Brand Management| Sugar Love

This was my senior marketing project in my undergraduate degree at the zuniversity of Nevada, Reno. This client came to my class through the Nevada Small Business Development Center and was in desperate need of a new direction. After losing their storefront to COVID, this solo entrepreneur had to pivot from selling chocolates in a temperature-controlled environment to a hot farmers' market stall. She expanded her products to include non-perishable brittles and toffees but was still falling short of the competition.

The goals of this project were to assess her product mix and compare it to competitors, create a new brand image, improve her online presence, identify new sales outlets and design new packaging.

This project was hands-on and taught me valuable lessons in marketing, including how to deal with picky and rude clients such as this one. Regardless of the negative client, I went above and beyond to deliver what the client asked for and earned 100% on the school project.

Timeline: 3 months Budget: Pro-Bono Deliverables: • Create New Logo + Package Design • Asses product mix and identify new sales channels • Improve website function and appearance

Roles

Audrey

Illustrator

Web Designer

Market Researcher

Product Designer

This project was a great learning experience for me becasue it was creatively engaging and not everything went as planned.

The client only came in for one consultation before she saw the final projects three months later. In the future, I would meet with clients several times and develop a working relationship with them throughtout the project. I had no choice of client, and no way to discontiniue the project once it became clear she was unwilling to make changes.

This client had glaring issues within the business model including:

Prodcuts were priced higher than competitors

Changed her core product and expected her audience to stay the same

Published an article in the local newspaper about her business, but failed to mention a single product and spent most of the interview compaining about a romance movie she hated

She was unwilling to change any elements to her business and became defensive when these were pointed out, despite seeking out our services for exactly that purpose.

Branding is something I thrive in, and I am not afraid to voice my research findings. My strategy for Sugar Love was solid and growth oriented, and I can do the same for your business, if you are willing to change.