INNOVATION: silver bullets never killed anyone!

When innovating, as a marketer, you have to aim high, satisfy that consumer you’re after, go where no brand or product has gone before! You’re searching for the ideal, for the perfect product, that one “silver bullet” that’ll hit its target in one single move. Oftentimes even, that perfect product needs to hit every conceivable demographic, every possible usage occasion, please every gender, and be lowest cost delivering the highest added value. It needs to be shiny and go smoothly through all internal approval channels… DREAM ON!

The result of the search for that holy grail is actually NOT delivering the product consumers want! In your search to please the whole world , you’ll shave off so much in the proposition, in the idea, that what you get is… average, at best. And average is awful ! And average doesn’t work, it just doesn’t stick. Your idea will die as soon as it hits the market (DOA: Dead On Arrival). Logical. If you innovate in the middle, guess what… you’ll be stuck in the middle [1]! That “middle” is crowded with meaningless, average products delivering zero added value to consumers.

 

That’s what I mean by silver bullets never killing everyone.

 

 

 

Want to innovate faster? Want to innovate more wisely?

Then it is time to embrace imperfection. Because imperfection is probably “good enough” for your consumer. And it will allow you to not shave off too many features to please everyone. Now, that doesn’t mean making bad stuff, it just means being more realistic and… making it! Instead of just “searching” for it!

To let go of the “silver bullet” you have to do the following:

1. Go for the edges! Search meaningful differences away from the middle ground.
2. Have a story. Average stuff is bland, boring. Real innovation has a point-of-view, a story.
3. Value “unique” as a label for your idea in research as very very high. It means you’re on to something!
4. Go deep. Add lots of benefits in your value proposition. Even if they are small and not all 100% perfect. Make the access-to-copy very hard for your competitors.
5. Find the problem, and build a specific “solution” for your consumers. Niche, yes …but…if a hard-core consumer wants it because it fits his/her needs 100%, they’ll buy. At a premium!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try to be disruptive. And stick with it. Here’s an interview with Scott Anthony, President, Innosight and author on innovation. His point of view: disruptive innovation occurs when an innovator brings something to market that is simple, convenient, accessible, and affordable. Hey, that doesn’t sound like a silver bullet ….

 

Some examples of interesting niche products:

no comment needed, I guess:

   

    

there will be an audience for all of these because some of them are solving a specific issue, albeit somewhat “extreme” in the above cases   😉

Consequently:

(for a specific target group):  Highly Unique = Highly Relevant = Yes, I want to buy exactly that!

 

• it’s Ok if your innovation “skews”
• it’s Ok if some people “hate” it

Importantly, it is important to keep an eye on the life cycle of your innovation, from the start: Launch fast, but upgrade-as-you-go. And upgrade it fast and frequently, so you keep consumers happy [and make them happier as they keep buying you]. That way, you’ll create true loyalty and you’ll stay ahead of your competition. Guy Kawasaki calls it “GOING DEEP”:

Examples anyone?

 

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[1] Underperforming innovation starts big and gets diluted (thank you, Nick Pye from Mangrove Consulting for the add) :

Back in 1991, researchers Cooper and Kienschmidt wrote a paper that discusses classes of innovation and their impact on market adoption. The results speak for themselves and are still valid: Moderate Innovation (read: stuck in the middle) has a low success rate, is low on ROI and generates low share! Enough said.

 

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Tagged as: average, competition, creativity, how, innovation, logical, marketing, pragmatic, silver bullet, stuck in the middle