Transforming Product Innovation

The Growth Challenge

PURELEI faced a critical organisational gap in its approach to product innovation. The company had an existing process for developing and evaluating new product ideas, but milestones were not diligently managed. Innovation was not perceived as a strategic priority. Market dynamics and consumer understanding had not been fully considered in the process.

The Company

Founded in 2017, PURELEI has established itself as a prominent player in the German direct-to-consumer (DTC) startup ecosystem. The three founders successfully built a lifestyle brand inspired by Hawaiian spirit, expanding from fashion jewelry to a broader range of accessories, fashion, and beauty products. By 2024, the company had achieved impressive growth, generating over €60 million in turnover while maintaining profitability.

The Approach

Step 1: Comprehensive Market Analysis

I supported the team in acquiring and analysing comprehensive market data for the jewelry category. This involved a detailed examination of:

• Market size

• Price segmentation

• Product subcategories

The analysis culminated in a structured presentation of findings and a practical action plan to guide future strategic decisions.

Step 2: Systematic Evaluation

We took the learning and evaluation process to next level, improving the assessment of the previously generated product innovation ideas:

• Created clear success criteria for evaluating product concepts

• Conducted the brand's first qualitative market research

• Tested product innovation ideas with existing brand buyers

• Gained deep insights into category buyers' perceptions

• Understood how potential customers viewed the proposed innovations

Step 3: Implementation Planning

Based on the comprehensive learnings, we:

• Provided targeted recommendations to the founders on which ideas to pursue

• Developed a stage-gate process for product innovation

• Created a key milestone documentation framework

• Outlined critical questions to be answered during the design phase of new products

The Results

The strategic initiative delivered significant organisational capabilities:

• Innovation Understanding: Developed a deep appreciation for product innovation as a critical growth driver

• Market Insights: Enhanced the organisation's market understanding and the strategic role of market research

• Structured Development: Established a key milestone documentation process to enable systematic product innovation design

The project represented more than a tactical intervention—it was a fundamental shift in how PURELEI approaches product development, moving from an ad-hoc and trend led to a structured, insights-driven approach.