Client: North Pole Ventures Auth: J MarleyProject: CX innovation Date: Dec 2013

Applying Design Thinking to the Christmas Experience (CX).Why there’s no “L” in Innovation

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENTThis report provides the management summary of work undertaken by I&IF for North Pole Ventures.

Facing increasing competition from other festivals and increasing logistic and channel complexity North Pole Ventures used Design Thinking to explore options for.....

Innovating the Christmas Experience.

BACKGROUND:INNOVATING THE CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE:

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1) There are too many kids in the world:

With any successful business (especially one that offers a FoC service), uncontrolled growth is inevitable.

The impact of this growth is:*Financial (stretching limited resources)

*Logistical (distributing more and more gifts within a limited timeframe).(Forecast based on data from 2013 UN Figures)

BACKGROUND:INNOVATING THE CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE:

2) Digital=unmanageable complexity

The proliferation of digital devices has three impacts:

*Need for complex omni channel content management, handling white mail + mobile + e-channels + emerging channels + social.

*Reducing technology cycles means requests for “latest iPhone” can’t be fulfilled until the last moment.

*Social Media increases awareness of emergent toys accelerates global trends in toy demand, decreasing lead time for production.

Client: North Pole Ventures Auth: J MarleyProject: CX innovation Date: Dec 2013

The Design Thinking Approach Stimulating new ideas for the CX

IDEATION:A WORKSHOP (BUT NOT AS THEY KNOW IT)

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1) Creating a different environment to promote creative thinking:

Knowing that settings that differ from the usual office environment gets people thinking differently we crafted a challenging setting for the North Pole Ventures team.

EXPECTATIONS/NORM

ACTUAL WORKSHOP SPACE

IDEATION:BRAIN-STORMING & FOCUSING ON STAKEHOLDERS

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2) Understanding user’s motivation helped clarify options:

Capturing the drivers of stakeholders in the CX process surfaced some hostility towards so called “Naughty List” children.

COLLECTING & COLLATING IDEAS

Naughty List Child

Vile

Sweary

Insomniac

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3) Translating new ideas into a new CX process:

Capturing how ideas and stakeholders combined in a Yuletide flow helped the team refine their concepts....

IDEATION:MAPPING THE TARGET CX JOURNEY

DEEP

CRIS

PEV

EN

Client: North Pole Ventures Auth: J MarleyProject: CX innovation Date: Dec 2013

The New CX Key Ideas for the Big Man from the little folk.

OPTIONS:1:CHANGE THE SOURCING MODEL & LOGISTICS

1) Outsource production and distribution

Employ a lower cost/higher capacity workforce.

*Christmas (may clash with “spirit of Christmas”)*Use parents as a “community resource”/unpaid labour. They don’t have enough to do at this time of year. Concept has been used by the Taxi industry successfully for years to avoid the low tipping under 8’s.BAH HUMBUG

OPTIONS:2:MIGRATE CHRISTMAS INTO THE CLOUD

2) SaaS (Santa as a Service)

Maximise Santa’s utility by providing him as a service to support other festivals.

*Maximises addressable market*Reflects North Pole Ventures’ diversity policy.*Enables a lower TCO (Total Christmas Overhead)*Provides a location independent service, removing questions about how Santa visits everyone in one night.....

OPTIONS:4: LAUNCH AVATATHER CHRISTMAS’

2) Create a new Digital-centric Christmas

Re-engineer Christmas around digital channels.

*Enable a credit-based gifting tradition where on-line vouchers are accumulated and net vouchers must be spent before Boxing Day sales. *Never have to hunt for receipts in the trash again!*Helps kids focus on communicating with “friends”, rather than speaking to family who they only see once a year anyway.*Generates ad revenue for Santa*Avoids premium production and delivery costs during the Christmas period* Comes with “the rustle of wrapping paper” link to Soundcloud file.*Freemium model offers potential to upgrade to a Christmas dinner without a row about sprouts.

Client: North Pole Ventures Auth: J MarleyProject: CX innovation Date: Dec 2013

And finally...

(C) MARK BARNES ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN 2013

. *Christmas is a time for us all to take a break from focusing on designing for users & finding the desirable, feasible and viable.....(as important as it is).

Now we’re focusing on friends and family, decking the halls, roasting chestnuts and hanging stockings.

And we’re also remembering those making other people’s Christmases merry and bright.....especially the people at Crisis

HTTP://COMMUNITY.CRISIS.ORG.UK/RESERVE

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM I&IF:(BUT NOEL RESPONSIBLY)

Client: North Pole Ventures Auth: J MarleyProject: CX innovation Date: Dec 2013

I&IFstephen.wood@iandif.comwww.iandif.com