A reframed product role rooted in emotional truth and clearer communication of values and differentiators
How Colgate-Palmolive transformed a nostalgic value brand into a modern expression of care for a new generation of families
Client:
Colgate-Palmolive
Sector:
Consumer Packaged Goods (Laundry Care)
Country:
United States
Objective:
Uncover the modern meaning of “A Mother’s Love” and reframe the product’s role for a broader audience
Colgate-Palmolive faced a key strategic challenge: the product had strong Hispanic heritage and high loyalty among value-driven shoppers, yet remained under-recognized, misunderstood, or dismissed by a large segment of mainstream U.S. consumers. Existing perceptions—rooted in nostalgia, low price associations, and outdated packaging cues—were limiting relevance despite high product quality and strong sensorial performance.
To successfully expand its footprint, the team needed a fresh, insight-led articulation of who the product is, what role it plays in consumers’ lives, and how it could bridge cultural worlds in a way that feels modern, inclusive, and emotionally resonant.
Challenge
Elevate the product from “a value brand for traditional households” to “a meaningful source of comfort, care, and sensorial joy for every family” among mainstream U.S. consumers.
Our Human-Centered Approach
Using our Discover → Define → Develop → Deliver process, we conducted a multi-method exploration combining cultural foresight, mobile ethnography, retail behavior analysis, and co-creation.
Seeing the world through moms’ eyes
We immersed ourselves in the daily lives of 48 moms across America through mobile ethnography and in-depth interviews.
Reframing the opportunity
We synthesized human truths, cultural contexts, category tensions, and product distinctions into a strategic framework that led to a growth opportunity: modern moms want brands that reflect their truth, not idealized versions of motherhood.
Ideate & Co-Create: Building strategy with consumers
Through iterative virtual sessions, we tested positioning territories with consumers to co-create a strategy that felt authentic. We evaluated strategic territories and product claims.
