Naturipe Farms, one of the world's leading berry growers, is launching a rebrand focused on the biggest shopper demographic - millennials and Generation Z.

The U.S.-based, farmer-owned company whose history dates back to 1917 will this month start to roll out a new logo, packaging, and in-store merchandising in grocery stores across the U.S. and Canada.

CarrieAnn Arias, Naturipe Farms’ vice president of marketing, who led the initiative, said the rebrand is a result of a comprehensive, five-phase consumer research study of nearly 4,000 participants in the U.S. and Canada to gain insight into the minds of today’s customers on numerous areas including packaging, in-store purchasing motivations as well as visual brand cues.

"It is important to know what customers are looking for from a company like us to help our family farmers," said Arias, adding that the company wanted the rebranding to be representative of its long history and current market research.

“We knew, just like growing our berries, that we needed to take our time and carefully cultivate this rebrand. That started by listening directly to our customers.”

The rebranding is part of a multiphase rollout that will continue through the year, she said.

Naturipe’s year-long research study led it to highlight components of the brand that were not always immediately visible before. This includes communicating the berries' freshness - the main decision driver of 89% of millennials and Gen Z participants surveyed - and emphasizing honesty and transparency, which the company will do partly through telling consumers about their berries’ origin with the map and state shown on the label.

"With millennial and Gen Z customers poised to be the largest consumer group in history, it is important for us to ensure Naturipe Farms’ brand refresh speaks to this demographic," said Arias. "They are health-conscious, berry consumers so we want to show them more about not just where their berries come from but the company itself."

The research findings also revealed that consumers believed the Naturipe Farms name conveyed that the company’s products are “naturally ripened” or “allowed to ripen in nature.”

“It’s gratifying to hear consumers see and appreciate the honesty in our name,” said Arias. “The elements of this rebrand clearly communicates the lush, fresh, ripened berries that we offer to our customers every day.”

Naturipe is also committed to reducing its environmental impact – another factor that millennial and Gen Z surveyed said was important to them. On this matter, Arias said the company was currently exploring the best sustainability practices and innovations as part of their “Cultivate with Care” initiative, which includes research in eco-friendly packaging, water conservation, and natural pest management.

“For more than 100 years, freshness has always been a top priority for us,” said Dwight Ferguson, president and CEO of Naturipe Farms. “Now we’re ensuring our brand stays fresh as well.”

“We believe the work we are doing in 2019 will set the tone for our future, and the brand refresh is just the first element,” said Ferguson. “Consumers will hear more from Naturipe Farms, and we’re excited to show them what our great company is all about.”