21st Century
Innovators- CEO Strategy Camp
Assistant to Project Manager
CEOs in the 21st Century need to think fast to adapt to the ever-changing market. In the 2017 CEO Strategy Camp project, we identified the weaknesses of two product lines from two Taiwanese companies, Special Supports and PuHu Shoes, and worked with their CEOs to provide a practical solution for their products.
Case 1: Special Supports
Project Length: Sep. 2017 - Nov. 2017
Client: Special Supports （璟茂實業）; Taiwanese support and protective gear brand
Team composition:
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Research Team from Atlas Branding Co., Ltd.
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Branding Consultant
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Professor of Department of Business Administration at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
My role: Assistant to Project Manager
(Research Team from Atlas Branding Co., Ltd.)
Utilized skills: Marketing research and analysis, focus-group interview, project management
Problem:
Special Supports' unique Dynatex Support is a sports braces and protective/ support gear product line produced with Dynatex, an innovative type of functional fabric with increased flexibility. Dynatex Support needed a new sales and marketing strategy to expand their existing consumer base.
Solution:
1. Discussion with CEO: We worked with a branding consultant and a marketing professor from the Department of Business Administration at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology to identify four problems relating to their Dynatex product line with the CEO and team of Special Supports, including:
(1) Product strengths and weaknesses:
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Strengths: strengthened grip on supported body parts; increased flexibility for exercise movements; high durability
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Weaknesses: low air permeability; need for product to be worn for some time before it adjusts to the perfect tightness of the body part
(2) Target consumers and their pain points:
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Workers needing protection from occupational injury
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Seniors needing strong support for their limbs
(3) Product features and functions:
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Strong support provided through its innovative weave formation
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Digital wreathing production method
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Seamlessness and professional sports taping design
(4) New market trends and consumer needs:
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Sporty design, flexibility, and light-weight
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Support gear that are functional and durable for long periods of time
2. Focus-group interviews: We used the data and information from discussions with Special Supports to design focus-group questions for their target consumers. From these focus-group interviews, we found:
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Workers from the age of 40 to 50, and seniors from the age of 70 are prone to use support gear daily.
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Support gears are becoming widely used as preventive healthcare products that prevent injury and maintain healthy lifestyle for consumers.
3. Online data research: We cross-referenced our findings from the focus-group interviews with researched online data and found matches between the functions of Special Supports products and new marketing trends.
Results:
1. New marketing method: We re-established Special's Dynatex Support product line as "Prospective High Functionality Supports" to help "Maximize Your Energy and Vigor."
2. New brand direction: Special Supports was re-branded as a "Professional Preventive Healthcare Knowledge Provider" that provides "innovative support gear to actively prevent athletes and workers from occupational injury, and to enhance lives of seniors by helping to maintain their mobility."
Case 2: PuHu Shoes
Project Length: Sep. 2017 - Nov. 2017
Client: PuHu Shoes （彪琥鞋業）; Taiwanese arch supports and shoe manufacturer
Team composition:
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Research Team from Atlas Branding Co., Ltd.
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Branding Consultant
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Chief Designer from Ndd Design
My role: Assistant to Project Manager
(Research Team from Atlas Branding Co., Ltd.)
Utilized skills: Marketing research and analysis, focus-group interview, project management
Problem:
PuHu Shoes' star product, the Minister Arch Support, needs a product redesign plan to boost sales and a new marketing strategy to enhance consumer base.
Solution:
1. Discussion with CEO: We worked with a branding consultant and Chief Designer of Ndd Design to identify problems for the Minister Arch Support product and create a product redesign and marketing plan with PuHu's CEO and core team. The discussions included:
(1) Product strengths and weaknesses:
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Strengths: high customization (customized with computer-scanning and modeling), high durability due to durable material, fits most shoe types.
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Weaknesses: heavy-weight of the arch support, customers need to buy multiple arch supports to fit certain types of shoes, low air permeability.
(2) Target consumers and their pain points:
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Urban white collar population whose jobs require long hours of standing
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Children or teenagers needing to adjust their foot shapes during their growth period
(3) Product features and functions:
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Manufactured with customization and designed to maintain the wearer's healthy standing and walking posture
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Solid cushion that increases the comfortability of the wearer's shoes
(4) New market trends and consumer needs:
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Urban white collar workers, especially those working in the service industries or in office settings need shoes to maintain their healthy posture and add to their comfortableness during long hours at work
2. Focus-group interview: We used the data and information from discussions with Special Supports team to design focus-group questions for their target consumers to find out how the product features and functions can solve consumer problems.
3. Online data research: We cross-referenced our findings from the focus-group interviews with researched online data and found matches between the functions of Special Supports product and new marketing trends.
Results:
1. New marketing method: We re-established the Minister Arch Support product as provider of "healthy and comfortable mobility."
2. New brand direction: PuHu Shoes was rebranded as "Professional Provider of Healthy Footwear."