The Taste-Maker of Better-For-You CPG Brands | Andy Kurtts, Buttermilk Creative

On this episode, we're joined by Andy Kurtts, Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative - the North Carolina-based CPG design firm behind some of the most recognized better-for-you brands on shelf. Andy breaks down the most expensive packaging mistakes he sees founders make, specifically how RGB-to-CMYK color mismatches compound across substrates and SKUs, and why the nutrition facts panel is not the place to get creative.We also get into the tension between designing for yourself vs. your target customer, why your logo probably isn't the most important thing on pack, and how hierarchy and clarity beat loud, busy design. Andy walks through the Blue Zones Kitchen project, including the design sprint with multiple agencies, the handcrafted ceramic bowl that became the brand's most ownable asset, and why they're refreshing the packaging based on what they learned behind the freezer door.We also cover DTC-to-retail packaging transitions, the debate around owning a color block on shelf vs. a rainbow approach, where AI is actually useful for design teams today, and the CPG trends Andy is tracking, including protein's staying power and how brands are visually tackling the dye removal movement.---------------Episode Highlights:🛒 What retail buyers actually look for (hint: shelf-readiness over taste)📦 Why back panel formatting can disqualify you before the tasting🎨 The most expensive packaging mistake (RGB vs. CMYK color builds)🖌️ Designing for your customer, not yourself✨ Great packaging clarifies, it doesn't shout🔤 Why your logo isn't the most important thing on pack🧊 The Blue Zones Kitchen design sprint and freezer door lessons🏺 The handcrafted ceramic bowl that became a brand asset🌈 Owning a color block vs. the rainbow shelf approach🤖 Where AI actually helps design teams (and where it doesn't)👀 Trends: protein's staying power and the dye removal movement---------------Table of Contents:00:00 – Intro00:44 – Lessons from nearly a decade at The Fresh Market03:30 – How retail buyers evaluate private brand packaging06:12 – What buyers actually look for in new products08:52 – Packaging deal breakers that disqualify brands11:10 – Designing for your customer, not yourself13:58 – Great packaging clarifies, it doesn't shout15:54 – The most expensive packaging mistakes (color)20:04 – Unconventional design inspiration (museums, art, global markets)23:11 – DTC vs. retail packaging27:01 – Hierarchy on pack and why your logo can be secondary29:12 – The Blue Zones Kitchen design story34:47 – Owning a color on shelf vs. the rainbow approach38:07 – AI in packaging design42:21 – CPG trends: protein and the dye removal movement---------------Links:Buttermilk Creative – https://buttermilkcreative.com/Follow Andy on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/andykurtts/Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out https://www.kitprint.co/Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.