Frealy. Development of the digital product brand

6 min readMay 23, 2022

TASKS: qualitative consumer research; desk research of the market and competitors; brand strategy; brand platform; visual communications; verbal communications.

1. SETTING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Two owners set us the challenge of creating a new brand of digital product, which combines the functions of a messenger and a scheduler and automates the routine process of transferring tasks from one to another.

We conducted interviews with owners using our unique methodology. It allows to identify underlying motives and product vision and to synchronize the client’s team. During the interview, we found out that both owners perceive their product and its development strategy differently.

How to choose the brand role in the highly competitive market of digital products and services, formulate positioning and unique advantages to introduce the brand at the market, if the owners see them a little differently?

2. DATA COLLECTION

We did not conduct extended studies of the target audience as part of this project, because we are the target audience. However, we used our proprietary in-depth interview technique based on the behavioral models and the collection of associations and metaphors.

We discovered during the interview that the owners look in the same direction in terms of the functional characteristics of the product, but they see the image of the future brand, the core of its target audience and its advantages in completely different ways.

We understood that when a startup enters the market in conditions of high competition and a limited budget, it has only one “shot”: each attempt requires a large amount of resources. However, target hit is simply impossible without synchronization of meanings between owners and focus on a specific target audience.

In order to avoid miscalculation or at least the development of an infinite number of concepts from which it is impossible to choose, we analyzed the market and described several possible positioning options to the owners — this allowed us to outline a single goal.

3. OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS

You need to see a holistic view of the market in order to determine the target audience of the brand, formulate meanings and translate them into a visual plane. First of all we identified the key players and conducted a desk analysis of their verbal and visual communications, role models and strategies; and then we added the experience and knowledge gained during the implementation of other projects.

It is important to mention that the “product complexity” criterion figuratively divided the market into two zones, where zone-1 is functionally simple products, and zone-2 is complex, detailed products.

Functionally simple products from zone-1 operate on the semantic field “Easy”. The key message of the up-to-date role model “Wizard” is “Magic lightness and instant work performance”.

At the same time there is up-to-date role model “Helper” for complex functional products from zone-2, which operates in the semantics of Simple with the key message: “We will help you cope with your work as simply as possible, without any extra effort.”

The role model “Helper” is the trend of the digital products and services market. It is typical for large players whose teams compete in terms of the number of tested innovative ideas. However, if it is about a startup when you need to bring a new product to the market successfully, it is critical to find a product identity, formulate unique advantages and focus on specific segments of target groups.

Reached conclusions

Due to the fact that we developed the concept for the MVP product, which will be finalized and developed, we decided to focus on an audience that appreciates novelty and avoidance of routine processes. Thus it became clear what the tone of voice, positioning and design concepts should be. The customer needed a product that would communicate emotionally, inspiringly with expressive images.

Who became the core of the target audience

The target group of the new product consists of young micro-teams: teams of marketing agencies and independent ones (4-7 people). These specialists are creative, dedicated and seek harmony in all spheres of life. They don’t want to waste time on organizing their workflow, but they understand the importance of synchronization and teamwork. The specialists prefer to independently explore existing values and decide what is right, because traditions don’t appeal to them.

TA values:

enthusiasm for work and interest in the cause;
independence and love of freedom;
enthusiasm for work and interest in the cause;
creative approach;
openness and flexibility;
focus on harmonious relationships.

TA drivers:

novelty, ease, high speed of development;
personal growth and respect for the right of other people to self-determination.

Barriers and fears of TA:

formal rules and monotony;
the inability to put into practice their ideas and complete what they started.

What was the main request of the target audience?

People from client’s target audience noted several important things:

they would like to work in a team of like-minded professionals, where they can implement creative ideas;
they don’t like routine and standardization — it distracts them from the main thing and brings boredom;
they need a tool that keeps the entire team in sync and allows everyone to work in their own style.

We immediately understood how our brand would respond to this.

— Freedom to be yourself. We created a messenger+scheduler so that members of microteams can easily set up workflows. We help to solve creative problems in a team without losing individuality, choosing own rhythm, following freedom and inspiration.

— Nativeness. The friendly and responsive interface makes it easy and quick to get started, minimizing routine and speeding up so you can focus on what matters most: new ideas and creativity.

— Synergy. The product helps the team to synchronize and be on the same page. The union of like-minded people provides further impetus and energy to turn dreams into reality.

4. BRAND PLATFORM

«TASK-MESSENGER for simple workflow and communication for young creative micro-teams» is a key position that must enter the minds of consumers.

The brand metaphor is an image understandable to the consumer: Freestyle is a free style. Bright, modern, variable, with light dynamics.

Mission is the highest goal without reference to profit: it is about bringing the talented ideas of young creative teams to life.

When we synchronized the brand image not only between all team members, but also with the needs of the target audience, it became clear that the old name Orchestra does not suit the product. After all, the Orchestra is a large and complex system that does not fit in with micro-teams, freedom and variability. Therefore, we came up with a new name — Frealy, which fully fit into the brand positioning and met the trends: short, capacious and easy to pronounce.

Frealy brand still has a lot of work to do: develop a strategy in its communications and convey its message to the TA (now we are working on this together) — we will definitely return with the results of this work. In the meantime, we wish the Frealy team to successfully break into the market and demonstrate its advantages.

If you have a similar problem — for example, you see the future of the brand differently than your business partner — come to us at Opencore, we will help you figure it out!

Originally published at https://www.opencore.pro.