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UValue Team members Arthur, Julia, Khai, Linda, Lucie, Sharon, & Sherri Venture Lab Opportunity Analysis Project (OAP) Prof. Chuck Eesley - 05.21.2012
UValue
Team members
Arthur, Julia, Khai, Linda, Lucie, Sharon, & Sherri
Venture Lab Opportunity Analysis Project (OAP)
Prof. Chuck Eesley - 05.21.2012
The UTeam
Lucie (France) – Team Lead
Linda (US) – Consumer Products
Khai (US) – Finance
Sharon (US) – Consumer Products
Sherri (US) – Consumer Products
Julia (US) – Research
Arthur (Brazil) – Web Applications
Weekly meetings on Google+ Hangouts
Healthy and ethically
grown?Labor and human rights have been strictly segregated from
the sustainability agenda
‘Does it matter whether an heirloom tomato is local and organic if it was harvested by slave labor?’
– Eric Schlosser, Slow Food
The Problem• People have personal value systems
• Their value systems might not be reflected in
their purchasing habits
– Lack of information
– Lack of time
– Lack of resources
Is this the only option?
The Generation of We:
Cultural Creatives
“Values are the best single predictor
of real behavior”
– Ray and Anderson, The Cultural Creatives:
How 50 Million People Are Changing the World
New individuals - New product choices
• Organic food market reached
$60B globally
• 60M Americans want information
about safe and green.
Organic non-food
sales grew 9.7
percent in 2010, to
reach $1.97B.Source: Organic Trade
Association’s 2011
Organic Industry Survey Captured G8’s attention (2012)
Brand = Reputation
Business Model
Hypothesis
People are interested
in a website and/or mobile application
that allows for ranking of a personal value
system (sustainability, ethical labor practices, etc.)
to help provide guidance
for the purchase of goods and services.
Testing Methodology
• Face-to-face interviews– Engineering project management
event (8 – 10 people, ages 20 - 35)
– Women’s book club (6 people, ages 50+)
• Online surveying– n = 80 (May 2012, Survey Monkey)
– Questions on causes, local/organic/sustainable food, ethical labor, environment, green lifestyle, decision-making, and technical aptitude
Results - Face-to-face interviews
• Customers first asked:“Why should we care?”– Our response:
• Personalized value system experience
• Carbon tracking
• Rewards system
– Their response: Liked value system!
– Liked the ranking input – transparency as key (show how filters are generated for users)
• Other feedback– Initial interest based on Freemium model
– Flow is not too clear on mockup
– More testing needed with paper prototypes
Sustainability/environment as #1 cause
Most people surveyed normally face
little difficulty with decision making. . .
. . . yet found sustainable brands
the most difficult to decide on.
Tech savvy population polled
>90% would switch brands based
on new actionable knowledge
Somewhat likely +
Very likely = 93%
Locally grown food popular
Somewhat likely
+ Very likely = 76%
Care for ethical labor as cause too
Somewhat likely
+ Very likely = 85%
One area most wanted to be
knowledgeable in: Sustainability
39%
23%
14%
13%
13%
Market Segmentation
Businesses
– Big brands
– Smaller businesses
Consumers / Cultural creatives
– Activists
– Budget conscious
– Value enabled
Strategic Partnerships
• Government
• NGOs
• Small businesses
• Large brands/companies
Key Partnerships with
Activist Bloggers
@@
@
@
@
@
Partnerships with Govt Agencies
Competitive Landscape
• Good Guide http://www.goodguide.com/#
• Not much else out there other than less concerted efforts:– Leaders (e.g. Stella McCartney)
– NGOs
– Government groups
Uvalue will instead reflect
personal values of and by consumers,
not imposing the values of others.
Risk
Porter’s Five Forces of Competition
Recommendations• Build a value ranking system based on
– Brands
– Products (beginning first in food)
• Build credibility using info from govt/
scientific sources
• Make visually appealing and easy to use
– Time: Efficient / convenient
– Information: Informative / relevant
– Resources: Fact-checked / credible
• Personalize purchasing experience
• Provide a voice for the customer to brands
and companies + activism channel
• Allow for collective change with each
purchase – $ goes where it should!
Uvalue:
Use case scenario
Lisa’s & Pierre’s Story
Lisa is conscientious – and wants to be sure that
the gift she finds is safe and sustainably made
because she cares about the earth.
She is confused and frustrated by what is out
there – and finds it difficult to have her values
reflected in her purchase!
Lisa finds out about Uvalue! She gets guidance that she
needs on her purchase.
She can prioritize and tailor the
selection based on her own value system.
Pierre had a huge presentation at work.
He would like a cup of joe just to revive himself!
The challenge for Pierre is that he wants to
be sure that the coffee beans were
harvested by ethical means.
Pierre is able to find
just what he needs to decide
using UValue’s Mobile App!
What are you interested in?
Drop the causes and the categories that are nearand dear to your heart!
