Case Study: Hawaiian Host Group achieves a unified employer brand with Innovation Protocol

Hawaiian Host Group boosts Employee Net Promoter Score by nearly 20 points with Innovation Protocol

Hawaiian Host Group, a manufacturer of premium chocolate and macadamia nut snacks, faced significant internal challenges following its merger with Mauna Loa. The two culturally and operationally different companies struggled to collaborate effectively, lacking a unified identity or vision. The company engaged Innovation Protocol for brand strategy, naming, and identity design services to build a cohesive culture and unite its dispersed team members under a single employer brand.

Innovation Protocol developed a new parent brand, Hawaiian Host Group, which honored the legacy of the original Hawaiian Host while creating a distinct corporate identity. The solution included a new verbal and visual system inspired by the company's founding vision and the Spirit of Hawai'i, activated through a new website, corporate identity package, and branded apparel. As a result, the company's Employee Net Promoter Score increased by nearly 20 percentage points, collaboration improved across departments, and the unified team successfully launched a new brand, KOHO, contributing to greater profitability.

Hawaiian Host Group