03.03.2021
Well-advised
Our team of ten consultants is not only
responsible for advising our clients, but
also uses its many years of experience
and extensive know-how to develop
brand strategies, as well as working on
brand positioning and naming. The design directors and our creative director
Madeleine Weiss are always on hand to
act as sparring partners. Consulting our
clients lays the basis for each project,
whether this involves the launch of new
products or the relaunch of an existing
portfolio with over 2,000 SKUs. Susan
Khallaf, Uwe Romeike and Oliver Jenkner give us an insight into their work on
behalf of the team.
How important is a strategic approach
for your work?
Susan Khallaf: We develop strategic
considerations that provide important
input for the creative process as well as
making a decisive difference to the final
design work. In addition to the briefing,
we carefully consider exactly what is
happening in the specific category, which
overarching trends exist, what inspires
and drives the target group, who the
competitors are and what the on-shelf
situation is like. In most cases, what you
strategically worked out in the first phase
has a significant benefit right up to the
completion of the project.
Uwe Romeike: In an ideal situation, a successfully developed strategy can significantly speed up design development and lead to more cost effective results. Clear communication goals help identify promising designs without getting caught up in lengthy execution loops.
Naming is also part of your work. Which
contribution does HAJOK make here?
Susan Khallaf: We provide the creative
work and a first online prescreening. The legal clarification is definitely the
part of experienced trademark and patent
lawyers. We always work with two native speakers to check linguistic and cultural
aspects. It is important that the name
is not too fashionable, otherwise in
10 or 15 years you will know exactly when
it was created. Our strength is that we
always present a wide range of names to choose from.
What is the scope of your projects?
Oliver Jenkner: Most projects range
from 1 to 50 SKUs. In the case of the
REWE own brand ja! we are currently
supervising a volume of over 800 items.
Right now this is one of the most exciting
relaunches in retail, since hardly any
private label has such an extensive portfolio. Here, processes are required that
strongly facilitate creative design along
side a logistical approach to the whole
project as well as very close collaboration
of all those involved. In addition to design work that will boost sales, our clients
expect maximum speed and, above all,
a very high degree of thinking ahead
and error-free implementation.
What challenges do you face with
such large projects?
Uwe Romeike: Large projects are always
an honour, but primarily they are associated with very complex demands that
require considerable trust and close communication with the client. Many local
product ranges cannot be adapted 1:1, but
require design solutions that are aligned
to regional markets, yet still based on the
multinational concept.
And what do you find particularly exciting about developing new products?
Susan Khallaf: Developing ideas at
the beginning is very time-consuming,
because a lot of strategic and positioning work is required. But it’s always
exciting to get to know new categories
and to create something new. This is the
greatest creative satisfaction, for us as
consultants as well!
What does a consultant do on a daily
basis?
Oliver Jenkner: We are the link between
the client and our creative staff, we are
idea generators, motivators, we gauge
the mood and also act as controllers.
My personal aspiration: HAJOK Design
should also be fun to work with! A good
atmosphere helps – this applies to
design development, too. Of course, we
also deal with a lot of information and are
responsible for ensuring that everything
runs smoothly. I call it “swimming ahead
of the wave”.
