Re-imagining Colgate as a holistic health & wellness partner
This case study explores a strategic project undertaken for Colgate-Palmolive, focusing on the generation of insights, value proposition design, and the identification of opportunity areas to target the Generation Z consumer segment.
The project aimed to tap into the unique preferences, needs, and behaviors of Generation Z, enabling Colgate-Palmolive to develop innovative and engaging products and services that resonate with this influential consumer group.
By following a comprehensive and iterative process, the project successfully created actionable strategies and business models to drive growth and establish a competitive edge in the market.
Interviewing Gen Zs and identifying opportunity areas
Research Findings
I conducted over 30 in-depth interviews with Gen Z consumers in Singapore, extracting valuable insights into their oral care habits, sustainability concerns, digital preferences, and expectations from personal care products. These interviews enabled me to create four distinct archetypes representing different segments within the Gen Z population, each with unique needs and desires.
Common concerns and tensions raised by Gen Z were physical appearance (whitening, alignment), self-expression, worries about their future and financial wellbeing. Premium oral products were deemed as unnecessary, they are budget and value conscious and value self-care and mental well-being above everything else.
There is a need to shift from oral care to holistic health and wellness and several opportunity areas emerged:
Enriching ‘Me time’ — Help Gen Z build healthy winding down moments and habits
Enhanced beauty and appearance — Provide wellness-oriented products that boost confidence
Create phygital wellness spaces — Creating an omnichannel experience unique to Colgate
Getting the best night’s sleep — Provide holistic care that leads to better sleep
Be their mindfulness partner — Help Gen Z build mindful habits and approaches to life
From oral care to overall health — Making oral care more personal and human
Expanding on opportunity areas
Building upon the insights and competitive analysis, the project team embarked on ideating business models, concepts and value propositions that aligned with the preferences and needs of Gen Z. At this stage, we wanted to expand on the possibilities of what Colgate could look like within the various opportunity areas.
Facilitating co-creation workshops
Through workshops and co-creation sessions involving consumers, cross-functional teams, and experts, value propositions and concepts were developed, ensuring that key pain points and aspirations of the target audience were addressed. These value propositions were then validated through further high-fidelity prototyping and consumer testing, ensuring that they resonated with Gen Z and provided tangible benefits.
Solution Validation with Gen Z
The focus was on creating high-fidelity prototypes and concepts based on the identified value propositions and insights gathered from co-creation workshops. Three early product concepts were developed during these workshops, incorporating the input and ideas of Gen Z participants.
To assess the needs and desirability of each concept, interviews were conducted with 10 Gen Z participants. These interviews provided valuable feedback and insights, allowing for iterative refinements and improvements to the prototypes and concepts. The solution validation phase played a crucial role in ensuring that the final offerings would effectively meet the preferences and expectations of the target Gen Z consumers, ultimately enhancing the chances of market success for Colgate-Palmolive.
Conclusion and handover
This strategic project for Colgate-Palmolive encompassed a comprehensive process of consumer interviews, competitive analysis, value proposition design, opportunity identification, and solution validation. Through over 30 in-depth interviews, key consumer insights and four distinct archetypes were identified. Clearly defined opportunity areas were created and validated by creating high-fidelity prototypes and gathering sentiments through solution validation interviews.
This comprehensive approach enables Colgate-Palmolive to confidently navigate the Gen Z market, with a strategic roadmap and innovative offerings that address the specific preferences and needs of this influential consumer segment.
