Arriving at a hiPP baby range

In 2001, Leon Grinwald and David Faraday, the owners of The Carton House (a paper and cardboard manufacturing company), developed hiPP.com.au in response to increased competition for their traditional food and footwear packaging products from large international manufacturers.

hiPP.com.au designs and manufactures bespoke paper and cardboard products including gift boxes, gift bags, journals and photo albums, invitations, thank you cards and other social stationery. Since it launch, hiPP.com.au has developed a strong reputation for its distinctive designs which appeal to the premium end of the market.

A true family affair, hiPP.com.au’s products are the brainchild of Product Development Manager Debbie Faraday, David’s wife and Leon’s daughter. Debbie researches the market and develops new product lines, new designs and colourways, then works with graphic designers to develop the technical drawings and artwork. This arrangement has worked well for the company, however as true innovators they are always open to new ways of doing business and opportunities for expansion. A relationship with an external design team, Arrive Creative, kicked off after the two Arrive Creative directors approached Leon and David at a trade fair. Emily Caust and Kiersty Garbett liked what they saw at the hiPP.com.au stand and suggested that a creative partnership would bear fruit for both parties.

A market leader, hiPP.com.au operates in an industry where intellectual property is hard to protect and a successful product range can be copied within six months. As such, turnover of new designs and product lines is high, with the twice-yearly trade fair season driving the company’s timetable. The main business drivers for hiPP.com.au are the development of new product lines and the growth of both domestic and export markets. The company’s generous response to Arrive Creative’s initial approach signified their willingness to consider buying in expertise to help them grow. In particular, the company was interested in expanding into the baby/toddler market, and a brief was drawn up to match this objective, with a view to having products ready for the Birmingham Trade Fair in early 2008.

The brief to the designers covered market research of the existing offerings in the baby/toddler sector, the development of a range of product concepts for this market, the selection of one of these concepts to be the ‘first to market’ through the development of a prototype and artwork to manufacture-ready stage, and the development of a sub-brand specifically for the baby/toddler market.

The hiPP.com.au baby/toddler gift packaging range comprising boxes and bags was launched in February 2008. It enjoyed immediate success, quickly earning its place, as among hiPP.com.au’s best selling ranges. On the back of that initial accomplishment, August saw the range further expanded into social stationery elements such as invitations, thank you cards and ‘things to do’ magnetic memo pads.

With the wonderful resource of additional concepts that the designers delivered as part of their original market research and creative genesis of potential new lines, hiPP.com.au and Arrive Creative continue to work together towards the launch of further baby/toddler products.

This successful partnership looks set to continue.

Facts at a glance

Challenge

Development of a new baby/toddler product range to both complement and leverage hiPP.com.au’s existing product range.

Type of designer engaged

Product designer

Most important part of the process

Narrowing down the design brief to something that was achievable within the timeframe and budget.

Most difficult part of the process

Selecting the first product to go forward to prototype from a long list of desired products, which was tantamount to deciding which product would ‘launch’ the new baby/toddler product range.

Solution

1. 2D drawings of a range of product options for the baby/toddler market;
2. prototype of the first choice product: range of gift packaging with associated artwork options and colourways^[1];
3. finished art for 3 colourways;
4. a new baby/toddler brand.

Outcome

The chosen products have the advantage of allowing the entry into and cultivation of the baby/toddler market, while leveraging the company’s reputation and expertise in the area of gift packaging. In looking at the broader suite of potential future lines which were conceived and presented, the company has not only been introduced to a wonderful array of new product ideas, but also to new manufacturing techniques and manufacturers.

Related Links

hiPP.com.au - www.hiPP.com.au 
Arrive Creative - www.arrivecreative.com.au

5 March 2009