A great innovation doesn't always stem from a radically new idea. Sometimes, the real leap forward lies in changing packaging, transferring a technology from one sector to another, listening to how consumer needs evolve, or overcoming a technical limitation that seemed insurmountable.
The story of many everyday inventions or globally recognized It demonstrates that success rarely depends on a single moment of inspiration. Between invention and its arrival on the market, decisions related to design, protection, branding, communication, user experience, and the ability to continue evolving come into play. And some of these, though they may seem minor, end up determining the future of the innovation.
LEGO: when a patent ends up building much more than a product
In 1958, LEGO patented the coupling system of their well-known bricksThe technical solution was fundamental: it allowed the pieces to be joined firmly and, at the same time, separated for reuse time and time again.
But reducing the history of LEGO to that invention would leave out much of what explains its subsequent journey.
Over time, the company stopped focusing its communication solely on the constructions that could be made with its pieces and began to focus on something much broader: imagination, creativity, and the almost infinite possibilities of play.
The product remained essentially the same. What changed was the way to build value around itThe brand, its positioning, and the way the consumer interprets the product can extend, transform, and multiply the value of the initial idea.
The toothpaste tube: an innovation hidden in the packaging
Today it is difficult to imagine the toothpaste outside its tubeHowever, at the end of the 19th century, it was commonly sold in glass jars from which several members of a family would serve themselves.
The change came when, in 1892, Washington Sheffield observed the tubes used to hold oil paint and used them to package toothpasteThe modification made the product more hygienic, allowed for better dosage, and simplified its use. The solution was later adopted by other companies and would eventually become the standard format.
The toothpaste wasn't new. Neither was the tube. The innovation lay in combining two known elements in a different way.
It's a logic that is constantly repeated in innovation: Looking outside your own sector can reveal solutions that have been working for years in other contexts and that, when applied to a new need, completely change the user experience.
The roll-on: when a pen inspires a new way to apply deodorant
Something similar happened with another object that we use practically without thinking: the roll-on deodorant.
Its mechanism is based on a simple principle. A ball rotates, collects a quantity of liquid, and distributes it over a surface. It's the same logic that allowed the development of the ballpoint pen.
Applied to the field of personal hygiene, this technology solved a different problem and gave rise to a new way of using the product.
Nylon stockings: innovating also means knowing how to change
When they appeared on the market, the nylon stockings They stood out for properties that represented a considerable improvement over previous alternatives: they were resistant, elastic and they offered good performance.
However, consumers began to look thinner, more transparent and aesthetically pleasing stockingsDurability ceased to be the sole deciding factor. The product evolved to meet these new preferences, and its advertising also changed, gradually shifting from emphasizing durability to placing greater emphasis on image.
This example shows us how a good product is only one part of the journey. Observe how the market changes, detect new expectations and adapt both the solution and its positioning It can be equally important to maintain its relevance.
Gillette: invent a product and teach the consumer how to use it
King C. Gillette developed a disposable double-edged blade which offered a new way to shave comfortably at home. However, introducing an unknown technology to the market also implies Educate the consumer and show them the benefits of changing their habits.
Gillette combined the product with educational advertising, easily recognizable packaging, and promotions that facilitated access to the razor. technical innovation This was accompanied by a commercial and communication strategy aimed at making a new way of shaving understandable.
Dunlop: solving a small problem and ending up transforming an industry
John Boyd Dunlop developed a tire with inner tube looking to make their child's tricycle rides more comfortable. The solution initially responded to a very specific need, but quickly evolved and the application expanded to cycling, motorcycles, and cars.
Although its commercial and technological success was undisputed, years later it was discovered that Robert William Thomson had already patented a similar idea in 1845, which led to the cancellation of several of Dunlop's patents for lack of novelty.
IMAX and The Odyssey: innovating by eliminating the barrier that prevented progress
In other cases, innovation arises because there is an extraordinary technology that cannot yet be used as desired.
Christopher Nolan I had wanted to for yearsto make a film complete in format 70mm IMAXThe image quality made it especially attractive, but the cameras posed significant difficulties: their size and, above all, the noise they generated complicated their use during a complete shoot and especially in scenes with dialogue.
To The odysseyIMAX worked for two years with the director and his director of photography to develop a new generation of cameras capable of overcoming those limitations.
The new camera incorporated materials from industries such as aerospace and Formula 1 to reduce weight, a redesigned film transport mechanism to decrease noise, a digital interface to monitor its operation, and a new acoustic shielding system that reduced noise and vibrations.
This time, it wasn't about questioning existing technology, but about to identify what was preventing it from going a step further and to work precisely on that barrier..
What if the best decision is to change almost nothing?
El clip, the Allen wrench, the zipper, the measuring tape, the perch, egg carton or certain models of whistle They have been solving essentially the same problem in a very similar way for decades (in some cases, more than a century).
Materials, industrial processes, and small details have changed. Its basic principle, however, remains.
And perhaps there's another lesson about innovation there. Evolving doesn't mean constantly modifying a product just because it's possible. Sometimes, A solution is so well-fitted to the problem that the best decision is to preserve what works..
Managing innovation means deciding what to protect, what to transform, and what to preserve.
These examples are based on very different objects and technologies, but they share the same idea: The future of an innovation is not decided solely at the moment someone invents it.
It may depend on packaging that improves the user experience, on technology imported from another sector, on the ability to adapt to new preferences, on a brand strategy that expands the meaning of the product, or on a technical improvement that removes the last obstacle to making something possible that was not possible before.
Therefore, managing innovation requires a broader vision than the isolated protection of an invention.
En ELZABURU We approach intangible assets from this perspective: analyzing how to protect them, but also how to defend, leverage, and evolve them in accordance with each organization's strategy. Patents, designs, trademarks, intellectual property rights, trade secrets, and technical know-how They can form part of the same architecture for protection and value generation.
Because a good idea can open a door. But it's the decisions made around it that often determine how far it can go.
