That room came from recognizing its greatest strength as its weakness. HG solves problems, specific problems, better than anyone else. However, this status as a problem solver was creating a ceiling on sales. We needed to find a way to open up the portfolio to people unaware of the scope of solutions on offer.
HG HG does more than you think
You should be intimidated when you take on the challenge of guiding a household name. HG has almost complete spontaneous awareness, built an incredible reputation for doing exactly what it promises, and has over 300 products, of which an average of 2 are in every single household in the country. It’s a success many brands dream of and yet together, we needed to find the room for improvement.
Every household can use some extra HG
Approach
Wherever we looked in our research, from the packaging to the communication, from solving problems to taking on projects, categorization kept coming back as our solution. Clear categorization acted as a focus point for us to improve all communication. In packaging, categorization lowered the cognitive load in searching for your solution and worked on the shelf to introduce related products. In above the line and display it allowed us to move from single product stories to highlighting the range, and in e-commerce it increased the effectiveness of the user journey and experience 10 fold.
This new category approach is reflected in the first three TVCs, kitchen, bathroom, and living room.
Exposure
TV is a great medium for HG’s target group (anyone who owns things they want to keep in good condition). The robust market growth in recent years is proof of that. Given the evident success of the brand, it was important to keep the communication as consistent as possible. Keeping what works, like their no nonsense, straightforward, (almost Calvinistic) message and industrial visual style in packaging and story-telling, while opening up the message to be about your space instead of just your problem and increasing the executional quality in design and communication.
Experience
With categorization as our guide we were able to restructure and organize user journeys in a far more effective flow. Through content blocks, complementary product suggestions, tips and project instructions, visitors have a comprehensive understanding of the solutions at hand and the ways HG can help.
Once the visitor has made their selection of HG products, this new e-com platform supports the strong relationship HG has with their retailers. Giving visitors options to purchase with a trusted local or online retailer, or even HG themselves.
Effect
It's impossible for an individual to keep a product catalog of 300 SKUs in their mind. But through categorization we have strengthened & extended consumer understanding of HG's wide relevance. It has reduced the complexity of finding a specific solution while clarifying the relationship between products and encouraging multiple sales within a category.
The new e-com platform supplies HG with vastly increased data and understanding of their consumers needs and behaviors. Empowering them to constantly improve both the experience and communication in the future. From TVC and display, to packaging and e-commerce, the HG brand is clearer with a drive to increase product sales from a single solution to a range in each home.
