Roberts Radio - Joshua Leigh

Roberts Radio
Research & Insights,
Brand/Product Strategy

An in-depth research project to define future prospects for Roberts Radio,  a traditional audio manufacturer. Combining industry trend analysis alongside qualitative user research, key opportunity areas were outlined, informing the creation of an actionable roadmap to kickstart rapid transformation.

Year
2018-2019

Studio
Method

My role
Project lead

User insights

As a heritage audio company, Roberts were facing a challenge to find their relevance in a rapidly evolving technology industry and a place in users’ lives.

The aim of this project was to gain an understanding of the wider consumer, technology, and business context of the audio sector, both in the UK and globally (France, Germany, USA & China). We set out to understand and map users lifestyles as they relate to listening behaviours.

This first-hand research was key to identifying and prioritising market opportunities that were based on customer insights.

Shifts in listening behaviours and the central role of the smartphone in users' lives indicated that audio devices could be divided into two categories: Portable and Static. Portable devices, carried outside the home were seen as a statement of personal style, akin to a fashion accessory. Static devices were seen as an extension of interior decoration, taking cues from furniture and soft furnishings.

We illustrated and mapped these opportunities, defining key customer archetypes and delivered actionable recommendations for a future Roberts roadmap.

Brand vision

Roberts' strong brand heritage – founded almost 90 years ago, and possession of two Royal Warrants gave the company the potential to position themselves as a luxury audio manufacturer. Over time the brand had lost its way through an over-diversification of lower quality products and a lack of connection with a younger, tech-savvy demographic. We created a future brand vision for Roberts, designed to appeal to the key archetypes that were defined in our user research and data analysis of the market. We illustrated an aspirational new brand positioning, focusing on a typographic lockup and use of the royal warrants.

A new Roberts wordmark with 'England' descriptor was drawn, positioning them as a British, luxury, heritage brand.

Project_images2_0000s_0003_Roberts_lockup_warrant

An original Roberts Radio advertisment from 1949

Current Roberts wordmark

Proposed Roberts wordmark

Project_images2_0000s_0002_Roberts_wordmark

The Roberts script logo was redrawn and crafted, adding a rhythm and confidence to the lettering

Project_images2_0000s_0000_Roberts_logoredraw

A notional advertising approach linking product colourways to interior design cues – a desire expressed by users during field research and also in our data insights.

Product vision

We conducted an analysis of the Roberts product portfolio. At over 150 SKUs the product portfolio lacked structure and clarity. We proposed rationalising their product range, focusing on the most successful products that would appeal to their new target audience while strengthening the new brand positioning of luxury British heritage. The leather bound products from the Roberts 'Revival' range were identified as being core to the Roberts product design language and DNA.

Project_images2_0000s_0004_Roberts_detail

We developed an evolution of the product language, with pared-back styling and a focus of high quality materials.

Current Roberts 'Revival' radio design

Project_images2_0000s_0005_Roberts_radios_colours

Proposed product styling and colourways

Process

First hand user research was key to uncovering insights about shifting habits in audio consumption. We travelled around the UK over a number of weeks, interviewing and observing users in their homes. The interview process was designed to uncover attitudes topics such as content, ownership and rituals. Task-based activities allowed us to observed instictive behaviours. Access to users home environments also allowed for observations around stylistic and aesthetic preferences.

Insights were created through the combination of first-hand user research, global diary studies (in France, Germany, USA & China), trend analysis and the large-scale mapping of user interests via data analysis of social media channels.

Competitor analysis was conducted.

And the competitive landscape of the audio sector was mapped.

We also spoke to subject matter experts to get a sense of how audio hardware and content consumption is changing. We spoke to specialists from a range of companies including Spotify, Jabra, John Lewis, Monocle, BBC and Netflix.