The Bee Society

The Challenge

Lisa Allen and her husband own Natural Concepts, a pollinating business that travels the West Coast pollinating olives, almonds and a variety of fruit. At season’s end, the byproduct of that work is honey—lots and lots of honey! Lisa saw the potential for a direct-to-consumer brand that included honey and skin care, but needed everything from a new name to packaging that felt gift-worthy and authentic.

Our Strategic Approach

We interviewed Lisa, applying our Facets of a Beautiful Brand process to uncover her unique advantages:

Who she is

Through years of personal service as a pedicurist, Lisa has built deep, trusting relationships and emerged as a natural connector. After years of calling on growers and their neighbors to help protect bees from pesticide exposure, she has developed a vast network of growers and fellow beekeepers. Passionate about protecting the bee population, she grows flowers does wedding florals.

Target audience

We identified her target audience as her huge network of highly-connected individuals who love her and are eager to serve as brand ambassadors.

The products

• Premium honey from specific locations
• Luxurious skin care products made of 100% pure and natural ingredients.
• And several more that haven’t been developed yet

Her vision for the brand: Lisa loves beautiful things, has a great eye for aesthetic beauty and wanted packaging that was elevated.

The Creative Solution

Naming: Lisa came to us with a name for her company. A little research showed that name to be in use by another individual who had a major online presence, published books and more. We strongly recommended that she choose another name before investing in brand development and packaging. We offered several names, but Lisa’s niece came up with the real winner: “The Bee Society”! It was perfect for her network of friends, family, clients, growers and brand ambassadors.

Visual Identity: We created packaging that elevates honey like a fine wine, complete with AVA designations and vintage labels. Holographic materials make the honeycomb backgrounds shimmer, catch the eye and make the potential buyer pick it up and play with it in the light.

Product Range: Lisa’s first product was honey, but she quickly expanded into her flagship product, Hand & Heel Therapy, followed by goat milk & honey soaps, body lotions, body butter and lip balm. She realized that there was a market for the sample-sized products she had been creating. Then men (not necessarily her primary demographic target) began requesting products with masculine scents and packaging.

The Results

Lisa outgrew her original shop within a year. Her “Bee Society” network spans the country, connecting her with hospitals, gift shops, boutiques, pop-up events and countless personal referrals. The gift-worthy packaging stands apart from competing products—exactly what premium retailers and discerning customers want.

American Package Design Award, 2025
Featured in Graphic Design USA magazine, May 2025