February 12th, 2024. Written & Edited by Madeleine Longman. Designed by Sam Peart and Audrey Elise
In a world filled with countless products and categories, some often go unnoticed or unappreciated. We want to dive into the art of loving those unloved categories through design. Thoughtful and creative design can breathe new life into overlooked categories and markets, elevating consumer perceptions and ultimately driving brand leadership and business success.
Identifying Unloved Categories
Starkey a company dedicated to delivering the best hearing experience through innovative technology, came to Enlisted Design with a desire to redefine the perception of and interaction with hearing aids. A category that truly hasn't been loved and deserves a brand and experience that excites and inspires. This collaboration combined Enlisted's user-centered approach with Starkey's advanced technology, to create Genesis which sets new standards in functionality, wearability, and aesthetics, achieving a beautiful balance of form and function.
What are the unloved categories, and how can you identify them? These categories encompass items like medical devices, automotive care, and pool maintenance—products that have historically struggled with building brand awareness. Moreover, these sectors face the influence of disruptor brands stealing market share from heritage commodity brands. To thrive amidst competition, strategic design initiatives emphasizing differentiation, innovation, branding, and enhancing customer experience are imperative. These efforts are crucial for navigating the hurdles of attracting consumer interest and fostering loyalty.
The Power of Connection with Consumers
Sun Day, a California-based carwash brand, has been one of our fondest brands to develop. We took this approach and applied it to Sun Day to create a cohesive consumer brand and a truly unique user experience. We transformed Sun Day, a startup in the vanilla car wash industry, by reimagining the consumer experience. Understanding user emotions and integrating community elements, Sun Day shifted from a chore to a delightful event. With strategic design and collaboration, Sun Day continues to scale, recently adding its fourth location 2 years post-launch, and aims to lead the industry by providing a memorable, personalized experience beyond mere transactions.
The consumers of tomorrow need to feel today in order to become part of their consideration set. They want to crave the brands they consume. To earn craveability, you need to hone your authentic brand position, craft holistic understandings of your target consumer, uphold brand consistency, and keep your eyes focused on the long term. Brand craveability stems from a genuine foundation and fidelity of expression tuned into the target consumer. To tell an authentic story, you need a solid grasp of your brand’s mission, vision, and values and clarity around your target market. Know the ins and outs of your brand presence now and what you want it to be. What emotions do or do you not want your brand to evoke in consumers? Then how can you take this to the next level? The focus is on crafting a narrative that extends beyond the product, making the brand a part of the consumer's lifestyle. A strong strategic definition answers these questions and sets the foundation for a brand to be loved.
Innovative Packaging Solutions
Sutro, a smart swimming pool monitor and CES Innovation Awards Honoree is a brand and product we developed whose packaging does all of this. We created a packaging system that offers sustainable materials as well as an exciting unboxing experience that informs about the product and improves brand perception through a recognizable and ownable design language. Sutro is disrupting the murky pool category, it’s now recognized and loved by consumers.
Packaging is a powerful communication tool. Innovative packaging solutions can not only enhance the visual appeal of a product but also convey a compelling narrative that resonates with consumers if drawn from a target-customer-focused strategy. From sustainable materials to an interactive out-of-box experience, packaging structural design and visual design can be a catalyst for positive change in how a consumer perceives your brand.
