See the difference with Durstons

The Challenge

The compost industry is changing. Looming legislation around the sale of non-environmentally friendly peat-based products has meant many providers have switched to peat-free versions. Rushing these peat-free versions to market has meant many products have underperformed, leaving customers skeptical of peat-free composts in general. Durstons, however, had invested in research and testing to produce a peat-free compost that actually outperforms competitors’ peat-free composts and even some peat-based versions. So, challenge one for us was to help convince customers (and retailers) to give peat-free compost another go.

Another issue for Durstons was their own success in the white-label market. Their partnership with a national supermarket accounted for a significant share of their overall sales revenues, which was a risk if anything changed. So, the next challenge for us was to help the Durstons team secure more white-label partners.

The Durstons team was also managing a range of different compost brands. These had been introduced over the years to seize short-term tactical opportunities or compete purely on price. These brands had now taken on a life of their own, detracting value from the core Durstons brand and confusing the offer for retail customers.

Our approach

We met with the Durstons team, including the sales representatives, to learn more about the market, the customers and the competitors.

It was clear that a well-defined brand architecture was key to the strategic phase of the project. We knew from analysing end-customers that there were three segments representing almost 40% of the market and accounting for nearly 60% of sales, and that these three segments had different pricing and performance needs. We retired two sub-brands, and instead launched a clearly defined set of product brands, each serving a particular customer segment and each using the core Durstons brand. The Advanced range highlights the proven peat-free performance and is positioned as a premium product for modern gardeners. The Traditional range focuses on Durstons tried and trusted peat-based composts, offering long-term customers a reliable and familiar product. And the Everyday range offers composts to more casual and budget-minded gardeners. A single brand and three clearly defined product ranges is easier for the Durstons team to manage and simpler for consumers to understand.

We also refined the core Durstons proposition and key messages. With so many years in the market, and with significant existing brand equity and recognition, we played up the strong heritage of the brand and its history of reliable, trusted products and service. But we also refreshed messaging for today’s market, playing into their recent strong independent testing results, new manufacturing facilities, and successful national distribution.All of this was summarised through our Organising Idea: See the difference with Durstons. A message that is both a commitment to partners and customers, and also describes the benefit Durstons brings to all. It also neatly links back to the independent growing trials, which had quite literally shown the difference Durstons made to plant growth against competitors.

With the architecture and brand positioning agreed, we set about the challenge of identity and pack design. A full audit of the competitor brand identities highlighted the opportunities to build a distinctive shelf presence. Competitors all relied heavily on the same set of brand codes, making this a market where parity was the aim for many rather than achieving stand out. Choosing a more distinctive approach, we created a bold range of assets for Durstons, including a striking brand device to showcase the name.

Performance that stands out

Until now, the marketplace has been largely homogeneous, with little brand recognition. After consolidating the full range of composts under the Durstons name, we needed to communicate performance at every level. The truth, often overlooked by consumers, is simple: what you put in is what you get out. Our solution was to embed that idea into the wordmark itself, creating stand-out at point of sale and presenting the Durstons name in one confident package.

Standout was achieved without sacrificing functional market conventions. We still denote different types of compost through colour but we’ve shifted the ratio so that the leading primary palette dominates. Flowers, foliage, and produce remain the product champions, but they’re now used with greater purpose and memorability.

Regrowing the digital estate

Durstons operate almost exclusively as a supplier to garden centres and retailers with the role of the website being to support regional sales teams.

We reinvented the website to focus on telling the story of Durstons, the quality of the products and the outstanding service they deliver to clients. We developed a robust architecture to allow users to navigate easily through products, by range or by type, and optimised the enquiry process to further streamline internal operations.

The first step into using digital as a core part of their business, we ensured the platform is ready to scale and adapt with Durstons as they grow.

The Durstons Difference

Durstons are rightly proud of both their product and their service. It felt natural for the team to tell their own story through a campaign film. Over three days on location, we shot a short film designed to reinforce their key messages. The result is a B2B-focused narrative that demonstrates performance across every aspect of their brand.

Print isn’t dead

Durstons still rely on printed media to generate and support sales, with the brochure being one of the key pieces. Previously, different brands and ranges were split across separate brochures. With their new brand architecture in place, we brought everything together into a single one-stop-shop, a powerful tool for sales agents who can now offer every type of compost at every price point with a unified brand. Supported by a full suite of stationery, the team can now drive brand recognition at every stage of the customer journey.

From the outset, Durstons were super clear about their goals: to unify their unique range of products, build awareness and grow sales. With a compost that outperforms not just the peat-free competitors but the entire marketplace, we’ve delivered a brand with as much clout as their product. Working closely with the Durston family and their team, we’ve shown that when you put the right stuff in you can expect exceptional growth — just like their compost.

Richard Windsor – Design Director, FutureKings