Jan 29, 2011

HK Redefines Valentine’s Day Candy By Design

Minneapolis, MN – Minneapolis-based design consultancy HK has reinvented love this Valentine’s Day for clients Kencraft Candy of Alpine, Utah and Mrs. Fields Confections of Salt Lake City, Utah.

For both manufacturers, HK innovated their Valentine candy lines to create ShelfKickers™ — or product/package designs that standout on shelf and kick out slow-moving competitors.

“There’s a lot more to the products we developed than just pretty,” says HK President Mary Kemp. “We created design innovations that added value and elevated our clients’ profiles with store buyers and end consumers alike. Our work opened doors into new retail venues for our clients, too. It’s exciting to see design play such an important role in a client’s success.”

LolliLetters & LolliKit
To stay competitive in the specialty gift store lollipop market, Kencraft knew they needed to do something different than their business-as-usual specialty lollipops. They needed to reinvent themselves, so they partnered with HK to help move them into the next decade.

HK started with Kencraft’s high-volume Valentine’s Day holiday offerings. Rather than design a new series of suckers for the client to decorate, HK invented two brand-new product ideas unlike anything else in the seasonal candy aisle. HK transformed the client’s usual confectionary ingredients into LolliLetters and the LolliKit — entirely new retail concepts that increase the value of the lollipop in consumers’ eyes. Even more importantly, they also up the cash register ring total.

LolliLetters turn lollipops into much more than just another Valentine’s Day sweet treat. HK combined the card and candy in one gift — increasing the value for the consumer. Messages and illustrations range from the sweet to the sassy.

The LolliKit box contains everything shoppers need to illustrate and express their heart’s affections and create lasting memories. HK saw Kencraft’s expansive mix of decorative elements as an opportunity to develop a do-it-yourself lollipop decoration kit.

“Our client already knew how to decorate lollipops,” says HK Creative Director Stefan Hartung. “What we did was design 360-degree product experiences that elevate the value of their products. So the lollipop becomes the gift itself, rather than just an add-on. Store buyers were delighted with the new offerings and will now look to Kencraft for a new level of innovation.”

LolliLetters and the LolliKit are available in specialty gift stores across the US. Early reports have suggested strong sales.

Mrs. Field’s Valentine’s Day Tins
Mrs. Fields Confections knew how to make traditional tins of Valentine’s Day chocolates. They enlisted HK to help them ShelfKick competitors and increase the level of elegance of their Romantic, Friend and Tween tins of assorted chocolates.

HK’s updates to traditional tin packaging resulted in a more refined (and more cherished) gift experience. Simple mechanical details like a lid that folds under for a cleaner fit and embossed flourishes resulted in a tin that people will re-use for years to come.

Sales of Mrs. Fields Chocolates have been outstanding this Valentine’s Day season. They’re available at Target, Walmart, Walgreens and CVS, as well as local grocery stores nationwide.

HK Overview
HK impacts how businesses go to market — by design. HK’s “kick” philosophy results in branding, product development, package design and online engagement strategies that transform words and images into action. The Minneapolis-based design consultancy has established client relationships with Caribou Coffee, Johnson & Johnson, Malt-O-Meal, Mom’s Best Naturals Cereal, Bear River Valley Cereal and Everfresh Foods.

Website: www.hartungkemp.com