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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!
Program
European Innovation Academy
Services
Startup
Location
Porto, Portugal
Timeline
3 Weeks
problem
3 in 5 American families spend over 75% of their annual income on basic necessities.
The average middle class family in Florida spends roughly $450 YEARLY on eggs alone. Taking a look at the bigger picture, 3/5 American families are spending over three quarters of their annual income on basic necessities such as food, and clothing, and hygeine items, leaving them with little to no disposable income. The economy is trending downwards, and food costs have risen 12.7% over the last two years.
Target Audience
85% of all consumer purchases in Florida are made by women, and 92% of those women make almost all the grocery purchases for their household. This statistic was the deciding factor that our target audience would be working class mothers in Belle Glade, Florida; the second most poverty stricken city in the United States.
Solution
Operating as a B2B and B2C company, Coop-On partners with select retailers to provide discounts on basic household necessities to families in need. On the B2C side of things, there is an annual fee of $12, and the qualifications for low-income are based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This means that users will be required to input valid proof of income and family size when signing up for Coop-On. In terms of B2B, we are projected to partner with 10 major retailers in our first 3 years- They will provide discounts and we will share them to our users, thus promoting brand loyalty for the businesses.
Savings for the whole family.
The overall brand and user interface was made to be family friendly. Everything you need is just one click away. The colours are light and fun, appelaing to our target audience with a more "kid-friendly" feeling.
Available physically, and digitally.
Coop-On is made to be accessible. Taking into account the senior citizens who may not be so familiar with technology, physical cards can be shipped directly to the consumer's door.
"It's a great brand, but could you trademark it?"
Kaleigh Morrison, Trademark Lawyer at Nixon Peabody LLC
What a fantastic question. Our brand, formerly known as “Coup-on” was missing something, and Kaleigh knew it! She suggested that we tweak the spelling to be more phonetic, and my gears started turning immediately...
Chickens! Of course!
This tiny addition got us nominated for the Ed Quinones Spark Award!
An I.P scholarship administered by Nixon Peabody LLC. What an honour! My perspective on branding has been completely transformed through this experience.
