educated, health-conscious customers of various ages who are proactive buyers

Key Contributors

Our diverse team, including designers who shared cultural history with Natibre’s target audience, was a significant asset to the project's success.

Outcome

In addition to the name and tagline, we created a variety of content and designs for the primary brand launch and brand awareness campaigns. While we did not manage the brand launch campaign, our engagement confirmed the effectiveness of our Brand Illumination process across different regions, cultures, verticals and markets.

Key Takeaways

The Natibre project reinforced our belief in a strategic, research-driven approach to redesign, validating its effectiveness across various regions, cultures, and markets. Emphasizing the importance of research, client partnership, and the infusion of designers' lived experiences into our creative process, this project showcased how deeply understanding our target audience is crucial for success. It highlighted the need for inclusive and immersive collaboration, such as involving the client at all stages and physically immersing ourselves in the client's cultural context. Central to our philosophy is our "people first" approach, integrating the cultural experiences of our designers and partnering with the audience throughout the project to ensure we meet their needs and business goals.

Learn more about the project ↓See Less↑
Work that may also interest you