Introducing the world to a game-changing new chair
The three major functions we perform at New Word Order are strategy, branding and creative. Most projects encompass either one or two of these functions. So when a project comes along that requires all three, the excitement levels rise. Such was the case when we got involved in the du chair project. It showcased our agency’s ability to execute a complete process of marketing using our broad spectrum of research, strategic, branding, creative, design and production strengths. The du chair project was a collaborative and inspirational journey that took us all on a fulfilling ride.
Challenge
There was one critical challenge with the du chair. It was the first and only chair of its kind so there was no existing market. This wasn’t a negative challenge … it was simply unusual territory in that we were pioneering and creating a market for people who didn’t know they needed the du chair. It truly was a big story that needed telling.
Simply put, the du chair features world-first “equipoise technology” that can sit a person down and stand them up through the use of their own body movement. While du can be compared with other lift assist chairs such as electric recliners, du does not use power or any other external lifting force. The mechanism is controlled purely by a small weight transfer by the user.
From the outset, even though there wasn’t an established market, there was a clear idea of who the du chair would benefit. Initial discovery work included workshops and research groups that probed into the pull factors for the du chair, unearthing various insights and creating personas of ideal prospective buyers.
Aside from creating a new market for du, the other key challenge was deciding on how to pitch the product. Was it a medical aid product designed to assist people manage their health and mobility? Or was it a lifestyle product designed to enhance the user’s day to day life? Through our research and discovery process, the answer became clear.
The spark
The more we interrogated the product and researched different prospective beneficiaries and influencers, it became self-evident that du was not merely a medical assistance product but also a lifestyle enhancement product.
Through a rigorous testing process, we identified that independence was the core benefit that the du chair could offer potential markets. The theme of independence became the cornerstone of all further strategic work.
From a strategic sense, we were able to flex the idea of independence in various ways. It could mean staying in your home longer, addressing mobility issues, improving your daily lifestyle, or even arresting health decline. Through the product development process, the du chair technology had already garnered academic research and therapist support for its human movement benefits. Our job was to turn those findings into a marketing story.
Creative
With the branding phase completed, attention turned to conceptualising and producing an agreed set of assets. A driving force behind the creation of materials was an intent to reflect that there was no other chair like du, the creative should be similarly unique. We didn’t want du creative to look like anybody else out there.
An overall theme for the creative direction was to focus on joyful movement, creating a strong sense of activeness for the brand. In a sector that sees a lot of stagnation, our objective was to build motivation among audiences by being lively and spirited.
A website for du was seen as the most critical piece of infrastructure required to launch the product successfully. Our process included the creation of an initial basic interim website while a full-scale website development and build was under way. The final result was a highly structured and rich informational site that perfectly balanced design beauty and performance function. The design and content writing for the site was all created in-house.
The website required an extensive list of embedded assets such as videos and still photography, with our team therefore overseeing several image capture productions. A high-level brand video was produced, along with the production of multiple video and still image assets. Our team worked closely with agency production partners to achieve the high level of quality demanded by the spirit of the du brand.
Other design and collateral pieces also were part of the market launch for du, culminating in the first stage of the creative development.
Outcome
The du launch has had an immediate and significant impact. Therapist groups such as OTs have thrown enormous support behind the product to help amplify the initial marketing efforts.
Trial campaigns will be followed by extensive broad market activity, with the eventual goal to take the du brand onto a global stage.