A classic reimagined: Conran Design Group refresh and modernise Cow and Gate’s Milk range

Cow and Gate is the largest consumer baby milk brand in the UK, with a market share of over 36% by volume.

The brand needed to reinforce this strong position and project a more modern image without losing its unique heritage, trust, nutritional expertise and playfulness.

Conran Design Group were appointed to redesign the core Cow & Gate range, to bring to life the brand’s existing personality in a refreshing and modern way – appealing to a younger audience, whilst ensuring their current consumers were not alienated. In addition, the new design system needed to accommodate further line extensions, such as Cow and Gate Simply A2, made with A2 protein milk. 

The design solution systematically addressed the key drivers of brand choice: 

• Trust: dialling up heritage and brand cues, such as the logo and use of red
  • Nutritional expertise: strengthening and making the claims more visible on Follow-on Milk and Toddler Milk packs
  • Understands me better: keeping a playful tone of voice with the animals, while retaining the cuteness/seriousness that you expect from a baby formula milk
  • As an affordable brand, it was also important to continue to bring warmth and connection with consumers

As Maren Steffens, Creative Director, Consumer Packaging explains: “we created a set of ownable characters, enabling the pack to communicate a compelling and playful story which connects with our target market. It combines energy with the reassurance of long-standing heritage”.

Consumer research has shown that amongst current IMF buyers, the new packaging design secured an uplift vs the current design and achieved strong scores across brand fit (96%), appeal (96%) and modernity (96%)(2).

The new design system has been able to accommodate an extended portfolio. In Februrary 2021 an exciting new product variant, Cow and Gate Simply A2, made with A2 protein milk, was launched. It has its own distinctive identity corresponding to the unique features it offers – yet fits into the overall design aesthetic established by the core range.

Stephanie Dawson, Cow and Gate Senior Brand Manager, said: “Conran Design Group have produced not just a design, but a design system which really makes the brand come alive on shelf. The new identity remains true to our brand values and personality, it focuses on what consumers really want, enabling us to appeal to existing customers, as well as the next generation of parents”. 

Source: Conran Design Group & MarComm News

  Baby Milk, Branding, Conran Design Group, Cow & Gate, Maren Steffens, Stephanie Dawson