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The complete guide to food 

branding
— 

by Matt Ellis Build a business Get inspired Learn design


3 months ago | 17 min read Logo & branding Packaging & label

N
o matter how much you think you know about branding, food branding is a
bit trickier to pin down than other industries. The food industry relies on 
natural urges and “gut” feelings, and branding visuals can make your customers
hungrier—or lose their appetite.

For anyone working in food—a broad category that includes manufacturers of

packaged foods, brick and mortar retailers, restaurants, food bloggers, food-
related services and beverage companies—the nuances of food branding
strategies aren’t exactly obvious. In this guide, we give an overview on food
branding, explaining what you need to know to make the right impression on
customers.
Illustration by Orange Crush

The basics of food branding

—
If your company were a person, “branding” would be how that person presents
themselves—how they dress or wear their hair, plus how they act, whether they 
crack jokes or formally adhere to etiquette. Branding is more than just publicity;
it influences how consumers perceive your company and the value they assign it. 

Logo design by green in blue

When done well, branding creates personal, even emotional ties with your
customer base, not to mention separating and differentiating you from your rivals
in a meaningful way. You can accomplish these results through visuals, such as
using the right colors, shapes and typography and also through the way you
communicate, like your content strategy or which channels you use. We explain
these five areas in detail below.

Your branding choices should complement your business strategies and goals.
For example, a company whose top priority is customer acquisition benefits from
different branding strategies than a company whose priority is customer
retention. But to complicate things further, the food industry has to make
branding decisions based on both their business style and what their audience
finds appetizing.

Below we explain the best stylistic choices for successful food branding
strategies, but before we get into that, let s talk business. There are some key
aspects of your company that you’ll need to understand before you dive into the
creative process.

3 questions to ask yourself

Logo design by nevergohungry

You’ll need to answer some hard questions about your business before you can
determine what branding strategies will work best. These three key questions
will help you get to the heart of what your business is really all about

1. Who’s buying your product? Who is your target market or customer?

What are their demographics? What do they like, how do they want to be
talked to and what are their pain points (related obstacles and
inconveniences they want removed from their life)? Branding is tailored
to your target customers, so the more you understand them, the better.

2. How would you describe your brand? This is more of a creative exercise
to help pinpoint your branding style. If you have an eloquent answer to
this question, great! If not, don’t sweat it—try listing out adjectives to
describe your ideal brand personality until you have a good idea.
Adjectives like energetic, passionate, inviting or dependable can help you
hone in on your brand’s voice and character.

3. What separates you from your competition? In other words, what’s your
value proposition? Why should customers choose you instead of your
rivals? A key aspect of branding is isolating your most attractive features
and playing those up so people think of you first when it’s time to part
 with their money.

Once you know the answers to these questions, you can begin to construct your
ideal food branding strategy. But what exactly does food branding entail?

The 10 essentials of a successful food brand

— 

The “10 essentials” a company needs for successful branding are the 
manifestations and deliverables of your branding efforts—the tangible results of
your stylistic choices.


Granola packaging by Martis Lupus

1. Logo — The face of your brand and centerpiece of your entire food branding
strategy. The most important branding element, your food logo anchors
everything your company represents.

2. Website — The way your website looks is important, but looks don’t mean
anything if it doesn’t work. Functionality and ease-of-use are the king and queen
of website design; they reveal just how adept your company really is.

3. Brand messaging — What is your brand saying? Your brand messaging

includes its values, mission statements, beliefs, frequent talking points and, of
course, the brand slogan.

4. Product packaging — When it comes to food branding, your choice of product

packaging is crucial. Packaging has the power to attract customers and is a
visual representation of the culinary experience your product offers.

5. Brick & mortar shops — This is optional for some food brands, but most food
businesses need to consider how to brand their shops, stores or locations. This
includes things like in-store branding, branded aprons, napkins, signs, mugs,
interior design and music choice, but also the customer service and in-store 
experience you offer.

6. Social media — A
personal way to engage Sign up for our free, 7-day email 
directly with customers and course and learn to build the perfect
start a dialogue. The type of brand identity.
posts you publish, as well as 
We'll also send you creative tips, trends, resources
the channels you publish on,
and the occasional promo (which you can opt-out of
can provide a direct link to anytime).

your specific niche market.

7. Email marketing —
Emails are a favorite Sign me up!
strategy for online
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marketers because they’re
more intimate than other
methods of outreach, and
interestingly have some of the best clickthrough rates. By sharing the same
communication methods as friends and family and speaking directly to the
reader one-on-one, email marketing gives you the chance to present your brand
in a human light.

8. Advertising — Some traditions never die. Paid advertisements, though not as

trustworthy as they used to be, are still quite effective in increasing the reach of
your brand message, accessing potential customers that other avenues can’t
match.

9. Content & influencer marketing — Blog posts, videos, photos for social
media, infographics and the like. Just as different artists have different styles, the
various types of content you produce weave together a cohesive tapestry that
tells potential and existing customers who you really are.

