With an estimated 26 million cats and dogs in UK households, Bella + Duke is stepping up for pet lovers everywhere with a fresh brand platform that redefines its offering. As the UK’s top-rated nutrition brand for raw pet meals, Bella + Duke is going beyond the bowl to bring new benefits to customers, delivering nutritious meals and exclusive rewards that make for healthier and happier lifestyles. Firmly all in for pet wellbeing, Bella + Duke is continuing its commitment to offer nutritious alternatives to ultra-processed pet foods, as well as providing expert advice and support on pet nutrition, health and behaviour, and products to support pet wellbeing from nose to tail including treats and supplements.
Bella + Duke commissioned brand experts Styles + Partners and packaging Expert Chilli to shift the focus of the brand and its customer proposition to the broader concept of wellbeing. In order to achieve this, Bella + Duke is offering even more in its new launch to ensure pets are appropriately taken care of through all stages of their life. From puppy training, behavioural and nutritional support there are over 14 unique services and products available through the relaunch. The brand will continue to offer its 100% raw, nutritionally complete meals as well as their carefully curated range of natural treats and care products direct to door through a delivery service or through its retail partner Pets at Home in 460 stores. This has been reflected in the heart of the brand’s new logo which puts a strong emphasis on the ‘+’ and incorporates a subtle cat and dog figurine to highlight all the additional services it offers.
One of the many driving forces behind the new positioning was the independent research conducted by Bella + Duke which highlighted that nearly two-thirds (63%) of pet owners say their furry friends boost their mental wellbeing, with a further 63% stating they try to ensure their pet gets the best food and nutrition possible. The brand wanted to ensure that they went ‘all in for pet wellbeing’ the way pets go all in for their owners.
The Bella + Duke team have also heavily invested in their own in-house experts, recently appointing Veterinary Advisor, Carolanne Cicero, to deliver specialist veterinary support to both customers and staff. In-house vet nurses and 24/7 video vet care are one of Bella + Duke’s most sought after services with over 600 vet nurse consultations taking place in the last year, and over 6,000 customers signed up to receive free 24/7 video vet consultations, with more than one in three having to visit the vet less often after switching to Bella + Duke. Bella + Duke’s dedicated social media community page, also known as “The Pack”, is moderated by a team of trained canine nutritionists and hosts over 31,000 unique members, connecting a vibrant community of like-minded owners to enjoy the bond and camaraderie of life with their pets.
The new brand identity for Bella + Duke is ultimately rooted in nourishing pets from the inside out with gold-standard quality raw meals, paired with caring for every aspect of your pet’s wellbeing. Visually this has resulted in a much bolder revamp of the company’s brandmark, typography, communications palette and distinctive assets to reflect the new brand proposition. This will be widely rolled out across the brand’s website, packaging, advertising and more in an effort to create a deeper connection with its vibrant community of existing customers and entice new ones to join the club.
James Sturrock, CEO at Bella + Duke, said: “The original vision of Bella + Duke was always to improve the lives of our pets through good nutrition, but we recognised that wellbeing goes far beyond what’s in their bowl. Through our new benefits and services we’ve evolved into a full pet wellbeing brand, we’re addressing the broader needs of cats and dogs, ensuring they receive the best care throughout every stage of their life.
“We’re looking beyond the gold standard in complete, nutritionally balanced raw meals and are looking towards being all in for pet wellbeing. We’re thrilled to be confirmed as the UK’s most nutritious pet food brand and our new bold new creative reflects this as well as allowing our customers to get more out of life with their pets.”
Corrine Myers, managing director at Styles+Partners, commented: “Bella + Duke are on a transformative journey with an ambitious vision that is already coming to life. Engaging with their customers revealed just how life-changing their products and personalised services are. This isn’t just a rebrand; it’s a heartfelt commitment to doing right by their community.
The new positioning sharpens Bella + Duke’s focus for future business decisions and developments. The tone of voice is strategically crafted around the core pillars that matter most to their customers, delivering support with empathy and a playful spirit.
The new vibrant colours reflect the fresh, nutritious ingredients that define their food. The typography showcases their personality. Together, we have created a powerful verbal and visual brand that will elevate connections with new and existing customers, propelling them confidently into the future”.
Jess Kaye, business director at CHILLI UK, said: “When Bella + Duke came to us for help with their packaging design, we were thrilled to work with such a progressive brand. They are a true challenger, faced with an exceptionally busy category, and an emotional one at that. Working together with Styles & partners we have created a distinctive Visual Identity with bold use of colour and typography for real impact. This is an identity that works in both a noisy retail environment and the D2C business ensuring customers get a consistent experience wherever they purchase the brand.”
