Journal

The year is ringing in its final round and we would like to use this reflective time to thank our customers for their successful cooperation over the past twelve months. We would like to say “thank you” for the trust and loyalty that has helped us to continue to grow. It has been an exciting year for us, full of creative challenges, exciting projects and valuable encounters. Together, we have designed great brands and created inspiring messages that will be remembered.

Hooray.

There was a lot to celebrate in 2023! With our redesign and the optimization of the brand communication for the zero-waste beer Knärzje, we were able to convince two more top-class juries. In addition to the German Design Award, we also won the German Brand Award and the Red Dot Design Award this year. We couldn't be happier about this recognition of our work.

New work.

The year once again held many exciting projects in store for us. For example, we were able to create a new packaging appearance for the medium-sized beauty company Schaebens. We supported our client Müller with the launch of two new own brands in the areas of technology (ON&ON) and natural cosmetics (echt. by TerraNaturi). And next year is also starting with a bang, so we are looking forward to the relaunch of a very special traditional German brand. Visible on the shelves from spring 2024 - stay tuned!

Our agency.

In echd's second year, there was also reason to celebrate on a human level. In addition to three weddings and an engagement, we welcomed the first echd baby to our team. Two new colleagues joined us, Maxi and Nils, which means that we now have a much broader base. And the third free Friday of the month not only ensures a better work-life balance, but also a good atmosphere throughout the team.

What about 2024?

In the coming year, we want to implement the latest technical developments in our work. And this is even worth a new department: Future Media. This development was triggered by the artificial intelligence revolution, which is becoming increasingly important for the packaging industry. With this step, we will make the brand experience even more exciting for our customers.

With this in mind: Happy holidays and cheers to the new year!

How do you convince consumers to spend more money on a zero-waste beer? In the current issue 07/2023 of creativ verpacken, our Creative Director Paul Valentiner describes the strategy behind the new communication campaign for Knärzje, the first ecologically certified zero-waste beer available throughout Germany, brewed from leftover bread.

You can find the whole article here

At echd, every 3rd Friday of the month means: FREI-YAY!

A good corporate culture is the most important factor for long-term, consistent success and satisfaction. Our employees are the essence of all ideas, designs and data that leave our creative forge and therefore a positive environment, personal development potential and sufficient space for regeneration are a must for us as an employer.

As Managing Director and Partner, I therefore not only have to think about the next design concept, but also about how our team can continue to deliver exceptional ideas. Work-life balance and the four-day week have long been a topic on social media and during our restructuring process from khdesign to echd two years ago, this topic kept coming back to me.

Introducing a complete 4-day week from one day to the next? At first glance, that's quite a psychological and financial blow for a company. So why not start a little smaller and give it a chance? For example, with a day off every 3rd Friday of the month. So 12 free days for all of us. Hooray!

Our concerns:

• What will customers say if we are suddenly no longer available on Fridays?
  
• How much order volume will we lose by taking this step?
  
• Will we manage to complete all our projects in less time?

Our goals:

• To give our employees the opportunity to relax better and FINALLY get things done that would otherwise be left undone during the week.
  
• Make our employees happy and be happy about it too.
  
• To create an even more attractive workplace for our employees.
  
• Not higher, faster, further, but mindful, better, nicer!
  
• Being a pioneer and actively shaping the movement towards better working.

Our conclusion after 2 years of FREI-YAY:

An employment relationship is like a good relationship based on the fact that both parties trust each other and are happy to give. The joy of Free Friday is and remains great and it is very nice to see how well it is used and celebrated by all echdies. Free Friday is an investment in the health, performance and happiness of our employees and part of the gratitude we can show them as an employer.

One thing is clear - Fridays off are here to stay and we as an employer are not standing still. =)

Once again this year, Anuga in Cologne, the leading trade fair for food and drink, brought together countries and eating habits from all over the world. Living cultural diversity gathered in one exhibition hall - great and inspiring at the same time! In no other product category is it so important to showcase the taste appeal in order to optimally appeal to consumers at the shelf. We were all the more curious to discover the latest trends on the market, to visit our Food & Beverage customers at their stands and, of course, to meet interesting new companies.

Our learnings from Anuga 2023:

- Plant-based products are no longer purely an alternative product, but are convincing with great recipes, few additives and delicious taste

- Protein products are still on the rise and are conquering more and more new product groups

- High quality is in demand: whether jams, sweets or savory snacks - the range of products for the daily “little luxury” is still large

- Aesthetic design is also becoming increasingly important for everyday products

Pharma is different. And so are we. From our more than 40 years of experience in working with pharmaceutical companies, we know that relaunch projects in this sector require a particularly sure instinct. We were able to observe this again during our visit to expopharm 2023 in Düsseldorf, the largest pharmaceutical trade fair in Europe. Consistency and modernity - it's all about the right mix. In no other industry does recognition play such an important role as it does here. Nevertheless, it is important to gently adapt pharmaceutical products to the times, because target groups - regardless of age - continue to evolve and so do their expectations of the products they consume.

These are our three success factors for a successful pharmaceutical relaunch:

1. gentle modernization of all packaging components, from key visuals to typography

2. strengthening competence and highlighting the product USPs

3. keeping regular users in mind and ensuring recognition

Simply amazing! With our redesign for Knärzje, we convinced the jury of the Red Dot Award 2023 and won in the discipline “Product Design: Packaging”.

About the Red Dot Award

With around 20,000 entries every year, the Red Dot Design Award is one of the largest design competitions in the world and looks back on a history of over 60 years: in 1955, a jury came together for the first time to evaluate the best designs of the time. In the 1990s, Red Dot CEO Professor Dr. Peter Zec developed the name and brand of the award. Since then, the coveted “Red Dot” award has been the internationally highly respected seal of outstanding design quality.

In 2023, the products submitted were assessed in 51 competition categories. This year's entries came from 60 countries. As different as the products are, they are united by their design quality, which has now also been confirmed by an internationally recognized and independent panel of experts.

About the project

KNÄRZJE brews beer from leftover bread and was recently awarded the sustainability prize in a program on VOX. By redesigning the packaging and developing the product communication, we have now taken the brand experience beyond the moment of purchase and consumption. We transferred the brand's commitment to sustainability and climate neutrality to the printed inside of the 4-pack and the back label of the bottles, for example.

You can find the whole case study here here

We are delighted that our Knärzje project has now also convinced the top-class jury of the German Brand Awards 2023! For the redesign and optimization of the brand communication, echd was awarded in the discipline “Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation - Brand Design Packaging”. The German Brand Award is THE award for successful brand management in Germany, judged by an interdisciplinary panel of experts from brand management and brand science. It discovers, presents and honors unique brands and brand makers.

And there is even more reason to celebrate: in Berlin, Knärzje Managing Director Dan Anthes was recognized for his excellent brand management and mission and awarded “Best Of Best - Sustainable Brand of the Year”. He also took home an additional award as “Winner” in the “Excellent Brands - Fast Moving Consumer Goods” category. We would like to congratulate our customer Knärzje on this phenomenal honor!

Time to party! 🎉🥂

About the project

KNÄRZJE brews beer from leftover bread and was recently awarded the sustainability prize in a program on VOX. By redesigning the packaging and developing the product communication, we have now taken the brand experience beyond the moment of purchase and consumption. We transferred the brand's commitment to sustainability and climate neutrality to the printed insides of the 4-pack and the back label of the bottles, for example.

You can find the whole case study here