By Mike Boyer
The Cincinnati Enquirer

After 25 years, Sara Lee Foods decided Tuesday to introduce a change in its biggest brand.

The unit of Chicago-based Sara Lee Corp. unveiled a new logo and package design for its Hillshire Farm sausage and deli meats during a cookout for employees at its Blue Ash headquarters.

The new logo does away with the horse and wagon featured on its packages since 1978.

The new logo, a year in development, "is more contemporary and shows very well in the package,'' Bob Kopriva, president of Sara Lee Foods, told employees outside the company's Carver Road offices. Sara Lee employs 1,500 in Greater Cincinnati.

There's more than just package design in this move, however. The packaging update is part of Sara Lee's broader corporate effort to grow its national brands.

Last week, C. Steven McMillan, Sara Lee chairman, told analysts that the company is investing in its brands, new products and its organization to produce more growth in sales and profits.

Kopriva said the new package design is part of the company's effort to achieve those targets.

Hillshire Farm is the No. 1 brand in the $1.6 billion smoked sausage category in grocery stores and it's Sara Lee's fifth largest brand.

Sara Lee doesn't break out Hillshire Farm sales, but last year Sara Lee Meats had sales of $3.75 billion, up 1.1 percent. The company's other national meat brands are Ball Park, Jimmy Dean and Sara Lee. Kahn's, the Cincinnati-based meat company, is one of the company's key regional brands.

Besides new packaging, Sara Lee is also testing new products. Greg Sykes, Sara Lee Foods vice president, said the company is now testing ultra-thin deli meats in several markets including Cincinnati. The product comes packaged in a reusable Glad-ware container.

It is also testing new smaller, half-pound packages for its prepared sausage products, which can be quickly mixed with sauces for easy meals, said Deb Vicchiarelli, vice president of retail marketing for Hillshire Farms.

The smaller, 7- or 8-ounce packages are designed to appeal to smaller families who don't want to buy larger quantities.

"Our research shows 60 percent of households consist of one or two people,'' Sykes said.

E-mail mboyer@enquirer.com