Manuka Health is a leading New Zealand natural health company, specializing in bee products that offer consumers unique health properties. The growing global popularity of Manuka (named from the single tree species the bees forage upon) has led to numerous competitors entering the category, often using the “Manuka” name. In addition to the marketplace confusion created by these “lookalikes,” Manuka Health continues to innovate and bring to market products beyond its rare honey. This new expression system is the first step for Manuka Health to take an ownership role in the category by being less defined as a medicinal product—and more as an everyday-lifestyle brand. This positions Manuka Honey to a broader customer base and bonds them through emotion.

To recast these category conventions, we moved on two fronts: a new brand system and a global campaign to activate it. We created a bright and energetic visual system to support a more distinctive visual approach, and paired it with a more human voice to create an approachable way in for new customers. We later brought this system to life in a global campaign across Manuka Health’s biggest markets—the U.S., China, Japan, and Germany. Each received a tailored set of design elements, and language guidance was given to reflect individual country cultures while ensuring a consistent brand expression across the globe. The campaign repositioned Manuka Health as the “co-pilot” on any customer’s wellness journey, and centered on the idea of “re-naturing”: people connecting with natural experiences to feel more alive and to bring out the best of what’s inside them. Aimed at driving distinction from the category and loyalty to the brand, the work broke up the sleepy, serene tone set by the category and ushered in a bright new chapter for Manuka Health and its customers.

Given the campaign just launched, we are still awaiting any marketplace metrics. However, this work has galvanized the Manuka Health company—helping them see their role in this oversaturated market. This expression system could be the first of many changes to transform the brand. Anya Saikkonen, Global Marketing Manager at Manuka Health, said of the campaign, “We are delighted to work with VSA Partners to help educate consumers on the benefits of our special natural product in a vibrant and approachable way.”