Business Innovation Case Studies

In the last 12 months, Ideas First® has run two global claim generation projects for two different consumer drugs brands in the “Over the Counter” category linked to heart health and pain management. The objectives of both projects was to generate, refine and evaluate more compelling product claims that could be used in key markets today, as well as to build a pipeline of claims for future R&D development.{BREAK}

Both projects were driven by our online virtualHOTHOUSE® process combined with our Claimstorming Hothouse® approach with two separate workshops being run in Asia with over 20 delegates and 12 consumers attending each event. The virtualHOTHOUSE® was used at different stages including the deployment of our new insightsBOX™ and ideasBOX™ tools that were used to generate and evaluate insights and ideas from a further 60 delegates based in ten different markets around the world.

In terms of results, both projects generated over 120 leading claims refined with direct consumer feedback. And in early online evaluation, a total of 36 claims were identified as having “strong market potential”.

Post event delegate feedback was also very positive to the process and to the outcomes with both events achieving a delegate satisfaction level of over 90% and more importantly, with over 88% agreeing that the process had helped to produce and identify at least 2 or 3 new claims that could be used to drive business growth.

Ideas First® has recently led a project for a leading electronics company to generate a new range of electronic learning toys. The project was run in five separate stages over a period of six weeks and was driven by our online virtualHOTHOUSE® system.  This was combined with a global innovation summit with delegates from leading markets, working together with creative consumers, expert consumers and artists{BREAK} to generate early product ideas and designs focused on four different ideation pillars.

In the first stage of the project, we worked with the core client team to define focused innovation objectives and four separate innovation pillars. In the second stage, we led a process to gather and evaluate consumer insights against the four pillars.  These insights were used in the third stage, together with other stimulus materials, to generate ideas at a high energy face-to-face innovation summit.  Ideas were themed and refined in the fourth stage before a final online evaluation in the fifth stage with delegates and consumers.

In terms of results, the process generated 100 leading mini-concepts that were developed with consumer feedback.  Of these, early online evaluation indicated that 12 ideas had strong potential.  In addition, delegate feedback to the process was extremely positive with a 100% satisfaction rating. Individual comments included: "the process pushed towards results, very motivating, and a good team spirit"; "most amazing 3 day summit that pushed us out of the box"; "different methods to get results, brilliant online system and creative consumers".

Over the past ten years, Ideas First has run or supported over 40 innovation partnership projects between leading retailers and their key suppliers, including retailers such as Tesco, Carrefour, Boots and Wal-Mart.  For Wal-Mart, we have run two large scale Shopper Hothouse projects in North America, to generate new ideas,{BREAK}and innovation action plans to increase shopper loyalty in two key personal care and health care categories.

Combining the skills of a multi-functional team, Ideas First used a range of different ideation techniques which generated over 50 ideas that received immediate input from target Wal-Mart shoppers.  A total of 13 concepts and action plans were then taken forward as category growth projects for shorter term action and longer term testing. To date, a number of significant business initiatives have been linked to both of these projects. An additional benefit of the work was an improvement in the effective working relationship between the retail teams and their key suppliers.

User feedback from the projects was also very positive.  For example, one of Wal-Mart's Vice Presidents said, "This is one of the best innovation sessions I have attended.   A great process and thought provoking, fantastic to spend time with a supplier in a very different environment."

Another delegate said: "The process is a step changing experience that lets two organisations come together to generate truly innovative ideas driven by shopper insights and that lead to increased business results and long lasting relationships". 

Over the past three years we have used our virtualHOTHOUSE® online innovation system to help large consumer-focused companies to generate and evaluate new insights and ideas that will drive global and regional product innovation in key markets.  One of our first projects was for a global household cleaning products company with the objective of generating and evaluating new insights, product ideas{BREAK} and claims in four different sub-categories.  A total of 45 delegates took part in the process from in eleven different countries plus further input and feedback was obtained from a panel of 50 online consumers. 

