There were three fantastic speakers at the final EAT Breakfast for 2016. Perhaps I am a little biased, considering our very own Dan Faris was up on the stage speaking, but this group of kiwi entrepreneurs felt like a real passionate bunch, with a real love for what they do.
There's an endless amount of new and innovative ideas floating around out there, but without the right recipe, many of these ideas will never see the light of day. This chat was all about developing a concept that works, so here are my take away points for finding the right balance of sweet and sour in the concept development process.
This is one is a bit cliché, but was a current theme in all three speakers. These businesses weren't just ideas that happened to be successful, they were products and services that sparked from a true love of the industry.
David Roe is a hairdresser with almost 30 years' experience, who is the founder of the Inverse Hair Conditioning System. Inverse is a genius hair tool that improves the condition of your hair, every time you use it. All without the use of chemicals, heat, cords or mess. The frozen device locks moisture into your hair, giving you softer, stronger, shinier, healthier and more manageable locks. A real game changer for the hair care industry.
Dave's curiosity was sparked when his wife rinsed her curly hair with ice-cold water to find surprising results; more definition and shine, soft and smooth to the touch and naturally falling curls. He could tell something pretty darn cool was happening.
Carolina, with the beautiful hair that started it all.
The combination of his wife's experiment and absolute love for hairdressing set him off his product development journey. After a few years of pushing the idea, Dave reached out to us. We set out to dig deeper, exploring the effects of cold temperatures on hair and keratin. Equally important was to find a way to apply these temperatures to hair without the discomfort of dipping your head into a bucket of ice.
Fast forward a few years (along with countless prototypes, extensive testing and many many man hours), we have the Inverse Hair Conditioning System as it stands today. This here beauty has been on the market for about a year now, with many women from around the world joining the Inverse Revolution.
The Inverse Hair Conditioning System.
Without passion and commitment to finding the answers, this exciting product wouldn't be here today. And we wouldn't be involved in such a revolutionary journey! So lesson number one is, love what you do, and stand behind it all the way.
Passion is one thing, but you need to make sure you know what you're talking about. Making bold claims without the scientific or proven truth tends to create a shark in a school of fish situation. Not good if you're trying to change the world.
Hamish Whyte, the Managing Director of Furnware, is 100% focused on making sure as many children (or students) as possible leave their educational careers feeling fulfilled and empowered from the experience. He does this through furniture.
Furnware in the classroom.
Hamish has taken the concept of learning and furniture and turned it into a successful solution -- all of which has been backed up by science and research (a man after our own heart!). Independent research from a leading New Zealand university shows Bodyfurn furniture is more comfortable. Not only that, it's also easier to use, increases concentration and reduces off-task behaviour.
Researchers videoed classes and using computer software, carefully observed the dynamics and behaviour before and after the new furniture was introduced. They also asked students and teachers what they thought, individually and in groups to get a view on what the users had to say.
On top of this, they have executed separate research into how the body moves, most common sitting positions in the class room, materials and their qualities and how all of this comes together to create furniture that can help enhance the learning experience.
Hamish with his classroom clients.
It may sound like a lot of effort, but creating a product with scientific proof helps turn a concept into something that can hit the ground running when it goes to market. This mantra is deeply rooted in our work here at Locus, so we dig what you're doing Hamish. Keep at it!
Last but not least, is distribution. You need to get your product into the right hands in order to sell. Unfortunately, there's no one answer for getting this right; it can take a lot of trial and error, particularly if you are selling something pretty unique.
Russell Alexander, the General Manager of Hobbiton Movie Set Tours over the hill in Matamata, is driving a business that is going from strength to strength in the export tourism sector. Following the Hobbit films, Russell and his team have masterfully recreated the concepts from the movie and turned it into the real life Hobbiton experience.
Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, Matamata.
The Hobbiton tours team have worked hard to market themselves overseas, carefully nurturing relationships with tourism and travel companies. They often head overseas and meet those that are working to sell the tour and continue to keep things interesting by adding new attractions every year. They also think out of the box when it comes to marketing our little corner of the world; after all, Russell is selling more than just the Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, he is selling the New Zealand holiday dream.
One particular story that stood out, was a marketing opportunity carried out with a bit of kiwi ingenuity. Peter Jackson was looking for a way to promote the newest film release. So Russell and his team put their heads together and came up with an idea that sounded most obvious to them - create a Hobbit hole for people to experience. The only problem was that the premiere was in London.
So the team dusted off their boots, started designing the hobbit hole and got on the phone to London. After getting off the plane, they started running around picking up frames, furniture, and grass. Yes, grass. The team spent hours perfecting their life-size hobbit hole, so much so that they fell asleep in the front row of the premiere! They literally took a slice of Middle-Earth to the other side of the world, and it was a hit.
Peter Jackson in front of the London Premiere hobbit hole.
This experience was a memorable one in the Hobbiton Movie Set Tours history and is a fantastic example of out of the box marketing. If they could build that in London, imagine what the real thing is like, right? Their creation helped put their company on the map and added to the hype about our wonderful little country.
These are three very different stories, but they all ring similar themes of dedication, passion and out of the box thinking. Developing a concept, taking it to market and surviving the journey isn't an easy feat -- but a huge pat on the back to these kiwi's that are putting us on the world map.
A huge thank you to ExportNZ BOP for organising these fantastic events. It was an honour for Locus to get up there on the stage with these wonderful business men, and we look forward to the 2017 events.
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