10. Merchandise — This could be traditional swag, like T-shirts or mugs sold in
your restaurant, or something more creative like tote bags, cardboard cups and
branded take-home containers.
 

Branding package design by Project 4

These are the 10 main areas of a successful food branding strategy, and the
methods you’ll use to create a cohesive and consistent branding personality.
Keep them in mind as you make decisions about the branding details we discuss
in the next section.

Best branding styles for the food industry

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What colors are the most appetizing? Do hungry customers respond better to
circles or squares? Where do all the foodies hang out online? With a market as
particular as the food industry, certain branding techniques work better than
others. Here’s a breakdown of the best food branding techniques for different
areas of your outreach. Keep these in mind when you’re designing your logo and
creating your brand assets.

(Remember that your branding must also reflect your company personality; the
strategies below are data-based suggestions about what works for food branding
in general, but don’t forget to consider your own unique style when finalizing
decisions.)

Best colors for food branding

In a nutshell, warm colors—red, orange and yellow—work best for food branding.
Of these, red is the best for inciting hunger (perhaps due to the abundance of red
foods in nature). And because warm colors pair nicely with each other, you see a
lot of red-yellow or red-orange food branding.

One trip down a street of fast food chains proves how accurate this is. We see
these warm color combinations in almost all of our favorite fast food chains.
Green on the other hand is popular with natural and organic food brands.

Based on color theory, it’s recommended to avoid blue in food branding. Aside
from blueberries, it’s rare to find edible blue food in the wild, so consequently
blue has the least effect on appetite. But for branding in general, blue is hands-
down the most popular color, presumably because its link to trust and
community. For that reason, you still see blue as a frequent accent color in food
branding, as with Burger King, Sonic and Popeyes.

Best shapes for food branding

 Logo design by Bendazs!™

In branding, shapes are quite influential in how a brand’s personality is received.

Brands with circular logos, for example, are seen as more inviting and casual,
whereas rigid rectangular shapes are seen as more reliable or effective. This 
means the shape should relate to your brand identity instead of your industry.


That said, most food brands benefit from friendly brand personalities, and logos
with circles or curves come across as more approachable. This isn’t just about a
circular frame around the logo, but also curvaceous lines within the logo itself, as

seen in the Organic Blend logo below.

Rectangular, triangular and sharp angled logos have a more formal feel and
perform better in industries like legal or financial, although some high-end 
restaurants or wine companies (like FZ Wines below) might also take advantage
of that formality.

Logo design by mikata

If you’d like a serious logo but still want customers to feel at home, you can
always blend shapes together. Adding curves or soft corners to an otherwise
 angular shape makes it seem more casual, so you can implement that “softer
side” to any degree you want.

Best typography for food branding

There is no single “best typography” for the food industry. The size, weight and
color of your text, not to mention the font, all have their own unique connotations
for your brand personality, so the best ones for you depend on what kind of brand
you strive to be.

There are some common trends among the food industry, though. For example, if
you’re going for an old-fashioned tavern style, like O’Leary’s Ale House, a retro 
font can convey that to viewers instantly.


Logo design by Project 4

Or, if you want people to see you as a modern eatery or food producer like Swirl
Frozen Yogurt, a minimalist sans serif typography looks the part.
 
Logo design by bo_rad

Like shapes, you can always blend together two opposing styles to create
something distinctly you. Keep in mind that curves are “friendly” and straight 
lines/sharp corners are “professional.” So a font with lots of curves, like cursive,
will attract a more casual clientele than a strict, classy font.

Packaging your food or beverage

Food and beverage packaging is a vast universe—and a key element of food
branding. Your customers’ first experience of your product happens with their
eyes, not their taste buds, so the way you house your food or drink matters a lot.
Packaging also helps distinguish your product from the zillions of other options
crowding shelves (or online grocery web pages) these days. Packaged foods are
an $800 billion dollar industry in the US alone. That’s a lot of pasta, snack bars
and yogurt!
Packaging design by Holiday26

When considering packaging for your food, drink or snack, looks definitely

matter, but appearances are meaningless if your packaging doesn’t do its job.
Before you embark on a packaging design journey ask yourself, and your
designer, a few key questions: 

What is my product? What are the materials and dimensions? Is it a single 

product or are there (or will there be in the future) several flavors or formats?
A bit of forward thinking on the front end will help you avoid trouble as your 
brand evolves.

Packaging design by tomdesign.org

Who is my customer? Am I selling to eco-conscious folks, children or

tourists? Will my customers have expendable income or are they on a strict
budget? It is essential to understand who will be purchasing your products
and brand your food product accordingly.
 

Packaging design by Holly McAlister

What purpose does the packaging serve? Does it have to keep the food soft
or crunchy? Does it have to stand up to refrigeration? Food packaging carries
a lot of responsibility—in the US it also has to follow FDA requirements for
transparent ingredient and nutrient listing.
 

Design by Mj.vass 

Where will consumers see the package? (Will it be sold exclusively online? At

small speciality grocers? Or at big name stores like Target or Walmart?)
Where consumers see your product also influences its packaging.

