‘Designing Strategies’ Newsletter
July – August 2007 Volume 4 – Issue 17
One of the brightest innovations I’ve seen lately comes from the people who brought me my first box of crayons…Crayola. To be more precise, it was Binney & Smith, Inc. who brought pure joy to my childhood. What child didn’t have a box of Crayola crayons in their toy box? Once they gave the world a box of eight colors in the early 1900’s, they increased color choices to 16, then 24, 48 and 64, and beyond. Innovation is necessary to grow any business, small, mid-sized or large.
How could innovation help grow the Binney-Smith Crayola brand? Where could they go from there? How many are too many color choices? Those of us in the design community firmly believe there can never be too many colors. I’d guess most mothers probably follow the ‘Less is More’ theory when it comes to finding any number of broken crayons ground into their carpet.
Binney-Smith has done a great job of offering new products surrounding their classic crayons. Once color was recognized as only one available option for their brand, innovation took over.. First, the number of color choices increased, then sizes went from skinny crayons to thicker ones for younger, chubbier hands. Then came markers: thin ones, thick ones, and even washable ones. Today, there is a plethora of art kits with crayons, other art media, and pictures to color on a wide array of topics. Using innovation, their product line has expanded in a big way. They finally realized that colors were not the only thing they had to work with to develop a wide range of products. They understand that the entire broad line of products did not change their target audience one bit.
But, where did they go from there? Instead of limiting their product line to the confines of the
quiet inside world: homes, schools and art classes, the Crayola brand has now declared the entire outside
world their palette. A new line of outside art materials has been developed. Their newest line embraces
larger canvases to be filled with creative childhood fantasies and expression: your sidewalk, the
driveway, or the parking lot down the street.
The world has become every child’s canvas. Even if budding artists mess up your property (or your neighbor’s), a bucket of water, the garden hose or Mother Nature can wash it all away in minutes, creating yet another blank canvas on which to use even more of these new, exciting products. Could there be a better product innovation? How better to market it than on colorful television commercials showing a group of children at play…outside with friends…having the time of their life?
How Will Innovation Play a Part in Your Company’s Growth and Success?
What is your company doing that is innovative? Is it just more of the ‘same old, same old’ or are you stretching yourself and your staff to move in new, exciting directions, creating new products and services? If the only things new are a few color choices, are you reaching the end of your ability to innovate, expand and grow your company? What’s your ‘next’ best idea to keep your product line fresh and desirable to your customer base?
To ensure a continuous flow of bright, innovation, it is imperative to have a company culture and environment that supports creativity. Do you? If not, develop strategies to change from a static, staid workplace to one where creative minds are nurtured. Does that mean physically changing your work environment? Perhaps. Does it mean holding brainstorming meetings off site in a causal, fun environment? Maybe. Review your ‘Creativity Quotient’ during your planning to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie, then plan to make necessary changes to ensure you are in a position to creatively move your small business into the future based on a high level of innovation.
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Time for your business to innovate!
Have you heard the news? This falls into the ‘extra, extra, read all about it’ realm. Courts in the UK are finally giving up the powdered wigs and colored robes that have been the attire of judges and barristers for hundreds of years. While some judges in criminal cases will still be required to wear the wigs, others will no longer be faced with the high costs of this traditional garb or the discomfort it causes.
What are you doing in your company to bring it up to modern times, poised for the future? Do you have antiquated processes, forms or procedures in place that no one even recalls why they became a part of everyday operations? Maybe it’s time to investigate your business operations and why you’re in that mode. Is there a better, cheaper or faster way to do things? Has technology developed something that can make your operation run more smoothly and efficiently? . Be sure that you add the term innovate to your company’s tool box. Innovation is a critical element of the ability for your company to grow and succeed.
