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Ecover & Method - Innovation acceleration

How we empower R&D to launch better & faster - helping Ecover's clean world revolution

    In 2011, when Ecover invented a new formulation for detergents, they contacted Made to facilitate the process from formula to innovative applications consumers would love.

    It started with an ideation session and resulted in a relationship as an innovation partner, speeding up the operations of this beautiful organisation, making a healthy and sustainable lifestyle easy.

    Ecover: Changing the way we do dishes

    I have been working for over 8 years with Made and still feel the same passion and commitment from the team. Over the years, Made have been crucial in supporting us to go after some bold and pioneering innovation. A truly reliable partner that continued to push the boundaries for us.

    Tom Domen, Ecover

    What if refilling would be the new normal?

    Could we convince consumers to start refilling durable packaging? How would this service look? Can we look at all aspects of this challenge; including logistics, human behaviour, business and packaging?

    What if we’d consider waste as a resource?

    Can we shift from a linear to a circular economy? What would be the impact on FMCG? Should we stop at swapping ingredients, or should we rethink the whole value proposition?

    What if consuming more would be beneficial?

    Can the product be built in such a way, that consuming more is beneficial to the world?

    What if detergents would contain no water?

    Concentrated products come with lots of benefits. Can we imagine how that experience looks? How will it impact consumers' willingness to buy?

    Visualizing & Validating the potential of R&D breakthroughs

    As innovation partners, we work closely together with both R&D and Long term innovation, supporting the continuous conversation between both divisions.

    We co-create, challenge, visualise and prototype R&D innovations and push them forward towards the operational product development processes.

    What starts as a preliminary idea is turned into a tangible product in a matter of weeks, ready for further user validation and testing.

    Longer-term innovation opportunities are always on the radar and are spotted, validated and taken as the starting point for new products, services or business challenges.

    Ecover Ideation session: Opportunity spotting

    Spotting opportunities

    during creative sessions and workshops

    Gathering Insights through prototyping

    What could a concept look like? How would people use it?
    Would people be interested in it?

    Throughout the whole innovation process, we prototype every step of the way. Prototypes range from quick & dirty prototypes to high fidelity mock-ups with functional laundry and cleaning products.

    We invite consumers, but also R&D formulators, marketing and salespeople to take part in the validation process. Hence, we can validate not only the desirability but also the viability and feasibility of the innovations.

    High fidelity prototypes

    to test ideas on the potential target group & market

    User testing for qualitative propositions

    There is quite a large gap between what people say and what they do. That is why user validation is crucial for gauging the potential success of a concept.

    Made offers qualitative and quantitative techniques to validate the product-market fit in a structured way.

    1. Thorough interview screeners, design probes, in-situation semi-structured interviews, and a slew of other tools to conduct customer research
    2. A comprehensive report gives an overview of all insights and findings.
    3. The most crucial part, however, is turning insights and recommendations into tangible new and improved concepts and products.
    Example of Customer research report for Ecover

    Design probes & booklets

    Supporting user research.

    People cleaning in new ways

    Growing as innovation partners.

    What did we learn since that first ideation session? A lot. Most important: We learned that opportunities could be captured, challenged, expanded and tested. This lead to our long-term relationship.

    Ecover has given Made a role of innovation partner. As challenger & inspirator, we introduce new ways of rapid prototyping & user research at every turn, inspiring R&D to go beyond today’s possibilities, opening the spectrum of research and validation.

    Flowchart: How to accelerate your innovation process
    MADE office 2019

    Enhance your process accelerate innovation impact

    We distilled three ways to innovate faster & better, as a long term partner to many successful product owners:

    • 1. Accelerate R&D teams

      A lot of R&D- & engineering- colleagues are geniuses. Visualizing and validating their ideas and turning technology into concepts and products helps them to have more impact faster.

    • 2. Help Design teams Validate

      A lot of design teams do beautiful work. We help validate their designs by prototyping & validating them.

    • 3. Refresh the excitement

      While your company works on ideas for today, we can help you identify and discover those next challenges on the horizon to stay successful in the future. Stay inspired.

    • Your teams have superpowers. But sometimes they need to work together more closely. We help bridge the gap between departments. That is how we accelerate your innovation process.

      Is this a challenge you recognise?

    Book a chat

    Antwerp office

    Klokstraat 16
    2600 Antwerp
    Belgium
    BTW BE0809.023.055

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