When designing your packaging, keep details like logo placement, materials,
colors, fonts and shapes in mind. What to learn more about product packaging?
Take a look at this ultimate guide to packaging design.

In-store branding

It’s clear that online shopping isn’t going anywhere any time soon. It’s just so
deliciously convenient. But the ease of one-click shopping can’t take away the
allure of an in-person purchase. If you’re thinking of opening up a brick and
mortar food or beverage outlet, you’ve got a few things working in your favor.

Do cookie dough shop in NYC offers visitors a bright, playful interior

that is consistent with its branding
 The first, and most notable benefit of an in store experience is the benefit of
interfacing with a knowledgeable retail associate (you can’t get that on Amazon).
Visiting a brick and mortar store also allows you to see, hold and possibly try a
product before committing to purchasing it and an in-store purchase also hits all
the notes of instant gratification, allowing you to walk out of the store with the
item in hand with zero shipping charges.

Lastly, buying a product from an actual human being in legitimate establishment
lends an air of credibility to the experience (vs buying something from an

unfamiliar online brand and crossing your fingers that you’ll receive a quality
item).


Dominique Ansel Bakery is known for its clean, sleek lines and thoughtful interiors — a level of detail and quality found at each of
its worldwide locations

As for branding the in-store experience, your brick and mortar store should echo
the branding elements you’ve already established through your logo and your
color and font choices, as well as the overall aesthetic and tone expressed in your
social media marketing. If your color palette is bright and modern, with
subversive, urban messaging, your store better give customers a similar
experience. Your customers’ senses will be activated from the minute they walk
in the door. The layout of the space, your logo placement and staff uniforms (or
lack of uniform) all come together to create a cohesive sense of your brand.

Food branding on social media

Food brands can successfully post their content on any social media—even
 LinkedIn professionals would be interested in a time saving recipe. But the best
channels for food branding are typically the ones that revolve around visuals
because they’re a hotbed for food pics. Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat, with
their emphasis on images and videos, are the best fit for most food branding
strategies. (Bonus points for including your logo in the background!) If you make
a branding video, you can also utilize YouTube as well, plus link your YouTube
video on all of your social media channels. 

When launching a social media campaign stick tight to the branding guidelines

you’ve already established and follow these simple, yet powerful guidelines:

Tell a story 

Random images of food products are fine, but they’ll pack a bigger punch if

they’re telling a quick story, are part of a greater story about you or your brand or
are connected to a story or idea that everyone can relate to.

Invest in visuals

It’s all about the visuals, baby. Shoddy images won’t fly on social media—and
posts without images get significantly less action than those with striking
photos. Think about the fuzzy or amateurish images you sometimes see while
scrolling Instagram. Do they inspire you to stop and dig deeper into the post?
Nah. This is where the concept of “you only have one chance to make a first
impression” really comes into play. Take the time to teach yourself about
capturing quality shots of your food product. This requires learning about
cameras (yes, your iPhone may be adequate, but make sure that’s true before you
post your first image), lighting, shot set-up and visual storytelling. To ensure
quality shots, many brands hire a professional stylist/food photographer to take
their social media shots.

Milk Bar is all about the sweet shot:

via Milk Bar

 Give them video

Quality images are essential, but video is where it’s at. Quick social media videos
of your food product in action can spark strong cravings in your consumers. Take
Peach Mart’s quick Instagram videos of Asian snack foods. Yum!

Be consistent

Take some time to create a visual calendar for your social media posts—perhaps 
you’ll be posting each day of the week (a good idea!) and will feature an different
image of your product or different products in your line with a different 
caption/story. Be sure that the images have a consistent tone and feel. You want
to give your users a cohesive experience of your Instagram or Pinterest page. If 
some shots are dark and moody and others clean and bright it will feel jarring.
Also, master the hashtag. Hashtags are your key to connecting with more people.

Get familiar with popular industry hashtags as well as customized hashtags
specifically for your unique brand.

Ice and Vice, a hip NYC ice cream shop, takes most of their ice cream shots
against a black background.

via Ice & Vice

 

While Moon Juice, a trendy LA-based supplement store, is all about bright,
colorful images evoking feelings of good health and vitality.

via Moonjuice

Branding for the food industry: a fruitful market!

—
Sometimes you don’t know the perfect food brand strategies for you until you see
them with your own eyes. If you’re looking for logo inspiration, checkout some of
our previous articles for food branding inspiration:


42 tasty food logos that will make your mouth water 

41 of the best restaurant logos for inspiration 

Or, if you already know what you want and are ready to get started on your food

logo, packaging, website or food truck wrap, click here to find the perfect
designer for your style.


Need help branding your food business? 

Let our community of designers create a mouth-watering design for you.

Get a design
The author

Matt Ellis
Matt Ellis is a freelance content writer,
specializing in web design and
ecommerce. For over a decade he's been
sharing his industry knowledge through 
ebooks, website copy, and blog articles
just like this one. You can learn more
about his career and writing services at 
https://www.mattelliscontentwriter.com/.
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Build a business Get inspired Learn design Logo & branding Packaging & label branding

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