CASE STUDY: Primal Noms

Custom Packaging Positions Primal Noms Keto Mug Cakes As The Market Leader

Primal Noms owners, Matt and Alli Owen, are on a quest to be the healthiest versions of themselves, and part of that quest is following the ketogenic, or keto diet. Because sweet cravings can be hard to ignore regardless of the type of diet you follow, they created Primal Noms, keto and paleo mug cakes that cook right in the microwave. Matt and Alli started the brand in Bakersfield, California in 2017, to bring healthy treats to people following the keto lifestyle. Today, they operate out of the sunny Denver, Colorado.

So, what are Primal Noms exactly? They are individual cake mixes sold in single-serve pouches. To make the mug cake, consumers simply tear open the pouch, pour the mix into a mug, add butter and an egg, and then microwave. 

In less than 2 minutes, a keto-friendly cake is ready to eat. We think it may be magic.

Today Primal Noms are available in four flavors and are packaged in single-serve digitally printed lay-flat pouches from ePac. They are sold on their website and on Amazon, as well as at some local stores in Denver.  

Choosing A Better Pouch Package

While initially designing the packaging for the cake mixes, Alli Owen knew that the lay flat pouch was the best option, especially for the single-serve market. Unsure if the brand was ready for custom packaging, Primal Noms was first sold in standard foil bags with self-applied sticker labels. The packaging worked for the time, but soon the company received some big news– it was chosen to be included in two different subscription boxes. While this was great news for the business, it meant that the company had to make a packaging upgrade.

“We got into two subscription boxes, which gave us a huge boost in order amounts! It also gave us the confidence to go for custom packaging, which we had been wanting for a while. We weren’t sure we were ready for it, or big enough… but getting these big orders meant that the time was right,” says Alli Owen.

So upgrade, they did. What was once a standard bag with a hand-applied sticker label became a custom, high-quality, digitally printed, single-serve pouch. The pouch is created with tear notch film for easy and clean tearing. The matte, soft-touch finish provides a tactile experience for the user and the simple and clean design captures attention.

 “Since going with custom packaging, we’ve seen a huge shift in brand perception,” says Owen.

And as they say, perception is reality. 

“Especially with food, people eat with their eyes in a lot of ways. Having a beautiful package helps people to understand the value of your product. Of course, you have to have a good product, but packaging increases the perceived value of the product,” says Owen.

In addition to the positive change in brand perception, the company is enjoying time and cost savings with the custom packages, as well as a simpler process overall. Before, the team was printing the stickers and applying them by hand, which took up a lot of time. 

“Now it’s as easy as just placing an order. It’s saving us time and money, with a large decrease in staff hours. It’s also more cost-effective now, if you count the time it would take us to sticker each pouch,” says Owen.

The custom pouches from ePac feature an easy tear notch at the top of the pouch and a soft matte finish for ease of use and brand differentiation. And it’s not just the Primal Noms team that has noticed a difference. The brand receives a lot of feedback from consumers telling them how much they love how the package feels. They also see many consumers taking photos with the packages for Instagram. But most importantly, the custom packaging allowed the brand to branch out into other markets and gain exposure through the subscription boxes.

“If we hadn’t made the switch to custom, this wouldn’t be happening. And we wouldn’t have been able to be featured in subscription boxes,” notes Owen.

The Future is Bright for Primal Noms

Today Primal Noms is the leader in the market of keto cakes and is an actively growing brand. The company has big plans for the future, including taking the brand nationwide, selling the cakes in stores, launching three new flavors, and distributing the cakes in more subscription boxes. Even though the space is small, owner Alli Owen contributes their leader position to the packaging.  

“Custom packaging looks so much more professional and adds a lot of value that you don’t have in a foil bag. The new package has been great in terms of sales and brand development,” she says.

And Alli Owen knows that brand development is key to helping brands resonate with consumers, and keep them coming back for more. With digitally printed pouches, brand owners like Owen can enjoy 360° of graphics over the entire pouch, without being limited to a label, as well as better graphics overall.

“Now with the custom pouches we are able to include some of our brand story, which we weren’t able to with the stickers. Now people get to learn about the motivation, heart, and movement behind the brand. The pouches gave us a space for that,” says Owen.

The ePac Difference

Because ePac is a local company (with locations all across the U.S.), and the quality of the pouches is second to none, Owen says that working with ePac has been a breeze. She was even able to go and pick up her pouch order from the Boulder, Colorado office, which helped the brand get to market even faster.

“We were able to pick up our pouches earlier than they quoted us, which was great. And the quality control is really on point. Also, we had to change our package size last minute and ePac worked with us… The customer service has been wonderful,” says Owen.

With digital printing, companies like Primal Noms can get a quality package to market in a fast and cost-effective way. Simply put, high quality, digitally printed pouches deliver a better experience for packagers, and consumers. 

Ready to learn more about the digital difference? Contact us today!

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