Karitane Early Parenting Concept Store

Neonormal identified an opportunity for a fee-paying health service that would deliver the skills and services of the highly regarded Karitane team to aspirational, potentially vulnerable and vulnerable parents, refreshing the brand, extending reach and enabling 6 new revenue streams for the mostly government-funded organisation. Combining Neonormal design thinking and Karitane service design we launched this service in just 8 months in Westfield Bondi Junction, February 2018. We attracted 110 families on day 1 and 500 in the first 5 days.

Reach doubled in first 5 months.

In 2016/17 Karitane received 3,128 referrals to Residential Units and Parenting Centres. In the first 5 months of operation over 3,000 families have attended the Karitane Early Parenting Store.

The store has attracted interest from other health services to partner with Karitane. Labelled ‘game changing’ by Scentre Group, health services and philanthropic groups who see the potential for national rollout. The concept attracted one of the highest rankings by Perpetual Trustees grants team. The sustainability of the service will come through partnerships, licencing and online fee for service programs.

The concept development, collaborative store and service design was provided pro bono by Neonormal. The move to fee for service was a huge cultural shift for Karitane. Briefing sessions with Board, staff, government, philanthropic and corporations resulted in support for the pilot. The Karitane brand has been refreshed, the store is a billboard for the service and team, and has resulted in greater internal pride, amplification of existing products such as virtual home visiting and support of fee for service programming, with new programs progressively launched.

The insight that led to the development of the store was the perceived stigma associated with a new parent’s struggles in parenting. The insight was revealed in a review of the outcomes of a Renault Concept Store – overcoming the stigma of the car dealership experience. We applied this to create a brand, product offer and environment that would attract new parents, in their community, while they are available, open to new ideas and in a transactional frame of mind. The store design and program allow an approachable and discrete triage process – educate (sessions and merchandise), consult, treat and refer.

A single, evocative creative platform was developed ‘with you every step of the way’ linked to Karitane’s ideology, supporting parents through their child’s first 2,000 days of life. This is reflected in the programs available that address each stage in a child’s development. The store, the creative platform, the programs, and the team are approachable and that is drawing families in and enabling an impact in terms of early intervention that will benefit generations of families to come.