EarthChoice™ is a sustainable line of to-go ware made by Pactiv, an industry leader in disposable food packaging. EarthChoice products span from spoons to plates, bowls to hot cups, cold cups and everything in between. Each product fits the bill for one of the “4Rs” (reduce, reuse, recycle or renew). EarthChoice had been touting that fact, but independent restaurant operators weren’t getting the full story – in fact, they weren’t clear on the brand’s value proposition.

We partnered with EarthChoice to uncover their value proposition, craft a compelling story from it and leverage that story across new and existing sales tools.

After a year of independence as a standalone brand, EarthChoice had all the basics in place – a website, sales materials and plenty of branded collateral. What they were missing was the story. They needed a unique, compelling brand story that grew right out of their DNA. That would make it easy for the sales team to inspire their customers – and for those customers to value EarthChoice as more than the average vendor.

Step one was to host a Discovery Session with EarthChoice. Through a series of collaborative exercises, we arrived at a deep understanding of the EarthChoice brand and their market. We recognized that the majority of new EarthChoice customers don’t realize how sustainability can benefit their businesses. They choose EarthChoice because they already trust Pactiv – or because sustainability has suddenly become a threat to their reputation.

Against the background of ever-evolving regional regulations (think straw bans and plastic bag taxes), EarthChoice could stand out from competitors by giving operators peace of mind that they won’t be perceived as unsustainable and thus get skewered on social media.

With that in mind, we created a messaging construct with a strategic two-pronged approach to telling the EarthChoice story: When sustainability means business, make the EarthChoice. It’s better. To go.

1) For independent operators, sustainability means business, and EarthChoice is here to help your company thrive with responsive expertise, unmatched selection and a strategic distribution network.

2) For the operators and their consumers, EarthChoice is Better. To go. It brings together quality and sustainability. Consumers can feel good about the restaurant they’ve chosen – because that restaurant is making sustainable choices.

Once we pressure-tested the construct on senior-level EarthChoice staff and earned their buy-in, we updated key, existing communication tools with the new story: their website, product catalog and on-product branding.

• Discovery session for deep listening, learning and starting to arrange the pieces of the puzzle
• Communications construct to define the value proposition and shape the story
• Messaging matrix to give the sales team a “cheat sheet” for effectively introducing specific audiences to the EarthChoice story
• Renovated messaging and design on the website, in the sales catalog and on products
• Brand video to run as an ad, use in presentations and function as a centerpiece for the website