There are direct ways to review brands/products based
on your value system + get rewards that can be applied
for future purchases or for your charity!
food
drink
child labor
factory workersapparel
agricultural workersnature
Both Lisa and Pierre were relieved to find help
with UValue for life’s important and daily
decisions. They put their money to the best use
and are helping to change the world for the
better - one day at a time !
User Experience Scenario
Who are you
Browse
Thumb up
Be connected
What are your values?Fill in an online questionnaire / Become a member / log in with Facebook
Discover the Uvalue UniverseBrands and NGOs causes + othersustainable initiatives
Be active in the communityRate them ! Spread the word
Received infos that fit your interestsAnd take action : sign a petition, goto a responsible restaurant …
Business Model 1/2
Proposition Value Proposition Architecture
Profit Equation
• Infos that fit your concerns• Brands speak to their consumers• NGO infos are grouped• Infos are spread in a visually way
• Brands+NGO give crediblecontent
• The community rates• Top charts are displayed
• Keep people informed• Encourage them to take action in a visually,
gamy, simple way• Scout the interest on sustainable initiatives• Connect people to activities they value
Business Model 2/2
Brands + NGOs
Community
Give credibleinformations
Rate the causes
TOP 10 ACTIONS TAKEN
TOP 10 COMPANIES
TOP 10 INITIATIVES
THE GREENER OF THE MONTH
Get points, received special offers (commercial and action to take) that fit your values and become …
OAP SWOT Analysis
• Can begin with lean information based service. Technological skills.
• Team with global experience.• Passion and rich with ideas and
enthusiasm.• Experience in packaging, finance,
web, marketing, research
• Too broad/lack of focus in strategy. • Partnerships not yet established
(govt and business)? • Low customer retention. Need for
mentor to help maneuver and manage strategy.
• Find a strong differenciation
• Competitive social entrepreneurship vendorsLackof access to needed information.
• Legal threats. • Geographically specific
laws/regulations/cultural tastes.• Inadequate or lack of
differentiation from other services?
• The value ranking system gives a global vision of initiatives
• Consumers with certain values are matched with companies/businesses with shared values.
• International market.• Geographically specific
laws/regulations/cultural tastes.
S W
O T
Models - Ideas
• Pinterest (visual appeal)• Goodguide
(sustainability/manufacture/credibility + convenience in scanning)
• Foursquare (community)• Free2Work (labor and
convenience in scanning product)
• Stella McCartney (fashion/causes/charity partnership opportunities).
The Uinterface
First draft
The Uv CardA better name?
@ +
A simple image
A short description
Web link(if applied)
Take action(if applied)
The rating score
Thumb it up !
Comments
…
The Website Interface
The Website Interface
What are you interested in ?Drag the causes and the categoriesthat interest you in the heart !
food
drink
child labor
factory workersapparel
consumer products
agricultural workersnature
The Website Interface
Where are you?Use your location setting or pin your place!
Find me
Pin it
+
-
The Website Interface
Which action person are you?Place the action on the ladder.
Donate Buy from the brand
Go into an event
Sign a petition
Donate + receive gift
The Website Interface
Which brand light your interest ?Open the brands bags and click on them.
Fashion Consumer Goods
Food Drinks
The Website Interface
Which brand light your interest ?Open the brands bags and click on them.
Fashion Consumer Goods
Food Drinks
The Website Interface
Which brand light your interest ?Click on the one you want to responsibly follow.
Fashion Consumer Goods Food Drinks
<<
<<
The Website Interface
Welcome on Uvalue!
Look at Uprofile Browse Values
Subscribe An Action A Day
The Website Interface
Welcome on Uvalue!
Look at Uprofile Browse Values
Subscribe An Action A Day
The Website Interface
Uvalue!
Cause CategoryTOP 10s
About us Uprofile
Proposition 1
@ +
…
@ +
@ +
@ +
…
@ +
@ +
The Website Interface
Uvalue!
Cause CategoryTOP 10s
About us Uprofile
Proposition 1 – Presentation of the scroll menu
TOP 10 ACTIONS TAKEN
TOP 10 COMPANIES
TOP 10 INITIATIVES
GREENS OF THE MONTH
Child Labor
Factory Workers
Agricultural Workers
Office Employees
Food
Drinks
Consumer Products
Apparel Retail
@ +
…
@ +
@ +
The Website Interface
Uvalue!
Cause CategoryTOP 10s
About us Uprofile
Proposition 1 – Presentation of the « I like this brand… »
The Website Interface
Does it fit my values ?
I this brand
Proposition 1 – Presentation of the « I like this brand… »
The Website Interface
Uprofile
Rules in your country
About us Uvalue
Proposition 1 - Uprofile
Interests Location Actions
To do around youTo know around you
+ + +
The Website Interface
Proposition 1 - Uprofile
Uprofile
Rules in your country
About us Uvalue
Interests Location Actions
To do around youTo know around you
Messages where you can
receive special offers
Actions recommended on
your preferencesAbout brands/initiatives/event
that happen close to you
according to your interests
+ + +
Editing
capabilities
To be continued …
