brand + identityresearch & analysis report

mark wilson300156343

overview

V Energy Drink by Frucor has been identified as the number one energy drink in New Zealand and Australia. They have established their current market status through successful campaigns and events that effectively employ and express their brand personality traits.

This project aims to increase V’s brand fame by designing a product, service, or system with an awareness of the brand’s personality and objectives, a specific cultural context in New Zealand, and a new form of technology. The integration of these three components will be the driving force behind the design.

approach

Music plays a large role in the social and community aspects of the lives of the ‘young Kiwi.’ It is possible to employ campaigns involving music to achieve their brand objective: to drive up the V loyalist base. One possibility is to introduce a music sharing platform that encourages a unique interaction between consumers, and extends to potential loyalists or customers through the common interest of music. This will be the project’s underlying theme, and will tie/incorporate the brand, the social context, and the new technology to achieve increased brand fame.

brand values

valuecreation

social context

new technologies

customer insight

Here in New Zealand, music is an integral part of youth culture. It serves as a universal language through which we are able to communicate and express our personal ideas, thoughts, or feelings with our peers. Using music as a common interest amongst young people across the country, and even the world, this project has the potential to a platform through which social bonds could be formed.

Music sharing could provide a creative and engaging experience for V consumers to enjoy, whilst simultaneously sparking curiosity in other potential V customers.

brand

Frucor’s brand, V Energy Drink, holds a clear objective: to increase their brand fame through engaging experiences that aim to strengthen social bonds, on both public and/or private levels. In the past, they have worked on large-scale events as campaigns to establish an public identity. These events communicate their brand personailty by introducing social and community-based activities that offer an exciting and engaging experience for their target demographic.

brand

Such campaigns have helped V identify themselves as the number one energy drink in New Zealand and Australia. Psychological associations with the brand and these activities are formed and, as a result, their campaigns have enabled them to develop a highly alluring product.

Although the brand is based solely around an energy drink as their core product, V has established a loyalist following through personality attraction by exploiting their own brand personality. All this is enhanced with a highly recognisable vibrant green and a ‘noisy’ logo, a refined visual branding, appropriately reflecting their brand personality.

context

From entertainment, to expressing emotions and feelings, music plays an important part in New Zealand culture, particularly amongst New Zealand youth. Now, through digital and online platforms, music is more accessible than ever, and it’s by exploiting this fact that design has the potential to change the way we listen to music and interact with the music industry.

music

In 2012, a national survey found that over three-quarters of New Zealanders aged between 15 and 24 years old had accessed music online. Surveys by NZ On Air found that 58% of 15 – 24 year olds in New Zealand stream music, compared with the all-New Zealand average of 23%, and 66% listen to CDs and Ipods, compared to the all-NZ average of 38%. These differences are thought to be because of the increase in accessibility to online platforms, consequently making music the media that is moving online faster than any other media. These statistics indicate the relevance music has with V’s target demographic.

technology

Technological advancements have allowed for a significant and rapid growth in global communications and networking. This has resulted in a dominating new way of information distribution: digital files. At the mere press of a button, files can be sent to anyone, anywhere in the world. This dramatic shift in globalisation and ‘informisation’ have helped shape modern society into what it is today, affecting everyone in one way or another. Due to better availability and accessibility, younger generations have subconsciously developed a comprehensive understanding of technology and information. This has induced a demand for designers to meet and exploit this knowledge and understanding in order for their designs to succeed.

RFID tags

Radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders are small electronic tags able to store small amounts of data that can be accessed wirelessly. Recently, they have been employed in various ways to improve the effectiveness of a product or service. Applied to V and music sharing, RFID tags offer potential to cultivate a unique interaction, not just between the customers and the product itself, but between customers – both existing and potential. Using RFID tags as a method of music sharing opens many creative opportunities to ultimately offer a unique social bond amongst existing and potential V customers. Through music as a relatable and common interest, V’s brand fame can extend to new groups of potential customers.

concept

Vshare uses information sharing as a method to increase social bonding and sense of community. Customers of V are able to enjoy sharing small files with other users through small temporary RFID tags that are attached to products. The tags catalyse a file transfer, and can be used as a switch to activate a file function.

public ‘v-points’

Vending machines or ‘V-points’ are fitted with RFID recievers that recognise and initate the file transfer when an RFID tag is presented. They have the appropriate media in order to share the file immediately. For example, if the file is a music file, the ‘V-point’ will play the track; and if the file is an image, it will be displayed. This file can be temporarily enjoyed by the public.

scenario

scenario

scenario

project plan

research + analysis development + prototyping final development

concept development+ expansion

user testing final product

appendix

https://www.virgin.com/music/why-do-we-share-music

http://timgrahl.com/the-6-types-of-social-media/

http://nytmarketing.whsites.net/mediakit/pos/

http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/apcity/unpan002006.htm

http://www.nzonair.govt.nz/document-library/2014-audience-research-full-report/

http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/film_and_television/cultural-experiences-survey.aspx

http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/information_technology_and_communications/HouseholdUseofICT_HOTP2012.aspx

https://vimeo.com/5703751