Design Audit_Planet Organic

1Group 5 Design and Innovation Audit 2013/2014

Group Assignment - Team 5Eun Jin Chang 1302481

Jessie Cohen 1302789

Juan Cortes Salazar 1304098

Seohyun Kim 1303026

Yifan Tong 1303124

Irene Kencana Wikanta 1304757

Ye Yan 1302441

MA Design and Branding StrategyMA Design Strategy and InnovationBrunel University, 2013/2014

Design & Innovation AuditDM5552 Design Research and DM5601 Innovation Strategy & Management

Dr Youngok Choi and Dr Busayawan Lam

IMAGE SOURCED FROMPLANET ORGANIC WEBSITE, 2013


Company

○ Private SME○ Specialist wholesale and retail market○ Six stores in London○ Head office in Notting Hill○ 240 employees○ 7500 products

ValuesNatural, organic, ethical, fresh, healthy, friendly and raw

Mission StatementTo provide an ethical alternativefor healthy organic living.

OWN PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN INISLINGTON STORE, 2013


Company

FounderRenée Elliott

Finance DirectorEric Adatia

Commercial DirectorLinda Campbell

HR DirectorKim Gieske

Design Agency(external)

CEOPeter Marsh

investors &shareholders

6 Store ManagersWandsworth

staffs

2 senior buyer Head Chef


Company

-------- Peter Marsh, Planet Organic CEO

“Our customer is young, understands far moreabout what you eat than older generations,

and leads a healthy and active lifestyle.”

60%every week

20%everyday

20%irregular

General Market

customers under the age of 40

46% 46%

4% 8%

Planet Organic

customers age 40 and above

Traffic Age Range Lifestyle

INFOGRAPHICS BASED ON INTERVIEW AND CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS


Methodology

initialstage

choose / narrow downcompany selections

literature research onhow to do an audit

datafinalisation

compilepresentation slides

feedback sheet

draft emails to besent out to companies

make selections out ofpositive replies

final selection ofchosen company

contact companyto conduct an audit

researchblueprint

background researchon company

identify aims & issues

methodology

generate 6 questions

write review questionsand survey

questionnaires

base

d on

furtherresearch

primary research secondary research

organise data

dataanalysis

organise findings

• transcribe interview• visualise data• gathering informations based on observation and mystery shoppers

justify the aim

generate suggestionsand recommendations

generate suggestionsand recommendations

quantitative qualitative

survey

• observation• mystery shopper• interview with CEO• photos

• enhanced SWOT• Danish design ladder• competitor analysis

deeper literature research


Aim & Questions

Aim: To evaluate the role of design and innovation within Planet Organic’s internal and external structure and identify strategies for enhancing the coherency and consistency of its brand performance.

Questions:1. How is Planet Organic currently using design & innovation strategies consistently and efficiently within the specialist retail and wholesale market?

2. How innovative is Planet Organic in terms of helping its staff embody the brand values and deliver a unified service?

3. How is Planet Organic designing its relationships with suppliers and stakeholders in order to deliver an efficient pre-purchase workflow?

4. How is design being used to improve the customer experience in the physical in store environment?

5. How is Planet Organic using design and innovation to create new interconnected platforms in order to bridge physical and virtual communication gaps?

6. What is the influence of design and innovationin regards to Planet Organic’s brand extension?


Questions

Idea #1 ---- Perceive

How is Planet Organic currently using design & innovation strategies

consistently and efficiently within the specialist retail and wholesale market?


Question 1

PLANET ORGANIC

FUNCTIONAL

MENTAL

SPIRITUAL

SOCIAL

TRADITIONAL MARKET

WHOLE FOODS

DAYLESFORD ORGANIC

AS NATURE INTENDED

“I don’t think we use design as good as we should. The biggest challenge we probably have is communicating to customers what Planet Organic is [through design].”

-------- Peter Marsh, Planet Organic CEO

GAD 4D MODEL, 2000

INFOGRAPHICS BASED ON INTERVIEW AND CUSTOMER SURVEY RESULTS

50%

20%

30%

appealingand coherent

haven’t noticed

confusing andunappealing

CUSTOMER VIEW ON VISUAL IDENTITY, 2013


Question 1

“An ethically responsible organisation [...] should convey clear messages to both internal employees and its customers. It is vital that a consistent and unambiguous statement of valuesis communicated in a coherent manner.”

The design at Planet Organic relies heavily on the CEO’s good understanding of consumer needs, with his background in retail.

01No Design

02Design asStyling

03Design asProcess

04Design asStrategy

-------- Hands (2009)

DANISH DESIGN CENTRE, 2003


Questions

Idea #2 ---- Educate

How innovative is Planet Organic in terms of helping its staff

embody the brand values and deliver a unified service?


