Kombucha specialist Brew Dr. is rolling out redesigned packaging labels and branding — along with a pair of new flavors — aimed at building on the brand’s existing momentum while bringing new consumers into the category.
The new look, the first major design revamp for Brew Dr. since its growth into a national brand in the 2010s, is starting to show up on store shelves nationwide across the company’s refrigerated glass bottles and cans. Both will be featured this week at the company’s booth at Natural Products Expo West, which kicks off on Wednesday, alongside two new flavors: Strawberry Fields and Pineapple Paradise.
The redesign is Brew Dr.’s take on a familiar challenge for kombucha makers: widening the drink’s audience, or “inviting more people to the kombucha party,” in the words of CEO Dan Stangler. Since 2021, he said, the brand has been intentional about soliciting and integrating consumer feedback; the results of a full attitudes and usage study it commissioned revealed that Brew Dr. scored high in quality and having an approachable vibe. Taken in combination with its existing retail momentum — dollars sales (+9%) and volume (+5%) were up over the 52 weeks through January 20, per IRI (now Circana) data — that wouldn’t appear to suggest the need for major changes. Yet despite being a leading national brand within its category, Brew Dr.’s household penetration is still hovering just below 3%, while the entire space is at less than 20%.
The revamped packaging design and branding, created by a New York-based agency, reflects the slight intentional tweaks in Brew Dr.’s approach. Making the brand famous for great taste in a category known for health was one guiding principle, said Stangler, as was making it “easier for consumers to choose Brew Dr.” by highlighting its sourcing, ingredients and process, encapsulated by brand mascot Otis, a sloth that represents the slow month-long process of fermenting raw kombucha. Nods to the brand’s roots in tea and Oregon’s natural beauty, while the tag line of “Tasty & Fizzy Probiotic Tea” has been added to the front label.
Diving deeper, Stangler said that the company used PRS Behaviorally, a digital behavior insights consultancy firm, to understand how consumers were reacting to the design.
“Our agency partners kind of took all of this together, and gave us this idea for positioning that they call the ‘light and bright escape,’ that had elements of the outdoors and flavors, and even iconic travel posters, and they brought that to life in a really distinct and unique way for us.”
Meanwhile, the new SKUs Strawberry Fields and Pineapple Paradise allow Brew Dr. to play in the berry and tropical spaces. The company took an equally research-driven approach to their development, Stangler said, including spending “a lot of time” on national consumer learning tests while formulating the products.
Stangler also teased more news to come this week at Expo West, but also noted the company added about 20 new team members last year while adding manufacturing capacity at its facility outside Portland. Those conditions made the timing right for making investments to deepen its connection with customers.
“We’re really grateful for the retail partnerships that we’ve got, but we really think that we’re all winning because we’ve spent a lot more time spending a lot more time with consumers and getting their feedback and having consumers lead the future of the brand,” Stangler said.