Dash In
ELEVATING AN INDUSTRY
When Dash In first came to us, they had a successful convenience store network of over 450 stores. At the same time, their dependency on major oil companies’ brands had become a drag on their ability to chart an independent (and more successful) path for their business.
For the next stage of growth, Dash In wanted to develop their own proprietary brand, to explore new directions that were not viable under the current model. The task ahead of us was to build a new Dash In brand that could connect meaningfully with its customers. This engagement entailed a significant amount of strategy work leading to the development of new customer experiences and business models, and design of the many brand assets needed to make this vision a reality. We also worked with Dash In to develop an innovation strategy and deliver that strategy via market testing and pilot store development.
Dash In Re-Brand and Concept stores set to open Fall 2022.
What We Did:
Research & Insight
Brand Transformation
Visual System Design
Brand Book
Web Design
Environment Design
Brand Management Systems
Brand Activation
Industries:
Retail, Hospitality, Consumer
Research & Insight
Uncovering opportunities to disrupt an industry
We used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods in support of their search for new brand themes, business models and creative articulations of their brand. Research was used to track brand health, benchmark competitors, identify market gaps, and understand customers’ unmet needs. During the creative phases of work, research was used to validate our assumptions and confirm creative choices.
Strategy
Defining the future vision for the Dash In Brand
Our strategy work for Dash In had two critical objectives. Firstly, we needed to find a source of sustainable strategic differentiation in a crowded market, by identifying those things that Dash In could excel at, and become known for. Secondly, the strategy needed to be translated into a set of clear and practical design principles that could effectively guide the creation of the complete brand experience, including products, services, loyalty programs, environmental designs and technology platforms.
Design
The Customer Experience
Creating clear (and strategically aligned) design principles was just the first step in creating a brand customers could love. In order to become reality, those principles needed to be translated into tangible ideas, detailed plans, and funded projects, for each step in the customer journey. We facilitated this experience design process for Dash In, looking for opportunities to enhance the customer experience, and create value, at each step on the customer journey and through the lens of different elements of the offer (product, service, environments, technology, marketing etc.). The result was an overall roadmap that could then be turned into concrete projects for execution.
Activation
Bringing the New Brand to Life
This integrated approach continued into implementation. Our vision of transforming the brand at the operational level involved creating a framework that brought all the important stakeholders to the table, working in an integrated manner to define a new identity for the brand through a combination of product, design and operational changes. Throughout this process, we worked alongside a group of hand-picked fellow travelers in the areas of menu design, supply chain, architectural design, interior design, CRM and payment technology. We led this process in close cooperation with a steering team representing all of Dash In's key executive leadership functions, with Operations and Marketing both playing leading roles.
The result was the development of a new strategic vision, a new brand identity to deliver on that vision, and a range of exciting changes to product, business operations and ultimately, customer perceptions of the brand.
Dash In Re-Brand and Concept stores set to open Fall 2022.
Branded Collateral for Historic Dash In Brand: New Locations (Assets developed for use before Re-brand Launch)
