Founders
Colour Match was born out of a friendship.
After being in the same class since 2020, Alice and Jesmin finally met in 2022 when placed at the same company for their internship.
During this time, they built a trusting relationship and realised they complement each other. They immediately knew that they would be business partners.
Alice is the person behind the Colour Match’s idea. She is passionate about the Colour Analysis Theory.
Jesmin is the person behind the Colour Match brand identity and marketing strategy. She is passionate about art.
September 2023
Idea Generation
After the idea was introduced we started doing research.
Findings
- There is little to no knowledge of the seasonal colour analysis in Ireland.
- This concept is very popular in the Italian market and the price of consultations are extremely expensive (ranging from 200 Euros up).
- There is a lack of research and representation for people of colour.
In addition, generally when people go shopping they want to look good and do not want to waste their money.
October 2023
Product Development
We brainstormed and came up with an affordable and inclusive solution that we could bring to the Irish market.
As a result, we created something simple – The Colour Match Self-Testing Kit.
It contains:
- 8 frames (cold/warm undertone; high/low contrast; high/low intensity and silver/gold);
- Customer guidelines to help you through your self-analysis testing session;
- Seasonal palettes which reveal the best colour shades for you.
We bought the designs for our frames on Etsy:
November 2023
Suppliers
Right after pitching the idea to our lectures, we started looking for samples and suppliers.
- Before moving forward with any steps, we needed to know where to find a high-quality, affordable, print supplier that would make the frames exactly how we wanted – according to our specs (size and colour).
- We started with printing the digital frames and glued them on cardboard paper to have a sample ready for our business pitch.
- The price for printing in Dublin was too high. We found our product supplier in South Africa and ordered the 1st prototype (December 2023).
December 2023
Brand Identity
We developed a brand identity that aligned with our values and vison for the product.
- We decided our brand name ‘Colour Match’ and bought our domain from GoDaddy - www.colourmatchstore.com
- We developed a brand mission statement that highlights our core values - CONFIDENCE; TRANSFORMANTION; DIVERSITY
- Additionally, we identified: our brand as a Magician Archetype, our target market - a blue oceans market strategy, and content ideas for the brand.
January 2024
Brand Identity & Prototype 1
We developed our company logo, colours and typography - and recieved our first prototype.
February 2024
Fundraising
We planned our fundraising strategy
- We created a Gofundme account with the hopes to raise €500.
- We organised a fundraising event ‘Paint&Sip’ in collaboration with Dj Shaz and the NCI Student Union.
- We planned on doing a raffle but did not move forward with this.
We did not follow through with the event and the raffle as we raised enough money through our Gofundme account.
February 2024
Product Testing & Social Media Plan
We started testing our product on our friends and classmates & rolled out our social media plan.
@macnair.mia/tiktok
- Many people could see the differences between the metals and the frames.
- We developed a content strategy that focused on 3 main pillars: Educate; Inspire and Entertain.
- We created a social media content planner on Microsoft Excel.
March 2024
Final Product & Packaging
We recieved our final product and started working on our packaging.
- At first, we thought of designing a branded box but – as our product is bulky - we opted for something simple and easy to carry.
- We ordered our packaging from Temu – a transparent A3 portable folder. We branded our packaging ourselves using Colour Match stickers and colourful rhinestones.
- In addition, we added a thank you note and rainbow erasers as a gift for our customers.
April 2024
Web Design and Launch
We carefully designed our website to present our product and clearly explain what the colour theory is all about.
- We made sure that the product is the focal point of our website.
- Also, explaining the seasonal colour analysis theory is core to understanding our product.We also dedicated an entire page, on our website, to this.
Behind The Scenes at Colour Match
Here is a look into what went on - behind the scenes - with the Colour Match Team.
Future Plans
What’s next?
- The Colour Match Team is committed to exploring their potential opportunities.
- We have learnt that there is an untapped market for our product in Ireland and are open to revisiting this business plan in the future.
- The colour analysis theory is growing popular day by day and we believe that, one day, self testing will be a common practice.