When less equals more

When less equals more

 

Apollo 13 and Garages - unlikely links but they demonstrate a powerful key to successful problem solving.

It's amazing what human ingenuity can do when truly concentrated. Apollo 13 is perhaps the ultimate example of how life saving creativity flourishes when subjected to time and resource constraints.

How do you bring three men safely back from the far side of the moon using dying batteries, carbon granules, old socks and gaffer tape?

And you can't get much more constrained than having a garage as your entire corporate structure, but as Bill Hewlett said of his work with Dave Packard, "Here we were with $500 trying whatever we might be able to do".

The birthplace of Silicon Valley

In 20 years of ideation and facilitating workshops in 15 countries, I've learned that restricting inputs to only the key elements, keeping pressure on time, encouraging competitiveness, (and trying to eliminate death by PowerPoint) are vital workshop rules.

Add an understanding of creativity, an analysis of how small teams interact, a dash of theatre and a sense of humor.....and get ready to solve problems.

New product development with R&D, Brand Stretch with Marketing, Retailer growth with Sales and Customer, or COGS reduction with everyone.

I'm giving up!

I'm giving up!

"I'm giving up meat, just like the other 7.3 million Americans, to live a vegetarian diet. If that proves too hard, I'll join the  22.8 million who avoid meat most of the time."

"I might stop wheat too! I know only around 1% of Americans are Celiacs, but far far more of us  believe we have a problem with wheat"                    

"Lots of us think our dogs should avoid it too"

 "Sugary carbonated drinks, not likely!"

 "Caffeine in coffee? you must be joking"

 "And don't even start me on dairy ,Where would I be without my soy decaff latte"  

                                             

With the exception of lactose intolerance all of the above "over index" versus statistical truth, and all of  these categories have changed markets and launched successful new products.

Soy, almond, oat or rice milk, mineral water, flavored water, vitamin water, herbal teas, gluten free bread, pizza, pasta, Quorn, tofu, bean burgers.

  

                             

More and more of us are giving up something. Is it a threat to your market or an unexploited opportunity?                  Me, I remain a coffee addicted omnivore who's lucky enough to adore cheese!

Wood-fired hot tub doubles as a boat!

Wood-fired hot tub doubles as a boat!

I've worked in innovation for 25+ years and thought I had seen pretty much everything, fortunately I have retained my sense of awe (and humor).

I would never have believed that there is a market for a hot tub boat but those wonderfully inventive Dutch have combined the two and now offer sale and rental around their canals and rivers.

Just the thing for a cold, damp winters day!

Initial Idea Screening

     

Much of my work is at the "fuzzy front end" helping my clients generate new ideas, and so ways to screen them is always a major interest.
I've come to the conclusion that there are three fundamental truths that an idea has to win on to stand a chance. And one that can make or break even the best idea.

 A recent client meeting in Geneva and a long flight back left me pondering some fine McDonalds examples.

 

1) Breakfast in McDonalds Switzerland: croisant, confiture, pain rustique avec café au lait, delicious, almost affordable (my what an expensive city)

2) Mid-afternoon: McCafe Geneva: and beautiful patisserie
 

 

3) Night in airport hotel Zurich: Golden Arches Hotel

 

 

 

 

How would you screen these new products at concept stage?

My first three screening factors would be:
Fit to Brand, Fit to Consumer, Fit to Ability (can we make it/serve it) - and I think all three ideas pass with flying colors.

But the one that in the end makes or breaks an idea is Fit to Company Strategy. The hotel example is real, I stayed there some years ago but it is no more. It just didn't fit the Strategy and was closed.

What first coarse filters do you use? Do you keep it short and sweet or seek detail early?
I'd love to hear your methods and of course if you are looking for idea generation I'd love to talk!

 

ProBiotic

 

I think of ProBiotics as a Euro interest – rather French  really following their interest in digestion, so yogurt brands like Yoplait, Danone, Nestle’s LC1  come to mind.

Today (and perhaps I’m somewhat behind the trend here) I saw my first ProBiotic milk. The wonderfully named Nu-Trish.

I found it much to my surprise in my small local Walmart, not a place I usually associate with early adopter health foods.

Oakhurst Dairy is just up the road in Maine and a quick Google shows them to have a really innovative portfolio.

A company and a brand to watch I think.  

 

Mind your language

I’ve just read that Ikea have launched new pack designs for a number of their foods.  I never associated Ikea with food so I hunted down some images – they look great, simple elegant and yet fun.

But they didn’t look particularly novel to me, in fact I thought they were at least a tribute to the sort of designs that the UK Grocer Waitrose has been using for years.

What was new to me was the realization that Ikea can use pictogram communication in all the countries they operate in.

Followed by the recognition that here in the US its as valuable to have pictures that cross language barriers too.

Change the rules?

Change the rules?

So you have this great idea, but it will be a competitor to several massive corporations who can clearly outspend, out muscle, and generally out you every which way………..unless you can out think them and change the rules!

Last week, I found two great examples of startups that are doing just that, and choosing to compete with established giants, by using a completely different business model.

Dollar Shave Club http://www.dollarshaveclub.com/  starts with the insight that buying razor blades is a time consuming hassle and increasingly expensive, beyond any pampering metro sexual pleasure. So, they have changed the rules. For $1, $6 or $9 they will mail you a handle and blades once a month. Simple, no retailer, no merchandising and no easy response from 75% share Gillette. I mean how is Gillette  going to tell Walmart that they are direct selling against them!

Different scale, different market, same change the rules attitude: Surf Air http://www.surfair.com/ are launching a short haul air line using exec jets……………..but charging a fixed monthly fee to fly as often as you want! Around $800 a month to fly up and down the California coast. Commute between LA and Santa Barbara, Palo Alta, Monterrey. Yes please! I can’t see the Chapter 11 legacy airlines following this one, although maybe Jet Blue?

It’s all stirring stuff isn’t it? Maybe I could quit my cubicle and start over – or maybe someone is planning a game changer that might hit my employer and move me out of my cubicle rather more abruptly.

So if you don’t have an escape plan yet, how will you defend your brand if the outsider tries to change the rules?

How about getting the team together to work out a response. Of course you’re going to need some expert facilitation, and who better than a consultant who moved continents and went virtual five years ago to change his own rules?

P.S. Wont happen to me? I'm glad I didn't work for a record company before iTunes, Bell before T Mobile, or even made carriage reins before Henry Ford.