GROCERY RETAIL

Form and Function Stretch.

As categories become more fluid, products that once were defined in one form are showing up in another. Now consumers are looking for new ways to experience the flavors they love in alternative textures and shapes.

Insta Brand Rising.

As VC funding becomes more difficult to find, the era of DTC only brands becomes much more difficult. Instead, small brands are finding retail partnerships, combined with social media savvy, creates the correct mix for success.

Personalized Value.

Mass couponing all but disappeared during the pandemic and it may never return. Instead, retailers and manufacturers are seeing the power of using individual shopper data to target consumers with personalized deals.

Retailer as Health Provider.

As industrialized nations grow older, healthcare becomes top of mind. At the same time, consumer see food as a type of medicine, opening the door for retailers to bridge the gap between health and wellness.

Silly is the New Serious.

Big brands seem so adult, always talking about health, nutrition and value. Sometimes consumers just want to have fun! Small brands have a different vibe, they are quirky, silly, and have a definite point of view compared to big brands.

Vertex Awards Anniversary:

A Decade of Groundbreaking Private Brands Design

BY DAVID ORGEL

It’s the Oscar of Private Brand packaging design and it began with an unmet need a decade ago.

The Private Brands industry needed a platform for recognizing the acceleration of its stunning design, innovation, and excellence. Private Brands were evolving into true brands and their design advances needed to be showcased.

Enter the Vertex Awards, launched ten years ago to help define best-inclass design across retail sectors in the U.S. and globally.

“The awards have captured the amazing talent of designers and the strong commitments of their retail organizations,” said Christopher Durham, President of Velocity Institute, who co-founded the awards with Phillip Russo, Publisher, Global Retail Brands.

Over the last decade, the program has presented more than 1,000 trophies to over 125 retailers and 82 agencies from 63 countries worldwide. The momentum has continued even through a pandemic, a recession, and inflation and supply chain challenges.

“Private Brand packaging design is crucial for signaling quality and innovation to consumers,” said Russo. “The Vertex awards have underscored the highly creative ways retailers are approaching design.”

The tenth anniversary of the Vertex Awards is an opportunity to celebrate highlights from the past decade and ponder what’s ahead.

Private Brand packaging design is crucial for signaling quality and innovation to consumers, The Vertex awards have underscored the highly creative ways retailers are approaching design.

- Phillip Russo Founder Global Retail Brands

Award Details

The Vertex Awards is the only global competition devoted exclusively to the art of Private Brand package design.

Companies enter in a wide range of categories based on products or type of private brand (such as new brand, redesigned brand, etc.) Winners in each category are awarded a gold, silver, or bronze award, and the highest scoring entry in the entire competition receives a “Best of Show” award.

The Vertex Awards jury is composed of highly respected and experienced branding and package design professionals, handpicked from the retail, Private Brands and design industries around the world.

Past Winners

Impact On Global Design

The Vertex Awards program has helped accelerate design by raising the profiles of efforts around the world, leading other retailers to raise their own games.

As an example, retailers in the U.S. had the opportunity to learn about award-winning efforts from counterparts in Europe, Australia, and other parts of the world.

Tenth Anniversary Celebrations

There will be a lot to celebrate at this year’s Vertex Awards presentations in the U.S. and Europe. They will be accompanied by 10th anniversary celebrations. The celebrations will take place May 17 at the Velocity conference in Charlotte, N.C., and May 22 in Amsterdam, coinciding with PLMA’s annual “World of Private Label” International Trade Show in that city.

MAY 17, 2023

CHARLOTTE, NC

Celebrate the winners of the 10th Anniversary

Busting Myths About Private Brands

The Vertex Awards helped to overcome long held assumptions about global Private Brand design, Durham asserted.

Most observers assume that England, Canada, and a select group of European countries were the undisputed leaders in private brands design.

However, Durham said, the awards showcased other countries that have been performing just as well or better. These include New Zealand and Spain, which weren’t necessarily top of mind before.

MAY 22, 2023

The Monday Night of PLMA Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Hosted by Vertex Awards Co-founders

BY HANS KRAAK