Top tips on designing your own egg branding
Poor farmgate egg prices last autumn prompted some producers to consider selling direct to consumers. This trend was backed up by reports from manufacturers of a flurry of enquiries for egg grading equipment.
One key factor in successful egg marketing is the egg boxes themselves. No longer are egg boxes just a means of safely transporting eggs home, but the labels are having to fight harder as more brands appear on shop shelves. Therefore, a well designed, eye catching box is essential for making your brand stand out from the competition.
Graphic designer and artist, Stuart Short says a company logo should be the starting point for any branding exercise. If you don’t already have a logo, you can have one designed by a professional. Prices will vary, but as a general rule, expect to pay £300 upwards.
Your logo requires careful thought, because it will play an important role in developing your corporate identity – the term used to describe your overall image, and the message you want to put across to consumers.
Before you commission any design work, it is advisable to consider the cost implications. Transferring your design directly on to an egg box will be more expensive than a simple wrap-around sleeve or label. Unit costs become cheaper as the size of the order increases, so you will save money by commissioning a large print run at the outset.
Mr Short, of Shorts Associates, a North Yorkshire marketing company specialising in agriculture and rural businesses, says simplicity is the key to both logo and packaging design. Avoid complicated imagery, and make sure the text is clearly legible. You must also think about the long term goals for your business.
“Don’t automatically choose your farm name, although it may be appropriate in some cases,” he advises. “For some farms, it is better not to be too specific, in case you want to add more products or services in the future.
“If you plan to sell free-range eggs, your designer should try to match the consumers’ perception of the product. Therefore, if you wish to include photography on your packaging, you will probably want to show your hens ranging outside, and in full feather, if possible. Images can be in the form of photographs, but you may prefer to use a hand drawn, or graphically-generated illustration, such as a cartoon.”
Producers with a special interest in digital photography could try taking photographs to incorporate into the packaging design. But in most cases, it is better to employ a professional. Typical half-day rates start at about £400, plus a mileage charge. Careful planning is needed before the photographic session, with consideration given to the time of year, weather, and the birds’ productive cycle.
“It really does pay to use a professional – they will have quality equipment, and the expertise to bring out the best attributes of your product. If you ask for a variety of photos, they can be used for other marketing materials, such as websites, brochures and press releases,” says Mr Short.
Your designer may be able to offer you a quote that includes printing and packaging costs, he adds. Your imagery should be supplied “print ready”, which means the printer will receive an electronic copy of the artwork that is compatible with his equipment.
Details your printer will ask for:
- Overall size of document
- Weight of paper used for printing
- Full colour or Pantone colours (universal colour coding system)
- Paper finish – matt, glossy or silk
- Format – artwork should be supplied as a PDF file, with crop marks
- Any other requirements – scoring, laminating, die cut (cut-out within the design)
- Full bleed? – when design reaches to the edge of the graphic image, with no border
- Deadline date – leave yourself plenty of time
CASE STUDY: GILES AND EMMA PERCIVAL, NORTH YORKSHIRE
According to North Yorkshire free-range producers, Giles and Emma Percival, selling eggs direct is far from being a “get rich quick” scheme. They view their Kingfisher Farms branded eggs, which are sold direct to the public and to local catering outlets, as an investment for the future.
The couple are relative newcomers to the poultry industry, having moved from a dairy and arable farm in Cheshire in 2004. When they bought Saunders House at Barningham, they inherited a packing station contract with Yorkshire Farmhouse, near Thirsk.
Having started out with 17,000 Lohmann Browns, they have since doubled the size of their flock. However they have retained a 2000-bird shed, which falls outside the packing contract, to expand their direct sales enterprise. All the eggs on the farm meet the RSPCA’s Freedom Food and the Lion Code standards.
The idea for selling branded eggs to the consumer was conceived in 2006, at a time when the free-range egg market was in the doldrums, says Mr Percival. He wanted a name that would not restrict the type of goods on offer, because the long-term plan is to develop the brand to include other farm produce, such as beef and lamb.
The Kingfisher Farms name fitted the bill perfectly, and the bird’s bright orange and blue colouring proved a great advantage, when it came to designing a striking and instantly recognisable logo. With hindsight, Giles says the logo should have been the starting point. Instead, he used a basic label on a standard grey egg box at the outset. The first two attempts were far from being a success, he admits.
“The whole idea of direct sales was to build a quality brand that reflects our family farm, and the high standard of care we give to our hens. Our original label designs and boxes failed to achieve this aim,” he says.
The couple, who have three young children, then decided to look for a professional to help with their design work, and enlisted Stuart Short.
After producing the colourful logo, Mr Short suggested using a cardboard wrap to encircle the egg boxes, which would help to differentiate the Kingfisher Farms egg box from similar products. Supplied printed and pre-creased, the wraps are secured by a small sticker, applied by hand. The standard grey box has been replaced by a bright blue variety, provided by the Dorchester business, Flyte so Fancy.
To comply with the law, the wrap has to include the farm address, as well as displaying “Class A” status, the country of origin, the producer code number and a declaration to indicate the production method. For the design element, Mr Short used a photograph of the Percivals’ daughter, Neive, as one of the main features, along with a rich-yolked boiled egg, and an egg tray.
Mr Percival is convinced that the egg box design is a major selling point. In an average week, the direct sales element of the business accounts for about 6000 eggs. The remainder produced by the 2000-bird flock go to a private buyer.
“We attend Barnard Castle Farmers’ Market once a month and Neive is very good about helping us out. She is a familiar face to many of our customers, so we thought it was appropriate to make the most of that, and to reflect the fact that we are a family farm,” says Mr Percival.
“People have made favourable comments about our box design – we even have customers who bring back their egg boxes back for us to re-fill, and ask for a new wrap.”
After three years, and having made an investment totalling several thousand pounds, the Percivals are just starting to make a profit out of their venture.
“We are in no hurry to expand the direct free-range egg sales side of our business. But we hope to broaden our product range, to provide consumers with a wider choice of locally produced food,” says Mr Giles.
Kingfisher Farms costings (per dozen units)
- Egg box wraps 11p
- Egg boxes 7.9p
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