Sweet Rawmance
Services:
Brand repositioning
Naming
Brand identity design
Ongoing brand consultancy
Communication & experience direction
Year: 2019 - 2025
The Challenge
The business started as Raw Cakes, one of the early raw vegan dessert concepts in Paris, founded by two Romanian entrepreneurs already established in the local market. Located in the 14th arrondissement, the brand had built solid awareness through word of mouth and media exposure.
I first discovered the business through an entrepreneurial community, and in 2019 the founders reached out for a logo redesign. The existing identity had been created at a very low cost and did not reflect the quality or ambition of the business.
What initially seemed like a visual update quickly revealed deeper structural challenges.
Despite having customers and recognition, the business struggled with profitability. The offering was limited almost entirely to desserts, and sales were restricted to in-store purchases, which made it difficult to sustain growth in a competitive and expensive market like Paris.
At the same time, customer feedback indicated a clear direction: there was growing demand for vegan savory dishes. The founders had already tested a few options, and the response was promising.
Brand Strategy
The key challenge was deciding how far the brand could evolve without losing the recognition it had already built.
Given the existing visibility of Raw Cakes, a complete repositioning came with risk. The initial instinct was to preserve the current direction and improve only the visual identity.
However, through deeper discussions around the business model, customer behavior, and growth potential, it became clear that the existing positioning was limiting the brand.
The strategic decision was to expand from a dessert-focused concept into a broader vegan food experience — combining savory dishes and desserts into a more complete offering.
This shift was not just about adding products, but about redefining how the business is perceived: from a niche product-based concept to a more flexible, experience-driven one.
Naming
One of the most important issues identified early in the process was the name Raw Cakes.
While descriptive, it was generic, lacked distinctiveness, and positioned the business strictly in the dessert category. It didn’t allow room for expansion and didn’t reflect the personality or ambition of the founders.
To support the new direction, I proposed a complete renaming.
The new name — Sweet Rawmance — was developed as a wordplay that combines “sweet” and “raw” into a more expressive and memorable concept. It preserves continuity with the dessert-focused origins, while opening the brand to a broader, more emotional and experience-oriented positioning.
The name was intentionally crafted to feel less functional and more evocative, aligning better with a lifestyle-driven brand rather than a purely product-based one.
Visual solution
The visual identity was developed under real constraints.
At the time of the project, the interior redesign was already in progress with an architect, which meant the brand could not fully dictate the space. Instead, the challenge was to create a visual identity that could integrate naturally into an already evolving environment, without creating a disconnect in customer perception.
The logo system was designed with flexibility in mind, including both horizontal and vertical versions — particularly important for facade applications and various formats, especially given the length of the new name.
The visual language balances clarity and personality, combining a clean, modern aesthetic with subtle organic references aligned with plant-based food. The goal was to create a recognizable and adaptable identity that works across physical and digital touchpoints.
The facade was fully redesigned according to the new identity and became a key element in communicating the repositioning. Menus and core materials were also reworked to ensure consistency across the customer experience.
Impact & Evolution
The relaunch generated immediate and strong positive feedback. Customers responded not only to the new visual identity, but also to the expanded concept and overall experience.
The collaboration continued beyond the initial rebrand as ongoing brand consultancy, with regular sessions focused on communication, customer experience, and growth strategies.
The business expanded its capabilities by launching a new website, introducing online ordering, and integrating with delivery platforms — significantly improving accessibility and revenue streams.
During the pandemic, while many similar businesses struggled or closed, the brand adapted quickly. Communication shifted online, and the offering was adjusted for at-home consumption. This flexibility allowed the business to not only survive but grow during that period.
As a result of this evolution, the founders later relocated the business to a larger, more central space near Sacré-Cœur, in the 18th arrondissement, marking a new stage of growth.
The project continued to evolve over several years, until the owner eventually decided to exit the business following a change in professional direction.