Have You Heard of Sub-Brands?

Subject Line: [INSERT FIRST NAME HERE] have you heard of sub-brands?

Preview Text: Here’s when you might need them…

I hope you've got a snack with you - because this email might make you hungry!

Picture this: a few months ago you did a delicious rebrand for a local restaurant.

You loved it, your client loved it, and their customers loved it. But you know what else their customers love? The restaurant's signature dipping sauce. All their social media pages are filled with comments on how delicious that special sauce is. And the customers are desperate to get their hands on it.

So your client has a brainwave - why not bottle it up and sell it?? Genius.

Now customers can not only come in and enjoy a beautifully cooked meal in the restaurant, but they can enjoy the dipping sauce from the comfort of their own homes.

So [INSERT FIRST NAME HERE] they come to you - because a genius idea needs a genius designer 😉

You've already helped them build up brand authority with their restaurant - so how do you translate that into their new sauce?

You create a sub-brand!

I know what you're thinking. Okay Abi, I was with you on the scrumptious sauces and brilliant branding... but what is a sub-brand? And why would my client need one?

A sub-brand is an extension of a brand that appeals to a slightly different market. It helps to think in terms of a parent brand, and a child brand.

A great example of this is Coca-Cola.

The parent company, Coca-Cola, is the one that's most commonly known and recognised. People around the world know the signature red colour and the cursive font.

Diet Coke, is the child company (or sub-brand) that veers off into a slightly different direction and niche. In this case, health-conscious consumers looking for a low-calorie alternative. In fact, it was so popular they even released another sub-brand, Coke Zero.

All of Coca-Cola's children (or sub-brands) are individually successful. They all target a specific customer need and they all appeal to a slightly different target audience.

Yet they all pay homage and add value to the parent brand.

How did Coca-Cola do this so successfully?

Through brand consistency and messaging.

Although the sub-brands all look slightly different, they share a similar colour palette, font style and branding to the parent brand. Allowing them to be distinguished as individual brands, all under the same Coca-Cola umbrella.

So when designing a sub-brand for your client's new sauce it helps to pay homage to the original restaurant design by using a consistent colour palette, font and branding, but add a little bit of your creative magic to ensure it stands out on its own.

...do I feel a new #creativeglowchallenge coming on? 👀

You can help guide your client through the new sauce process. Showing how the sauce can shine as a product independently, while still tying back to the original restaurant using consistent branding.

And who knows, maybe the sub-brand is just the beginning of your client's foodie empire. Soon you could be designing a whole range of sauces, seasonings and condiments.

Here's hoping they let you have some free samples 😋