In 2014, Sharp Iris Ltd (now Proper Creative Ltd) and Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (RB) collaborated to create personalised Durex products in China. Sharp Iris, a design agency specialising in product personalisation through variable artwork generation, worked with RB, a multinational consumer goods company, to develop and produce customised Durex condom products that were sold through e-commerce channels in China. The resulting packs gave the customer over 80,000 design variation options, plus space to add a personal message, with stunning images created by Chinese artists and designers, that encompassed a plethora of styles, emotions and occasions from both Chinese and Western calendars.

Product personalisation involves tailoring products to individual customer preferences or requirements, giving customers a unique and individualised experience. This approach had gained popularity at the time following the success of The Coca-Cola Company’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, leaving consumers seeking out more personalised and engaging experiences with the brands they interacted with.

Sharp Iris had the capability to personalise not only products, but also packaging and overall brand experiences. This meant that brands of all sizes and types could utilise Sharp Iris’ expertise to create unique and customised products that resonated with their target audience.

By collaborating with Sharp Iris, RB was able to tap into the potential of product personalisation to create a differentiated product offering and enhance its brand value. This example highlights the potential of product personalisation as a strategy for companies to differentiate themselves from competitors and create a more engaging and meaningful relationship with their customers.

The campaign was particularly successful in China, which is the world leader in modern birth control methods but has a relatively low condom adoption rate, particularly for Durex products. In 2015, China became the fastest-growing consumer of Durex products, and its biggest online market. Despite being the company’s biggest market, the penetration rate of their condom products in China was actually one of the lowest of all Durex markets.

The campaign allowed Chinese Durex customers to personalise their own condom packaging before shipping, which was particularly appealing to the Chinese market. Durex capitalised on the untapped market in China and leveraged innovative digital marketing strategies to drive product adoption. During the November 2015 China-wide ‘Singles Day’ sales event, the company was the biggest selling sex toy brand in the country, with China-exclusive products.

Overall, this example showcases the power of personalised product offerings and innovative marketing strategies in driving business growth in new and untapped markets.