Revitalizing Sunday Riley: Sustainable Rebranding Journey

Be conscious, be beautiful.

Overview: In this transformative project, we delved deep into the sustainable landscape of the beloved skincare brand, Sunday Riley. Based on our comprehensive research of the industry, we identified the sustainability potential of the brand.

From a strong customer-centric standpoint, we conducted extensive research to understand customer’s needs, desires, and concerns. Through this, we crafted a holistic rebranding strategy consisting of three crucial approaches, embracing a new era of sustainability for Sunday Riley.

Duration: 10 weeks

Role: Project Manager, Research Lead, Service Designer

Tag

Design for Sustainability

Project Management

Service Design

Mixed-method Research

Keyword

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Skincare Industry

Brand Sustainability Analysis

Market Research

Skincare Industry

  • Multi-billion dollar industry

  • Highly competitive and fast-growing

  • New innovations and trends emerging regularly

  • Expected to maintain a steady increase in revenue since 2020

Environmental Impact

  • Packaging and product wastes

  • Chemicals and pollution

  • Bio-diversity and deforestation

  • Marine environment sabotage

Best Sustainability Practices

  • Recycling and non-virgin materials

  • Non-toxic ingredients and responsible disposal

  • Cruelty-free and responsible sourcing

  • Labor rights and fair working environments

Sunday Riley

Brand Skincare Commitment

  • High-quality and natural ingredients

  • Scientific research and innovation.

  • Green Technology - Green Lab Certified

Brand Sustainability Commitment

  • B-Corp Certified

  • Zero Waste Oil Process

  • Plastic Neutral (done elsewhere)

  • Carbon Offsetting

  • Packaging Waste Reduction

To Be Improved

  • Not all ingredients and production methods are sustainable

  • Lack of motivation for consumers

  • Recycling programs not emphasized for local habitats and ecosystems

  • "On the edge" of targeting every issue

Brand Sustainability Analysis

AUUDIO Analysis

The team conducted an AUUDIO Analysis to understand Sunday Riley's environmental impact on every step of the brand, from production and manufacturing to post-consumer usage. The analysis takes a look at a wide range of environmental aspects, creating a comprehensive map of Sunday Riley’s influence.

Issues

  • Leftover products being washed down or dumped into drains contaminate underground water.

  • Post-consumer waste containing oil extracts, seed powder, and dyes can harm the ecosystem.

  • Users rarely know about the double-layered containers, thus can't recycle properly.

Opportunities

  • Develop guidelines and methods for more efficient disposal of post-production waste.

  • Form partnerships with NGOs and organizations that help preserve the ecosystems.

  • Provide instruction and supportive pipelines for recycling and reusing

Stakeholder Engagement Mapping

The team utilized a stakeholder map to help clearly define the people and entities associated with the brand, and find out their importance towards the brand internally and externally.

  • Promote TRANSPARENCY

  • Increase SOCIAL AWARENESS

  • Scope to change PACKAGING

  • Develop methods to MINIMIZE WASTE

SWOT Analysis

Short-term

  • Clarity and transparency on ingredients and packaging materials

  • Promote environmental awareness through "Sunday Edit"

  • Promote responsible disposal of waste

Mid-term

  • Avoid dyes in products

  • Change product packaging to recyclable or biodegradable materials

  • Partner with NGOs

  • Implement carbon-neutral transportation

  • Gain more certifications to validate the sustainability efforts

Long-term

  • Establish a recycling program/method

  • Develop simpler and cleaner formulas

  • Utilize more efficient material sourcing

  • Implement carbon-neutral methods instead of paying carbon credits

User Research

Survey & Interview

The team collected survey results from 124 users and, forming a general knowledge of their shopping habits, factors that influence their shopping decisions, and their awareness level of sustainability in skin care.

The team also conducted 6 interviews, thoroughly understanding skincare users’ preferences of skincare products and experience with sustainability actions around those products.

Key Takeaways

  • Many people lack the necessary knowledge to identify sustainable brands and practices

  • People tend to prioritize other factors over sustainability (price, ingredients, etc.)

  • Brand reputation and honesty matter a lot

  • Social media and word-of-mouth influence shopping decisions greatly

Cultural Probe

In addition to surveys and interviews, the team also created an online culture probe with 4 participants to understand users’ skincare experience in the context.

Key Findings

  • Ingredients and effectiveness are the most valued factors

  • Simple routines are more desirable

  • Certain skincare goals and purposes still need to be targeted

  • Experience and reviews play significant roles in the selection and usage of products

Insights

Approaches

Reuse and recycle

  • Accessible methods for recycling

  • Options for refilling

  • Instruction for prepping and recycling

Package simplification

  • Less layers to reduce material

  • Smaller dimension to save material

  • Single layer packaging

Ingredient simplification

  • Avoid using environmentally harmful ingredients

  • Avoid irrelevant ingredients

Customer education

  • Website/Packaging instruction for prepping and recycling

  • Website/Packaging guidelines for product usage

Design Solutions

"Introducing a new subline of Sunday Riley focusing entirely on becoming conscious as well as making the users conscious about their purchases!"

Framework

Sunday Essentials aims to express its core value of "being conscious" through regularly facilitated pop-up events and the implementation of reusable/refillable packaging. Information on both approaches is available on a newly designed Sunday Essentials webpage where more comprehensive services are offered alongside all the conveniences provided.

Sunday Essentials Webpage

- To promote long-term-behaviour change.

A Pop-up Panel on the main Sunday Riley page to attract more users

Subscription page to encourage
cost-effective purchases and show various benefits and rewards coming with a subscription

Virtual Consultation page to help understand personal skin status, help select the right products, and schedule specialized skin examinations by experts.

Recycling and Reusing Guidelines to help close the loop by diverting waste bottles from landfills, and suggest convenient ways to refill or reuse finished containers.

SKINCARE 101 Blog Posts to better inform users about skincare and ways to use products to minimize waste, spread awareness, and promote conscious behavior changes.

Refillable and Reusable Packaging

- To adopt biodegradable materials that can be refilled and reused.

Biodegradable and recyclable materials for all shipping resources

  • Mailer bags: Corn, wheat and bio-polymers

  • Package box: FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified materials

  • Cushioning foam: Cornstarch Foam

Recyclable and refillable product containers made with biodegradable materials

  • Product containers: Sugarcane Based Plastic

  • Refill product containers: Terrasol® C10 water-soluble refill bags

  • Refilling Funnels: Natural Rubber

Recycling and refilling instructions to ensure no confusion or inconvenience for customers.

  • In-box Instruction: No extra paper used to provide instructions

  • Ink: Printed with eco-friendly algae-based ink

  • QR Code: Shipping label at fingertip

Pop-up Events

- Interactive and informative sessions to promote behavior change through rewards, incentives,
and education.

Seminar Zone

Instagram Spot

Demonstration Stage

Consultation Corner

Reflection of Approaches

UN SDGs Comparison

Currently Practiced by Sunday Riley

Potentially achievable after solution adopted

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