New Product Launch – Johnson Controls

Problem: Truck batteries aren’t highly differentiated products, and Johnson Controls was looking to set its brand apart to increase sales. So we asked ourselves: How might we improve brand loyalty for Johnson Controls?

Solution: Through primary research, we identified an opportunity to offer additional services to fleet managers and owners that would make them more likely to buy Johnson Controls truck batteries in bulk.

Process: Our team gathered secondary research on truck industry trends and truck battery buying habits. We then compiled interview guides and began one-on-one interviews with truck drivers, fleet owners, and truck salespeople.

We identified four areas of unmet needs for truck battery users—service, weather sensitivity, longevity, and reserve capacity—and came up with several potential solutions.

We came up with the target and value proposition for each solution, and the client ultimately picked one of our moonshot ideas: The Fleet Team.

Through rapid prototyping, we created an advertisement that we could put in front of users for feedback. Based on that feedback we further iterated the idea and increased the fidelity of our prototype.

Once the concept was refined, we tested the desirability and viability with a survey of fleet owners. We found that the number of fleet owners who would increase the number of batteries they would buy from Johnson Controls didn’t warrant the firm investing in the talent and dispatch the Fleet Team would require.

Outcome: Our team recommended Johnson Control partner with Purkeys or a similar fleet specialist to provide on-demand training and battery support instead of building a Fleet Team on their own. This would make the idea more financially viable and feasible.