BTS: New Product Journey - Swan's Stealth Range
16 July 2021
Here at Swan, we take great pride in our hard work. We especially love showing off our results and getting you involved where we can! So, welcome to your first look into how the Swan team work closely together in providing new products and ranges.
The entirety of our product journey is about to be shared with you. We won’t miss anything out. So, you'll see how we develop our products right from the very beginning to the end finished product.
First things first: the initial inspiration
There’s often a definitive story behind how each Swan product is born. A seed can be planted at any time within the company. It might just take a suggestion or a sudden burst of creative juices from one individual. This idea can strike at any time, as we are renowned for our unique ideas and passion projects.
The once-small seeds that grows into a fresh line of brand-new products, is carefully taken care of from start to finish. There are only worthwhile intentions throughout the whole process. From the initial discussion stages to the ‘out for delivery’ email. Seeing a small idea grow into a powerful and successful range is something we value as greatly rewarding.
Trends and ideas
We pay great detail to past, current, and predicted trends. This productivity helps us to mould our ideas and creations to what we know our community needs and wants. Trends keep us on our toes while we love the chase of adapting to future home fashions. We recognise changes in trends from past years and pay close attention to which products our Swan family love.
Nurturing our community, always.
When it comes to gauging upcoming interior trends, a big help is our social media community. Our #MySwanKitchen campaign shows us thousands of Swan lovers showcasing their beautiful home’s, featuring their Swan items in the wild. We want you to feel positive and proud of your home. We love seeing all of your cool ideas and clever skills when it comes to organising home and kitchen layouts.
Swan work very closely with our community as we find that constant engagement benefits both sides of this beautiful relationship, helping us get to know you more and more every day! We hear your kitchen layout desires, and we continuously make efforts to support your needs. Consider yourselves taken under our big Swan wing!
Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com
Our Stealth Range began as a drop in the ocean idea and soon became a hit. One small idea grew into one of Swan’s biggest successes to date. We had good vibes only when it came to the creation of Stealth, and it’s safe to say we’ve never looked back.
The initial discussion began early last year Swan's Directors (the Swan trio) were discussing the existing Nordic Collection. Our beautiful Scandinavian-inspired range hugs minimalism with its soft-touch finish and neutral, calm colours. From the range, the Nordic Kettle, in particular, performed well and struck an astonishingly popular cord with our community. So, of course, we couldn’t help but develop this further. And give the people what they want!
The Nordic Kettle's physique is slender and modern. It compliments many different kinds of interior layouts. It's the type of appliance that looks at home wherever it sits in the kitchen. The rubberised handle and soft-touch body sit perfectly against the kettle’s sibling canisters, bread bin and other matching appliances. The entire Nordic family provides a subtle charisma in the home whilst making Swan proud with its ever-lasting quality.
Our Nordic trio in Slate Grey!
The suggestion that started the redevelopment of the Nordic Kettle was ‘why don’t we do a black version of the Nordic Kettle?’. This proposal was dismissed quite quickly, as adding black to the softly toned range would be going entirely against the grain of all things Nordic!
The directors then discussed how the kettle’s shape, body and performance, could be remodelled into a brand-new product. This is where the idea for the Stealth range was born.
Our Stealth Kettle, doing bits!
The directors then discussed how the kettle’s shape, body and performance, could be remodelled into a brand-new product. This is where the idea for the Stealth range was born.
A fitness inspired range
What did they all agree was missing from Swan’s existing range of products? A fitness inspired design! This idea was a new challenge for Swan and it's something the team have never looked back on. Its attitude gives off an elite, brand new energy and shows us a whole new side to kitchen appliances. Stealth represents a driven aesthetic, orientated by power and hard work.
The Stealth Range was constructed and designed distinctly with the thought of go-getters in mind. Stealth has become more than a passion project for the company- it has shown a brand-new side of Swan Brand. The range’s sleek, stylish, matte black exterior has been developed to appeal to both our existing community as well as a whole new audience.
Sample time!
