McCormick freshens up red-cap business with new look, bottle

20-Mar-2023 - Last updated on 20-Mar-2023 at 12:52 GMT

Image Credit: McCormick

After nearly 40 years with the same look, McCormick’s red-cap business of spices and herbs is getting a shake-up with a new bottle and packaging, as the company tries to tap into consumer demand for freshness and more sustainable products, Nikki French told FoodNavigator-USA.

The rebrand came after McCormick reviewed over 12,000 interactions and found that consumers were demanding more freshness in its herbs and spices, French said. With the consumer research, McCormick "identified that this new package has a 40% higher freshness perception, a two times preference to our current [package], and [a] 25% increase in loyalty with our current consumers," she added.

“This is a great opportunity for us. It's one that we're really confident will really help the next generation of cooks and help attract and retain them, as we continue to bring the best in herbs and spices to market that we possibly can.”

Focusing on freshness, boosting sustainability

The new bottle is “more transparent so consumers can see what's inside,” and features a label with a clear background, French said. It also features a snap-tight lid that “seals in aroma and freshness,” which also displays the “best-buy date and flavor on top” to make it easier to organize and find, French added.

The company also changed how it packaged its herbs and spices to maintain freshness, French explained. McCormick “pushes air into the bottle as it fills it, and so that allows less oxygen to get inside," which improves the freshness of the herbs and spices, she added.

The bottle redesign also boosts McCormick’s sustainability agenda, where currently 84% of its packaging comes from circular sources, French noted. The new bottle is “made with 50% post-consumer recycled plastic,” which is “about a 20% carbon footprint reduction versus our current,” she added.

Communicating the change in bottle

While a rebrand can sometimes catch consumers off guard, McCormick has started “flowing the product through,” which “help consumers navigate the shelf, as they are looking for their red cap, understanding that this is a transition that's happening," French said.

Another part of educating consumers will be a new communication plan, which is rolling out and will be a bigger focus in the second half of the year, French said. Additionally, advertisements for the new bottles “will focus on helping consumers navigate what the new look is, and how it's evolved,” she said.

“We are really excited about everything we're doing to bring herb and spice and the long-lasting fresh flavor to consumers. This is a step in that journey. We continue to drive that and have really a pipeline of innovation that will be designed around continuing to delight consumers, as they cook at home, as they flavor at home, and are excited about really the path forward ... with our iconic red-cat business.”