Rarely in business are we offered an opportunity that results in the right thing to do for our customers, the right thing to do for our business and the right thing to do for our brand. At Velvet Ice Cream, we recently made a change that I believe hits each of these value targets.

Earlier this year, Velvet Ice Cream implemented freshness seals on our premium pint-size ice cream products. It had been our hope that we could also extend this feature to our premium 56- ounce products. That hope has now become a reality.

It is a significant change that our customers have noticed and appreciated. In fact, a friend’s teenager who eats our Vanilla ice cream by the container, commented about the new seal — which made me chuckle because teenagers don’t notice much unless their Wi-Fi goes down. It’s just one of many small nods that validates the steps we have taken to ensure safety.

The right partners

Due to several factors, including the pandemic and a disturbing trend of high-profile social media incidents involving grocery store stunts that impacted the ice cream industry, we started to explore what could be done at the store level to improve safety. A freshness seal was something that we at Velvet had considered for some time, but the uniqueness of our carton shape made it difficult to implement without special equipment being fitted onto our existing production lines.

We were committed to figuring it out, and sometimes the universe helps you along with a vision. With our transition to using Midwest manufacturing partners this year, we were able to continue to pursue adding a freshness seal on all Velvet’s premium ice cream products. It was one of our biggest questions when vetting the right partners. We were thrilled that we could mutually work out the details to be able to launch the seals this past summer.

It’s another layer of assurance for us, our customers and anyone who buys Velvet Ice Cream. Historically there have been several touchpoints with respect to ice cream production and distribution, and we are always taking steps to ensure safety and quality.  

Direct-to-consumer grocery delivery has added another layer of risk, especially with more and more consumers using this service. With the extra layer of protection, we are more confident than ever in preserving the integrity of our products, regardless of the distribution method to our customers. Velvet is leading the way in taking the extra steps to keep everyone safe.  

Beyond safety and quality, we have an opportunity to reinforce our visual brand and connection to our consumers once the carton is opened. We are incredibly proud of our history and sharing the legacy of Velvet Ice Cream, and this new real estate allows us to further support the brand beyond the shelf and connect with consumers.  

The effort it took to integrate the freshness seal was a great opportunity for Velvet Ice Cream, as well as the ice cream industry. As a company, we will continue to innovate, to create and to ensure ice cream makes it safely into homes and onto tables for generations to come.