Strategic Insights that actually sell product

I have said many times that there is nothing more inspirational in this business than uncovering that insight that feels like you just discovered the Rosetta Stone. There are a number of examples that I was either proud to be a part of (Read: Collaboration) or to actually be the “discoverer” of. I have already mentioned the Volvo single core value of SAFETY. Brilliant, I think you would agree.Others came out of the automotive aftermarket world, mostly. Like a discovery during a tour at the Champion Spark Plug factory. A large pile of discarded plugs that were rejected because they were not absolutely perfect. One could argue that we don’t want to focus on our mistakes. OR you could take a simple position of “EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. OURS NEVER LEAVE THE FACTORY.” It worked.
Or in the mid 90’s taking note of the fact that there were more 4×4’s on the road than ever. And convincing Quaker State Motor OIl to create a category of semi-synthtic motor oils formulated just for 4×4’s. AND creating this new category in a stunning clear bottle that all DIY’ers thought made perfect sense and said they would pay more for.
Then there is the ferociously competitive Bra Business where the Rosetta Stone is COMFORT. It’s been called the Holy Grail. So when our Warner’s client actually created a Bra that was superior comfort-wise the real challenge became; how do we tell women about this with hardly any advertising funds. And, of course the answer was in the name. Through a series of focus groups it became clear to us that the positioning would very simply be in the name ‘THIS IS NOT A BRA” A major breakthrough in the world of Bra Marketing. Probably the most successful new product launch (Bra category) ever.
There are many more. And without these brilliant insights your creative output can never be laser focused enough to meet your product’s potential.