Proposition make-over

Tover is a Dutch scale-up in the MedTech industry. In 2015 Tover introduced its first product, the Tovertafel. It became an overnight success. The introduction was followed by a period of fast growth and international expansion.

Tover’s success did not go unnoticed. Only a few years after Tover invented the category of serious games for people with dementia, copy-cats entered the market. How could Tover distinguish its product from the competition and strengthen its position as market leader?

The challenge

• How can Tover counter competitors targeting their game portfolio?

Tover has a large design and development team that codesigns high quality games for and with their players. Competitors often create and release a ton of games without proper testing.
Tover’s game portfolio is a lot better, but smaller in amount of games. Competitors use this against Tover. What is the right response?

• Should Tover stick to its laser-sharp focus?

Initially Tover targeted people in the later stages of dementia. Tover now faces requests from caregivers to adapt its product for those in earlier stages. Should Tover expand to this new market, risking loss of focus and dilution of its proposition?

• How to differentiate from copycats?

Tover made an effort to differentiate from the competition by developing a distinct style and message. But games, claims and campaigns are rapidly copied by the competition. How could Tover create a sustainable competitive advantage?

The process

The problem Tover was trying to solve was complex and intertwined. We wanted to take advantage of the knowledge in the organisation, in order to speed up the process and deliver results which were supported in the organisation.

Understanding the problem

We combined tools from 'Lean Six Sigma' and '7 Strata Strategy Model' to determine the key issues that Tover was facing and identify root causes.

This exercise resulted in two main conclusions:

A) The focus (and target market) of Tover is too narrow and should be expanded

The company only serves a portion of its ‘total serviceable market’. By expanding its offering, Tover will become more relevant for its customers and increase its commercial value significantly.

B) As market leader Tover should leverage its unique strengths and change the dominant ‘frame’ in the market

The dominant frame in the market is unfavourable, with a focus on quantity of the games rather than quality of games. This has a negative impact on players, customers and on Tover. Only a high-quality game experience will structurally improve players' quality of life.

Developing the solution

A) Making the Tovertafel available for people in earlier stages of dementia

Since Tover’s product is used by people with cognitive challenges, it was important to get the basics right before starting development. The research, design and development team worked towards a new product in three stages:

1. Investigate the needs of people in earlier dementia stages. This was done through literature research, context studies, and interviews.

2. Create a vision and portfolio framework to identify opportunities for new games.

3. Deliver great new games through codesign with players and care professionals. Every half year new games were released, gradually expanding the offering.

B) Changing the ‘frame’ in the market: from quantity of games to 'purposeful play' (play with effect).

The research and design team collaborated closely with the marketing team to create a new proposition and prepare international launch.

1. Deep dive into the scientific studies (conducted by academic and applied universities for Tover) to precisely identify effects on players and care staff. This formed the foundation for the ‘Purposeful play’ proposition.

2. Additional ethnographic research (observation and interviews) to understand better how different hosts use the Tovertafel and facilitate sessions.

3. Improvement of the Tovertafel: adapt the user interface to stimulate 'Purposeful play'. Several features were added to make it easier for the Tovertafel host to select the game, e.g. Game levels and Collections.

4. Creation of 'Purposeful play' materials for communication (digital and print: website, brochures, campaigns etc.).

All steps were done in close collaboration with Tover’s codesign locations and distribution partners. This helped to improve and validate the chosen direction and build support for smooth implementation.

The result

The 'Purposeful play' proposition is firmly rooted in Tover’s scientific evidence base, making it difficult for competitors to replicate while retaining credibility.

It was launched in 2021 in 16 countries. In 2022 Tover won the CES Editors’ Choice Award within the Accessibility category alongside 54 other “potentially life-changing products”.

The impact on Tover's customers:

• A better play experience that enables care staff to 'play with effect' and provide person centered care.

• More happy players: people in the earlier stages of dementia can now enjoy playing with the Tovertafel.

• More value from their initial investment for care organisations. The Tovertafel can be used in a wider range of situations, making it more versatile and beneficial over time.

The impact on Tover's business:

• Commercial boost: The new proposition helps Tovertafel reach twice as many potential customers. This means more opportunities to sell and grow.

• Expansion framework: It provides a clear plan for reaching new groups of people who might benefit from the Tovertafel. This makes it easier to grow the business.

• Unique positioning: The new proposition positions Tover as thought leader with a strong advantage over competitors. It has a unique strategy that's hard for others to copy.

The customer's response

What did our customers think of Purposeful play? We asked them in an international survey. 363 users across 5 countries responded:

“Tovertafel is fantastic. We see people begin to move who otherwise would have remained inactive. It puts a smile back on people's faces and encourages interaction. It's the best thing I've seen so far to enhance joy in the lives of people with dementia.” · Activities supervisor

"When we turn the table on, we see a lot of enthusiasm. Playing with the Tovertafel can bring up a lot of emotions. Some clients become relaxed, while others become stimulated and start to engage with other players." · Support worker Activities centre