The project was run in two stages over a period of 8 weeks.  The first stage was with a core team of 20 global delegates to share, generate, refine and identify leading consumer insights. The second stage was run with a larger team divideds into four different category teams, each with a different innovation focus. 

At the second stage, delegates were encouraged to login to the system over a three day period where they could review a range of stimulus materials plus key insights identified in stage 1 of the process.  During this period, delegates generated over 600 early ideas and caims. These were then refined and merged by professional copy editors before a the final ideas were evaluated by an internal panel plus a panel of consumers covering two main markets.

In terms of results, the project generated over 20 ideas that were classified as having "strong market potential".  User feedback from delegates was also very positive. For example, an online user survey showed that over 85% of users agreed with the following statements: "allowed us to gather global insights and ideas in a faster and more effective way"; "a great way of getting early insights and ideas from a larger team"; "the process and system was easy and convenient".

Ideas First® has run over 60 innovation projects for a range of different global beauty and skin care brands in Asia, Europe and North America. Our most recent projects have used a unique combination of creative consumer workshops with our new online insightsBOX™ and ideasBOX™ tools to generate, refine and evaluate winning insights and ideas. {BREAK}

For example, three international projects were run in 2010 and 2011 for leading skin care brands that used this combined workshop and online approach.  All three projects started with an online process to gather and evaluate relevant consumer insights using the insightsBOX™ tool or our Insights virtualHOTHOUSE® system. Leading consumer insights were then used, along with other stimulus materials, at creative consumer workshops in North America and Asia before post workshop idea refinement and evaluation.

An average of 50 delegates took part at each event, either online or as workshop delegates. In total, the projects produced over 800 early ideas and claims before ideas were refined by professional copy editors. 

The final stage of the process involved two online evaluation surveys. This helped to identify over 50 ideas and claims with strong market potential and to date, a number of the leading ideas have already gone forward for market roll-out. 

In addition to the results, user feedback from delegates also highlights the strength of the combined workshop and online approach. For example, over 93% of delegates enjoyed the process and would be happy to take part in a similar event; 86% liked the way the process was focused on specific objectives and opportunity areas; 89% of users liked using the online tool to capture and evaluate early ideas; 91% of users liked being able to evaluate ideas at different stages of the process; over 90% of users felt the process generated a number of ideas that would be deliver real results.

Since 2000, Ideas First® has run 38 ideation projects for the Johnson’s Baby and Johnson’s Adult Franchises in Asia, Europe and North America.  In the past 24 months, six of these projects have been run using our new online brainstorming tool that improves the way global innovation teams generate, refine and evaluate{BREAK} early consumer insights, new product ideas and claims against specific innovation objectives.  

Over 180 "active delegates" from 20 different countries in Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America attended the five online events, each of which were run over a period of six to nine days. During the online process delegates are given the chance to generate, assess, merge and evaluate new insights and new ideas. Leading insights and ideas identified by the process are then tested with consumers. 

Early user feedback confirms the significant benefits of the new tool.   For example, nearly 90% felt that the new system represents "a great way of getting early insights and ideas from a much larger global team" and 95% agreed that the process "saves time and travel costs associated with traditional innovation meetings".

During the last four years we have run seven ideation projects for a leading global vision care brand, including insight confirmation and claimstorming projects in Asia and Europe that used on-line innovation tools.  Two recent projects used our standard claimstorming process to help core innovation teams confirm key consumer insights{BREAK} and then to generate a wide range of new claims for current and pipeline technologies. Results from both projects showed how our new virtualHOTHOUSE® tool improved the way claims were captured, as well as enabling the involvement a wider "virtual team" to confirm key insights prior to the main claimstorming events.

Over 90 new claims were generated during the projects that were immediately shared with consumers and eye care professionals. A number of leading claims have now gone forward into formal consumer testing and R&D development.

Brand Manager, Claims Hothouse, Europe: "Great, didn’t think (beforehand) that it would produce this many claims. Great process, relaxed, fun, intense."

Marketing Manager, Vision Care Claimstorming, Asia: "Structured in a perfect way, always on the go, very creative and systematic way to get new claims."