QUICK SUMMARY
The session emphasizes that product communication should be developed simultaneously with product innovation, not as an afterthought, as most innovations fail due to poor storytelling rather than poor product quality. The speakers introduce a “Who, How, Wow” framework that helps innovators distill complex scientific concepts into compelling three-second “wow” moments that consumers can immediately understand. By starting with the “wow” and building communication strategies early in the development process, companies can ensure alignment across teams and create products that consumers understand quickly, as people don’t buy the best products—they buy the ones they understand fastest.
KEY QUOTES
- “Product communication doesn’t happen after the work—it is the work.”
- “People don’t buy the best products; they buy the products that they understand the fastest.”
- “In a world of short attention spans and high expectations, you have seconds to prove it’s worth. And if the product’s better, you damn well better know how to prove it.”
FULL SESSION SUMMARY
Innovation Origin Story: When Products Fail Despite Being Good
The session begins with a personal story about a product failure at Procter & Gamble—Old Spice Cool Contact refreshment towels. Despite excellent product design, packaging, and consumer testing scores, the product flopped in the market and was discontinued within two years. The speakers contrast this with the success of “Dude Wipes,” a similar product with clear, straightforward messaging (“We wipe dude’s butts”). This comparison illustrates that innovations often fail not because the products themselves are wrong, but because they aren’t communicated clearly.
Product Communication as a Discipline
The speakers position themselves as a product communication agency—possibly the only one—focused on “turning truth into traction.” They distinguish product communication from brand communication: while brand communication builds equity (like Budweiser’s Clydesdale horses), product communication explains how products work (the hops rather than the clops). They argue that product communication should be a distinct discipline alongside science and marketing in organizations, not just “icing at the end of the cake.”
The Three-Second Wow
A central concept introduced is the “three-second wow”—the ability to communicate a product’s value proposition almost instantly. The speakers demonstrate this through examples like Dawn Power Wash and Old Spice Sweat Defense, showing how complex technologies can be visualized in seconds through clever metaphors (like footballs navigating through hair to represent antiperspirant technology). They suggest starting with the “wow” moment and building outward, rather than trying to cut down longer explanations.
The Magic Trick Formula
The speakers use the structure of a magic trick from the movie “The Prestige” as a framework for effective product communication:
- The Pledge: Show the ordinary situation (the consumer’s current state)
- The Turn: Transform that ordinary situation into something extraordinary
- The Prestige: Deliver a final reveal that’s different than expected
They illustrate this with the air fryer example—taking the ordinary situation (fried food tastes great but is unhealthy), creating a turn (what if you could fry with air?), and delivering a prestige moment that reframes the entire concept.
Wow Workshops: Aligning Teams Early
The speakers describe their “Wow Workshops” that bring together cross-functional teams (marketing, R&D, legal, etc.) early in the innovation process. These workshops aim to develop product communication while the product is still being formulated, ensuring alignment across stakeholders. They emphasize that “the story and the science must grow together” and that “internal belief isn’t optional.” The power of uninterrupted collaboration can reportedly cut through six months of innovation work in just eight hours.
The Who, How, Wow Framework
The session outlines a simple but effective framework for developing product communication:
- Who: Identify the target audience and the problem they face (using empathy maps and personas)
- How: Explain the science at a “science fair” level—simple enough for anyone to understand
- Wow: Create the mind-blowing result that will change the consumer’s life
For the “how” component, they emphasize visualization, volume, and iteration—filling walls with ideas and drawings to make concepts tangible. For complex scientific concepts, they recommend using simple metaphors and analogies (like showing large vs. small marbles to explain collagen peptide penetration).
Proof and Results
The speakers reference research conducted with VCU that demonstrates the effectiveness of the “three-second wow” approach. By comparing advertisements with and without clear “wow” moments, they show how reframing a product’s benefits can dramatically change consumer perception and understanding.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Product communication should be developed simultaneously with product innovation, not as an afterthought, as most innovations fail due to poor storytelling rather than poor product quality.
- The “Who, How, Wow” framework helps distill complex scientific concepts into compelling three-second moments that consumers can immediately understand and connect with.
- Cross-functional alignment early in the innovation process is critical—bringing together R&D, marketing, legal, and other stakeholders to develop the product story together prevents “phantom work” and zombie projects.
Delivering on Event Focus:
Aligning Innovation with Business Strategy
This session directly addresses the focus of aligning innovation with business strategy by demonstrating how effective product communication bridges the gap between R&D and marketing. By developing the story alongside the science, companies can ensure innovations are commercially viable and resonant with consumers from the start, rather than creating technically excellent products that fail in the marketplace.
Delivering on Event Theme:
Harvesting Innovation & Sowing the Seeds of Future Growth
The session supports the theme of “harvesting innovation and sowing seeds of future growth” by providing a framework that helps companies extract maximum value from their innovations. By focusing on communication from the beginning, organizations can better harvest the fruits of their R&D investments and plant seeds for future success through clearer positioning and consumer understanding.
Action Steps for Innovation Experts and Corporate Changemakers
- Implement Product Communication Discipline: Establish product communication as a distinct function within your organization, with dedicated resources and expertise.
- Conduct Early Wow Workshops: Bring cross-functional teams together at the beginning of innovation projects to align on the product story before significant development work begins.
- Start with the Wow: When developing new products, identify the three-second wow moment first, then build both the product features and marketing around it.
- Use the Who, How, Wow Framework: Apply this simple structure to ensure innovations address real consumer needs with understandable solutions and compelling benefits.
- Visualize Everything: Create visual representations of complex technologies to make them immediately understandable to consumers and internal stakeholders alike.
- Test Communication Early: Validate that consumers understand your product’s value proposition in seconds, not minutes, and iterate accordingly.