Dalston Cola seeks to move from ‘niche’ craft drink to ‘established’ brand
Craft soft drink company Dalston Cola has rolled out a new identity as it looks to move from a niche craft drinks company to an established brand.
Dalston Cola
The number of craft-based soft drink brands aimed at adults are on the rise, with the likes of Pepsi and Coca-Cola both investing in craft brands, as well independent companies such as Jones Soda in the US.
To stand out from this newly emerging crowd Dalston Cola worked with agency B&B to create the new visual identity as well as a solid brand position. The agency moved away from obvious craft messages and decided to focus on the ingredients that go in to Dalston Cola’s range of drinks.
The brand’s ‘D’ logo shows ingredients being ‘hand-mashed’ – the process the company uses to produce the drinks – to highlight what is unique about Dalston Cola compared to competitors.
Six labels were created for the range, each with its own twist on the ‘hand mashed’ D. In Dalston’s lemonade, the hand is squeezing a lemon, whereas on the ginger beer, the hand is seen grating ginger. The brand is also clearly ‘made in London’ and the tactile label, which curves around the bottle in a ‘D’ shape, tells the story of the brand and highlights the natural ingredients sourced from Ridley Road Market, Dalston.
Client partner at B&B, Kerry Bolt says: “There was a balance we had to strike. We wanted to retain some of the raw, edginess of the brand, what makes it exciting, but also express its expert credentials in an interesting way. This would elevate the brand proposition and get it out there. We also wanted to be truthful to the original product and to the passion behind the brand which puts the ingredients first, without conforming to tiresome craft clichés.”
According to a Mintel study released last year, six in 10 consumers are willing to pay more for premium non-alcoholic soft drinks that have a clear difference in taste to cheaper alternatives. It also showed that over half (54 per cent) of craft drinkers find ‘natural’ or ‘real’ attributes most appealing or important. In the US, ‘natural’ beverages are growing 12.7 per cent annually according to Nielsen Databank.