Innovation Insight: Dimmidisi Le Stellate Salad

In a display of ‘out of the bag’ thinking, fresh salad is being given the gourmet treatment through premium packaging, courtesy of a new launch from Italian producer La Linea Verde – Dimmidisi Le Stellate Salad.

Returning to the theme of premiumisation, Gama this week looks at a new addition to the Dimmidisi line – Dimmidisi Le Stellate. Roughly translated as “Stellar”, the line is an attempt to establish a new gourmet segment for the fresh salad leaves category, turning packaged salad from an everyday item into something more luxurious.

The premium feel is achieved, in no small measure, simply by the branding: in addition to the “Stellar” name, Dimmidisi Le Stellate is  identified as  the “Chef's  Suggestion” with the image of a chef appearing prominently at the top of the pack. As such, Dimmidisi is invoking 'restaurant quality' and positioning pre-packed salad  as a worthy accompaniment to gourmet cuisine.

Perhaps of greatest note, however, is the packaging format itself – rather than a more conventional transparent plastic bag, La Linea Verde has opted for a plastic tray with a film closure, similar to packaging typically used for chilled pasta or fresh meat products. The tray is black in colour and the film is part transparent, such that the ingredients – including  more unusual decorative items such as curled carrot strips – are showcased, almost like a picture in a frame. As if to underline this 'artisitic' branding, the three varieties in the line are given abstract names reminiscent of paint colours:  Blu Oltremare (Ultramarine Blue), Arancio Vivace (Vivid Orange) and Rosso Purpureo (Purple Red).

Aside from the way ingredients can be displayed, the tray format gives Dimmidisi Le Stellate a number of practical benefits over a conventional bag. Firstly, in terms of point-of-sale, the rigidity of a tray means it is less likely to deform and, by virtue of its regular shape, offers more consistent branding with stronger shelf presence. Then, in preservation terms, there is the benefit of enhanced protection – a useful feature in a category where ingredients have a tendency to easily bruise, lowering their shelf appeal.

Dimmidisi Le Stellate highlights how design can make a significant contribution to communicating a product’s value positioning. Colour, branding and packaging are all important components in creating a premium identity – increasing consumer appeal so as to justify higher price points, or simply set product ranges apart from their more 'everyday' competitors.

Additional sources: Fresh Plaza