Key takeaway
In the highly competitive cider category, Visual Salience and Tactile Packaging Design are the primary drivers of off-trade conversion. By synchronising a bold “Look and Feel” with High-Frequency In-Store POS, brands can maintain dominant market share and consumer recall.
Strategist’s Insight – Elsie Arayes
“With Druids, we weren’t just designing a can, we were defending a legacy. In the drinks industry, the ‘moment of truth’ happens at the fridge door. Our strategy focused on creating a pack design and POS suite that commands attention in a crowded retail environment. By leveraging our long-standing relationship with Comans Beverages, we ensured the brand’s ‘Celtic’ identity felt both authentic to its roots and sharp enough for the modern consumer.”
The Brief
Comans Beverages, a titan of the Irish drinks industry, partnered with the group to manage the end-to-end brand evolution of Druids Celtic Cider. The objective was to refine the brand’s “Look and Feel,” modernise its packaging, and execute ongoing communication campaigns to ensure Druids remains a “top-of-mind” choice for Irish cider drinkers.
The Strategy
Our strategy focused on “Retail Dominance,” ensuring the brand’s identity translated seamlessly from digital assets to the physical shelf.
Identity Architecture:Refining the “Celtic” brand markers to ensure they resonate as a premium, established choice while appearing fresh and modern.
Packaging Engineering:Rage developed a high-impact pack design focused on colour psychology and typographic hierarchy to maximise “findability” on-shelf.
In-Store Conversion Logic:Creating a bespoke suite of POS materials—from floor displays to shelf-talkers—to capture the consumer at the exact point of purchase.
The Implementation
End-to-End Creative Development:Managed the full creative lifecycle, ensuring the brand’s “Feel” remained consistent across print, digital, and transit media.
Expertise-Led Execution:Leveraged our deep category knowledge in the Irish drinks sector to navigate retail standards and consumer trends, ensuring the Druids wordmark and assets are “impossible to ignore.”
Integrated Comms:Deployed ongoing marketing campaigns that link the brand’s heritage with modern consumption occasions, supporting long-term volume growth.
The Results
Market-Leading Recognition: Successfully maintained Druids’ position as a household name and a staple of the Irish cider market.
High-Impact Shelf Standout: The refreshed packaging and POS have significantly improved brand visibility in off-trade environments nationwide.
Strategic Partnership Success: Demonstrated the power of the MNG-Comans relationship, delivering a world-class brand presence that continues to drive commercial results.
