In 2015, a consumer survey showed that the brand architecture of Spa’s various beverages was not clear. Consumers considered Spa Reine, Spa Barisart, Spa Marie-Henriette, Spa Citroen, Spa Fruit and Spa Bruisend as separate brands, with their respective identities. It was obvious that consumers did not understand the relationship between these brands. The unique characteristics of each of the brands also compounded the fragmentation.
Our solution
Along with Think BBDO, Spa developed an innovative brand strategy and brand architecture, with all the products falling under one umbrella brand, the Spa mother brand.
Objective: to improve the visibility of the range as a whole and devise a more contemporary positioning of Spa and all its sub-brands for consumers.
The various products were grouped under one umbrella identity. The Spa mother brand provided the basis, with three sub-brands: mineral water, sparkling water and lemonades. The new brand architecture meant that fresh, more contemporary logos and packaging were needed. The new branding was supported with a completely new communication campaign. The strategy also led to the development of a new baseline: ‘Op het leven’ (To life).
Dirk Van de Walle, the then Country Director Belgium and Marketing Director of Spadel said: ‘The separate brands no longer communicate as stand-alone brands. All the communication is bundled in one clear Spa identity, which starts from the mother brand. We have to reinforce the relationship with consumers even more by clarifying the DNA of a brand icon like Spa. Spa wants to become a love brand again.’
The new positioning, which Spa and Think BBDO devised, served as the starting point for a comprehensive communication plan - online as well as in the classic media - to turn Spa into a love brand again.
Think BBDO advised Spa within a unique ecosystem, in collaboration with the following partners:
- Why5Research (research)
- Quatre Mains (logo design)
- Darwin BBDO and J. Walter Thompson (campaign)
- Branding