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Last week, Todd Abraham, SVP Nutrition and Research at Kraft Foods related a fascinating anecdote during his keynote address at the 2010 CoDev & Open Innovation Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Abraham recounted how Kraft had been seeking a "clean water" additive for their powdered drink mixes. This would permit residents in developing countries to safely enjoy its popular drink mixes, Tang and Crystal Light, which are widely sold in developed countries.
Kraft's preferred innovation partner in the project, TyraTech, was unable to solve Kraft's specific challenge, but instead suggested a safe, affordable technology that would prevent waterborne parasitic infestation that chronically afflicts millions of Asian, African and South American residents.
In speaking about the enabling technology, Abraham said, "It addresses the problem with the problem." In other words, TyraTech's suggestion illuminated an even bigger challenge that was aligned with the company's goal of meeting the needs of people in developing countries.
Kraft seized this tantalizing opportunity and is developing a daily-use beverage incorporating TyraTech's technology. It has the potential to improve millions of lives.
To be absolutely clear, Abraham didn't suggest that companies should exclusively or even predominantly rely on serendipity to drive innovation, and certainly not at the exclusion of searching out approved technology needs. He simply acknowledged that open innovation and serendipity can create attractive, strategically relevant innovation opportunities, if one is open to them and if appropriate, is willing to champion them:
"It would have been easy for us to have said we're not interested. You have to know an opportunity when you believe it exists. You may find something a little different than what you looked for, and that's important too," Abraham explained.
Echoing this sentiment, Chris Thoen, P&G's Director of Global Open Innovation and another speaker at the CoDev conference, observed, "Serendipity and connecting the unexpected dots are very important still in addition to the targeted proactive searches for new opportunities."
The lesson of this story is clear: When you're engaged with partners in exploring open innovation opportunities, be open to the unexpected. You may uncover a game-changing idea that you weren't looking for, but which helps you to achieve your strategic objectives in a more compelling way than you originally intended. |
