Honeysticks: testing a world of pure creation in the US

The client

Honeysticks makes safe, sustainable, and joyfully creative art supplies designed for early childhood. Proudly crafted in New Zealand using natural ingredients like beeswax and food-grade colourants, their products are designed to nurture kids’ imaginations while being gentle on little hands and the planet.

The brand is loved by parents who want the best for their children and who value safety, sustainability, and creativity. With growing global demand, Honeysticks set its sights on the US market, eager to evolve its brand and packaging to connect with a new generation of parents.

The challenge

To successfully launch in the United States, Honeysticks needed to evolve its positioning from “safe and sustainable” to something more emotionally resonant, a brand that stood for creativity, potential and purpose.

They developed a new brand idea: A world of pure creation

But before rolling it out, the team wanted to know: did this idea connect with US parents? Would it feel meaningful and motivating? And what would the right creative expression, including packaging, look like to bring this idea to life?

With a big market opportunity on the line, Honeysticks wanted data-backed decisions that didn’t slow them down.

The approach

Using Stickybeak, Honeysticks ran six targeted consumer tests with women aged 25–44 in the United States, their core audience of digitally savvy, premium-minded parents of young children.

Over several weeks, the team explored and refined every key element:

• Testing the appeal of the new brand idea
• Exploring creative territories and tone of voice
• Gauging price perception and value
• Testing multiple rounds of packaging concepts
• Landing on the most appealing final design
  
  

Stickybeak’s platform made it easy to run each test quickly and independently, with clear, actionable results delivered within 48 hours. 

The result

The testing confirmed that “a world of pure creation” resonated strongly with US parents - it was seen as distinctive, emotionally rich, and aligned with what they want for their children.

The results also sparked a powerful creative challenge for the Honeystick’s team. While parents were excited by the playfulness and charm of the new direction, they still deeply valued Honeysticks’ roots in sustainability, quality, and heritage. Rather than abandon the past, the Honeystick’s team was inspired to evolve it. Stickybeak helped them uncover the bridge between ‘eco’ and ‘fun’ – enabling aspirational brand identity that felt joyful and fresh, without losing the values consumers already loved.

It also revealed which creative directions and visual approaches could be made more distinctive, helping the team refine and strengthen their storytelling.

The winning packaging was colourful, fun, and friendly,  described by parents as:

“Cute and eye-catching… my kids would love it.”
“Bright, gender-neutral, and doesn’t rely on licensed characters.”
“Looks like something I’d be happy to gift.”

Most importantly, the process gave the Honeysticks team confidence. Every step of the rebrand was validated from big ideas to pack designs making their US launch feel less like a risk and more like a creative, strategic leap forward.

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