The samples don’t always look exactly how you want them to the first time around. Creating perfection isn’t easy! The Swan trio diagnosed the initial proofs of the Stealth Kettle over months of communication. When designing a new product there are always numerous stages and amendments made. This may be because the colour doesn’t suit your imagined idea of the product, or the logo doesn't sit where you’d like. The materials also need to pass multiple tests and have to be thoroughly assessed.
The Stealth Range, so far…
Sculpting a product sample can take months of back and forth with factories to end up with that desired result. Believe us when we say it is completely and utterly intentional that the range looks incredible, wherever it’s situated!
So, once the initial appeal of the Stealth Kettle was agreed upon, it wasn’t long before the Swan directors got to creating the entire Stealth Range. After the Kettle came the toaster, then came the microwave. The team then designed a stunning espresso machine and slow cooker to go alongside this line-up of powerful appliances.
Stealth branding
The next stage of the new product process is conducting the branding. This stage can only commence once the samples have been safely tested, of course! The branding stage means photography, gift box artwork, instruction manuals, SEO, specific features and, of course, recipes! Branding a range is where the creative juices flow and ultimately, it's where the magic happens!
All of the visual product packaging and imagery are prepared months in advance. The branding decisions are always carefully considered and collectively agreed upon. And all visuals look how they look for a reason. Our Swan team truly know how to make their mark on a product.
The Stealth photoshoot
The kitchen used for photography to fit the Stealth range had to appear desirable and elite. The photography is always carefully thought out with weeks of hardcore preparation. The product range is experimented with against mood boards and colour palettes. Handled with care and incentive - to say the least!
The sheer amount of attention to detail needed to create and form a new product range is essential. All specific features on each item need to be showcased throughout the journey as much as possible. Imagine you’ve just invented the wheel, and you need everybody to find out about it quickly.
We feel the branding is most appealing when it truly represents the product. When the branding syncs perfectly with the range, there’s nowhere for the collection to go but up! We openly admit to chasing that product/branding success.
The bond between the products and the visual branding speaks volumes in how well we understand the personality of the range. For each Swan range, there will be a unique theme adopted. For the Stealth Range, the aesthetic is dark, powerful and athletic.
It’s not down to luck that a product launch is a success; the achievement is an earned destination!
The Stealth Launch
The marketing team worked religiously to spread the word about the brand-new range. Stealth is like no other Swan range done previously. And boy, were we excited to share it with you! The social media takeover of Stealth created a vast amount of excitement within our Swan community. It was so hard to keep the footage of the products under wraps without spilling the tea!
We started with leaking teasers via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, YouTube and TikTok! We got several talented names and faces involved in the live streams to push the boat out that little bit further. The posts, stories and teasers took time, dedication, and a whole lot of interaction! We delivered the launch to its absolute maximum potential.
See some of our favourite social takeover posts below!
Check out our YouTube Stealth Range playlist to see the entire Stealth range being unboxed, used and shown off!
The Stealth TV advert
The Stealth TV advert has been one of the most important parts of the Stealth launch. The ad was the last piece of the Stealth puzzle. With a range so powerful, the launch needed to go out with a bang! This television exposure saw our Stealth range come to life.
Here we boldly showed off the products with delicious looking recipes, highlighted the unique features of the products and simply showed off the incredible design aesthetic. The dramatic atmosphere even gives us goosebumps.
Stealth represents an active lifestyle choice and positive attitude we all desire.
The rest is history!
The impact of the Stealth range
Since launch day (22nd March), Stealth has made a ground-breaking appearance throughout the Swan community. Our following has broadened even further than we’d imagined and we love the fresh addition of Swan fans. It is unbelievably heart-warming to know that the range has resonated with audiences all over and that the hard work has paid off.
We love the idea that we’re spreading good vibes and active lifestyle connotations to a nation of people who’ve been through quite a rough year. Swan want to encourage people to own that brilliant, ‘best self’ feeling!
The Swan team are sincerely grateful for their endless support and appreciation. Readers like you give us daily motivation and encourage us to keep up the hard work.
Thank you for reading and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for our next adventure. Take care, and from all of us here at Swan, thanks for being part of the family!
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