When matching brand colours is crucial, IML steps in
Disruptive. Bold. Generous. RAMONA’S Heavenly Houmous is making a statement in the houmous shelf by doing the unexpected. Not only does the finger licking recipe take you back to the roots of founder Ramona Hazan, but it is also sold in big containers dressed in eye-catching colours. In search of a cost-effective, high-quality decoration technique for her packaging, Ramona turned to IML.
Not your average houmous
By introducing RAMONA’S Heavenly Houmous, Ramona Hazan wanted to share the food experience from her childhood with the world. “I grew up with traditional, generous Mediterranean food. None of the houmous available in the supermarket came close to my grandparents’ recipe,” says Ramona.
“It seems like a bastardization of the product was happening: houmous recipes without personality where every brand chooses the same basic packaging. Not us at RAMONA’S. We’re going for generous, high-quality and boldness,” says Ramona. By using an authentic recipe, selling the houmous in a 500g pot and making the product stand out on shelf, RAMONA’S emphasizes the versatility of the product and the tradition of eating in good company.
In mould labels: cost-effective and perfectly applied
There was a time when the Heavenly Houmous containers were decorated with self-adhesive labels. But soon, they addressed their packaging partner Innavisions Ltd., importer of DECA Packaging for the UK, and opted for in mould labeling.
“When we started as a small business, we did not have the capacity to invest in extra people or machinery for the decoration of our containers. So, turning to IML made perfect sense: it’s an absolutely cost-effective way of getting perfectly applied labels,” Ramona comments.
IML is an absolutely cost-effective way of getting perfectly applied labels
Ramona Hazan, founder of RAMONA's
Now that the company has grown, it’s more about the perfection of colour and application – two crucial factors for the brand. “We want perfection. The IML labels provided by MCC Verstraete guarantees us the aesthetics and boldness that are so unique to our brand.”
Spot-on spot colours
Market research and consumer conversations show us that brand recognition has skyrocketed and that consumers love RAMONA’S. To that extent, the brand was recently declared UK’s number one own houmous brand!
Needless to say, an important aspect during the label printing process was the exact matching of RAMONA’S brand colours.
So crucial, that Ramona and the DECA team visited MCC Verstraete for an in-person sign off of the label printing. “The bursting colours are crucial for our brand identity. They are linked to happiness, brightness, and generosity. We revamped the label design this year and really wanted to aim at consistency,” according to Ramona.
“We never experienced issues in processing the labels. The main focus we had was the maintenance and consistency of the key colours. The MCC Verstraete team did a fantastic job matching the colours that make RAMONA’S so unique,” says Eveline Verhenne, IML Specialist at DECA Packaging.
The vibrant colours used by RAMONA’S indeed were a challenge. “Fluorescent colours are notoriously difficult to reproduce with stability over several production runs. That’s why our ink team came up with specifically designed spot colours, making it possible to combine consistency with the vibrancy Ramona was looking for. The end result is something we are particularly proud of,” says Eva Andries, internal sales representative at MCC Verstraete.
A winning team
Collaborating with partners that are passionate about their product, whether it is houmous, packaging or in mould labels, always pays off. A close partnership, sharing experience and open communication make the IML-decorated packaging for RAMONA’S Heavenly Houmous a hit on shelf.
