I love reading about the Red Bull brand. When they first taste-tested their energy drink, consumers said it was awful. But founder Dietrich Mateschitz defied their opinions and pressed forward with a culture-shaping vision.
Even today, half the people who taste Red Bull hate it. But the other half have turned into a cult following. And what a cult following... They've created an entirely new beverage niche in what is now a $1.3 billion industry.
People vote with their actions, not feedback forms. Howard Schultz put his instincts ahead of the masses and got Starbucks to show for it. Steve Jobs says most people don't even know what they want until you show it to them.
If you're following feedback forms instead of "making tastes" for people, you will always lag behind in innovation. You are responding to culture, not shaping it.


Recent Comments