Project Description
A new copy paper pack for China’s offices
The brief
A world-leading copy paper company wanted to grow its share in China and was considering several new pack designs for one of its ranges. It asked us to find the design its customers would find most appealing. Office paper is a huge market in China, driven by the size of the population and by the paperwork that regulation and bureaucracy demand.
Why it was hard
Copy paper has very different buyers. Procurement staff at big corporations, office managers at small firms, government officers and individual consumers all buy it, in different ways and for different reasons. And the research only works with people who genuinely run paper buying, not just anyone who uses a printer.
How we did it
This was a full-service project. We began with desk research on the market: competitors, trends, size, market shares, product ranges, promotions, distribution channels, the packaging of the top products, and preferences in different regions.
Using that, we wrote the screener and discussion guide and ran twelve focus groups, four each in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou: staff from large corporations and SMEs, government officers, and consumers. Business respondents had to know the whole procurement process, and consumers had to use office paper regularly at work and know the brands.
The groups covered where people buy paper and why, how they see the leading brands and the client’s current pack, and what each design says to them, before assessing the new concepts and comparing them with competitors. We presented the findings to the client’s board.
What the client got
A recommended design, from brand name, logo and colour scheme to responsible fibre messaging and classic European quality cues. The recommendations have since been used on new products in the market.
What it shows
From desk research to a board presentation, we can run a project end to end, and our recommendations end up on the shelf.
Services: desk research · focus groups · hard-to-reach recruitment
