A sample of innovation is better than an example

If you asked about my three main passions I’d say rugby, cars and beer. So here is a story about all three.

 

Over here in South Africa we have Varsity Sports, it now covers all the major sports but rugby is the showpiece event. Varsity Sports is run by ASEM, the company founded by Francois Pienaar. The name stands for Advent Sport and Entertainment Marketing and sportainment is very much the central idea. This week was the final of the tournament and as usual it was 'rugby that rocks', big crowds of passionate students, loud music, great TV coverage. What it also featured were several innovations in rugby that make it more fun to watch, innovations that I feel sure will in some form eventually find their way into the game internationally.

 

I know not all of you are rugby fans so I will just headline some of the key ideas – two refs on the field, strategy breaks after each quarter, converted tries worth 8 points, penalties worth only 2, props wearing special shirts with ‘binding grips’, power play at the start of each half with a pink ball, any points scored raise money for charity (anti-violence against women) and earn the crowd a free burger, ref challenges (bit like tennis or cricket).

 

The result of all these innovations is a game that is more entertaining – more tries, less scrums, faster pace, more excitement and crowd engagement – better for the players, the fans and the sponsors. Many of these ideas, and the issues they address, have been discussed by rugby fans and written about by rugby journalists. With Varsity Rugby you get to see them all in action, you can experience the difference they make. I should also point out that many other ideas have been tried and dropped in previous years and there are new ideas in the pipeline. Similar innovative thinking is applied to all the varsity sports and this increasingly popular sportainment has become a real life test-bed for innovation. Discuss it, think about it by all means, but get on and try it and let people see for themselves, let them sample the innovation.

 

And now to cars. I popped into my local BMW dealer to talk about a car I was thinking of buying. I spotted the new i8, their plug-in hybrid sports car. Not exactly the car I had in mind but I am matey with one of the sales guys and he suggested we take the i8 for a spin. WOW! Stunning looker, great to drive and serious performance. I had read about this new breed of performance hybrids but nothing beats actually driving one. So yes that makes the point about the power of sampling and whilst I don’t intend to buy the i8 I am thinking about getting the i3 to keep as my London car, a petrol head is now at least interested in being a hybrid-head.

 

But more interesting was what the salesman told me about the impact these cars were having on the whole BMW range. Innovations around various aspects of the car, not just the hybrid-power source, were now coming on line for all the BMWs. And while he spoke and pointed out various things, I drove them and experienced them. It struck me I was sampling innovation not just sampling an innovative product. It changed not just my perception about hybrids or the BMW brand, it changed my perception about driving.

 

I know I have mentioned Craft Beers a lot in recent blogs, the effect they are having on the beer category. It is the same story – Craft Beers offer more than innovative products to try, they actually offer the chance to sample what innovation can mean in beer and, as the results show, they change your perceptions forever. It is not that you won’t ever drink a simple golden pilsner lager again, you will, but you will never think of it the same way. Not because of what you have read or been told, but because of the innovation you have tasted.

 

Innovation is one of the most written about subjects in business. We all know innovation drives growth so we all know we need to be more innovative and there are a gazillion books, articles, models, workshops etc. etc. supposedly to help us. But do we really get any better at it? Does it get any easier?

 

Could it be as simple as the fact that you need to be able to sample innovation and you need something like Varsity Sports, the BMW i-range, the craft beer festivals to provide the platform to offer that. And if you don’t have it then you need to create it. I was brought up on the ‘ready, aim, fire’ model of innovation with all the innovation gates and action standards. I think I prefer the fire, ready, aim model where people get to sample passion-based innovation.

 

Samples of innovation not examples.

 

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