Project

Mini Helmet Packaging

Client

Schutt Sports

Having learned after a few years of working with us to not be surprised at getting much more than expected, Schutt Sports affronted fredsparks with another challenge that brought out all of the three areas of success that we typically provides our clients. Schutt Sports is involved in the global manufacturing and distribution of many kinds of team athletic equipment and accessories. Among its offerings, Schutt sold a collectible series of mini-football helmets that have specific college or professional teams’ insignia on them that are available at all types of retail outlets. The package for this was manufactured in Asia with final assembly and customization in the United States. Schutt Sports turned to us to provide a greater brand presence, competitive differentiation, and a smaller footprint at point-of-sale for these collectibles while trying to respond to changing FedEx and UPS rates. Sounds really complicated, but what they didn’t realize is that our ability and experience in sustainability would deliver all those needs, plus a “greener” product at lower overall costs.

Our ability to apply the Sustainable Minds software enabled them to thoroughly assess the bill-of-materials for the current package. Using our CAD software, our proprietary Innovation Spin Cycle™, and Sustainable Minds’ assessment tools, we created a host of innovative ways to provide the primary marketing requirements while innovating on the sustainability side. But innovation in sustainability doesn’t necessarily mean material changes. Efficient distribution is another key element in a product’s carbon footprint. The Schutt team, regularly impressed with our solutions and having been educated in the advantages of using the Sustainable Minds process, knew that our team could meet their requirements and includes the strategy, innovation and sustainability they wanted for presentation to sales staff and customers.

We were able to quantify the impact on material elimination and innovative changes and demonstrate that within the details of the Sustainable Minds assessment, we could actually provide the ultimate ‘win-win’, a better product for the consumer and a better product for the retailer, one that “flew” off the store shelves . . . and at lower costs. In spite of the strategic and innovative aspects of the complex final solution, we utilized the Sustainable Minds software to gain time on the project schedule and ultimately at a reduced overall cost.