1. The Innovation Battlefield
set the innovation strategy
for products and services
Tool by Boardofinnovation.com
used to analyze the value perception of specific features

2. 2 examples in this slide deck:
We’re working on a
Cars ft. iPods 3M ft. Post-its
new innovation framework. the mark?
Why clients changed their mind over time? Why does 3M misses
Your feedback is welcome.
Let me explain the framework above:

3. 2 examples in this slide deck:
Cars ft. iPods 3M ft. Post-its
Why clients changed their mind over time? Why 3M misses the mark?

4. Let’s start from a very simple product as an illustration:
The features of the 3M Post-it

5. Let’s start from a very simple product as an illustration:
The features of the 3M Post-it
Reusable glue
Recycled paper
Writeable area
unknown German label
compact format 76x76 mm
... and so on

6. All these features can be ranked on a very simple framework: The Innovation Battlefield
Put yourself in the mindset of 1 specific customer segment:
Example: A Brainstorm Facilitator
Reusable glue
Recycled paper
Writeable area
unknown german label
compact format 76x76 mm
... and so on

7. All these features can be ranked on a very simple framework: The innovation Battlefield
Put yourself in the mindset of 1 specific customer segment:
Example: A Brainstorm Facilitator
Reusable glue Answer 2 questions for each feature:
Recycled paper 1. How much happiness does this feature bring to our customer?
Writeable area
1.
unknown german label
compact format 76x76 mm 2.
... and so on 2. Would this feature be missed by our customer if left out?

8. Keep in mind that we’re ranking from the perspective of the customer.
in our case: The Brainstorm Facilitator who has bought this product.
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring?
HIGH
LOW
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

9. Keep in mind we’re ranking from the perspective of the customer.
in our case: The Brainstorm Facilitator who has bought this product.
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring?
HIGH
Reusable glue
compact format 76x76 mm
Recycled paper
LOW
unknown german label
Writeable area
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

10. On this ‘Innovation Battlefield’ we can identify
6 distinctive zones
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
LOW
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

11. Area Top Right Area Mid Right
a.k.a “Harder, Better, Faster,...” a.k.a. “Expected Essentials”

12. “Harder, Better, Faster,...” features bring a lot of value to a customer.
Typically these are features that are promoted on billboards and in marketing
campaigns, .e.g.: Faster Engine, More Megapixels, Better colors,...
Customers expect to see these features. They can’t be left out.
= incremental innovation
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
Reusable glue
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
compact format 76x76 mm
LOW “Expected essentials” features give
minimal pleasure. These are the
Writeable area
critical but often boring aspects of
your product.
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
Customers expect these features but
NONE will not be excited about them.
e.g. The calling function on a phone,
Driving in reverse with your car,...
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

13. Area Top Left Area Mid Left
a.k.a “Unexpected Awesomeness” a.k.a. “I don’t care.”

14. When 3M launched the Post-it in 1980 it created sudden “unexpected awesomeness”
with this feature. At that time customers would not miss reusable adhesive strips on notes
because it was not yet known to most people. But once presented, it amazed people.
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
Reusable glue
HIGH
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
Recycled paper
LOW
unknown German label
If it doesn’t create any
pleasure (value) for clients,
they will just say “I don’t care” “It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
if you have this feature or not.
NONE
3M might think it’s important
to show a german label on a
Post-it. A brainstorm
facilitator doesn’t care.
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

15. When 3M launched the Post-it in 1980 it created sudden “unexpected awesomeness”
with this feature. At that time would not miss reusable adhesive on notes because it was
not yet know to most people. But once presented it would amaze people.
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
Reusable glue
HIGH Today this feature is expected
Reusable glue
and has moved to another area.
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
Recycled paper
LOW
unknown German label
If it doesn’t create any
pleasure (value) for clients
they will just say “I don’t care” “It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
if you have this feature or not.
NONE
3M might think it’s important
to show a german label on a
Post-it. A brainstorm
facilitator doesn’t care.
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

