Case Study: Crafting a Sub-Brand Identity For This New Petcare Brand

Back in 2023, Swanky proudly supported the relaunch of Australian pet nutrition brand Farrell’s, carefully crafting a new brand identity for this much-loved dog food retailer.

Following this successful project, the team behind Farrell’s enlisted our help with the launch of their dog joint supplement sub-brand, Glucanine, initially launching in the US market.

Specifically, we were engaged to develop a sub-brand identity for Glucanine, leveraging comprehensive market and competitor research. The brand needed to be cohesive with that of Farrell’s, sharing the same values, yet have its own distinct voice and qualities in order to appeal to a different market segment.

This case study explores the research-driven strategy we used to create sub-brand guidelines for this new DTC petcare brand.

Phase 1: Research

Analysing parent brand values

It was important for project stakeholders that Glucanine’s vision and values were aligned with that of the overarching Farrell’s organisation. This new sub-brand was to remain connected to its parent entity, leveraging its established reputation.

With this in mind, we drew on the Farrell’s mission statement to identify elements that would also fit nicely with the Glucanine brand, including:

• a focus on tradition;
• highlighting the expertise behind product development;
• emphasising the quality of ingredients; and
• positioning dogs as more than just pets, and worthy of the best products available.

These formed the basis of initial brand values for Glucanine, which would be built upon and refined throughout the research phase.

Creating audience segments

Market research is a crucial part of developing an identity for a new brand, as it provides insights into things like industry trends, consumer profiles and market predictions.

As well as analysing the US pet joint supplements market, we focused a significant portion of our research on pet owners in order to inform development of our target audience.

As a result of this research, we created three core audience segments:

1. ‘Big dog owners’ – Owners of large breeds with a predisposition to joint difficulties. They are likely to be loyal to a brand that they know helps their dog have a better quality of life.

2. ‘Oodle owners’ – Millennial owners of pandemic puppies who are now getting older. They are focused on providing the best life for their furry family members. These owners are happy to explore new products to the market, but will take their time in order to make an informed purchase decision.

3. ‘Dog-first owners’ – Pet parents who treat their dogs like human members of the family. They are looking for empathetic brands that sell high-quality products and acknowledge the importance of their dog.

Competitor analysis

Another key component of this research phase was competitor analysis. We identified several core competitors within the market, comparing aspects such as products, ingredients, pricing strategies and messaging.

This allowed us to build a positioning map of the US dog joint supplement space, identifying three distinct categories that existing brands fall into:

1. Scientifically trusted
2. Natural ingredients
3. Part of the family

Phase 2: Confirming brand positioning

We leveraged our findings from Phase 1 to create three initial brand concepts, each based on a slightly different brand position.

These were presented to the client and iterated upon, before agreeing on a chosen direction for the Glucanine sub-brand.

Phase 3: Building a sub-brand identity

By combining Farrell’s values with our understanding of the Glucanine target audience and competitor positioning, we were able to begin documenting a sub-brand identity for this new petcare ecommerce brand.

The following elements of Glucanine’s sub-brand guidelines combine to communicate to consumers what the brand stands for. All of this builds up a clear picture of the company’s values, priorities and overall mission.

Logo

The Glucanine logo aligns heavily with that of the Farrell’s brand, leveraging the same font and colour.

This creates consistency and means that Glucanine can easily be identified as part of the Farrell’s brand family. It also reassures customers that this sub-brand is backed by the same quality as its parent company.

Much like the Farrell’s logo, this one combines approachability and style – which is particularly important for a new brand entering the market.

The ‘G’ is formatted to include a distinctive oval shape, which is used consistently throughout Glucanine’s visual brand assets (an example of which you can see in the website snapshot below). The oval signifies the loyal bond between dogs and owners, as well as representing movement, a key benefit of Glucanine’s products.

Typography

We selected two fonts that work together to communicate the different elements of the Glucanine brand:

1. A modern, geometric sans-serif typeface for the majority of headers, as well as body text. This clean, unadorned font reflects the brand’s commitment to transparency and its science-led approach. It’s also an excellent choice in terms of readability, given the broad range of users who could be interacting with the Glucanine brand.

2. A softer italic serif typeface for placing emphasis in header elements. This font combines vintage warmth with a modern touch – conveying Glucanine’s position as a brand that balances tradition with innovation, approachableness with education.

You can see both of these fonts in use in the following website snapshot:

Imagery

Lifestyle imagery is a powerful tool for ecommerce retailers, with the ability to communicate key brand information and immerse consumers into a brand’s story.

With this in mind, our sub-brand guidelines state that any photography used across Glucanine’s brand assets should:

• showcase dogs of all breeds – communicating the inclusivity of the Glucanine brand;

• show dogs in well lit spaces – to focus on the joy and wellness of consumers’ furry companions;

• use energetic and lively full body shots, as well as close ups of happy faces – to show the positive health effects of Glucanine’s products; and

• highlight positive dog-owner relationships – positioning dogs as more than just a pet, but a core part of the family.

Illustrations can be used on lifestyle images to increase visual appeal and communicate key brand values. For instance, in the example below, the oval shape is used to aid brand recognition, whilst its positioning on the image helps highlight the close relationship between the dog and its owner.

Colour

The primary colour palette includes ‘Farrell’s Blue’ – cementing Glucanine’s position as part of the established Farrell’s family.

This is supported by soft, neutral colours that are perfect for welcoming new customers and communicating Glucanine’s grounded approach.

A rich orange accent completes the palette, representing Glucanine as a brand full of life and vigour.

Iconography

We created a range of icons for web and print, designed to communicate key information about product ingredients and benefits at a glance.

As well as communicating USPs, these icons convey wider information about the Glucanine brand and its values through design choices:

• The relaxed style provides character, creating a sense of friendliness and approachability.
• The use of curves represents fluidity and movement – a nod to the product benefits.
• The modern, minimalist vibe reflects the brand’s natural, clean approach.

These icons were adapted from Farrell’s collection of iconography in order to aid brand recognition and quickly develop shoppers’ confidence in Glucanine’s product offering.

Tone of voice

Documenting tone of voice is important to ensure consistency across brand assets, no matter who is involved in their creation.

We identified three characteristics to underpin Glucanine’s tone of voice:

• Warm – So audiences feel welcomed, informed and able to trust the brand.

• Earnest – To show that the brand means well and genuinely cares about consumers and their pets.

• Grounded – To reflect a sense of trustworthiness and ensure that consumers are confident in Glucanine’s values, purpose and products.

Ultimately, an unchanging tone of voice will help to reinforce the core values of this new petcare brand, whilst showcasing Glucanine as a professional, reputable retailer.

A clear sub-brand identity for consistent brand assets

This clear sub-brand identity will be essential as Glucanine enters the market and looks to build recognition, trust and consistency across all customer touch points. It will serve as a foundation for creating cohesive brand assets, including an ecommerce website and product packaging.

We look forward to working with the Farrell’s team to support a successful market entry for this new pet supplement brand.

Bring your brand to life with Swanky’s ecommerce branding specialists

Our ecommerce branding service is designed to help you better understand your audience and appeal to your customers in a trustworthy and engaging way. We combine data-driven strategy with commercial acumen and creativity to craft resilient ecommerce brands.

Reach out to our team to find out more, whether you’re looking for support with a rebrand, launching a new ecommerce proposition, or creating a sub-brand identity.