Product concept

We consider the audience needs, the positioning, the product features, the situation of consumption and the associations that come to mind.

A product concept is a general idea around which all offline and online communication is built; a vision of how the product will be perceived by the target audience. A team of creative specialists is responsible for the concept development: a designer selects visual solutions, and a copywriter generates names and creative directions.

All the necessary information about the project is provided by the product owner: they fill in the brief, set the task, hold a kick-off meeting and evaluate the result. The team demonstrates 3-4 directions for possible concept development.

When working on the concept, we use creative techniques, but ultimately we rely on business goals, knowledge of our audience and information about the product.

Spot the target audience

As it is often said, "all the people in the world" eat pizza, but we try to narrow down this range to set some boundaries for creativity. We discuss with the owner whom the product is aimed at: young people or families with children, anime fans or gamers, spicy food fans or vegetable toppings buffs.

An ideal TA portrait describes:

gender and age;
areas of interest;
the needs that the product covers;
situations in which a person will want to buy the product.

If it is not possible to single out one group, we keep in mind the image of the Difference Makers, the key segment of our target audience.

Specify positioning

We need to identify key features of the product, strategic business goals and expectations of the owner. To do so, we ask a few clarifying questions.

Why are we launching the product?
What business problem does it solve?
What is the main feature of the product that sets it apart from competitors?
Are there any similar products on the market?

The answers will help you determine which product advantages to highlight and what is important to keep in mind.

Study the product

We emphasize product quality and Dodo's responsible approach in our communications. Hedonism and gourmetism are not our thing. To find a lead for a concept, we gather information about the recipe and ingredients.

Ingredients background. Who supplies the ingredients, what makes the suppliers' approach noteworthy, what requirements we have for the ingredients.
Ingredients origin. How the main ingredient is grown, matured and sourced.
Recipe origin. How we came up with the recipe, what we relied on: audience preferences, local trends, authentic recipes.

Model the situation of consumption

If we can't highlight the recipe and ingredients, we view the product through the idea of diversity in everyday life and the situation of consumption.

We use the method of observation: imagine ourselves and our peers in various situations, look around, and then describe a possible scenario of how and in what circumstances pizzeria guests and app users order this product.

Answer the questions:

In what way will the product fit into the daily life of our customers?
Who will like the product?
In what circumstances will the customer want to try the product?

As a brand, we accompany our customers in everyday life, but we do not aspire to become a part of festive celebrations scenario. A storyline of characters ordering pizza for a birthday or New Year's Eve would not be suitable for the concept. But a spontaneous home party in Indian style or an Asian lunch with mango shake in the park would definitely be a Dodo-style case.

Select associations

First, put down all the associations that come to mind: colours, sounds, smells, tastes, emotions, tactile sensations, and so on. Do not set limits for your imagination.

Choose associations that relate to the territory of the positioning "Everyday practicality - Responsible approach" from the resulting list. It could as well be something about convenience, responsiveness and simplicity.

If communication is aimed at a broad audience, the associations work best at the basic level, where stereotypes are functioning. Therefore, we choose familiar images and avoid complex and confusing ideas. For example, a spicy taste is associated with fire or red colour. If you show such an image on the layout, the audience will get the message.