Modernizing a legacy food brand while maintaining trust across multiple states and retail environments.
Overview
United Dairy is a multi-state food manufacturer and distributor serving retail, foodservice, and private-label customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. As a legacy, family-owned brand with deep community roots, United Dairy carries decades of consumer trust while operating in a competitive, modern retail landscape.
I led brand strategy and marketing initiatives focused on scalable brand systems, retail packaging consistency, and product marketing execution—ensuring clarity, cohesion, and compliance across packaging, digital platforms, seasonal campaigns, and national retail partnerships.
The Challenge
As United Dairy expanded its product mix and retail footprint, maintaining brand consistency across multiple SKUs and distribution channels became increasingly complex. Growth required modernization, yet the brand’s long-standing trust and familiarity could not be compromised.
Key challenges included:
- Evolving packaging design without losing brand recognition
- Maintaining consistency across multiple states and retail environments
- Supporting national retail partners with accurate product data and packaging compliance
- Coordinating SKU and UPC management across expanding product lines
- Balancing brand modernization with the expectations of a loyal customer base
The Strategy
Building Scalable Brand Systems for Retail Growth
The approach centered on brand stewardship rather than reinvention.
The strategy focused on:
- Establishing scalable brand systems adaptable across products, seasons, and distribution channels
- Modernizing visual identity elements while honoring the brand’s heritage
- Creating repeatable frameworks for seasonal campaigns and promotional rollouts
- Aligning packaging, digital, in-store, and retail messaging into a unified brand presence
- Ensuring packaging and product data met national retail compliance standards
This strategic framework enabled growth without fragmentation and reinforced trust at every customer touchpoint.
The Work
Packaging Design, Retail Compliance & Product Marketing Execution
- Led brand and marketing strategy across packaging, digital, social, PR, and in-store materials
- Directed packaging design updates and new product rollouts across multiple SKUs
- Developed brand-consistent templates and guidelines used across departments and markets
- Supported national retail partnerships through Walmart Retail Link and Target Supplier Pipeline
- Coordinated UPC and product data through GSP barcode systems to ensure retail readiness and compliance
- Developed seasonal campaigns reinforcing brand heritage, family tradition, and community connection
- Collaborated cross-functionally with executive leadership, sales, and operations to align brand strategy with distribution and growth objectives
The Outcome
- Strong, cohesive brand presence across multiple states and retail environments
- Improved alignment between packaging, digital marketing, and in-store materials
- Retail-ready packaging and product data aligned with national partner requirements
- Scalable brand systems supporting continued product expansion
- Reinforced consumer trust while modernizing visual identity
Why This Matters
This work reflects enterprise-level brand leadership within a complex retail and CPG environment. It required balancing legacy and modernization, creativity and compliance, and strategic oversight with operational execution—ensuring brand consistency at scale across multiple markets, SKUs, and national retail partners.