Top Banner
27

Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Oct 22, 2014

Download

Business

 
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow
Page 2: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Heineken: A brand with a passion for design

Page 3: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Over the last years, Heineken has invested a lot in

showing their passion for design to strengthen the link

between the brand and design. In 2011, the „aluminum

bottle‟ – being served in exclusive bars and clubs around

the globe – won a design prize during the Cannes Lions.

In the same year, Heineken decided to go one step

further by kicking-off a global design project,

connecting club goers and designers in the

development of a visionary nightclub.

The ultimate goal of this project was to design and

develop a concept club that would enhance the whole

nightlife experience.

Page 4: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Key to the idea was that the pop-up club should not

be created by Heineken‟s in-house design team

alone, but in co-creation with emerging design

talent from the same age group as the current

generation of clubbers. Therefore, „Open Design

Explorations Edition 1: The Club‟ crowd-sourced

young designers from four global design

capitals (New York, Tokyo, Milan and Sao Paulo)

by inviting them to submit their portfolio via

Heineken‟s Facebook page. Live portfolio

presentation events in these four design cities

resulted in the final selection and composition of the

design team: 19 emerging product, graphic, fashion,

interior and motion designers. Heineken‟s senior

design team and a crew of established designers

with fame functioned as coaches for the young

talents.

What to expect?

Page 5: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The Heineken concept club community

Page 6: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

So far, Heineken brought the ingredients

together that would lead to a beautifully

designed night club. The real question was

if all created concepts would be as

relevant to the clubbers. The project team

at Heineken understood that in order to

develop a relevant and impactful take on

club design, understanding the needs

and wishes of clubbers today would

be crucial. That‟s the reason why, during

the selection process of the young

designers, Heineken and InSites

Consulting were conducting a global

research project with club goers to

provide the design team with relevant and

true consumer understanding, acting as a

briefing, a source of inspiration and a

springboard for ideation

Page 7: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Engaging a group of young, trendy clubbers from all around the world to participate in research can be quite

a challenge and although the club of the future is an inspirational topic, the selection and execution of the

research methodology needs careful attention. We opted for an online research community (MROC) of three

weeks with 120 participants for various reasons:

1 A longitudinal piece of online qualitative research was the way forward as it makes it possible

to conduct a global project, in which clubbers need to be „followed‟ over a longer period of time, in a

rather cost and time efficient way.

2 The current generation of youngsters (Generation Y) are ‘digital natives’. The web is

their second home. Talking to and working together with other people in the online space feels very

natural to them. Next to that, the asynchronous connection in a community allows participants to join the

online discussion on the time and location of their choice, perfectly fitting the lifestyle of today‟s younger

generations.

3 Today’s youngsters are used to being empowered by their parents and they start to expect that

from brands as well. Our online research community connected the trendy clubbers with an aspirational

brand and facilitated the co-creation of a night club, a place that is part of their daily life. We worked

together with people who were interested to participate and who could inspire us with interesting stories:

design-savvy youngsters, living in one of the 12 trendiest cities on the planet (10 citizens of each city),

going to a club at least one time a week and being a non-rejecter of the beer category in general and

Heineken in specific. The participants were recruited through a snowballing process, which started on

Heineken‟s brand page on Facebook.

Page 8: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

In order to keep the community participants engaged over the course of

three weeks we took them on a journey (Schillewaert, De Ruyck, Van

Kesteren, Ludwig, 2010).

In four different rooms on the community platform they

could share ‘their current clubbing experiences’ and ‘the

role of clubbing in their routine’, ‘their view on the ideal

nightlife journey’ and ‘give feedback on the first sketches’ of

the designers.

The tasks presented to them were a mix of questions, writing reviews,

keeping a (photo) diary and holding discussion battles. To develop a

holistic view on the needs of clubbers, a movie metaphor was guiding the

participants through the different weeks – from selecting the actors in the

ideal nightlife journey, to the scenery and the scenario for the perfect

night out.

Page 9: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Reporting research results for maximal impact

Page 10: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The three-week dialogue with clubbers resulted in

over 2,000 comments, providing a unique

view on the meaning of clubbing in their

lives. In order to report the outcome towards the

designers in the most impactful way - a report

that they would actually read and use during the

creative process - we went beyond the traditional

ways of reporting.The analysis of the discussions

resulted in the shaping of 28 key learnings,

each linking a challenge for the design

team to the needs of their audience.

„Service design thinking‟ inspired the integration

of these learnings – spread over six touch

points – in a ‘consumer journey map‟: “A

„customer journey map‟ provides a vivid but

structured visualization of a service user‟s

experience.

The touch points where users interact with the service are

often used in order to construct a journey – an engaging story

based upon their experience. This story details there service

interactions and accompanying emotions in a highly accessible

manner” (Stickdorn, Schneider 2011).