Question 2

“In a service brand the most important audience

for the organization is its own people. Your staff

must truly understand the brand, believe in it

and live it; if they don’t they will have no chance

of persuading the final customer to buy it.”

“Brands have two roles - persuading outsiders

to buy and persuading insiders to believe.”

-------- Olins (2004)

SOURCED FROM PLANET ORGANIC WEBSITE, 2013


Question 2

Strengths, based on observation and mystery shopping:○ The employees in the healthcare section show professionalism in personal healthcare products and organic cosmetics.

○ By wearing aprons printed on Planet Organic’s logo, core values are effectively delivered to customers.

○ Noticeable aprons can raise Planet Organic’s brand awareness.

Weaknesses, based on observation and mystery shopping: ○ According to the interview answer with CEO, Planet Organic seldom has training and workshops.

○ Laid-back attire does not look professionally

○ Employees at the food counters rarely recognise the importance of high standards of hygiene.


Questions

Idea #3 ---- Cultivate

How is Planet Organic designing its relationships with suppliers

and stakeholders in order to deliver an efficient pre-purchase workflow?


Question 3

OWN PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN WESTBOURNE GROVE STORE, 2013

Based on our observation:Products come from all over the United Kingdom and customers do not see the products’ journey from farm to store.


Question 3

In interview, Peter Marsh said:○ “All our food is brought in fresh every day [...] We source fresh products as locally as possible, mostly from the South of England.”

○ “[Our senior buyers] travel around the world to source specialist products.”

○ “The good thing about organic is that it is audited nationally. Every organic product is certified.”


Questions

Idea #4 ---- Live

How is design being used to improve the customer experience

in the physical in store environment?


Question 4Strengths, based on observation:

○ No self checkout for good social interaction.

○ Strategic positioning of fresh perishable products.

Weaknesses, based on observation and CEO interview:

○ Inconsistent use of materials and colour palette.

○ Inefficient use of round tables.

○ Overlapping price tags.

○ Little or unclear signage.

○ Shelves are too high.

○ Long queues and poor customer flow.

Brigitte Borja de Mozota (2003) claimed that a customer’s knowledge of a product is influenced by the differentiated visuals and service around her/him.

31%22% 47%messy &

unattractive

Customer’s feedbackregarding store layout in general

pleasingwell-organised


Question 4

OWN PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN INTORRINGTON PLACE STORE, 2013

health & bodycarearea

beverages

productshelves

door tostaff room

hot food

cashier

fruits& veg

breads

eatingarea

eatingareaeating

area

bathroom

storage

cooleddrinks

fruits & veg

soup cashier(for food)


Questions

Idea #5 ---- Facilitate

How is Planet Organic using design and innovation to create new interconnected

platforms in order to bridge physical and virtual communication gaps?


Question 5

SCREENSHOTS OF PLANETORGANIC’S ONLINE PLATFORMS, 2013


Question 5

Planet Organic has recently launched a websiteand social network platforms, attracting their

young, tech-savvy consumer base...

... but as we have observed, the website lacks visual consistency, the blog is inactive, the social networks are not used to good advantage and Planet

Organic has not developed a mobile application. Overall, the company’s current digital platforms also have an uninspiring aesthetic. With the lack of interactive

platforms in store, the gap between physical and digital is too wide.


Questions

Idea #6 ---- Strengthen

What is the influence of design and innovation

in regards to Planet Organic’s brand extension?


Question 6

Strengths, based on observation:

○ They use a designed water purifier which reinforces the brand’s core values.

○ They have some of their own brand products, such as grains and nuts.

○ They use innovative ideas for blending healthy power juice from pure natural ingredients, and this attracts many customers.

○ The cutlery and coffee cups are well designed and aligned with their core values (natural and organic) as they are made of biodegradable sugar cane pulp. Canvas carry bags are an ethical extension and another good way of promoting the brand.

OWN PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN WESTBOURNE GROVE STORE, 2013


Question 6

Weaknesses, based on observation and literature research:

○ Planet Organic is conscious of protecting the environment but their approach is functional rather than strategic (Borja de Mozota, 2003) and eco-innovative.

○ They lack their own brand products. Because of this they are losing one powerful channel for brand communication: packaging.

○ Their brand identity and values are overall communicated inefficiently.

○ The company is not trademarked. Planet Organic might therefore have issues protecting their identity, if looking to expand to other localised markets overseas.

“Brand extension [...] involves extending

the product or range brand into an umbrella

brand. [...] The process consists of taking

the functional values of the brand and

identifying other products.”

-------- Andrew (1998)

“Brand extensions make sense when new

additions to the family serve to strengthen

the meaning of the brand, adding mass and

definition to whatever it is that makes it

different.”

