Challenge:
Whole Foods Market is one of the world’s strongest and fastest growing brands. Its challenge stems from a combination of its success and business model. Whole Foods Market operates under a Centralized Brand structure but encourages individual stores to add local flavor to their food, décor and marketing. This autonomy is very successful at the local level but has the potential to weaken the Central Brand.

Solution:
We worked very closely with Whole Foods Market’s national and regional marketing departments to develop a Centralized-Parent Brand hybrid strategy to ensure brand integrity across the decentralized network.

Results:
The ensuing brand strategy allowed enough autonomy at the local level to build customer and vendor loyalty, while always building the Central Brand. The creative execution included typical brand deliverables such as identity system and brand standards, signage, print ads, fleet graphics and marketing collateral…and also the absurd, like haikus to bats and poetry about shrimp and contests for original works of written art submitted by patrons. The Parent Brand strategy ensured Whole Foods could expand its brand into other operating entities like Whole Baby and Whole Planet, while building brand equity in the Parent Brand and Independent Brands like the Animal Compassion Foundation. We are very proud to have been a small part of the success of such a wonderful company.