Page 11: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

This „Nightlife Journey‟ was reported as an interactive

infographic (available at http://nightlifejourney.com),

not only accessible on desktops, but developed in

HTML5 with specific attention to iPad usage. The app

guides the designers through the six phases of a

night out: from „pre-club drinks and meeting-up‟,

„entering the club‟, „going for a drink‟, „dancing‟, „chilling‟

to „going home‟ (figure 2), telling the designers about

what the role was of a specific scene in the overall night,

what the clubbers‟ expectations were in that specific

moment; and emphasizing the frictions clubbers

encounter during their journey. To make the learning

experience as engaging as possible for the designers,

the 28 key learnings were formulated as consumer

quotes. Next to this, for each learning a design action

was indicated under the actual insight.

Page 12: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

From inspiration to co-creation

Page 13: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The „consumer journey map’ was shared with the

designers during a club tour of nightlife hotspots

in the design cities, taking their observations of the

clubbing environment and social interaction beyond the

obvious. The immersion in the clubbing scene, combined

with the knowledge of the consumer learnings, inspired the

team to come up with consumer centered ideas that truly

challenged the current nightlife experience.

In this phase, designers

received specialist coaching

from famous senior designers

within their discipline. After the

immersion in the clubbing scene

and the kick-off briefing,

designers and coaches

joined the clubbers and

the Heineken team on the

online community

platform, where they could

spark ideas and share first

sketches with each other (figure

3). In this way, the project took

full advantage of the

characteristics of the online

community platform; providing a

24/7 connection to stakeholders

from all over the world for a

longer period of time, supporting

true co-creation.

Page 14: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The end result: The concept club at the Milan

design week

Page 15: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The interactive consumer journey map did not only

serve as a briefing and a source of inspiration, the

research also proved to be crucial for the

senior designers in making the final selection

of ideas to be part of the actual club. By

taking the journey of clubbers as a starting point,

the Heineken Concept Club – showcased at the

Milan Design Week 2012 – successfully took the

design critics by surprise. From the lay-out of the

club, based on the six phases of the consumer

journey map, to the shelves where clubbers can

leave their drink while dancing, the whole

experience is designed to provide relevant and

impactful answers to the needs of clubbers. While

most clubs currently focus on their entertainment

value, the clubbers in the community reminded the

design team that going out is also about

hospitality:

“To have a fun night out in the club, we really

need to feel welcome. To start the night with

a great vibe, I’m in need for a warm, fun and

exciting atmosphere. The staff has an

important role in making my night enjoyable!”

The fashion designers transformed the staff and

dressed them in other-worldly outfits matching the

identity of the club and radiating positive energy. The hosts

provide guests with a warm welcome, the waiters wander around

instigating playful dares to get them out of their shells and when

it‟s time to move on, a friendly concierge guides clubbers

onwards, giving directions and arranging cabs home.

Page 16: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Tap a bottle-shaped icon on the

interactive bar surface and pulsing,

concentric circles attract the server’s

attention and tell him that you have priority over

the guy next to you. When your beer is served, the

bar man taps the icon to explode it, showing that

the order has been fulfilled.

By connecting with emerging designers, taking

inspiration from the nightlife journey of clubbers

and approaching club design as the service of the

ideal nightlife experience, Heineken pushed

the boundaries and unveiled a visionary

pop-up club, housing nine consumer

relevant design concepts and product

innovations. The stimulating and progressive

environment was designed to trigger the senses of

the audience and facilitate social interaction; it

proved to be an exceptionally welcoming,

memorable and conversational night out.

Even the simple act of ordering a beer has been

creatively deconstructed and carefully considered,

anticipating the need of clubbers to draw the attention

of the bar man:

“I often feel like the bar man is

ignoring me while I obviously try to

get his attention, I hate this!”

Page 17: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

A 360° evaluation of the project

Page 18: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Evaluation of the pop-up club by Milan clubbers

The day after enjoying this new clubbing experience, visitors of the club during the Milan Design Week

were invited for an online interview. Recruitment for this interview happened via Twitter and the database

of people invited to the opening. We selected 24 club goers for the interviews: 16 males and eight

females. At the core of the interview were three basic exercises: write a review, give the club a score, and

select and rank your favourite design objects that were showcased in the club.

Overall, the club got a report figure of almost 9/10 and was seen as a surprising and innovative

action of Heineken. Moreover, the concept club was perceived as a different and more entertaining

experience than in a regular club. Almost all reviews mentioned the link between Heineken as a brand and

„design‟. The interactive bar and the friendliness of the club personnel were also mentioned a lot

spontaneously.

The Top 5 Design Concepts, according to the visitors, were: the interactive bar, the special editions of

the award-winning „aluminium bottle‟ in which the beer was served, the staff‟s clothing, the exit and the

taxi service delivered by the concierge, next to the entrance of the club – which was giving the clubbers

already a glimpse of the vibes inside. The ideas behind all of these concepts were inspired by and shaped

based upon the consumer learnings we showcased in the „interactive journey map‟.

