This year, I discovered a song that I really liked.
I don’t listen to the radio much, with small kids we don’t go out dancing anymore, and my playlists on Spotify are mostly an odd mix of Afrikaans oldies, country and meditation music (weird, I know).
This has happened to you too, I’m sure. You hear a tune. You register liking on a very base level, but don’t really pay that much attention. The next time you hear it, you go: Ooh I like this song. You like it because now it feels more familiar, and possibly anchored in another pleasant memory. The third time you hear it, you pay attention, and you might even go download it onto your iTunes or Spotify to listen to some more.
The song in question is “Stumblin In” by CYRIL. I have no idea who Cyril is, but his pumped-up remix caught my attention. Maybe because it’s a Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro classic redone for a modern audience. Maybe it’s because I recognize Chris Norman’s voice from his time with Smokey, and having grown up singing “Alice”, he anchors me in a simpler time.
The song is punchy and current and feel good summer music. It’s also familiar and comforting. It’s that perfect mix of innovation and familiarity, and that’s what’s given it millions of downloads and lots of airplay, even reaching my limited airspace.
Made me think about remixes. Taking the old and giving it a twist that works for a modern audience. Lots and lots of people do it in music. Sometimes the remix adds something new, often it doesn’t.
In business, we are often tempted to remix the classics. We have a product and an approach that works, but the world tells us to innovate and modernize and react to changing technology and trends. Ja no fine. That’s all valid, but there’s also something to be said about sticking with your knitting. Innovate but also keep on doing what you’re doing. Don’t change who you are if it’s been working, rather layer on tweaks that better serve your core customer.
The world’s leading fitness brand, CrossFit, has 10 times more locations worldwide than Planet Fitness, its closest competitor. There are a number of reasons for this, but founder Greg Glassman was quoted as saying this, and I paraphrase: “Our biggest challenge along the way was to avoid the numerous Big Shiny Objects that might distract us from our charter.”
Not protein shakes. Not branded shoes. Not supplements or saunas or other stuff. CrossFit keeps it simple, its core product has not changed at all in the more than a decade of market dominance, even with leadership shifts and scandals… the company, and the brand, know what it’s there to do, and who they are there to serve. Respect.
This weekend, I was in Durban watching the Springboks narrowly lose to Ireland. It was a titanic match, lost on the narrowest of margins. Many of us wonder whether some of the schoolboy errors exhibited by our beloved Boks are a result of confusion. A symptom of trying to move too far away from their core DNA in the quest for newness and innovation.
In contrast, a recent conversation with EO colleague Clinton Holcroft for my new book (Boks to Business) highlighted what good innovation looks like. You always focus on the customer, trying to solve their issues - at the same time, you keep an eye on industry trends and innovate on rock-solid Return on Investment. This machine will cost X, but it will allow me to bring in Y of additional sales or profit. Talk to your team, let them guide you on what changes need to be made, but also keep an eye on the numbers and the big picture. This is why Clinton has built a behemoth in the trucking industry... not responding just to market feedback, but supporting his moves with hard data.
I worry about our beloved Springboks. We’ve seen this movie twice now, and our heroes emerged triumphant each time. It’s pretty hard to write a third story without really fiddling with the formula. And if, like me, you suddenly break out into a cold sweat and remember the Matrix third movie, you’re right. A sequel to a sequel is a tough ask and often gets things wrong in trying to bring something fresh to the audience.
Rassie is still in charge, but now, much like early 2000s Steve Jobs, he has shifted the thinking from struggling pretender to market leader. And as such, there is a need to innovate and layer on products. For Apple, it was the iPod (amazing), for the Springboks…. Ah, it’s that old chestnut: Let’s walk away from one-dimensional boring, and bring in the sexy thinking of (of course) a Kiwi coach. No longer will we face the critics as a boring (but winning) outfit… rather, let’s tweak the approach to play a more! Exciting! Game!
Let’s show the world that we can win consistently between World Cups, not just show up for the really big moments. In other words, let’s try to be more like the All Blacks.
Again. Dammit.
We’ve been here before, and it always ends in tears. We are not the All Blacks, and any attempts to be them will backfire on us. Our systems and structures and player deployment dictate that we are able to fully align on a periodic basis, but a diaspora of talent dictates that we won’t be able to provide consistent results. The All Blacks don’t pick players that play outside of the country. We do. They are still dominant between World Cups as a result, but when we get to deploy our big international guns and they don’t, we now have the edge. And no measure of fancy passing in the backline will fix this.
I hope I’m wrong. I hope that they are tweaking the base and adding in some tempo, but not messing with the lyrics. A remix works if you respect what made the original such a hit in the first place. But I worry…
PG’s Pro Tip:
ChatGPT defines a Core Mission Statement as having these elements:
Purpose (the WHY), Primary Objectives (specific problems to solve), Core Values (DNA of the organization) and Target Audience (core customer). Make sure you always refer back to these four pillars before you start to innovate. You’ll thank me later!
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