If you transport yourself back to high school physics for a moment, you might recall Newton’s First Law – an object at rest stays at rest. No matter how aerodynamic an object might be, it still requires an external force to set it in motion.
In the physical world, the forces that set an object in motion include things like propulsion and gravitational pull. These phenomena generate forward progress and spark momentum. Much in the same way a bullet requires an outside force to set it on its path, so too does an idea.
Fuel is the force that makes an idea more attractive and compelling. Fuel covers everything from the features and benefits of the idea itself to the way that it is communicated to the world. The job of Fuel is to enlighten the intended audience on all of the positive attributes and benefits associated with the “new way.” The need for Fuel is so well established that we have built entire industries around generating it (advertising, public relations and product design, to name a few). Our instinct is to think of Fuel as optimistic or progressive in nature – a tool that highlights an idea’s benefits and helps one visualize how it will add value to one’s life. There are, however, two distinct types of Fuel, and the jobs that they do for us are different sides of the same coin.
Progressive Fuel
Progressive Fuel is the force that makes an idea more attractive and compelling. Not surprisingly, many of the tactics for generating Progressive Fuel are the very things found in a classic marketer’s toolbox:
- Product. All the features and benefits of the idea itself.
- Place. The venue or environment where one might encounter the idea (a boardroom, a car showroom, online, in a book, etc.)
- Price. The creation of incentives, discounts and limited-time offers.
- Promotion. How awareness for the new idea is generated. This is done via activities such as advertising and informal conversations.
These are the classic “4 Ps” of marketing popularized by the renowned marketing guru (and our Kellogg colleague) Philip Kotler. Since the original 4’Ps were propagated others have built on them to expand this list (and as a bonus, the alliteration!). The compendium of P’s now includes elements such as:
- Packaging. The form a product is delivered and displayed in (if you have ever seen an “unboxing” video you’ll know that this one is having a moment).
- Positioning. What differentiates an idea from other possible choices.
- People. The people associated with the idea. This could be a spokesperson, the idea’s originator, or the people who publicly endorse the cause.
As you read these, you will probably nod your head and agree that the “7 Ps” are a sensible approach to amplifying the value and appeal of an innovation. In the case of car sales, for example, most dealers view their roles as amplifiers of progressive Fuel, believing that sooner or later a customer will arrive at the realization that this is the car for them.
Written by David Schonthal. Excerpt from The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas By Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal. The book is featured in the CEOWORLD magazine’s annual review of “Best Books to Read.”
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