Renée's Specialties

I began working with Renée’s in 2020, when the company operated primarily as Renée’s Chocolates, a boutique confectionery producing creative specialty chocolates such as alcohol-infused fudges, mint meltaways, chocolate-covered bacon, and chocolate-dipped desserts.

At the time, the business was beginning to experiment with additional offerings, including gourmet popcorn and frozen treats. As the product lineup expanded, it became clear that the original brand name no longer represented the full scope of the business.

I worked with the owners to help guide a broader brand structure that could support multiple product lines under one cohesive identity. This led to the development of Renée’s Specialties, an umbrella brand that allowed the company to grow beyond chocolate while maintaining recognizable product families such as:
• Renée’s Chocolates
• Renée’s Popcorn
• Renée’s Ice Cream
• Renée’s Gelato
• Renée’s Italian Ice

Product Evolution
While the company began as a specialty chocolate shop, their gourmet popcorn quickly emerged as the standout product.

The popcorn differentiated itself through the use of high-quality ingredients and unique flavor development. Local Wisconsin cheese, butter, and carefully selected popcorn kernels helped produce a superior texture and flavor compared to typical commercial popcorn.

One of their signature products, “Cheesy Caramel Collision,” coats caramel corn with a cheese flavoring after cooking, ensuring both flavors appear in every kernel rather than simply mixing two separate varieties.

Because chocolate products proved difficult to ship due to melting during transit, the popcorn line became the most viable product for e-commerce and Amazon distribution. Customers responded enthusiastically to the quality and freshness, leading the business to increasingly focus on popcorn as its core offering. Today, the company has fully transitioned to gourmet popcorn production, continuing to refine recipes based on direct customer feedback.

My Role
My work with Renée’s began as marketing strategy consulting, helping guide the evolution of the brand as the product mix expanded. Over time, I also stepped in to support creative production and design across many areas of the business.

Key contributions included:
Brand Development
• Guided the transition from Renée’s Chocolates to the broader Renée’s Specialties umbrella brand
• Updated and refined logo assets as the product lines expanded

Packaging Design
Designed packaging for multiple products, including:
• Gourmet popcorn bags and buckets
• Cocoa bomb packaging
• Specialty chocolate packaging, including chocolate golf balls

Retail & Print Marketing
• Storefront signage
• Rack cards and printed promotional materials
• In-store marketing assets

Video & Digital Content
• Edited promotional and marketing videos

Ongoing Collaboration
Today, I continue to support Renée’s as needed, developing packaging and print materials as the business continues to grow its gourmet popcorn brand.

The company has successfully transitioned from a small specialty chocolate shop into a focused gourmet popcorn brand with national reach through online sales and Amazon fulfillment.