Project Overview

Timeline

This project was created by the Summer 2024 Siegel+Gale New York Intern Class over the span of the internship (June 3, 2024 - August 10, 2024)

Background

Carousel is a project where I along with a team of 12 defined, designed and activated a new parent brand for a spun off ice cream powerhouse. I lead the development of the parent company's brand strategy along with designing of a digital touchpoint and physical activation to bring this product to life.

Our Task

Our Task

Our Task

Define, design and activate a new parent brand for this spun off ice cream powerhouse. Develop the parent company's brand strategy, design a new visual identity, create a product extension, and tell an ingredient brand story across all products.

Whats Going On Here?

Where It Started

Unilever has controlled the ice cream industry for the past 20 years. It acquired 5 of the 10 best-selling ice cream brands in the world, hoping to take control of the industry. Little did they know, it wouldn’t be easy.


Where It's Going

Unilever has decided to spin-off it's ice cream division because it was bringing down their overall profits. The board wants Unilever to focus on its other portfolio brands and believes that ice cream will be better delivered under a different structure. This newly spun off frozen treats brand now needs a new parent brand and identity.

So What Are We Trying To Achieve Here?

  • Become known as the undisputed ice cream leader

  • Create a buzz-worthy parent brand that supports a successful spin-off from Unilever

  • Build a strong c onnection and distinctive seal of quality across all brands

  • Successfully launch a new product extension

So What Are We Trying To Achieve Here?

  • Become known as the undisputed ice cream leader

  • Create a buzz-worthy parent brand that supports a successful spin-off from Unilever

  • Build a strong c onnection and distinctive seal of quality across all brands

  • Successfully launch a new product extension

So What Are We Trying To Achieve Here?

  • Become known as the undisputed ice cream leader

  • Create a buzz-worthy parent brand that supports a successful spin-off from Unilever

  • Build a strong c onnection and distinctive seal of quality across all brands

  • Successfully launch a new product extension

Research | Exploring Our Audience

During our research we surveyed a total of 182 people where we were able to get 3 main opportunities for SpinCo before we delved into our strategy and designing the Re-brand. To start the survey we first defined our goals through research objectives.

Our Research Objectives

  • Determine key preference drivers in the industry

  • Determine perception of our brands within our portfolio

  • Determine perception of our portfolio versus competitors

  • Find “white space” within our portfolio and across the competitive landscape

Our Research Objectives

  • Determine key preference drivers in the industry

  • Determine perception of our brands within our portfolio

  • Determine perception of our portfolio versus competitors

  • Find “white space” within our portfolio and across the competitive landscape

The Survey

With these objectives defined we were able to create survey that would get a view on the landscape of ice-cream consumption. We decided on the format of survey due to it being something that could be easily done in a short amount of time with a large amount of people.

Mode and Timing

A ~15 minute survey online survey conducted June 2024 taken by 182 people

Once created we were able to send it out and we got a variety of statistic regarding demographics, our overall performance in the market, and what we were known for.

Demographics

Our Overall Performance

In this portion of the survey we can see that our brands (shown in blue) are just as well known if not more than our competitors (shown in grey)

What We Are Known For

This important information brought us to our key design opportunities that became our source of truth for all members of our team when it came to their respected portions.

Key Design Opportunities

From this survey we gathered three 3 main insights which we then translated into opportunities for our spin off parent brand.


Insight: We offer a wide range of brands that are well known for certain attributes


🍦 Opportunity | Champion brand individuality : Preserve the strengths of our individual brands by keeping SpinCo’s brand at arm’s length; champion accessibility through variety.


Insight: Consumers associate our brand with nostalgia and indulgence


🍦 Opportunity | Champion indulgence and nostalgia: Continue championing the allure of indulgence and the charm of nostalgia.


Insight: Ice cream makes people happy! 😋


🍦 Opportunity | Champion happiness: Foster happiness


Key Design Opportunities

From this survey we gathered three 3 main insights which we then translated into opportunities for our spin off parent brand.


Insight: We offer a wide range of brands that are well known for certain attributes


🍦 Opportunity | Champion brand individuality : Preserve the strengths of our individual brands by keeping SpinCo’s brand at arm’s length; champion accessibility through variety.


Insight: Consumers associate our brand with nostalgia and indulgence


🍦 Opportunity | Champion indulgence and nostalgia: Continue championing the allure of indulgence and the charm of nostalgia.


Insight: Ice cream makes people happy! 😋


🍦 Opportunity | Champion happiness: Foster happiness


Strategy | Defining Our Brand

Strategy | Defining Our Brand

Strategy | Defining Our Brand

From our research survey we mainly realized that people associate nostalgia with togetherness

💬 Ice cream is a vehicle of togetherness but right now people aren't together and as the world grows more disconnected, people are increasingly craving connection.

Experience Principles

Once this strategy was defined I was able to outline very clear experience principles to how our brand would feel and interact with it's audience. These 3 experience principles led my design for the website and physical activation part of this project and was so important to the work I created.

Experience | Site Map & Low-Fidelity

Experience | Site Map & Low-Fidelity

With the research complete, the strategy set and the design foundation in place, it was finally time to breathe life into the experience portion of our brand. . I began by stepping into the shoes of my audience—asking myself, Who are they? What do they need? What do they hope to feel when interacting with this site? Answering these questions allowed me to build a clear picture of my users and their goals.

With the audience defined I then was able to make a clear site map. This allowed me to have a clear plan and hierchy of the site I was going to creat before wireframing and allowed me to carefully think through the user journey and their needs.

As a supplemental guide before starting low-fiedlity I also turned this site map into blockwires to create a even clearer vision of the site I was creating

Experience | Mid-Fidelity

Experience | Mid-Fidelity

With the research complete, the strategy set and the design foundation in place, it was finally time to breathe life into the experience portion of our brand. . I began by stepping into the shoes of my audience—asking myself, Who are they? What do they need? What do they hope to feel when interacting with this site? Answering these questions allowed me to build a clear picture of my users and their goals.

With the audience defined I then was able to make a clear site map. This allowed me to have a clear plan and hierchy of the site I was going to creat before wireframing and allowed me to carefully think through the user journey and their needs.

As a supplemental guide before starting low-fiedlity I also turned this site map into blockwires to create a even clearer vision of the site I was creating

PHYSICAL ACTIVATION & WEBSITE DESIGN

A Spin-Off Parent Rebrand & Activation

ROLE

Strategy & UX/UI

team

S+G Intern Class

S+G Intern Class

YEAR

2024

2024