Filippo Berio Innovations Improve Shopping Experience as Tastes Evolve
“Innovation” and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) may seem an unorthodox combination, given that EVOO has been enjoyed for thousands of years. But for Filippo Berio, a 156-year-old Italian brand and one of the nation’s top-selling olive oil and pesto sauce companies, innovation is a matter of course. It’s how the brand remains relevant as times and preferences change and how it helps grocers do the same. Just one example is the brand’s newly expanded and refreshed EVOO product line.
Leveraging its master blenders and category expertise, Filippo Berio is innovating to deliver a greater range of flavor experiences and sizing options. Building on the success of its original 16.9-fluid-ounce EVOO portfolio — distinguished by a unique-to-category progression of flavor — Filippo Berio now offers ROBUSTO, DELICATO, ORGANIC and 100% ITALIANO Extra Virgin Olive Oil in 25.3-fluid ounce sustainable bottles with distinctive instructional labels that anticipate consumer questions and meet their evolving preferences.
Filippo Berio Eases Shopping, Guides Usage
“Flavor and usage type are among the main drivers when choosing olive oil, according to recent market studies. Leveraging this, we seized the opportunity for further innovation in the category,” explained Dusan Kaljevic, CEO of Filippo Berio USA Ltd. “We’ve enhanced our packaging, maintaining the traditional Filippo Berio aesthetic while introducing clearer guidance on flavor profiles and usage, further helping consumers in their shopping and culinary journeys.”
Consumers are looking to grocery stores to help in how they live, shop and eat, according to an Accenture study. The study shows 59% of consumers want help with saving time and 61% want assistance with making grocery shopping easier, and one of Filippo Berio’s latest innovations addresses both needs all at once.
Filippo Berio’s refreshed EVOO labels draw from a new color palette to indicate the specific olive oil flavor profiles and recommended uses, enabling consumers to quickly recognize the brand’s trusted products and reach for the high-quality olive oil that suits their specific usage needs. Featuring eye-catching red, for example, the ROBUSTO variety has a bold, fruity flavor and a peppery finish ideal for marinating meat, drizzling vegetables and flavoring ice cream. In contrast, a calming blue identifies DELICATO, which offers a smooth, milder taste perfect for poaching fish, drizzling fresh fruit and making dips. Meanwhile, black denotes 100% ITALIANO, EVOO sourced entirely from Italy and a natural complement to Mediterranean dishes, given its slightly peppery and intensely fruity flavor.
Committed to Quality, From Inside Out
“At Filippo Berio, the difference is our ongoing commitment to quality, and we are always innovating toward what’s best for our valued consumers, retail partners and environment,” said Kaljevic. For the legendary brand, the quality of EVOO itself is of paramount importance, and the company’s master blenders are intent on selecting and blending olive oils with the best fruitiness, greatest balance and most persistent olfactory notes. As master blenders focus on their craft, Kaljevic and his team consider how to ensure quality elsewhere along the supply chain, including the bottles on grocers’ shelves.
In 2022, Filippo Berio was among the first olive oil companies to launch better-for-the-planet packaging made of 50% rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate). The bottles are ergonomic, require less energy to produce and are 100% recyclable, helping to reduce plastic waste and demand for new petrochemical resource extraction. They are relied upon for the newly expanded EVOO line and tick an important box for consumers: 52% of North American consumers seek sustainable packaging, and more than 60% think it’s important to buy products in planet-friendly packaging, as noted in the “2023 Green Buyers Report.”
Anticipating Demand for a Range of Flavor Experiences
Consumers largely consider olive oil to be high quality, versatile, flavorful and healthy, and Filippo Berio, among others, is working to disseminate more complete information about its benefits.
“Filippo Berio is committed to informing consumers about high-quality olive oil and the value proposition that it brings to a well-rounded diet in order to, ultimately, unlock further category growth and help increase U.S. household penetration, currently only at 50%,” explained Kaljevic. “As one of the primary components of the Mediterranean Diet, olive oil has essential fatty acids that not only support heart and brain health, but also protect against a host of diseases.”
With continued awareness of EVOO’s broad health impacts and wide variety of uses in everyday cooking – from marinading, sautéing and grilling to roasting, baking and deep frying – Filippo Berio expects demand to increase and is prepared with its full range of EVOO flavor experiences.
Listening closely to consumers, Filippo Berio is creating product lines that integrate easily into kitchens and lifestyles nationwide. With innovations in labeling and packaging for its newly expanded line of EVOO, the brand is improving the shopping experience, eliminating confusion in the aisle, and providing shoppers with a product for every unique flavor preference and cooking occasion