Q. Why use Hazelton and not just our advertising agency?
A. Hazelton has the proprietary methods and creative expertise to uncover consumer needs and to create holistic brand concepts for both new and existing brands. Hazelton's strategic brand innovation comes before the marketing mix sub-strategies - including communication - are established. Hazelton's form of innovation is closer to that of a venture capitalist's - inventing or reinventing new products and services to generate superior ROI. Our culture and expertise focus on this form of creation. This compares to advertising creativity which makes communication memorable and intrusive. We enjoy working with advertising agencies and encouraging our clients to include a senior agency member to be a part of the development team. Once Hazelton has developed the brand concept, we hand it over to the marketing mix experts (advertising, packaging, promotion, etc.) while we continue to play a supportive role.
Q. Why use Hazelton and not just our own staff?
A. Managers often believe the task of brand innovation should be entirely theirs. This assumes the process is more product focused than consumer focused; more managerial than creative in nature.
Hazelton believes that using an outside innovation resource to compliment your team is as appropriate as using outside creative resources for new advertising.
Your brand director and his team play an active role, but use the innovative skills, minds and techniques of Hazelton to create the solution.
Q. What distinctive role can Hazelton play in our new product development program?
A. Hazelton specializes in the "fuzzy front end" of a new product process. We uncover hidden consumer needs overlooked by your competitors. We then create new product concepts that meaningfully meets these needs using consumer-driven innovation. Hazelton has developed the proprietary techniques and expertise over 15 years in order to deliver our successful brand solutions. We have the experience in working in most major brand categories so we can get up to speed quickly and create truly new brand ideas.
Q. What is unique about Hazelton's approach to growing existing brands?
A. We have many unique methods for brand renovation and repositioning for solid revenue and profit growth. These renovation/repositioning initiatives create a brand that meets the following:
* Meaningful
* Differentiated
* Credible
* Provocative
Hazelton brand concepts are strong enough that the rational and emotional benefits can be communicated by word of mouth alone. Some techniques include:
* A unique model of uncovering hidden consumer needs and brand equity, including the soft, non-functional dimensions.
* A proprietary process for developing and refining brand positioning using the Hazelton PositioningPyramid™.
* A unique innovation process, the SuperGroup, that combines creative consumers and the project team for all-day creativity workshops to create new brand solutions.
* A multi-discipline team with research, strategy and innovation expertise. Our integrated group provides a better opportunity to create better brand ideas. Our customer-driven approach provides the objectivity to create effective brand solutions.
Q. What added value does Hazelton bring to international or global projects?
A. Hazelton can conduct its strategic brand innovation process simultaneously in many countries, cultures and languages, providing an integrated global solution. We have worked in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia.
Our proprietary research techniques work in many cultures. Our structuring approach (Brand Concept Grids and PositioningPyramid) analyzes the findings to present common solutions across markets, yet sensitive to the issues that need to be addressed locally. Our senior team manages an international alliance of top-notch researchers and innovators who are expert in Hazelton's proprietary methods. A senior Hazelton strategist directs all steps of the program, including the analysis and reporting, to ensure the complex issues of global brands are addressed.
