The sustainable battery
eneloop is the only battery brand that exclusively ships rechargeable batteries to more than 80 countries. It sells several types of batteries and chargers. With its typical Japanese-inspired design, this Advanced Power Solutions (formerly Panasonic) brand is loved by consumers all over the world. eneloop draws the sustainability card and aims to be the next generation in environmentally friendly batteries, opting for the convenience of standard batteries while adding the benefits of rechargeable batteries. So these batteries represent pre-charged, long-life, recyclable, rechargeable batteries that save energy and money.
For the launch of its new and plastic-free packaging for its chargers, they wanted to find the right ‘jacket’ to align with their positioning as a sustainable brand and product. Before launching its new charger packaging effectively, eneloop wanted to validate the performance of its packaging designs directly with consumers. To achieve these goals, together with One Inch Whale, we disrupted the traditional approach to packaging research.
Research approach
Based on the existing and desired brand values, a certified visual colour identity was determined. Subsequently, the design agency involved, started working with this designing the packaging. In addition, we looked at how the consumer could be better guided in the purchase and usage of the chargers, by determining the crucial claims and product information on the pack. Based on this, the design agency proposed several executions, which we then validated on determining factors such as attention, clarity and the colour success factor via predictive intelligence.
After several iterations, two promising routes remained that took into account some important insights:
- the consistent use of the right icons to communicate product information clearly and intuitively
- determining the right colour tones to communicate the right product and brand associations subconsciously
- creating a relevant hierarchy in the quantity of products and variants
In the next phase, these two options were contextually validated with consumers compared to the current packaging, in different European countries. The study declared a clear winner, which had a significant impact on sales results since.
Original article by One Inch Whale, our partner in Research & Visual nudging.
