HAIER EUROPE LAUNDRY
Image Credit: Haier
STRATEGY . RESEARCH . CONSUMER INSIGHTS
ENHANCING HAIER EUROPE’S BRAND PRESENCE IN THE UK LAUNDRY MARKET
After Smallfry collaborated on several successful projects with Haier’s floorcare brand, Hoover, Haier Europe looked to Smallfry to formulate a consumer-centric approach that would establish their brand in the UK’s premium laundry category.
Smallfry deployed their tried and tested 5-stage consumer-insight process to analyse market trends, consumer behaviours and the competitor landscape. Our design research team used a combination of technical analyses and ethnographic techniques to gain a holistic understanding of the market and its customers. These insights were crucial to uncovering the next steps for Haier Europe to succeed in growing their brand presence in this sector.
MARKET AND COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
With existing brands already well-established in the premium category, Haier needed to carve out a distinct space that appealed emotionally and functionally to the target audience and establish itself as worthy of a premium price-point. Smallfry conducted in-depth analysis of competitor brands and their products’ specifications and distilled this information into engaging infographics that captured a full picture of the the market’s dynamics including brand positioning, unique selling points (USPs) and price-point feature architecture.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
To provide the team with a broad understanding of customer attitudes, a survey of the target customers was conducted during the early stages of research. The identification of trends in opinions against certain variables and lack thereof in others informed the direction of their ethnographic research to gather more in-depth investigation of the ‘whys’ behind the data.
CONSUMER FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS
A series of focus groups, interviews and shop-alongs allowed the team to gain insight into consumers’ perspectives and understand exactly what makes a product premium in their eyes. We meticulously mapped consumer journeys and explored real-life usage to uncover pain points and delighters, ultimately highlighting opportunity spaces for new product development.
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Using an external research team to conduct anonymous interviews is the key to capturing the unbiased opinion of stakeholders in the industry. For this project, Smallfry’s researchers facilitated open discussions with key decision makers, CEOs, and purchasing directors of major retailers to understand their perspective on the Haier brand, its products, and the market it competes within.
THE OUTCOME
Our tried and tested cross-analysis of desktop, quantitative and qualitative research from a variety of sources gave us a unique and deep understanding of the premium laundry category and how it is truly perceived. Our team highlighted key opportunity areas, tailored to Haier’s goals, including quick wins and longer term strategy, defining a clear path forwards for the future of Haier laundry.
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