If necessity is the mother of invention, then a dull, homogenous landscape full of me-too brands and businesses should be called the mother of innovation.
‘Eureka!’ is often attributed to that single moment when an entrepreneurial inventor-type stumbles across a new invention, a new innovation that will change the world (or least make life a lot easier for a bunch of people who need it).
But what about the flash of genius that results in a new innovation? Not something new, but a new spin on something old? The ‘Eureka – let’s change it!’ moment?
Eureka – let’s change it! The Mother of Innovation…
Everyone wishes they’d invented sticky notes or any number of ‘sliced bread’ type inventions that changed our everyday lives, but let’s face it, creating something brand new is tough.
Reinventing something is an entirely different story. Turning an old idea upside down, changing the rules, creating something new out of something old is the mother of innovation.
4 ways to innovate by reinvention
#1: Change the ‘experience’ – There is nothing new about coffee and quite frankly, if someone had predicted a day when people would line up to pay $5 for a cup of it, they would have been laughed out of the room. That’s exactly what Starbucks did by making an experience, a culture, out of the simple act of drinking coffee.
#2: Take 1 + 1 and make magic – Combine to ordinary things and make something new. Think peanut butter and chocolate and you have the Reese Empire of cups and pieces.
#3: A fresh take on something tried and true – Sprinkles Cupcakes elevated the cupcake to new heights with their bouquet approach to a childhood favorite. Exquisite taste and extraordinary flavor combinations, Sprinkles turned made from scratch baking into a dessert phenomenon.
#4: Extraordinary version – The circus is coming to town is nothing compared to when the Cirque du Soleil sets up their big top in your city. The Cirque du Soleil is an extraordinary example of what happens when you create an extraordinary version of something old.
Got a BIG Idea for The BIG Idea File? We’d love to hear it. Share your ideas in our comments!