YOUNG Spirits has announced the launch of a dynamic new service for UK drinks brands which it said will offer a faster, more sustainable, and cost-effective way to bring ambitious new product development projects to market.
The Innovation Hub will allow spirits companies to manage every part of the new product development (NPD) process in one session, including design concepts, bottling, and packaging decisions.
Young Spirits explained that it spotted the difficulties many clients were facing when it came to NPD – primarily the high costs and lengthy timescales required to deliver results, at a time when agility and responding quickly to consumer trends is more important than ever.
The Innovation Hub is designed to fast-track the pathway from product idea to reality, the new facility represents a £50,000 investment and offers access to AI technology, robust sustainability solutions, and the ‘very latest’ in global bottle and packaging design in a one-stop-shop package for customers.
Built next to Young Spirits’ headquarters in Edinburgh, the new facility includes a technology-driven concept studio offering interactive design tools to support brand and packaging visualisation; a materials library, featuring a curated collection of eco-friendly packaging, labels, closures, and glass in line with the business’s sustainability first ethos; and a sensory and nosing area, dedicated to spirit profiling, allowing clients to refine product character and quality.
Further to this is a prototyping unit, with small-batch production capabilities to allow client to trial and refine product runs at Young Spirits’ award-winning bottling facility; a tasting & collaboration space for client workshops, tastings, and creative sessions; and the possibility for a consumer intelligence service allowing brands to test and validate product concepts, designs, pricing and marketing strategies using real-time consumer feedback.
Commencing operations this month with a number of clients in both sectors on board, Barbara Russell Scott, MD of both companies, believes the hub will be ‘transformational’ for brands in terms of expediting processes, saving money and boosting growth.
She commented, ‘Through our daily operations at Young Spirits, we can see the problemsbrands face every day with NPD, from startups looking to refine their product ideas professionally, to larger brands trying to respond to evolving market trends quickly and sustainably.
“The Innovation Hub tackles these challenges head on. It’s a place where a brand team can come together and really make things happen, in just a matter of hours or over a few days. We have invested in high quality facilities, technology, knowledge transfer and the latest tools to allow brands to experiment with new ideas and designs, find out how they’ll land with consumers, and how they’ll look in the bottle and on shelf.
“It’s fast, accessible and affordable, plus our trusted team will be there at every step of the way with our expertise and guidance to getting the results brands need to win with their new product ideas.
“As companies become increasingly aware of the need for agility and responding quicky to market fluctuations and consumer trends, we are confident that the Innovation Hub will offer a huge competitive advantage to our clients.”
