Eight tests with 1,900 supplement users in the UK shaped a complete brand refresh.
A strong preference was proven for the new DRV+ design to the original, giving the team the confidence to move on from “vegan” and relaunch as DRV+.
Every test result can be traced to something on shelf and online - from the signature orange pouch to the new positioning.
Dr. Vegan was founded in 2020 with a nutritionist-led approach: effective nutrient forms, meaningful doses and no fillers or additives. It has since built a loyal following in the UK supplements market, with a range of almost 50 products and a core audience of women aged 35 and over. As the category became more crowded and the brand’s ambitions grew, the team wanted to know whether its identity was still working as hard as it could - on shelf and online.
There was a clear reason to look again: only 13% of the brand’s consumers were vegan, yet the word sat in the brand name on every pack. A refresh across the whole range is a big decision, and changing a brand name is bigger still. Every change would carry cost, and a new name would put hard-won recognition on the line.
Before committing to a redesign, the team needed to know what was working, what wasn’t, and whether consumers would follow the brand through a change.
Using Stickybeak, Dr. Vegan ran eight consumer tests, with an average of 200 UK supplement users per test, building the new brand one decision at a time.
It started with a benchmark. The existing pack was tested alongside the brands it competes with, and the results pointed to five areas where the brand could work harder: standing out on shelf, a name that led with a benefit few consumers prioritised, showing what’s inside, a more confident brand presence, and one look to tie the range together. The team then tested each one in turn.
Format. A pouch held its own against a jar on value and sustainability, and more than half of consumers were interested in a refillable container to go with it.
Layout. Of four layouts, nearly six in ten consumers chose a full ingredients table design, describing it as effective and trustworthy.
Colour. Colour was the biggest single driver of choice, and warm, bright colourways stood out - leading the team to one signature orange on a clean white pack.
Name. The original Dr. Vegan pack was tested against two new DRV+ designs. The leading design, with key facts as bold numbers down the front, came out on top - particularly with women, who preferred it to the original by 50% to 36%.
Positioning. Tested against established competitors, the new DRV+ positioning - Designed. Researched. Verified. - held its own despite most consumers never having heard of the brand, with three in four rating its ingredient quality highly.
Final pack. A larger version of the new logo beat a smaller one by 72% to 28% across every gender and age group, and three in four consumers described the final pack as conveying the key messages clearly.
DR.VEGAN® is now DRV+, and every test result can be traced to something on shelf and online. The new name launched with a “Formerly DR.VEGAN” badge to carry existing consumers through the switch. For co-founder and CEO Gordon Lott, vegan was only ever part of the story.
Every pack now carries a bigger, bolder logo, key facts in numbers down the front and a clear “contains / why” panel, set in a signature warm orange on a clean white pouch. Online, Designed. Researched. Verified. leads the website, backed by the messages consumers rated highest, and new subscribers receive a refillable DRV+ bottle to use with their pouches.
With evidence behind every step, the team could take on one of the biggest decisions a brand can make - changing its name - with confidence.
