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STARTING POINTThe proposition of ‘timely brain nutrition’ created a differentiated positioning for this new supplements brand in Germany and outlined a clear roadmap for the founders to follow.
Their frustration eventually led them to set up a business that would offer honest, effective and science-backed brain nutrition. However, after having approved the first product line and its initial packaging concept, they didn't know whether what they had was enough to challenge the market and, most importantly, to successfully launch their product first in Germany and then worldwide.
Conscious of using their resources efficiently, the founders wanted a clear prioritisation of their do’s and dont’s when taking the start-up off the ground. They needed a coherent brand strategy that would guide their business, product development and market launch. As a result, they aimed for a strongly differentiated identity that would resonate with their target audience, an inspiring story they could build a community around, and a set of communication tools to bootstrap their company.
After analysing communications of supplement brands in Germany and across the world, we uncovered two main narratives. The first one encouraged to ‘do well’, work hard and be strong, remaining relevant to sports fans and biohackers; whilst the other was built around wellness, mental balance and self-care, moving to the ‘be well’ opposite end of the messaging spectrum. This insight was key in creating a unique positioning that doesn’t fit in either narrative. Instead of telling its audience what to do or be, Mindsupply acknowledged the value of our mind and its role in our everyday life offering simple brain nutrition to everyone interested in living healthier and happier.
In our customer research, we analysed four profiles of our main user personas: professionals, students, homemakers, and gamers. Through interviews and desk analysis, we imagined what a day in the life of each persona would be like and what main challenges they would have. For each customer group, we defined a set of primary values that would resonate with them, created a relevant brand message and chose a flagship product from the Mindsupply portfolio. Finally, we decided to focus on one audience at the start to build up the brand.
Contrarily to the aspiration of continuous ‘betterment’, Mindsupply was born out of the desire to bring natural yet science-backed nutrients to those around us. Not only – or particularly – athletes, techies, or growing biohacking communities, but our families, friends and co-workers. To create a brand that they can understand and relate to, we put the concept of time at the core of what Mindsupply stands for, saying: “No matter who we are or what we do, let’s get the most of the time we have.”
Visual and verbal language of the brand was built out of the core concept of time, consistently providing cues across all communication materials. The product packaging reflected the daily sun movement, from rising in the morning to boost your mood to setting down in the evening, preparing you for a good night’s sleep.
We designed the website wireframes and filled it out with engaging copy, all of which was brought to life in a coherent visual style paired with product photography. We also created a space for the brand's online Labs community to bring a diversity of expertise and use cases into Mindsupply’s ongoing product development.
“With the ability to quickly decode our market and understand our goals, Herd articulated our market positioning in the opposition to the category. Their work made a tangible effect on our strategy and product, giving us a profound stepping stone for launch.”