{"id":8019,"date":"2025-05-07T13:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T12:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackthornsdesign.com\/?p=8019"},"modified":"2025-11-20T14:14:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T13:14:07","slug":"beverage-branding-agencies-keys-to-forging-iconic-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackthornsdesign.com\/en\/blog\/inside-story\/agences-de-branding-boisson-les-cles-pour-forger-des-marques-iconiques\/","title":{"rendered":"Branding agencies: the keys to forging iconic brands in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Beverage<\/a>
\u00abTWO COMPETITIVE DESIGN AGENCIES REVEAL THEIR DRINK BRAND CREATION SECRETS\u00bb - SuperPotion\u2122 EP61<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Upgrade your skills within a communications agency: from graphic designer to creative director<\/a>
  2. Strategy, image or both? The reality of customer demand in France<\/a>
  3. How does a beverage design agency react to a customer brief?<\/a>
  4. premiumize a beverage brand with a specialized branding agency<\/a>
  5. AI in the creative process: the approach of a specialist beverage branding agency<\/a>
  6. Rebranding established brands: major challenges for agencies<\/a>
  7. The future of specialist beverage branding agencies: transparency, authenticity and AI<\/a>
  8. FAQ<\/a><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    The beverage sector, with its craft beers, terroir wines and innovative spirits, is an exciting but fiercely competitive world. To stand out, a brand can no longer be satisfied with a good product; it must tell a story, embody a strong identity and create an emotional connection with its consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is where specialized communication and design agencies<\/a>, brand architects. This article explores what goes on behind the scenes at these agencies, their methods for building memorable beverage brands, and the challenges they face in 2025. It is based on an enlightening discussion between Ludovic Mornand, founder of specialist beverage branding agency Studio Blackthorns<\/a>, and Alexandre Arzuman, co-founder of Studio Boam, two recognized players in this niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Co-founders<\/a>
    Alexandre & Andy, co-founders of Studio Boam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Upgrade your skills within a communications agency: from graphic designer to creative director<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The careers of the founders of specialized design agencies like Studio Boam illustrate a notable evolution in the profession. Alexandre Arzuman, for example, after classical training in graphic design and formative experience in the Netherlands, initially set up a studio in his own name before co-founding Studio Boam. This transition is not insignificant; it reflects a shift from purely graphic expertise to a more global approach integrating all aspects of the business. brand strategy as a foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ludovic Mornand, of Studio Blackthorns, shares a similar trajectory, having also started out with a dual approach: a global agency identity and a freelance graphic design offering to capture different types of customer. Over time, the need to position the company not just as an executor but as a strategic partner became apparent. \u00abYou end up choosing your warhorse,\u00bb emphasizes Ludovic Mornand, indicating a maturing of the role towards more consulting and strategic vision, a philosophy he applies on a daily basis at Studio Blackthorns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This evolution is crucial. A graphic designer can technically produce a beautiful image, but the real added value of a specialized beverage branding agency lies in its ability to translate a corporate vision into a coherent, powerful brand identity<\/a>. This means moving on from simply creating logos or labels to defining a brand platform, positioning and narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Life
    Behind the scenes at Studio Blackthorns with founder Ludovic Mornand<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    First, we sell a strategy.<\/p>\nAlexandre Arzuman, co-founder of Studio Boam<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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    Strategy, image or both? The reality of customer demand in France<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One of the central debates in beverage brand creation is the eternal question: does strategy take precedence over image, or vice versa? For Alexandre Arzuman, while image is often what initially attracts the customer to an agency, strategy is the indispensable foundation. \u00abWe sell strategy first,\u00bb he asserts, even if the visual portfolio is the first showcase. He concedes that \u00abmaking something beautiful is almost a given for many,\u00bb but a \u00abreal strategy, a real concept\u00bb are rarer and more decisive for long-term success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The branding and packaging agency Studio Blackthorns, headed by Ludovic Mornand, tackles this issue with the concept of Brand Exorcism, highlighting the need to purify and clarify a brand's core identity before any visual creation<\/a>. This approach highlights the fact that many customers, especially in France, may be initially reticent about the word \u00abstrategy\u00bb, preferring to focus on the label or logo. Yet, as Ludovic Mornand points out, \u00abbrand strategy is the gateway that costs 10 to 15K\u00bb and conditions everything else, a strong conviction at Studio Blackthorns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The challenge for specialized branding agencies is therefore twofold: to educate customers on the importance of this upstream phase, while adapting to a market that demands speed and agility, sometimes to the detriment of in-depth strategic thinking.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    \"Upper
    Upper by Studio Boam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    \"Whisky
    Moonshine 626 by Studio Blackthorns<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    \"Shakara
    Shakara Rum by Studio Boam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Transforming an operational constraint into a creative opportunity is the very essence of strategic design.<\/p>\nLudovic Mornand, founder of Studio Blackthorns<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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    How does a beverage design agency react to a customer brief?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    For a design agency specializing in beverage building an iconic brand<\/a>, The quality of the initial brief provided by the customer is decisive. A clear, comprehensive brief enables us to pinpoint expectations, objectives and constraints. Studio Boam, for example, uses a detailed questionnaire to initiate collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alexandre Arzuman insists on the importance of understanding the customer's vision, budget, target, and ambitions in terms of volume and positioning. Questions like \u00abHow much should your 10,000 bottles cost?\u00bb or \u00abWhat is your maximum budget per bottle cost?\u00bb are crucial in guiding creative and technical choices. A frequent paradox is that of customers wanting a \u00abluxury\u00bb positioning on a limited budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The essential elements a brand must prepare before contacting a specialized branding agency include :<\/p>\n\n\n\n