Strategic Market Entry in Thailand with UX Research
Overview
Manulife, a global insurance titan, faced significant challenges in penetrating the Thai market. The necessity to localize their product, aligning it with the preferences and needs of Thai consumers, was paramount.
Manulife's global headquarters in Hong Kong opted to partner with Morphosis, a local expert, to navigate through market research, insights gathering, and identifying lucrative growth avenues.
The primary objective of this project was to strategically position Manulife in the Thai market through a holistic approach that included comprehensive market research, product discovery, and validation processes.
Key activities involved revamping the Manulife app and website to align with local preferences and needs. This was complemented by a thorough competitive analysis to ascertain Manulife’s market standing and identify areas for improvement.
Furthermore, the project focused on refining the product through meticulous prototyping and usability testing, ensuring that the end product resonated with the target audience and met user expectations.
![https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_02_75006755bc.png](https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_02_75006755bc.png)
End-to-end user journey mappingWith enriched insights specific to the Thai market. |
8-month project deliveryFrom UX research to product design handover. |
Rapid design validationEnabling a clear and solidified direction for the product. |
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Methodology
![https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_03_fdd274930c.png](https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_03_fdd274930c.png)
Workshop Validation and Ideation
Morphosis spearheaded a product discovery session employing design thinking methodologies. Key stakeholders from Manulife actively participated in the session.
A concentrated 5-week workshop involved intense brainstorming, discussions, and customer journey mapping. The aim was to identify customer pain points and devise potential improvements tailored specifically to the Thai market.
![https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_06_1_b3213cbb8b.png](https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_06_1_b3213cbb8b.png)
An exhaustive competitive analysis was conducted against Manulife's closest competitors in Thailand. This analysis was instrumental in illuminating aspects where Manulife's app required enhancement and provided critical insights for innovation and solution generation.
![https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_04_31623052a9.png](https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_04_31623052a9.png)
Prototyping and Usability Testing
Prototypes were developed based on the workshop outcomes, and usability tests were conducted with the involvement of UT students. This phase was crucial for garnering feedback and fine-tuning the design direction of the Manulife app and website.
![https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_05_8c4a4b37c9.png](https://morph-2-prd-bucket.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/CS_Manulife_05_8c4a4b37c9.png)
Final Design and Product Launch
The final design phase saw the realization of the refined prototypes into a finished product, adhering closely to Manulife’s global design standards while encapsulating local Thai preferences.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Manulife and Morphosis was a blend of cultural and technical synchronization. Morphosis, with its local expertise, facilitated Manulife’s strategic entry into the Thai market through a series of well-executed phases ranging from ideation to product launch.
The redefined Manulife app and website are now finely tuned to meet the specific needs and preferences of the Thai market, marking a significant milestone in Manulife’s global expansion endeavors.