Our company Hilio, is a sustainability-focused loyalty program that rewards users for shopping eco-friendly products and experiences. By partnering with environmentally conscious brands, Hilio helps customers save money and make greener choices.

We want to better understand our target market, their pain points and consumption habits to improve our product offering and optimize its go-to-market strategy..

We would like to collaborate with students to conduct market research.

Objectives:

1. Identify Hilio’s potential target audience (e.g., demographics, behaviors, values).

2. Assess awareness and demand for sustainability-focused loyalty programs.

3. Analyze competitors offering loyalty programs or eco-friendly rewards.

4. Evaluate the types of rewards or incentives that resonate most with eco-conscious consumers.

5. Recommend strategies for customer acquisition and retention.

This will involve several different steps for the students, including:

• Familiarizing themselves with our company’s values, products and services.
• Researching our target market and market potential.
• Researching the industry and competitive landscape.
• Recommending strategies to improve our positioning, brand, products and services.

Bonus steps in the process would also include:

• Recommending strategies to differentiate ourselves from our competition.

Deliverables:

1. Market Research Report:

• Audience analysis (age, income, lifestyle, sustainability values).

• Consumer preferences for loyalty programs and rewards.

• Identify potential products and services to partner with Hilio for the loyalty program.

2. Presentation: A 10-minute summary of findings and recommendations.

3. Survey Results: Data from survey responses (if applicable).

4. Marketing Personas: Profiles of at least 2-3 consumer archetypes for Hilio.

Learning Outcomes for Students:

1. Develop real-world market research skills.

2. Gain experience working on sustainability-focused projects.

3. Build a portfolio-ready research project for their resumes.

Support from Hilio:

• Initial Briefing: A meeting with the Hilio team to understand the brand and project scope.

• Guidance: Regular check-ins and feedback sessions.

• Resources: Access to branding materials, sample data, or other necessary resources.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Depth of research and quality of insights.

• Creativity and feasibility of recommendations.

• Professionalism in the report and presentation.