6 INNOVATION TERRITORIES
Rich opportunity spaces identified through ethnography, expert interviews and global quantitative research.
Helping Unilever shape the future of hair styling
UNILEVER
The world of hair styling had changed. Consumers were approaching styling differently, routines were evolving, and traditional sources of expertise were losing influence.
For Unilever, understanding these shifts was critical to future growth. The business wanted to explore how the category had evolved since the pandemic and identify where the biggest innovation opportunities existed for the years ahead.
We helped Unilever uncover the emerging needs, behaviours and tensions shaping the future of styling, creating a clear roadmap for innovation and product development.
UNDERSTANDING THE OPPORTUNITY UNDERSTANDING A CHANGING CATEGORY
The pandemic accelerated shifts in how people learn about, care for and style their hair. The challenge was understanding which changes would endure and what they meant for the future of the category.
We combined multiple sources of inspiration, including expert interviews and a five-day ethnographic panel with consumers in the US and Brazil, to understand evolving styling behaviours and unmet needs.
The research uncovered three major shifts. First, consumers increasingly struggled to understand their own hair and navigate complex product ranges. Second, expertise was moving away from salons towards influencers, tutorials and personalised advice. Third, consumers were becoming more aware of the damage caused by styling and colouring, creating a growing willingness to invest in preparation, protection and recovery routines.
These insights formed the basis of six innovation territories, which were prioritised through quantitative research across the US, Brazil, Mexico, China and Japan.
5 GLOBAL MARKETS
Needs prioritised across the US, Brazil, Mexico, China and Japan.
10 OPTIMISED CONCEPTS
A pipeline of future styling opportunities tested and refined with consumers.
THE RESULTS
Creating a roadmap for future growth
The work helped Unilever move beyond individual product ideas and develop a clearer view of where the styling category was heading over the next three to five years.
The research highlighted the growing convergence between hair care and styling, confirming that preventing damage had become the single most important factor influencing styling choices.
Working collaboratively with packaging specialists CDP, we translated these insights into ten innovation concepts, which were tested and optimised with consumers in the UK and US.
The result was a clear innovation roadmap, giving Unilever confidence in the future direction of the category and a pipeline of next-generation styling opportunities designed around emerging consumer needs.
BANG & OLUFSEN
Defining luxury in premium audio
As competition intensified, Bang & Olufsen sought to move beyond premium and establish a clearer position in luxury audio.
We uncovered the needs, expectations and codes of the luxury consumer – redefining what drives value at the high end. These insights shaped a more focused portfolio strategy, enabling B&O to sharpen its positioning, align its offer and build a more distinctive, future-facing presence in the luxury space.
CARLSBERG
Unlocking growth in hard seltzers
With hard seltzers booming, Carlsberg needed to define where and how to win globally.
We identified the key consumer drivers shaping adoption and translated them into clear, market-specific opportunities. This enabled Carlsberg to prioritise launches and focus investment; starting with targeted trials in Norway and Singapore before scaling into a broader global rollout.
The result was a more focused, insight-led entry into a fast-growing category.
BRITTANY FERRIES
Brand repositioning beyond core offer
As competition from low-cost, sun-focused holidays intensified, Brittany Ferries needed to evolve beyond its core ferry crossing offer and reposition itself as a provider of richer, end-to-end holiday experiences. We helped redefine the brand around what makes it truly distinctive: travelling by sea as part of the holiday itself, with access to discovery-rich destinations along Europe’s western coastlines. This new positioning came to life through a new logo and visual identity we created, alongside a reimagined onboard experience on its latest ships—designed to fully embody the brand’s promise.
BAKKAVOR
Reimagining the future of ready meals
Bakkavor set out to create a distinctive new brand in the competitive ready meals category without relying on retail or celebrity cues.
We combined deep category insight with consumer and expert perspectives to define a clear innovation opportunity, then took it end-to-end; from strategy through to concept, naming, design and launch.
The result was a multi-SKU range built to cut through at shelf and unlock new growth.
JABRA
Leading the future of the workplace
Jabra sits at the forefront of workplace innovation, navigating rapid shifts in technology, behaviour and environments.
We partnered with Jabra to explore what’s next; from the impact of AI to hybrid working and wellbeing, translating emerging trends into clear innovation opportunities.
Our work helped shape product and proposition development, ensuring Jabra continues to lead the category and unlock future growth.
SKY
Reframing the brand for a new era
Sky needed to shift consumer perception and reappraise its role in people’s lives.
We provided strategic guidance to define a new creative platform – grounding the brand in a more emotional, distinctive space that could cut through and resonate at scale.
This thinking became the foundation for the award-winning “That Sky Feeling” campaign, helping to reframe the brand and drive renewed relevance with audiences.
STARBUCKS
Rebuilding the Starbucks Reserve brand
Starbucks Reserve launched in EMEA to strengthen coffee authority, but underdelivered on awareness and engagement.
We redefined the brand’s strategic role and growth potential across key markets, developing and testing future brand territories with 2CV. This enabled us to prioritise the strongest opportunities and deliver a clear, commercially grounded roadmap, which identified must-win battles and where to focus investment into the areas with the greatest potential to drive growth.
TIKTOK
Embedding the audience growth strategy in TikTok
A segmentation framework only creates value if it’s adopted. After developing a global audience segmentation, we partnered with teams to bring it to life across the organisation.
From a high-impact launch event and leadership-led content to personalised tools and assets, we created a shared language and made the framework easy to use day-to-day.
By embedding it across content, product and communications, the work helped unlock a clear path to more than 500 million new users.
UNILEVER
Future-proofing hair styling innovation
Unilever needed to understand how hair styling had evolved post-pandemic and define a future-facing innovation roadmap.
We combined global research, expert input and deep consumer immersion to uncover emerging needs and identify six high-potential innovation territories. Through collaborative ideation and testing, we refined a focused set of concepts.
The result was a clear pipeline of next-generation products and the confidence to move forward in a rapidly evolving category.