Learning Launch

Challenge

I am an employee of a fully owned subsidiary of a blue chip conglomerate in the country. As part of the  groups leadership development program, employees from different subsidiaries at managerial level were  deployed into groups and given a real life project at different business units. The group consisted of six  employees coming from different backgrounds such as marketing, finance, commercial, production and  operations. Accordingly, the team was assigned the task of introducing a beverage under the health and  lifestyle categories that could be launched to extend the existing beverage portfolio considering Mass scale  appeal, Ready to drink nature, Convenience and Nutritional value. The project spanned a duration of four  months in order to come up with a suitable product and the group was given a limited budget in order to  carry out certain research and feasibilities studies. The ideology of the project was to generate a new  revenue stream as the existing carbonated soft drinks were on a declining trend due to health reasons.     The current product portfolio consists of only sugary carbonated beverages and it was anticipated that the  government was looking at levying a tax on the use of sugar in order to discourage consumers in consuming  high sugar added soft drinks which would also further impact the Company.      Selection

Our team extensively evaluated possible product offerings which matched the said criteria and looked at  the region and neighboring countries product offerings in order to shortlist and identify suitable products.  Several design thinking activities were adopted arriving at possible options. The shortlisted products were  to be immediately tested by developing a prototype/sample product at the company’s internal laboratory  and tested amongst the relevant target market/group.

Application

After conducting extensive market research / surveys targeting relevant market segments the team  shortlisted five product offerings and these were presented to the management of the beverage company.  After extensive debate on product benefits, mass scale appeal and affordability including shelf life, king  coconut and coconut water was selected as a drink with health benefits which could be further exploited  as a learning launch.

As the product was identified, the suitability of the product with the relevant target markets/age groups  had to be tested. Different samples with varying proportions of king coconut and coconut water were  produced with the addition of lime for best results. Five different samples were developed and tested with  market segments of different age categories, gender and also amongst the student and working population.  These samples were conducted at different neighborhood towns with a standard sample size which helped

the team to get an adequate understanding of the preferences of the masses. The preferred drink was  shortlisted and the same was presented to the management of the beverage company as well for their buy- in and suitability.

The second learning launch was to shortlist suitable suppliers of king coconut and coconut water and  possible consistent methods of supplying. A sample of producers were evaluated together with extraction  methods in order to justify the long term availability of the ingredient.

The third learning launch was on the “Tetra packaging” which was a new package option for the Company  as previously only glass/PET bottles were used. Thereby Tetra packing was evaluated as a possible option  and same was tested through the customer segments as a preferred choice of sustainable packaging.  Different packing prototypes were developed via contract packaging and suitable sizes were developed and  designed based on customer insights.

Insight & Approach

By applying the learning launch successfully our team identified possible product options and designed  ideas to test the prototype. The team thought through the anticipated results which were further cemented  by customer insights which gave the team a very good understanding of the product requirements on the  part of the actual users, their preferences, opinions and price parity points which would make the product  appeal to the mass market. Both our team and the management was engaged from the very start right  throughout the process where we shared our insights and learnings continuously. From the initial research  to market surveys to prototype testing with actual consumers were discussed in detail with the key  stakeholders of the Company where the team did get the buy-in and interest of the management  throughout the process. There were times that certain consumer insights differed with the team’s  expectations for example the price point, where the consumers preferred a lower pricing point than what  was proposed by us. A detailed cost analysis was further conducted to try and reduce the price difference  to an affordable price level as per customer insights.

Before a full rollout in design thinking time-lines the use of learning launches throughout the process gained  us good consumer insights which resulted in a successful product launch. The Company needs to review  the insights gained from this product launch and incorporate the same process of design thinking and  insights in to future launch designs too.


Learning Launch Challenge I am an employee of a fully owned subsidiary of a blue chip conglomerate in the country . As part of the groups leadership development program , employees from different subsidiaries at managerial level were deployed into groups and given a real life project at different business units . The group consisted of six employees coming from different backgrounds such as marketing , finance , commercial , production and operations . Accordingly , the team was assigned the task of introducing a beverage under the health and lifestyle categories that could be launched to extend the existing beverage portfolio considering Mass scale appeal , Ready to drink nature , Convenience and Nutritional value . The project spanned a duration of four months in order to come up with a suitable product and the group was given a limited budget in order to carry out certain research and feasibilities studies . The ideology of the project was to generate a new revenue stream as the existing carbonated soft drinks were on a declining trend due to health reasons . The current product portfolio consists of only sugary carbonated beverages and it was anticipated that the government was looking at levying a tax on the use of sugar in order to discourage consumers in consuming high sugar added soft drinks which would also further impact the Company . Selection Our team extensively evaluated possible product offerings which matched the said criteria and looked at the region and neighboring countries product offerings in order to shortlist and identify suitable products . Several design thinking activities were adopted arriving at possible options . The shortlisted products were to be immediately tested by developing a prototype / sample product at the company ’s internal laboratory and tested amongst the relevant target market / group . Application After conducting extensive market research / surveys targeting relevant market segments the team shortlisted five product offerings and these were presented to the management of the beverage company . After extensive debate on product benefits , mass scale appeal and affordability including shelf life , king coconut and coconut water was selected as a drink with health benefits which could be further exploited as a learning launch . As the product was identified , the suitability of the product with the relevant target markets / age groups had to be tested . Different samples with varying proportions of king coconut and coconut water were produced with the addition of lime for best results . Five different samples were developed and tested with market segments of different age categories , gender and also amongst the student and working population . These samples were conducted at different neighborhood towns with a standard sample size which helped the team to get an adequate understanding of the preferences of the masses . The preferred drink was shortlisted and the same was presented to the management of the beverage company as well for their buy- in and suitability . The second learning launch was to shortlist suitable suppliers of king coconut and coconut water and possible consistent methods of supplying . A sample of producers were evaluated together with extraction methods in order to justify the long term availability of the ingredient . The third learning launch was on the “ Tetra packaging ” which was a new package option for the Company as previously only glass / PET bottles were used . Thereby Tetra packing was evaluated as a possible option and same was tested through the customer segments as a preferred choice of sustainable packaging . Different packing prototypes were developed via contract packaging and suitable sizes were developed and designed based on customer insights . Insight & Approach By applying the learning launch successfully our team identified possible product options and designed ideas to test the prototype . The team thought through the anticipated results which were further cemented by customer insights which gave the team a very good understanding of the product requirements on the part of the actual users , their preferences , opinions and price parity points which would make the product appeal to the mass market . Both our team and the management was engaged from the very start right throughout the process where we shared our insights and learnings continuously . From the initial research to market surveys to prototype testing with actual consumers were discussed in detail with the key stakeholders of the Company where the team did get the buy - in and interest of the management throughout the process . There were times that certain consumer insights differed with the team ’s expectations for example the price point , where the consumers preferred a lower pricing point than what was proposed by us . A detailed cost analysis was further conducted to try and reduce the price difference to an affordable price level as per customer insights . Before a full rollout in design thinking time - lines the use of learning launches throughout the process gained us good consumer insights which resulted in a successful product launch . The Company needs to review the insights gained from this product launch and incorporate the same process of design thinking and insights in to future launch designs too .