KIND LLC was founded in 2004. And, more than two decades later, leadership felt the snack brand could use a kickstart.
“Just like how our consumers have evolved, it was time for KIND to evolve, too,” said brand director John Olsen.
This spring marked the launch of KIND’s new visual identity. The healthier-for-you snack brand debuted a new logo in May, featuring a vibrant packaging inspired by the brand’s recognizable “color bars.” The design was launched recently with KIND’s Healthy Grains Energy Bars in new fruit-forward varieties, and a full portfolio rollout will occur over the next eight months.
The revitalization efforts appear to stem from KIND’s desire for transparency … as well as a desire to stand out from the competition.
“The bar on the refreshed front of the pack is unwrapped, giving the consumer a clearer insight into what the ingredients are,” Olsen told The Food Institute. “The colors on the new packaging are also much more vibrant, making it eye-catching.
“KIND is a consumer-obsessed brand. (Consumers) are at the heart of all we do, so the purpose behind the new, refreshed identity is to make it easier for consumers to find KIND among increasingly crowded shelves with bright, vibrant colors.”
Brand leaders feel KIND’s most recognizable brand asset is its four-color banner. As a result, they leveraged that belief to create a revamped logo that highlights the distinct color bars for a more vibrant look. New designs will feature a large logo, an unwrapped bar to highlight each products’ key characteristics, and the functional benefits of each product line.
“Outside of our iconic, category-first transparent window on our wrappers, the colors are the clear, distinguishing factor for KIND,” Olsen said. “These two factors are what made us first pop out on shelves, at the airport, at the checkout line, etcetera. Our new look is an evolution that builds upon” that.
Rising Demand for High-Protein, Fruit-Forward Snacks
Kind Healthy Snacks recorded $293.4 million in sales last year, according to the State of the Industry 2024 report by snackandbakery.com.
In 2025, a growing number of consumers seek high-protein products across nearly all snack and meal occasions – representing a trend with serious staying power, in Olsen’s opinion. He points to the following statistics as proof:
- The high-protein category has grown 12% YoY
- More than 65% of adults seek more protein in their diet
To play into such trends, KIND in 2024 launched Protein Max bars featuring 20g of protein. The brand has also noticed that many consumers currently seek more fruit-forward products – a finding that helped inspire KIND Breakfast Protein bars, with flavors like Apple Cinnamon.
Winning Over Customers … and Retailers
The occasional new-product launch is a must these days, as snack brands fight for space on shelves. The battle is especially intense for healthier-for-you brands.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally- and health-conscious year after year; they hold brands to a high moral standard,” Olsen said.
“Sustainability, community impact, and wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients are what they expect of us – it’s why we’re continuously innovating to meet consumers where they are – not just physically, but emotionally, too. …”
The brand director said KIND values transparency and authenticity across the brand. And, in order to stand out from the competition in those respects, brands can’t afford to rest on their laurels.
That helps explain the next big undertaking on KIND’s docket.
In the coming months, the snack brand will pilot a recyclable paper wrapper for its popular Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt bar – an initiative Olsen said “is a big step in our journey.”
The Food Institute Podcast
Just how difficult is it to scale a better-for-you snack company? Rebecca Brady, founder and CEO of Top Seedz, shares how she turned a homegrown idea into a rapidly scaling snack brand and breaks down the strategy behind her growth, from bootstrapping production to landing national retail partnerships.
