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A Startup: Coop•ON!

context:

During the summer of 2024, I attended the European Innovation Academy in Porto, Portugal: A 15 day startup challenge. I had the chance to work with a multicultural team to develop a product that would solve a problem, and make a difference. We found a problem, validated it, solved it, branded our solution, and pitched it to investors at the end of the month!

tags:

tags:

WWW.INACADEMY.EU

WWW.INACADEMY.EU

Positioning

Positioning

STARTUP CONCEPT

STARTUP CONCEPT

Porto, Portugal

Porto, Portugal

Situation:

Let's bring families with limited disposable income discounts on household items by partnering with retailers.

Coop-On was conceived and developed during a 15-day startup challenge at the European Innovation Academy in Porto, Portugal, where multidisciplinary teams go from problem identification to MVP, brand strategy, and investor pitch in a compressed timeline.

Problem:

With rising living costs and limited disposable income, many working-class and low-income families struggle to build financial stability.

From groceries to hygiene products, household essentials increasingly consume too large a share of family budgets.

Specifically:

  • 3 in 5 American families spend more than 75% of their income on necessities

  • In Florida, families can spend over $450 yearly just on eggs

  • Working-class women make the majority of household purchases but lack structured support systems to reduce these costs

The strategic challenge was to build a brand that could simultaneously feel supportive, trustworthy, and simple for families — and credible and valuable to retail partners.

Solution:

A valuable partner, bringing savings for the whole family.

A valuable partner, bringing savings for the whole family.

A valuable partner, bringing savings for the whole family.

Coop-On was positioned as a hybrid loyalty + savings platform:

  • B2C: Affordable subscription ($12/year) for qualified low-income families

  • B2B: Partnerships with retailers that offer negotiated discounts on essentials

The product and brand were developed with ease of use and emotional trust at the forefront.

Key strategic elements included:

  • Family-friendly visual language — colors and forms chosen to feel light, friendly, and accessible

  • One-click simplicity in interface design — removing hesitation and cognitive load for diverse users

  • Physical and digital versions — including mailed cards for non-tech-savvy users to ensure inclusivity

  • Brand tone that communicates support, community, and practical value

Rationale:

"It's a great brand, but could you trademark it?"

"It's a great brand, but could you trademark it?"

"It's a great brand, but could you trademark it?"

Our mentor from Nixon Peabody LLC gave is this little nudge after our first brand draft.

Families in financial stress need brands that feel steady, human, and helpful.
Taking our advisor's words into heavy consideration, we made some shifts.

Every strategic choice connected back to that:

  • Color & Mood: Light, optimistic palette to reduce intimidation and reaffirm accessibility.

  • Layout & Interface: Simple, consistent structures that reassure rather than overwhelm.

  • Messaging: Plainspoken language, no jargon. Speaking directly to real concerns.

  • Partnership Positioning: Clear articulation of retail value cost savings + customer loyalty.

The goal wasn’t to impress — it was to connect, and to make the solution feel approachable to those in need.

Outcome:

We refined positioning to be accessible, empathetic, and scalable.

We refined positioning to be accessible, empathetic, and scalable.

We refined positioning to be accessible, empathetic, and scalable.

Coop-On emerged from the sprint with:

  • A clear problem ↔ solution narrative

  • A brand identity that could resonate with families and retailers alike

  • A pitch that helped secure recognition and nominations

  • A concept poised for real-world testing and further development

Building brands that feel inevitable.

Brand strategy & systems for companies that want to grow without losing themselves.

Get aligned

Brand strategy & systems for companies that want to grow without losing themselves.

Get aligned

Building brands that feel inevitable.

Brand strategy & systems for companies that want to grow without losing themselves.

Get aligned