Harvesting Success with a Distinctive Agriculture Brand for Allied Merchants
Results
Market-Driven Approach
Used competitor analysis and market insights align the new product range from Allied Merchants with farmer preference.
Striking
Visuals
Stand out designs to compete with products in a retail setting.
About Allied Merchants
Allied Merchants Buying Association is a buying group for independent builders’ merchants and retailers across Ireland. Our members trade in building materials, timber, plumbing, hardware, agri, fuel, garden and homeware. Together, we negotiate prices and terms with our supplier partners, giving independent merchants the buying power to compete with national chains.
Industry
Company Size
Services
The Challenge
In 2020, Allied Merchants Buying Association launched its Agri category and identified a clear opportunity: a new calf milk replacer brand for Irish farmers.
The calf milk replacer market was growing fast, with new competitors entering all the time. The brand had to earn farmers’ trust while signalling high quality, scientific precision and a sustainable approach. It also had to stand out in a crowded category, where buying decisions often come down to price and product specification.
The Solution
To address these challenges, The Smart Group undertook a comprehensive approach to brand development
for the new calf milk replacer range. We started with a detailed competitor analysis to map the market and find clear space for the brand to stand apart.
The creative direction drew on the long tradition of tillage farming. The result is a strong, masculine brand, with design elements that communicate trust, strength and knowledge.
Logo
The brand name, Harvus, was chosen to reflect these values. The logo pairs a bold typeface with a distinctive icon, balancing power with subtlety. The abstract icon reads as both a furrowed field and a stylised “H”, giving the brand a flexible mark that works across different materials and formats.
Packaging
For the packaging design, we created four distinct layouts for the key products in the Harvus calf milk replacer range. We split the lines of the icon to create dynamic panels for animal imagery, with each product’s specifications clearly displayed. A broad, bold colour palette sets each product apart, so farmers can pick out the right one quickly in store.
We enjoy working with The Smart Group! They consistently deliver creative solutions to a high standard, and are excellent at working to deadlines. We have worked with The Smart Group over a number of years on a variety of projects from high quality publications to brand development and packaging and have come to rely on excellent service and output.
The Results
Harvus launched into a competitive market with a distinctive identity that connected with farmers from day one. Its strong, trustworthy design and bold, standout packaging positioned Harvus as a high-quality, reliable choice for calf rearing.
The brand identity design for Harvus contributed to Aislinn McGrath being nominated as Europes Top 3 Young Contenders of the Year at the Transform Europe Awards.
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