16. Area Bottom Left Area Mid Right
a.k.a “It hurts, take it away.” a.k.a. “Assumed Essentials”

17. Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
“assumed essentials” is a very special
area. People might think they need
HIGH
that feature when they buy the
product. In reality this feature will
not matter or create any value.
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials” During a brainstorm a facilitator will
not care that half of his post-its are
LOW 3M branded. Another example: A
Fumbling around with the
DVD player in a laptop. It feels like a
plastic wrapping, fighting to
crucial feature while in reality many
open up a new block of post-its
people rarely use the DVD station.
is frustrating. People want “It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
features like this to be
real post-it from 3M
removed.
NONE
Plastic wrapping
“It hurts, take it away” are
those features that cost effort,
time, money. They might be
there for another reason but Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed
clients will not love them.
They hate them.

18. We can now explain
Why the new Post-it Big Pads
completely miss the mark.
Recycled paper

19. Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
Reusable glue
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
compact format 76x76 mm
Recycled paper
LOW
unknown German label
Writeable area
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
3M Traditional Post-it
real Post-it from 3M
NONE
Plastic wrapping
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

20. Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
Big Pad Post-it
7 times bigger format
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
compact format 76x76 mm
LOW
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
3M Traditional Post-it
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

21. It’s just basic incremental innovation.
3M (known as innovator) should focus on this area!
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
Big Pad Post-it
7 times bigger format
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
compact format 76x76 mm
LOW
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
3M Traditional Post-it
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

22. Moleskine + Evernote labels
On the other hand: Stickers & labels by Moleskine & Evernote make it
possible to auto-tag and organize your sketches & notes when scanned.
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH smart labels to auto-tag scans
Big Pad Post-it
7 times bigger format
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
compact format 76x76 mm
LOW
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
3M Traditional Post-it
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

23. How do features evolve over time?
Example: iPod Dock in cars
2005 - Apple announced more car
integration options for iPods.

24. 2004
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
Many people don’t have “I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
an iPod. This feature is
irrelevant to them. LOW
iPod dock in car
e Life
ur
Cy
Feat
cle
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

25. 2004 2005
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
HIGH
For new iPod users the iPod dock in car
sudden realization that
they could connect their
music to their car was
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
awesome!
LOW
iPod dock in car
e Life
ur
Cy
Feat
cle
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

26. 2004 2005 2010
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure Most car brands try to offer a
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...” better solution to clients.
(90% of US cars have an
iPod dock in car
HIGH
iPod dock in car integration solution for iPod)
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
LOW
iPod dock in car
e Life
ur
Cy
Feat
cle
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

27. 2004 2005 2010 2011
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
iPod dock in car
HIGH
iPod dock in car
Most people expect a way to
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
connect their iPod to their car
but they don’t jump on the
iPod dock in car table anymore.
LOW
iPod dock in car
It became an expected feature.
e Life
ur
Cy
Feat
cle
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
NONE
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

28. 2004 2005 2010 2011 2012
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
iPod dock in car
HIGH
iPod dock in car
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
iPod dock in car
LOW
iPod dock in car
e Life
ur
Cy
Some clients think they will
Feat
cle
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
appreciate the iPod dock but
realize later they don’t use it.
NONE iPod dock in car
Wireless (bluetooth) options
are far more convenient.
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed

29. 2004 2005 2010 2011 2012 ...
Innovation Battlefield
Happiness level
How much pleasure
does a feature bring? “Unexpected awesomeness” “Harder, better, faster, ...”
iPod dock in car
HIGH
iPod dock in car
“I don’t care” “Expected essentials”
iPod dock in car
LOW
iPod dock in car
e Life
ur
Cy
Feat
cle
“It hurts, take it away” “Assumed essentials”
NONE iPod dock in car
A physical iPod dock is totally iPod dock in car
unnecessary in a car. People
realize that there are more
exciting features to integrate
Features that can be missed Features that cannot be missed
in their dashboard.

30. Send your feedback to
@nickdemey - @boardofinno
Tool by Boardofinnovation.com
used to analyze the value perception of specific features