FAVO
Transforming local grocery shopping and empowering communities, a rebranding and product design project at Favo
Client
My Role
INDUSTRY
Background
Favo, initially launched as Aiyu, was a startup that reimagined the traditional door-to-door sales model for the 21st century.
By leveraging WhatsApp, Favo empowered local entrepreneurs to sell supermarket products directly to their neighbors through curated catalogs. Once orders were collected, they were passed on to a central hub for fulfillment, with deliveries being made the following morning by the same network of local resellers.
This model gained significant traction, with over 700,000 orders delivered in the first year of the operation, supported by investment from prominent venture capital firms like Global Founders Capital and Elevar Equity.
Favo’s mission was clear: to simplify grocery shopping, make it more affordable, and humanize the experience by harnessing the power of the community. This unique approach not only reduced costs for consumers but also created income opportunities in underserved regions across Latin America.
My role and challenges
As the lead designer at Favo for one and a half years, I was responsible for leading both the product design front and a comprehensive rebranding initiative, transitioning the company from Aiyu to Favo. My role spanned across various design disciplines, including brand management, communications, and leading one of Favo’s core products, as well as other internal product projects.
Rebranding & Market Positioning
The challenge was to create a new brand identity that resonated with the company’s mission of community-driven commerce while maintaining its appeal across diverse markets in Latin America.
Communication Strategy
Favo needed a consistent and compelling communication strategy that would engage both potential customers and local entrepreneurs. This required aligning the brand's voice with its community-focused ethos.
Product Design - Partner App
The product had to be accesible for a broad user base, especially to individuals less familiar with digital platforms, while supporting the complex logistical operations behind the scenes.
Product Design - Internal Tools
One of the most significant challenges was the decision to build internal dashboard tools rather than buying off-the-shelf solutions. The goal was to create custom tools that not only integrated seamlessly with our existing infrastructure but also offered a user-friendly interface tailored to the specific needs of our internal teams.
In-Depth Research
User Research and Market Analysis:
Extensive interviews and surveys were conducted with over 1,000 participants across various demographics. Key findings included a widespread interest in direct sales and entrepreneurship but a lack of understanding of how to take the first steps.
A thorough examination of existing apps also revealed a gap in holistic solutions that combined needs of logistics teams with resellers and customers.
Archetype Analysis and Brand Attributes:
Conducted workshops for further insights on business goals, vision, brand archetypes and attributes.
This challenge involved balancing Peru and Brazil's cultural differences within grocery shopping while developing consistent and clear communiction on all products and messaging.
Rebranding from Aiyu to Favo
The transition from Aiyu to Favo marked a pivotal moment in the company’s journey, symbolizing a shift not only in branding but also in its strategic vision.
As the Design Lead, I was tasked with overseeing this comprehensive rebranding effort, ensuring that the new identity would resonate with both the company’s mission and its diverse community. The rebranding was more than just a name change; it was about redefining how the company communicated its purpose and values. Favo was chosen as the new name to reflect the company’s core commitment to community-driven commerce (simbolized by bees in a bee-hive), where neighbors support each other through collective buying power.
Aiyu's previous branding faced several critical challenges that hindered its market presence and growth potential. The brand lacked a cohesive identity, resulting in inconsistent messaging and visual design across various touchpoints. This inconsistency confused customers and diluted brand recognition. Additionally, the original name "Aiyu" did not resonate strongly with its target audience, failing to convey the company's core values and mission effectively. The outdated logo, color scheme, and overall visual aesthetic did not reflect the modern, community-driven approach that the company aspired to embody.
Furthermore, Aiyu's brand narrative was fragmented, lacking a clear and compelling story that could connect with both customers and stakeholders on an emotional level. These issues created barriers to customer loyalty, market penetration, and overall brand equity, necessitating a comprehensive rebranding strategy to realign the brand with its evolving business goals and market positioning.
The new brand identity was developed to convey trust, accessibility, and the human connection at the heart of Favo’s business model. This transition involved not only a visual overhaul but also a strategic shift in communications, aligning every touchpoint—from digital interfaces to marketing materials—with the new brand ethos.
The result was a cohesive and compelling brand that better positioned Favo to scale and make a lasting impact in the communities it serves.
As part of this transformation, I was responsible for leading product design projects for the main reselling entrepreneurs, as well as some of our internal tools, more notably a PIM and a WMS branch, which became critical in embedding the new brand ethos into every aspect of the business.
The creation of interfaces for both customers and internal teams ensured that the brand's promise of simplicity and human-centrism was consistently delivered. Internal dashboard tools like the stated PIM and WMS were designed from the ground up, enabling operations and reinforcing the team's focus on efficiency and user satisfaction.
These efforts not only redefined the customer experience but also empowered the company's workforce, making Favo's rebrand a major success that was praised both externally and internally.
Launch Strategy
The launch strategy behind Favo was designed to introduce the new brand to the market while building on the existing customer base and expanding its reach. The strategy was multifaceted, focusing on community engagement, digital presence, and strategic partnerships to ensure a smooth and impactful transition from Aiyu to Favo.
Understanding that Favo’s business model was deeply rooted in community-driven commerce, the launch strategy prioritized engaging with the existing network of local entrepreneurs and customers. This involved early communication with key partners to explain the rebranding and the enhanced value proposition that Favo would bring. Exclusive previews, informational sessions, and personalized communications were used to build anticipation and buy-in among community leaders, ensuring they felt valued and integral to the brand’s evolution.
A robust digital campaign was rolled out across social media platforms, email marketing, and the company’s website.
The digital presence was carefully curated to highlight the transition, emphasizing Favo’s mission of making grocery shopping easier, more affordable, and community-centered.
The launch campaign included storytelling content, showcasing real-life examples of how Favo empowers communities and the positive impact of its business model.
Outcomes
Brand Awareness:
The rebranding from Aiyu to Favo was successfully executed, leading to increased brand recognition and market presence. The new identity resonated well with both the target audience and stakeholders, positioning Favo as a trusted community-driven platform.
Customer Base Expansion:
Favo successfully expanded its customer base by 650% in the first year following the rebrand, growing from 160k to 1.2 million active customers. The target was a 30% increase, which was met and exceeded within a few months.
Community Engagement and
Entrepreneur Growth:
The number of active community entrepreneurs increased by around 30% each month for the first few months, going from 1,000 to 13,000 within the first year. This growth, again, exceeded the initial 25% target for the semester and was a key driver of Favo's success in expanding its market presence.
Customer/Entrepreneur Satisfaction:
Customer satisfaction scores improved from 63 to 77 within the first 3 months of the rebranding, as measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys. This Score increased to a whopping 86 by the end of the year with the resulting product design efforts, reinfrocing our impact in customer satisfaction.
Market Penetration:
Favo successfully entered two new markets (São Paulo and Lima) within the first year post-rebrand. This strategic expansion contributed to a 10% increase in market share, meeting the company's growth objectives.
Conclusion
Working with Favo was a transformative experience, allowing me to contribute to a project with a meaningful social impact. The successful rebranding and product projects not only enhanced Favo’s market position but also reinforced its mission of making grocery shopping more accessible and affordable for communities across Latin America.