Over the course of a 12-month project to explore IF there were opportunities for Target to participate in the secondhand apparel market, one phase of the work (following a market diagnostic) was to explore abstract, illustrative ways for Target to play in the space. It was my responsibility to manage the effort and members of the team.
The team's tasks included conducting research and running experiments in the field with consumers, using a variety of methodologies to capture signals on illustrative ways Target could play.
Whether it was tactical solutions or illustrative experiences, the goal was to identify consumer problems that Target could solve in a unique and significantly better way.
Capitalizing on the strength of the team, I led them through variety of methodologies (e.g., surveys, focus groups, user testing, 1:1 interviews) in the market (U.S. locations with dense Target guest representation) over the course of multiple sessions. Between each session, I would guide the team through iteration on our approach, content, questioning, and exercises to continue sharpening our perspective on the ways to play.
As the lead on the project, I mentored, coached and managed individuals on my team to create, facilitate and synthesize research efforts. Additionally, I managed the 3rd party agency that helped with recruiting, screening and hosting our research sessions.
My reponsibilities included:
Actively coaching team members to create consistently in approach and output
Holding teams and individuals accountable to clear and aggressive milestones and learning plans
Establishing development plans and managing performance by providing clear expectations and timely, consistent
The team identified 3 clears ways to play in secondhand. And with each, what those opportunities could look like, who they would resonate with, how they would solve consumer pain points, how Target might be able to uniquely solve consumer pain points, and how they tracked to existing in-market solutions.
More importantly, members of team grew in their ability to navigate, influence, and manage internal / external partners and reach new milestones in their career development
We also identified 5 ways that Target should not play. This was reinforced by the success criteria I had our team put in place so we knew, when done, what the right things were for us to continue to pursue and share back with business partners.