What is a really cool idea and how does it work?

Let’s start with the fact that our brain does not pay attention to boring things. Yes, simple, gray, uninteresting things cannot hold our attention for long, and can even push us away. In short, people do not want to remember information; they just want to react to what is interesting and grabs attention. A clear example of supporting such an initiative can be seen in reactions to posts, likes, comments, but nothing more. The user processes content, and if there is a resonance, the goal will be achieved. 

There is a phenomenon called the “Goldfish Bowl,” which shows that the duration of human attention decreases every year. Note: the concentration of a goldfish is 9 seconds. 

Fig. 1 – “Goldfish Bowl”

Therefore, brands need bright business ideas presented in the shortest forms possible. One option is to break down content and address specific people and situations. 

How to define the goals and values for the client? 

The first step is to conduct research. In simple terms, this is market analysis, competitor analysis. You cannot move on to the project until you have clearly defined the problem that your company or product can solve. 

The second step is to learn all the details about the product. 

The third step is brainstorming, which will meet certain criteria: person, category, brand, and proof.

Let’s break it down in more detail: 

• Person: who they are, where they live, their interests, what they do, why they choose this product, etc. – a detailed consumer portrait.
• Category: competitor analysis. That is, we analyze how they communicate with the audience, why “our person” also buys their product.
• Brand: we develop its visualization as a living person. Specifically, we endow it with character, imagine what it would look like as a person (appearance, style of clothing, etc.), what interests it would have, and so on.
• Proof: What do we have that competitors do not? If there are no differences, we need to create them, implement them, and test them while answering the question, “What can we offer the client that others cannot?”.

Thus, by analyzing all these 4 points, we obtain the brand matrix. 

Fig. 2 – “Brand Matrix”

Let’s analyze it using the example of Airbnb. 

• For Jack, who is tired of standard tourism.
• We are a home all over the world.
• Offering to live like locals.
• Because we are the only ones in every neighborhood of the city.

Having understood the positioning, we choose the “packaging” for the future idea. 

Numbers leave people indifferent. We are not statisticians by nature, so stories are better at pushing us to action. In short – storytelling. 

Let’s consider the example of the experiment by Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn. Once, these two researchers decided to test one of the theories. Visiting a flea market, they bought some items for just a couple of bucks. After that, they asked copywriters to write story texts for some products and list them on eBay. 

Fig. 3 – Example of storytelling in action

So, according to the results, the product that had its own story sold better. 

Moving on, let’s talk about insight. Insight is what everyone thinks but doesn’t say out loud. Where to find it? It’s simple; they can be found in memes, movies series, books, stand-up comedy, including just by observing people and their preferences.

Once we have found the insight, we move on to pitching. Let’s break it down using the “Elevator pitch” method.

Fig. 4 – The “Elevator pitch” method

What to do to definitely grab attention?

• Combine virtual tools with real ones. This will help maintain the flow of events.
• Use relevant channels and a tone of voice that is understandable to a wide audience.
• Mix technologies. The modern world allows for the creation of a new quality product that works for a very large audience.
• Communicate. Online mode means constant monitoring of comments and quick responses.

To summarize, a truly cool idea is one that is new, original, useful, and meets consumer needs. Such an idea has the potential to attract the attention of investors, sponsors, or clients, allowing it to develop successfully.

To dive deeper into the topic, you have the opportunity to check out the report in video format with answers to questions.