My choice of Product of the Year

End of the year.  As I read through the many lists of best-of-the-year, I thought about what product impacted me the most.  It ended up to be a rather easy choice.

There's one product this year that is gradually changing the way I think about fitness.  Making me become more conscious of what I do during the day, reminding me to be more active, which eventually is about my health.  I'm talking about my Nike+ Fuelband.  A little product that goes around my left wrist with the ability to change behavior.  For any marketer, anywhere around the World, that is a pretty powerful proposition.

As brand managers, marketing guys, innovation leaders in our organizations, we tend to think physical products, things. properties, packaging, cost structure, formulations, supply chain.... and the list goes on. Yes, we talk about emotional benefits but we seldom go deep in thinking, really re-thinking, at a higher level, how can we truly provide something more meaningful.  A greater sense of purpose.  In a certain way, we create mental blocks that are confined to our production capabilities.   Yes, Nike is constantly working on gear that enhances athletic performance and that's a good thing.  But they dared to go beyond.

It's fascinating to see this shift of selling something, to providing a benefit that actually influences you on a daily basis.  Every time I press the 'fuel' button on my band to see how many points I've accumulated, it makes me more conscious of how much energy I'm burning... but ultimately, it generates a brand experience that is changing behavior... and that is the type of innovation that is truly transformational.