Page 145 - Free the Idea Monkey

THE PLATFORM STATEMENT
Think of a platform as a bucket that you can put a lot of insights

into. Creating a platform is a simple process of coming up with a lot
of insights and looking for common themes that allow you to ladder
up to larger and more compelling insight platforms.

The platform of “I want my kids to eat a nutritious after-school
snack because it is my responsibility to help them grow up healthy,
but the on-the-go/in-the-car schedules make it nearly impossible”
was made up of a lot of other insights. Here are a few:

• My kids are always on the go because they have lots of activi-
ties, but they don’t eat right as a result.

• I want my kids to have enough fuel so they enjoy their extra-
curricular activities because I want them to be happy, but it
is hard to make sure they eat right.

• I worry about my kids’ health because their active lifestyles
don’t allow for good eating habits, but there are not many
nutritious foods they can eat on the go.

• I feel guilty feeding my kids junk food between activities
because their health is important to me, but fast food is the
most convenient option.

Remember: An insight is a penetrating consumer (customer)
truth that helps you build your business. Penetrating in that it is
true for a large group of people, and business building in that there
is a big problem to solve so that the large group of people will flock
to your product or service.

Here’s a good test. Once you have collected insights and linked
them to a larger opportunity platform, see if people start giving
you ideas to solve your challenge. In this case, they will likely start
inventing things like a sandwich wrap, a granola bar, a frozen
banana, a veggie panini stick, a pretzel rod filled with cream cheese.
Many years ago a similar exercise resulted in handheld food for
McDonald’s, which included what is today the Snack Wrap. It is nice
to have worked on my very favorite fast food.

130 I G N O R A N C E I S B L I S S . I T I S A L S O E X P E N S I V E .