CLIENT
Sugarboo
INDUSTRY
Retail Beauty
Sugarboo creates high-quality hair styling products, and markets them through distribution partnerships with various retail outlets, such as Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx, etc.
The brand caters to primarily female audiences, and has earned a reputation among big box retailers for being innovative.
CHALLENGE
Despite modern technologies, the industry operates as it traditionally has. Typically, manufacturers like Sugarboo have to present prototypes seasonally to the big box retailers in order to gather feedback and gain approval before products are produced for distribution.
When Sugarboo had fallen behind in their annual product development cycle, it was no longer possible for them to deliver a working prototype to meet the seasonal deadlines. This left the company unable to market new products for the holiday sales cycle.
STRATEGY
DAMN GOOD sought to turn the client’s challenge into an advantage. Because the brand was already known as innovative to big box retailers, the agency recommended a solution that would support that important brand value, and potentially solve the client’s seasonal issue as well.
SOLUTION
DAMN GOOD proposed and implemented a virtual 3D prototyping system that dramatically reduced product development costs and timelines.
The agency identified a platform for presenting 3D renderings interactively over the Internet and created virtual prototypes to present to buyers.
Not only did this solve Sugarboo’s issue with timing, but it also introduced the industry to a more modern and innovative way of evaluating the prototypes it chooses to carry.
DAMN GOOD also guided the client in how the solution could be used to support direct-to-consumer (DtC) marketing efforts.
RESULTS
PROCESS
DAMN GOOD had worked with the client for several years, designing and producing unique and vibrant product packaging to help products sell in competitive retail environments.
When their seasonal product development cycle was interrupted, the client questioned whether it was still possible to meet retail deadlines for the year.
DAMN GOOD researched potential solutions, and presented Sugarboo with a virtual prototyping process that leveraged web-deliverable, interactive 3D renderings that allowed product prototypes to be turned and viewed at all angles in detail.
Not only did this substantially elevate the product presentation to retail purchasing officers, but it also allowed prototypes to be created with various color and style options. This made them far more likely to be accepted by purchasers.
Big box retail purchasers were impressed with the innovative format, which improved their ability to evaluate and give feedback to new products. This helped further Sugarboo’s positioning as an innovator within the industry.
The system effectively cut down the volume of edits, and dramatically reduced the turnaround time and costs associated with editing prototypes.
DAMN GOOD also advised the client that the same 3D modeling used to create prototypes could be used for marketing products directly to consumers (DtC) as well.
This allowed the client to diversify their marketing strategy to include both distribution and website-based DtC channels.
LEARN MORE
Interested in learning more about this project or how DAMN GOOD can assist your brand or enterprise?