Page 19: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Evaluation of the project by the community participants

In the post-community evaluation

survey, the members gave the

project a score of 8/10. For them, it

was a pleasant experience that

made them have impact on the

future of a part of their life: going out

and clubbing. They really appreciate

the fact that Heineken is a brand that

listens to consumers. Also based on

their qualitative feedback, we may

state that the project indirectly

created 120 trendy and influential

brand ambassadors for life.

Page 20: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Evaluation of the project by the designers

In-depth interviews with the 19 emerging designers

emphasized the connection between the interactive

infographic and the end result. At the beginning of

their creative process they were mainly excited

about their collaboration with Heineken

and the goal of developing a visionary

nightclub. The design briefs – based on the

phases and insights of the „customer journey map‟ –

proved to be a critical success factor in structuring

the process and facilitating the collaboration. Most

designers perceived the community phase

as the most valuable part, as the answers they

generated to consumer needs in this initial phase

were key to the end result. The origami concept that

arose here served as a red thread in the design

vision and was applied to all elements in the club.

Mark Van Itterson, Head of Global Design at

Heineken, formulated it this way:

“The community was our online hub, a kind of

virtual creative lab. It was bridging all continents

and time zones, stimulating cross fertilization. It

kept the creative juices flowing through new

progress, new insights, new briefs”.

Heineken‟s „Open Design Explorations‟ also

changed how the emerging designers perceived

the concepts of „co-creation‟ and „consumer

research‟. They are now convinced that

consumer understanding is essential in

their design process and is a major

source of inspiration.

Page 21: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The after party: going beyond the boundaries of

research

Page 22: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

For every great party, there is building up the tension towards the night out, the party itself and a great after-party.

The same structure was used in the three staged PR approach Heineken used to spread the word about this

project:

1 the announcement of the project on the Facebook page and communication about

the progress of the project via press releases. All were well picked-up by a wide range of

influential design blog and the traditional press.

as a warm-up for the opening of the club in Milan, Heineken also communicated about the

learnings of the research community with clubbers. The „interactive journey map‟,

together with sketches from the designers based on the consumer input, was shared with the

press and the whole world (via social media).

during and after the opening of „The Club‟, Twitter and (design) blogs played an important role

in spreading the word about Heineken’s concept club.

2

3

Page 23: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Business impact of the project

Page 24: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

The pop-up club will now travel around the world. Clubbers from

trendy cities will be able to enjoy this new nightlife experience. Next to that, some

of the most well perceived design object will be produced and serve as „branded

utility‟ provided to owners of trendy clubs and bars by Heineken.

1. The afterlife of the club

The online interviews among visitors of the concept club indicate that the whole

of the project makes that the brand is being seen as more ‘original’ and

‘unique’, ‘cosmopolitan’, ‘innovative’, ‘self-confident’ and ‘a brand to be

seen with’ than before – a rather unique brand image for a beer, among these

young, trendy and influential people. They were surprised by the fact that

Heineken did this project, but it was perceived as a great idea, a cool project and a

very relevant end result. To conclude, four out of five visitors stated that they have

a better perception of the Heineken brand now.

2. Impact on the brand

Page 25: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

By analyzing the online conversations on the project in the period February 11th

2012 to May 11th 2012, we learn that Heineken’s presence at the Milan

Design Week strengthened its ties with the design world from within the

creative scene. Heineken „Open Design Explorations‟ was featured in 127

articles, mainly posted on specialty blogs focusing on one of the project‟s design

disciplines. In the defined period, the project generated 1,595 conversations on

Twitter, with a boost of 214 tweets on the third party night (April 19th 2012). These

conversations show a highly positive sentiment and are connecting values like

„uniqueness‟, „fun‟ and „surprise‟ to the Heineken brand. The highly targeted and

content-led design campaign proved to drive market and media engagement,

resulting in rich global coverage, sparking positive conversations and elevating

Heineken‟s reputation in open design innovation.

3. Online conversations and PR

Page 26: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

4. Implications for the market research profession

This case study demonstrates how important it is that also creative

professions lean on consumer insights in order to become more

successful in what they do. It also shows that we as market researchers

need to become more creative in the way we bring research results

and insights towards our clients and their stakeholders, in order to

become more impactful with what we do and to make sure that research results

are really used. We can learn from „management consultants‟ here in terms of

connecting the dots and reporting in a clear and very actionable

way. „Advertising creatives‟, on the other hand, can inspire us to package our

message in a more engaging and fun to use way. The „interactive journey map‟

app showcased both aspects to a large extent.

And finally, why would we be silent about co-creation and collaboration with

consumers? Why not communicate about the fact that we do it, the learnings we

gather from it and the final results; if it can have a positive effect on the (perceived)

consumer relevance of your products and services and the image of your brand?

Page 27: Heineken: Designing the Club of Tomorrow

Want to know more about Online

Research Communities?

+32 9 269 14 07

Tom De Ruyck Head of Research Communities

[email protected]