Meaningful

1. Start with the customer's story, not your product

If we are to create sustainable, meaningful businesses and brands, it makes sense to start the innovation journey with the customer's story and allow our customers to become not just our target, but our muse.

Shift your perspective. Instead of beginning with your product idea, start by deeply understanding your customer's life, challenges, and aspirations. This approach allows you to create solutions that truly resonate with your audience, rather than trying to force-fit a product into their lives.

Empathy is key. Immerse yourself in your customer's world:

• Observe their daily routines
• Listen to their frustrations and desires
• Identify the gaps between what they want to do and what they can currently achieve

By making the customer's story the foundation of your innovation process, you increase the likelihood of creating products and services that people actually want and need.

2. Create meaningful products by solving invisible problems

What Mary hit on a century ago was the solution to what Tony Fadell—the creator of the iPod and CEO of Nest—calls an 'invisible problem'. That's a problem that we don't think of as being a problem because we're so used to it, we just don't see it anymore and don't think about ways that things could be different or better.

Look beyond the obvious. Many successful innovations come from addressing problems that people have grown accustomed to and no longer recognize as issues. These "invisible problems" represent untapped opportunities for creating meaningful solutions.

To uncover invisible problems:

• Question established norms and processes
• Pay attention to workarounds people have developed
• Look for inefficiencies that have been accepted as "just the way things are"

Examples of solved invisible problems:

• Windshield wipers (Mary Anderson)
• One-click ordering (Amazon)
• Intuitive thermostats (Nest)

By solving these hidden challenges, you can create products that dramatically improve people's lives in ways they hadn't even imagined possible.

3. Build emotional capital through thoughtful design

What design does—and not one of us who has seen the rise of companies like Apple, Beats and Nike can argue with this—is create value by building emotional capital.

Design for feelings, not just function. In today's market, where most products meet basic quality standards, emotional connection becomes a crucial differentiator. Thoughtful design goes beyond mere aesthetics to create experiences that resonate with users on a deeper level.

Elements of emotionally resonant design:

• Intuitive user interfaces
• Attention to detail in packaging and presentation
• Consideration of the entire user journey

Benefits of building emotional capital:

• Stronger brand loyalty
• Higher perceived value
• Increased word-of-mouth marketing

By focusing on how your product makes people feel, rather than just what it does, you can create lasting connections with your customers and set your brand apart in a crowded marketplace.

4. Leverage technology to enhance personalization and relevance

Technology is helping us to once again embrace the values of a time when business was about seeing the individual customer. But it's not the technology in isolation, particular platforms or specialised functionality that's driving the change; what's driving this new wave of relevance is the humanity of the entrepreneurs and business owners who create the products and user experiences that people love.

Humanize technology. While advancements in data collection and analysis provide unprecedented insights into customer behavior, the key to success lies in using this information to create more personalized, relevant experiences.

Ways to enhance personalization:

• Tailored product recommendations
• Customizable features and settings
• Adaptive user interfaces

Examples of successful personalization:

• Netflix's content suggestions
• Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists
• Amazon's personalized shopping experience

Remember that technology should serve as a tool to better understand and serve your customers, not as a replacement for human connection and empathy.

5. Focus on creating brand affinity, not just awareness

Marketing has gone from this…

Awareness → Attention → Action

It turns out that affinity that is earned, not attention that is bought and paid for, is what's powering business growth now.

Build relationships, not just recognition. In today's crowded marketplace, simply making people aware of your brand is no longer enough. The goal should be to create genuine connections with your audience, fostering loyalty and advocacy.

Strategies for building brand affinity:

• Align your brand values with those of your target audience
• Engage in meaningful conversations with customers
• Create experiences that go beyond the transaction

Benefits of brand affinity:

• Higher customer lifetime value
• Increased word-of-mouth marketing
• Greater resilience to competition

By focusing on creating meaningful relationships with your customers, you can build a loyal following that will support your brand long-term, rather than just generating short-term sales.

6. Embrace the power of caring as a competitive advantage

I'm here to tell you once and for all that giving a damn is seriously underrated and caring is a competitive advantage.

Authenticity matters. In an era where consumers are increasingly conscious of the impact of their purchasing decisions, demonstrating genuine care for your customers, employees, and the world at large can set you apart from competitors.

Ways to show you care:

• Prioritize customer satisfaction over short-term profits
• Invest in employee well-being and development
• Commit to sustainable and ethical business practices

Benefits of caring:

• Increased customer loyalty
• Improved employee retention and productivity
• Enhanced brand reputation

By making caring a core part of your business strategy, you can create a meaningful connection with your audience that goes beyond traditional marketing tactics.

7. Show customers their wings, don't just sell them yours

When we stop saying, 'Look at the incredible wings we've made for you' and begin with, 'Can you see how amazing your wings are in this light?' it changes everything.

Empower, don't just sell. Instead of focusing solely on the features and benefits of your product, consider how you can help customers realize their own potential. This approach shifts the narrative from what your product can do to how it can enable customers to achieve their goals.

Ways to show customers their wings:

• Highlight customer success stories
• Provide educational resources and support
• Create communities where users can share experiences and learn from each other

Benefits of this approach:

• Deeper emotional connection with customers
• Increased perceived value of your product
• Greater customer satisfaction and loyalty

By helping customers see their own capabilities and potential, you position your product as an enabler of their success rather than just a solution to a problem.

8. Use the Story Strategy Blueprint to guide innovation

The blueprint I am sharing with you in this book helps you to start with the customer's story. This blueprint started out as the seed of an idea when I was working with a global brand to breathe life into their product stories, which began life in the innovation department.

Structured empathy. The Story Strategy Blueprint provides a framework for integrating customer insights into the product development process, ensuring that innovations are grounded in real user needs and desires.

Key components of the Story Strategy Blueprint:

1. Story: Understand the customer's worldview and daily life
2. Insight: Identify opportunities to make a difference
3. Product: Develop features and benefits that address customer needs
4. Experience: Consider how the product will change the customer's story

Benefits of using the blueprint:

• More customer-centric product development
• Increased likelihood of creating meaningful innovations
• Better alignment between product features and marketing messages

By systematically considering the customer's story throughout the innovation process, you can create products that truly resonate with your target audience and stand out in the marketplace.

Last updated: February 4, 2025