Page 84 - Free the Idea Monkey

Not necessarily. The world has
changed. When you ask people about
their mouths today, it turns out they
don’t talk much about cavities. They
talk about sparkly teeth and fresh
breath. The mouth is no longer just
about dental health, it’s about image.
Stopping cavities is a must-have, not a
game changer.

If you are looking to create innovation in oral care, you need to see
it through the lens of aestheticians, stylists and fashion experts. To
gain insights into what toothbrushes and toothpaste should deliver
today, you need to forge relationships with people in all those fields.

How? You simply pick up the phone and call a stylist or fashion
expert and ask to pick his brain.

Everyone loves to be seen as an expert. Think about it. Isn’t it
flattering when someone asks you: “Can you help me?” Ask those
people: “What opportunities do you see? What are the emerging

trends?” You aren’t a competitor, so odds are they will
help, especially when you offer to share what you
have learned with them. You want to create
these kinds of partnerships to spur new
thinking and draw connections to things
you might not think are related.

Examples of how connections can create innovation are all
around us. The drive-in movie inspired the drive-in bank; the ball-
point pen led to roll-on deodorant; and the environment-inspired
Velcro—Mother Nature calls it the cocklebur.

To paraphrase innovation guru Roger von Oech, “connection is
the father of conception.” Start connecting.

“Did you get approval from
legal? And operations?

And Wally? And Asia? . . . ”

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