Make Connections
Exhibit 9.7 Tesla’s electric vehicle’s skateboard chassis with battery
pack stretched across the base.
“All the geniuses here at General Motors kept saying
lithium-ion technology is 10 years away, and Toyota agreed with us and boom, along comes Tesla … How come some
tiny little California startup, run by guys who know nothing about the car
business, can do this, and we can’t?”
General Motors’ then Vice Chairman Robert Lutz (2007).
Linking different sources,
whether they are observations, consumer needs and emotions, and/or market
trends, can create a potent mix that fuels creative ideas. Take for instance
the following examples of products that were conceived by connecting distinct
market trends and behavioural patterns:
- The demand for electric vehicles (EVs) (Exhibit 9.7) stems from the growing desire
for cleaner sources of energy as well as advances in lithium-ion batteries. Tesla’s
plan in February 2014 to build their Gigafactory was reminiscent of IBM’s transformation
in 1964 from an assembler of computers to becoming a manufacturing concern that produced
the world’s largest quantity of integrated circuits. Entirely powered by renewable energy
sources, by 2018, Tesla’s Gigafactory produces more lithium-ion batteries in terms of kWh
than all other carmakers combined. (Observation: People are concerned about the
environment).
- The advent and growth of EVs is likely to lead to a disruption that will
affect almost every aspect of the automobile industry and associated sectors (petroleum,
battery, auto components, auto materials etc.).
- Google Maps
exploited the opportunity mix created by the proliferation of mobile devices
combined with the convenience of reading maps in a soft copy format.
Exhibit 9.8 Yoplait Go-GURT is ideal for children on-the-go.
- Yoplait Go-GURT (Exhibit 9.8) is another product that connects the trend in
health with on-the-go convenience. It is a portable, low-fat yogurt that comes
in the form of a squeezable tube. Go-GURT may be held in one hand and eaten
without a spoon; ideal for children on-the-go. (Observation: “I want my children to
eat healthy. But they like to consume snacks that taste good and can easily be eaten outdoors”).
- UP & GO (Australia) nourishing liquid breakfast in a tetra
pack targets those who have little or no time to sit for breakfast. Kellogg’s
All-Bran is also available in liquid format in a number of countries. Both
these products leverage the needs for health and on-the-go convenience. (Observation:
“I often skip meals because I am too busy, or I am late for work”).
- Birds Eye Steamfresh, vegetables packed in a unique steamer pack
that meets the need for convenience and health.
Exhibit 9.9 Tamagotchi connected the growing interest in electronic
gadgets with the trend in keeping smaller pets.
- Tamagotchi (Exhibit 9.9), the electronic pet from Bandai connects the growing
interest in electronic gadgets with the trend in keeping smaller pets.
Exhibit 9.10 Pokémon Go, a virtual treasure hunt, that connects mobile devices and
virtual treasure (Pokémons)
- Pokémon Go (Exhibit 9.10), a virtual “treasure hunt” that complements modern lifestyles,
connecting mobile devices that have infiltrated our lives with virtual treasure (Pokémons).