-------- Neumeier (2005)


Recommendations

Recommendations


Recommendations

SWOT ANALYSIS

OPPORTUNITY

STRENGTH WEAKNESSES

THREAT

SO STRATEGY:

Using design to communicate strong ethical values to younger consumer base who are gaining awareness of organic lifestyles

WO STRATEGY:

Developing lacking digital platforms to attract youngconsumer base

ST STRATEGY:

Insisting on LOCAL provenance of products to avoid losing customers to big/growing competition

WT STRATEGY:

Enhancing brand equity to improve customer loyalty and avoid growing "organic" competitors

buildingrecommendation


Recommendation 1

PerceiveIn regards to using design and innovationstrategies efficiently within their market:

○ Use stronger brand guidelines (logo, colour palette, typefaces) in order for customers to be aware of Planet Organic’s visual identity, and to improve the brand’s overall consistency.

○ Better tell their story (what they believe, what they are doing) by finding ways to interact, in order to embed their values. They could design a more effective verbal feedback system (in store Guerrilla meetings) and re-design their current leaflets.

○ Create better uniforms that customers would be able to easily identify and which would also promote good hygiene standards (caps and hair nets), therefore better communicating the brand’s values.


Recommendation 2

EducateIn regards to using helping its staff embodythe brand values and deliver a unified service:

○ Develop innovative and interactive staff training workshops.Indeed, if they focus on their internal culture, they can form a single vision, enhance employee loyalty and create brand ambassadors (Boult, 2013).

○ Encourage staff to make mood boards or document their interests visually, for instance through a shared digital platform,in order to provide the company with valuable insight.

○ Involving staff in external ethical and sustainable events (such as fairs or charities) within the local community in order to raise their awareness of Planet Organic’s brand values.


Recommendation 3

CultivateIn regards to designing its relationships with suppliersand stakeholders for better pre-purchase workflow:

○ Building a “Creative Organic Community” with suppliers and pre-purchase actors, to involve themin collaborative processes.

○ Designing a sustainable urban farm (similarly to the Detroit case study) to involve end users as suppliers or stockists, a co-creation initiative promoting awareness of the local provenance of products (Sanders & Simons, 2009, in Choi, 2011).

○ Based on our enhanced SWOT analysis, Planet Organic should be devoted to CSR and design responsibilities by communicating fair trade values that could help reinforce the building of their creative community.

URBAN FARMING TAKEN FROM BLOOMBERG.COM, 2013


Recommendation 4

LiveIn regards to improving the customer experience in the physical in store environment:

○ Using sustainable or recyclable materials, such as wood on the walls, grass-like floors (based on SNOG case study) and live plants, in order to create a more natural environment and maximise the customer’s use of the space.

○ Designing long cafeteria-style benches in on save on space for the customers and improve customer flow.

○ Designing interactive infographic boards, and using screens in waiting areas, to attract customers and provide them with information about the origins of their products and their recycling chain (freecycling, e-cycling, precycling, downcycling and upcycling). (Ekenger, 2013)

ANTHROPOLOGIE STORE’S LIVING WALLFROM INSPIRATIONGREEN.COM, 2013


Recommendation 5FacilitateIn regards to creating new interconnected platformsin order to bridge physical and virtual communication gaps:

○ Based on our enhanced SWOT analysis, implementing stronger augmented reality and use current digital platforms more strategically and actively, in order to better connect with younger consumer market. Their blog could for instance include podcasts documenting different product journeys.

○ Creating a digital application solution, integratinga membership card, in order to improve customer flow and experience.

INTEL INTERACTIVE SCREEN TAKENFROM INTERFREEPRESS.COM, 2013


Recommendation 6

StrengthenIn regards to extending the Planet Organic brand:

○ Developing their own products, such as own brand food, drinks and cosmetics ranges, through observing consumer desires or needs (Andrew, 1998).

○ Using eco-friendly trolleys or carts both outside their stores and circulating locally around London, in order to raise brand awareness.

○ Launch in store or external events and activities to let customers test newly stocked or developed products.

○ In order to attract younger audience, introduce products and their health benefits through mascots or comic strips.

“Instill a design strategy into the implementation of the business strategy.” (Borja de Mozota, 2003)


Conclusion

Conclusion & InsightsIf Planet Organic becomes design-driven and looks into maximising the potential they currently have, they will be able to adapt and grow within the emerging organic market.

What we have learned...Design and innovation challenges that small and medium enterprises face are closely related to cost, time and human resources.

Understanding consumer behaviour through primary research, and learning to collaborate with them through co-creation, are crucial to ensuring a small and medium enterprise’s growth.


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detroit-is-planting-the-worlds-largest-urban-farm


INTERVIEW WITH CEO PETER MARSHIN WESTBOURNE GROVE STORE, 2013

Thank you!