Rebuilding Relevance

The Challenge

Helping a suncare brand strengthen its global presence by refreshing its positioning and communications approach.

In light of the shifting expectations for beauty and skincare today, a suncare brand with deep roots in traditional sunscreen was on a mission to stay relevant and strengthen its global presence by refreshing and updating its understanding of its target audience.

The Approach

Being women and skincare/suncare junkies ourselves, we came in with a strong set of hypotheses rooted in culture and beauty trends. We designed an approach that helped us understand not only the cultural conversation and impact of micro-brands, but also who their target is and what she values, the role of her relationship with skincare/suncare, as well as her connection to the brand. The process began with a 3-day Sound Wave across the US, UK, and Mexico to build foundational insights, followed by a series of in-home friendship pairs to further unpack the learnings and nuances. The project culminated in a dynamic and engaging one-day workshop and presentation of our findings, where we brought the suncare brand team and Sound teams together to align on key learnings and implications and collaborate on next steps for the brand.

The Impact

Our beautifully designed report, market-specific category maps and pen portraits, and insights-driven film inspired the brand to rethink the way it connects with today’s young woman—and even the target’s internal moniker which spoke better to the previous generation!

Ultimately, our learnings helped shape their brand strategy, product portfolio, 2021 campaign, and future innovation pipeline.