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… the person who sold ‘crappy paper umbrellas’ as a sophisticated addition to drinks WAS a genius.
He/she literally invented a market that served no purpose at all – yet still made millions.
And I don’t believe it was just a case of ‘luck’ . .. more likely they identified a deep-rooted human need that they figured a paper umbrella in a glass, could fill.
Maybe it’s the same person who decided every drink needed a slice of lime or lemon on the rim – even though it adds absolutely nothing to the taste of the beverage.
Then again, maybe it was a lemon and lime farmer who wanted to sell a shedload of product, and thought this would encourage far greater sales than the typical eating or drinking usage.
A bit like the folks at Y&R Malaysia who got LG mobile to create a phone specifically for the Muslim market in Indonesia.
Rather than having tons of fancy features like cameras, blogs or bluetooth … they got them to simply add a digital compass that pointed to Mecca – enabling Muslims to know which direction to face when praying.
Their idea … based around cultural and lifestyle insights, not product or category at all … not only differentiated LG phones from the competition, but went on to sell an additional 4 millions units. FOUR MILLION! Now that’s a real creative idea!
So why am I going on about this?
Because ultimately, I think this is the sort of ingenuity Bali needs if they’re going to truly transform their fortunes again.
You see it’s not just the bombs that are keeping people away … it’s other things like increased competition from Malaysia and Thailand, the lack of a national airline and an Indonesian Government who don’t invest enough in tourism because they feel Bali acts too independent from their rule.
Of course I don’t know what that magic ‘idea’ is [yet] – but it’s going to be interesting and something really worth while for once.
Any ideas gratefully received.
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Well done that person at LG. Thats a perfect example of good people thinking.
I love the idea of IBM’s new ad about making use of what you have. It says about how the Eiffel tower was going to be torn down until it became a radio then tv mast. Now millions pay to climb it.
Maybe Bali needs to focus on what it has that other places don’t. Friendly locals, cheap prices, fun activities without the hustle and bustle of busier resorts.
Comment by Rob Mortimer October 12, 2006 @ 10:58 pm