Veneziano Coffee Roasters on its brand evolution and the importance of staying relevant in an ever-changing market.
As the coffee landscape evolves, so too must the businesses that navigate it. Veneziano Coffee Roasters – an established brand in the Australian coffee scene is on a mission to make Veneziano a household name while championing sustainability.
Its recent brand refresh is not merely a change in logo or packaging: it can be described as an evolution of the roaster’s identity that touches every aspect of the business – from physical products to digital experiences – while remaining true to its origins.
The company is rolling out a vibrant new look that’s both fresh and true to the brand’s heritage and ethos of improving everyday lives, according to Veneziano Brand Strategist Sarah Eagles.
“We’ve revamped our physical presence – from packaging to signage in our cafés and wholesale partners – while also enhancing our digital footprint across social media and our website,” says Sarah.
According to Nick Clark, Creative Director at Veneziano, the team wanted to bring a renewed energy and a more personal touch that resonates with today’s coffee drinkers.
“This refresh allows us to showcase our values, our people, and our story with a vibrant personality that reflects who we are now and where we’re heading,” he says.
The rebranding reflects Veneziano’s mission to become an industry leader.
“Our goal is to grow our brand awareness and to set us up for a sustainable future with the right type of demand, making Veneziano Coffee Roasters synonymous with everyday moments,” Nick says.
While the visual identity of the brand has changed, Sarah ensures that the core products and coffee blends remain unchanged in taste and quality. Even though the company is embracing a new identity, it has retained the iconic wings logo to honour its roots.
“We want Veneziano to be a household name, a staple in people’s pantries, and a brand they search the streets for. While what our previous branding stood for remains true today, visually it needed more punch and vibrancy to help us become a brand everyone knows,” says Sarah.
“The coffee space is fast-moving and staying relevant requires constant evolution.”
In response to market changes and the global demand for cold coffee driven by younger consumers, as part of the rebrand Veneziano has also introduced a cold brew coffee-in-a-can range.
“We’re on a mission to make our coffee accessible to everyone and, as such, we’re focused on innovation and how we create more quality coffee products that fit into and complement everyday lives. A can doesn’t replace your morning coffee, but rather serves as a convenient option if you’re on the go. They’re made with our signature blends, so people know they’re getting a quality product from a brand they trust in a convenient format,” says Sarah.
Although brand evolution is always on the mind of a business that wants to remain competitive, the COVID-19 pandemic kickstarted a period of rapid change for Veneziano and shifted how the business operated. This prompted a pivot from business-to-business wholesale towards online sales and a more direct-to-consumer approach.
“During the thick of COVID we all saw huge changes in the café and hospitality world, which affected our wholesale channel. Like most businesses during that time, we were challenged to rethink how we do things and we focused on our direct-to-consumer channels to get our coffee into the hands of our customers. This was a huge shift in strategy and focus, pushing us to build our e-commerce platform and pivot towards online sales,” says Sarah.
She says this move allowed the brand to connect directly with consumers and establish a more substantial presence in the retail space.
“We’ve been operating under the same visual identity for about five years, and the coffee industry and customer expectations move quickly,” says Sarah.
“Adapting to remain relevant is something we embrace, because with it comes growth. We’ve been working hard as a business over the past few years to ensure the impact we make on the world around us is positive, and we’ve achieved a lot. We have B Corp, Carbon Neutral, and Great Place To Work certification. Our new brand identity gives us the ability to better communicate what we stand for and our mission to create a better every day.”
The company envisioned vibrance and playfulness as the hallmarks of its new identity, visual cues that help bring personality into the brand and develop a deeper connection with customers.
One of the most noticeable shifts so far has been the introduction of bold, colourful packaging. Its legacy blue colour – which remains a cornerstone of the brand – has been updated to a brighter hue, which Sarah says will make a mark in crowded retail environments, especially as the brand aims to enter larger retail chains such as Coles and Woolworths.
“The new bags and their clean lines and modern aesthetic are vibrant and pop on the shelf,” says Sarah.
“Each coffee blend retains its unique colour – Crave is red, Elevate is yellow, Aspire is green, and Seasonal Soar upholds the brand’s signature blue – but the overall look has transitioned from refined and classic to eye-catching and modern.”
Since launching the new packaging, Sarah says the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with consumers and wholesale partners embracing the new look.
“It feels relevant and complements their daily lives, whether it’s a bag of beans on the kitchen bench or a coffee from one of our cafes,” she says.
“We want Veneziano to feel like a staple in people’s lives – relatable, accessible with a touch of sophistication that people are proud to display.”
The shift in brand identity has been described as a collaborative effort, with feedback from both consumers and internal sales, customer service, and retail departments helping form the final concepts.
“Our team know the brand inside out. We have people who have been with Veneziano or in coffee for many years. Together, we were able to map out a clear vision for the future and identify opportunities to make an impact without overcomplicating things.
“It’s been a fun process and we now have a highly engaged and excited team who know the brand and what we stand for. They’re ready to shout about Veneziano from the rooftops,” says Sarah.
Another key objective for this refresh is to better support Veneziano’s wholesale partners across Australia.
“We have many people contacting us on a daily basis, trying to seek out a cup of Veneziano in their towns and cities, so making the brand more visible and easier for consumers to spot our wholesale partners is key”, says Sarah
As a B Corp company, Veneziano’s dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainability is woven into the fabric of the rebranding.
The new packaging reflects this commitment, with a 70 per cent reduction in plastic usage.
“We tested a number of paper-based bags extensively with our production team and landed on these because they could uphold our stringent taste and quality standards at the same time as significantly reducing our plastic consumption,” says Nick Percy, Nomad Coffee Group Sustainability Manager.
Sarah says the team like to call it ‘doing good’ and reduce the business’ environmental footprint wherever they can.
Looking ahead, Veneziano envisions a growth spurt with plans to increase its footprint in the Australian coffee market by opening more Veneziano cafés to join its growing portfolio, as well as exploring innovative collaborations with other brands in the industry.
“This brand refresh is just the beginning,” says Craig Dickson, Veneziano CEO.
“We envision Veneziano Coffee Roasters as a household name, fuelling everyday moments with delicious coffee.”
For more information, visit venezianocoffee.com.au
This article appears in the December 2024 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
