The encouraging story of RS Bar and how to read consumers of the Gen Z
A whole new generation runs by No BS mentality.
Things that most of us might feel unlikely to ‘work’, this generation may love. The fresh thought process can be a game changer in this world whether packaging can speak for itself – both online and offline marketplaces.
RX Bar is a great example for itself where right branding can reach the right audience. From the logo to the packaging, everything just hits the sweet spot that the brand always wanted to connect to the audience.
OLD Packaging of RX Bar:
Surely, this packaging seems just right with a great tagline and every information Gen X could practically get interested in. The blue border works for shelves as well. The blueberry at the corner meet the required natural feel. Even the photo looks very unpolished to hit the natural earthy feel just as the background. Based on my experience of working at retail, I see any Gen X marketing director would approve it.
But then again…
As Zach said, “Consumers are sick of being told how awesome your business is, they are looking for something to believe in and align with. Something that genuinely speaks to their values from the get-go” – this is the key consumer insight for the “informed” parents and young adults of Gen Z.
While the old packaging made them millionaires, the new packaging of Rx Bar is pushing the bar higher. In 2014, the Old Branding got them $2 million and in 2017, the New Branding earned them $130 million in 125,000 locations around the country.
A bit of background story:
Peter Rahal and Jared Smith earned a steady stream of loyal customers with their simple bars, clean packaging and absolutely ‘no B.S.’ Their background story is as ‘go-to’ as the new packaging. In 2012, the co-founders, who are from Glen Ellyn, Ill., were in the kitchen of Rahal’s parents, making bars and discussing getting funding for their nascent company. That’s when Rahal’s father cut in. “You guys need to shut the fuck up and just sell a thousand bars,” Rahal says, summarizing his father’s sentiment. “That was a really defining moment for us, and it’s how we work today. It’s in our DNA; this idea of taking action and doing it yourself.”
RxBars is not owned by its founders anymore. They successfully sold it to Kellogs for USD 600 million.
You can read here about how they started and marketed the product to a niche audience.